Page 77 of Sugar, Spice, and Magical Midlife

Serena opened her mouth as if to speak before giving me a helpless look. I slapped a hand over my mouth when the strong stench of perfumed soap and baby powder hit me.

Ethyl scrunched her pixie nose. “What’s aTV Guide?”

“Are you trippin’?” Shu rolled his eyes. “Duh! The magazine that tells us what’s on TV. It’s my favorite after mySmashhits,GQ, andCosmo. Magazines are life! Where have you been?”

“Uhh.” Ethyl gave me a funny look. “This century.”

“Shu,” Serena said with a groan.

“There is no Shu.” He cocked a hand on his hip, wagging a nail file in her direction. “I’m Sparkles. Shu is grody to the max. I told you this.”

“That’s right.” She stood, holding out her hands. “Sorry, Sparkles.”

Ethyl shook her head. “Do we have any word on Frederica?”

“None yet.” Serena gave her a pitying look. “But the night is still young. She may show.”

I cringed at that, hoping the Tribunal wasn’t interrogating her, or worse. The night wasn’t young at all. She should’ve returned from work hours ago.

Ethyl stiffened and her eyes misted. “If you’ll excuse me,” she said before miniaturizing and fluttering up to the ceiling.

I wanted to go to my friend and offer her comfort, though I had none to give when I wasn’t sure Ric would survive, either. Curse those stuck-up witches. I was starting to understand why those protestors called them theDiablo Medici.

Shu turned up his nose, glaring down at us. “If no one has aTV Guide, just say so. I’ll pop on over to the drug store and get one.”

“You’re sad,” Des blurted.

I hadn’t noticed my son had taken off his headphones and was slowly approaching Shu like he was trying to corner a cat.

“Of course I’m sad.” Shu waved his nail file like a baton. “I can’t find aTV Guideanywhere.”

Des took another step up to Shu and held open his arms. “Sparkles.”

Shu cocked a hand on his hip, attitude locked and loaded. “What is the kid doing?” he asked me.

“He wants to hug you.” I wrapped my arms around myself, feeling as if my heart was stuck in my throat. “It’s a huge honor. He never lets anyone but me hug him.”

“Oh, okay.” Shu relented, standing stiff in Des’s arms when he hugged him.

My breath hitched. What was he doing?

“Oh.” Shu sagged against Des. “That feels nice.”

I sucked in a hiss when an ethereal glow surrounded them, pulsing like a heartbeat. I elbowed Serena, speaking through the side of my mouth. “What’s happening?”

Her hand flew to her mouth. “It looks like Des is healing him.”

“Oh, my son.” I clutched my throat, my eyes watering over as the light strengthened and pulsed faster. “My amazing son.”

Shu let out a strangled sob, and then the light turned so bright, I was forced to shield my eyes as a soothing warmth flowed through me.

By the time the light had faded, Shu’s mud mask had melted all down his chest and robe and had even smeared Des’s shirt. I tensed, waiting for Des’s sensory disorder to kick in, but Des whispered something beneath his breath and the mess was gone.

Serena crossed over to Shu, leading him to the sofa. I sat beside him as Ethyl returned and handed him a glass of water. “Are you okay?” she asked.

He downed the water and then set the glass on the coffee table with trembling hands. He stared at the darkened wall in front of him, a haunted look in his eyes. “The demons came after Sam and Deryk, but I held them off until they got away. They tried to kill me, so I hid in my lamp. I knew they couldn’t harm me in there.” He wiped a tear from his eyes. “I’ve been hiding ever since.”

“I’m so sorry.” Serena sat on the coffee table across from him and leaned forward. “We’ve been looking for you for almost forty years, but we couldn’t locate the succubi’s den until Luciella helped us.”

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