Page 29 of Sugar, Spice, and Magical Midlife

He adjusted his seat belt while sitting forward. “And you will reveal the spell you use to sweeten your products or face imprisonment.”

Imprisonment? “Gus, you can’t do this!” I shook a fist at him. “I’m a single mom!”

“I don’t care.” He crossed his arms with a pout. “There was dirt on that coffee cake.”

“Ethyl dropped it,” I blurted, then berated myself. Why did I tell him that?

His entire face turned as red as a dragon’s pecker. “So you gave it to me?”

“No,” I spat, a boiling cauldron of rage threatening to split open my skull. “You took it, like you always do, pretending to be inspecting my pastries so you can eat for free!”

I was so angry, red clouded my vision as a loud crack rent the air.Merlin’s mudflaps!I gaped at the van windows—all cracked, though thankfully, none had shattered.

“Oops.” I held out my hands in a defensive gesture. “I didn’t mean that.”

Gus gritted his teeth. “I’ll send you the repair bill.”

I waved a fist at him. “How am I supposed to pay it when you shut down my source of income?!”

My heart skipped a beat when the goons got into the other side of the van and started it up. They couldn’t leave. Not with Ric, and certainly not until I convinced Gus to spare my bakery.

“Gus, wait!” I screamed, instinctively reaching into my purse. I had to stop them through any means necessary.

And then Gus pulled out the longest wand I’d ever seen, almost the entire length of his body, a twisted black thing that looked like a dead tree root, and pointed it at my chest. “Raise your wand and see what happens.” The smile he flashed rivaled the grin of the very devil himself. “It would be a shame for your son to grow up without a mother.”

Merlin’s balls!

Jaw slackened, I watched helplessly as he used magic to slam the door, shattering his window. He swore, brushing glass off his arm as they drove away, leaving me in a plume of gravel dust and despair.

Well, damn. I never got that spinach and feta omelet.

But that was the least of my problems. Not only did I have to find out where they were taking Ric, but I had to prove his innocence by finding Lenny’s real killer. Call it a witch’s instinct, but I got a sickening feeling the husk’s death was connected to the succubus who was hunting Ric. And I couldn’t deny it was an awfully big coincidence that Lenny was killed the night Ric had slept with me, almost as if the succubus had planned it. If that was the case, could this have been the same succubus who’d hunted me throughout childhood? The same succubus that had killed my parents for shielding me?

Chapter Six

My legs felt like they were encrusted in ice as I trudged back across the gravel drive and into Ric’s home. I had no way to get home, which meant I’d have to take an Uber. Either that or hop on my compact broom and use a concealment spell to fly home. Another shiver coursed up my spine, reminding me I’d freeze my tits off if I tried it.

My mind felt numb as I followed the smell of freshly brewed coffee into the kitchen. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw my clothes, as well as a thick blanket, laid out on the dining table. I quickly changed, then thanked the ghosts as they poured me a cup of coffee, adding sugar and cream. I thought about asking them for that omelet, but I was far too sick with worry to eat, so I slowly sipped the coffee, letting the heat sink into my bones while I pondered my current situation.

Gus was shutting down my bakery, Ric could be hung for murder, and whoever killed Lenny, probably a succubus, was still out there. Who would be next? Ethyl? Me? Des? My heart came to a grinding halt, and I suddenly realized why my parents had tried to stop the succubus. They gave their lives to save mine, just as I would do the same for Des. Though my parents were strong, alpha witches, their magic wasn’t as powerful as mine. I wondered if the succubus knew this, and that’s why she’d been hunting me. Or maybe she knew about Des’s magic.

I’d been so careful concealing Des’s magic, choosing to homeschool, masking his aura, not telling anyone except Ethyl. Not even Colin knew how powerful his son’s magic was. Thankthe Goddess he was such a negligent father, focusing more on himself than on his son, for I didn’t trust him with Des’s secret.

I chewed my nails to the quick, wondering what I should do next. I couldn’t let Ric hang for murders he didn’t commit. Though I wasn’t with him during that other murder, I suspected he’d been framed then, too.

I jumped when an object dropped from the sky in front of me. So consumed was I with worry that I hadn’t noticed the ghosts had been trying to get my attention.

I looked down in shock at the Ouija board and realized the ghosts were trying to communicate with me. They were obviously friends with Ric if they lived here. Perhaps they could offer some insight. I took the board out of the box and unfolded it on the table. Then I grabbed the planchette, the heart-shaped wooden dial, and placed it on the center of the board.

I drank down the rest of my now cold coffee, then swallowed back a knot of apprehension as I asked the first question. “Do you know where they are taking him?”

I didn’t even need to place my hands on the planchette as it moved of its own accord.

No.

I smoothed trembling hands down my pants. Have I mentioned ghosts creeped me out? Probably not a good time to remember that. “Do you know who killed Lenny?”

Yes.

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