Page 69 of Sugar, Spice, and Magical Midlife

“You were able to find it because you were welcomed into their home.” She spoke to me as if she was lecturing a child. “They’ve warded it against you by now.”

I cursed beneath my breath, pacing the floor. “There has to be another way.” Because if not, the Insurgi were out of luck. How could my aunt even consider involving a child in such a dangerous mission?

She gave me a helpless look. “The only way you’d be able to find it is if you gave your hosts a gift.”

A chill swept through me. “A gift?”

“Yes, it’s the same way succubi are able to get into our houses. If a striga accepts a gift from a succubus, the succubus can track it and gain entrance into a witch’s house.”

Ethyl let out a curse that would make a sailor blush. I gaped at my cousin as a look of understanding passed between us.

“They have my favorite bra.” I clenched my hands until nails broke skin, knowing I was sealing my fate, though what choice did I have? “It fell behind the bed when I was packing.”

“Your favorite bra?” She chewed on her bottom lip while giving me a long look. “It might work if we do a retrieval spell.”

“It’s going to have to work.” I glanced at my son once more, innocently battling bad guys on his game, blissfully unaware that this could soon become his real life. “Because Des isn’t going to their house.”

I THOUGHT WE WERE GOINGinto a spell chamber, a special, usually cozy room for conducting magic. I was not prepared when my aunt took us to meet the rest of the Insurgi, for I’d no idea their numbers were in the thousands.

They were waiting for us after we exited her suite, and we walked out onto a balcony of sorts overlooking a vast cavern. There were striga of all shapes and sizes and every possible species, except for the sphinx. They stood huddled together in a big mass, their wands lit like candlesticks as they hummed an unfamiliar song.

‘Son of light

Star of the west

Banish the night

Save your blessed’

What the hex? Did they think my son was some sort of wizard Jesus?

“Where did they all come from?” I whispered to my aunt out of the side of my mouth.

She plastered on a frozen smile while waving to her Insurgi below. “They’ve been hiding for decades, waiting for Des.”

Ahh, hex no.

I scowled at her when she took my son’s hand and held it up. “Brothers and sisters, our phoenix has returned.”

I tensed when the crowd broke into gasps and wails.

My son gaped at them, a horrified look in his eyes, and I knew his sensory disorder was kicking in.

I took his hand, pulling him back into my aunt’s chamber. Ethyl followed, and we set him down with his headphones and Puffy in his lap. After he stroked the dragon’s back while taking several shallow breaths, his breathing returned to normal.

Once he was finally calmed and playing his game, I stood and snarled at my aunt. “You will never make a spectacle of my son again.”

She held up her hands, a contrite look in her eyes. “I’m sorry. I had no idea he’d react that way.”

“How else do you expect a child with sensory issues to react?” I spat.

“I’m sorry.” She shook her head. “It won’t happen again.”

I was tempted to tell her, no, it wouldn’t, because we were leaving. But where would we go? As angry as I was, I knew we had no choice, for I feared the succubi would find us wherever we went. I didn’t want Des to grow up fearing for his life as I had. If we wanted a chance at a safe and ‘normal-ish’ life, we had to destroy the succubi while we had the chance.

I dragged my hands down my face while releasing a heavy breath. “I will lead you to the nest,” I said to my aunt, “and then Des and I are leaving. Now, show me how to do this spell. I want my Goddess-damned bra back.”

Chapter Thirteen

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