Page 67 of Sugar, Spice, and Magical Midlife

Huh. I wondered what my gift was. I tensed when she took out her wand, waving it at me. “Revelio,” she whispered, revealing my aura, which was so bright it lit up the room, pulsing off me like sunlight and illuminating the water trickling down the cavern walls into cracks on the floor.

Then she pointed her wand at Des, whispering the same spell. The aura that pulsed off him was so blinding, I had to shield my eyes.

My aunt whispered, “Celare,” and the lights pulsing off our skin instantly dimmed.

“Will you tell?” I asked while tempted to pull my own wand out of my purse.

“No.” She pocketed her wand and crossed an ankle over her knee. “Like you, I have a vested interest in protecting the phoenix, and not just because he’s my grandnephew, but because the phoenix in a demon’s hands would be catastrophic.” She visibly shuddered. “As far as we know, the succubi believeyouare the phoenix, and I intend to keep it that way.”

I heaved a relieved sigh. “Thank you.”

She patted my knee. “He’s a very special boy.”

I didn’t know if I wanted to beam with joy or cry. I feared what would happen to him if the wrong people learned of his powers. “He is.”

She leaned back, a deep frown etched into her features. “And I know you would do anything to protect him.”

“I would,” I answered as I eyed her, wondering why she’d waited until now to reveal herself to me. Why not when I was fifteen and mourning my dead parents? “Why did Ethyl know about you, and I didn’t? Why not warn me that the succubi were still hunting me?”

She broke eye contact for a heartbeat. “I-I wanted you to have as normal a life as possible, to get married and have children.”

A light came on in my brain, and though I didn’t want to think the worst of my mother’s twin, I had the sickening feeling I was simply a pawn in her game. I slowly stood, bearing down on her with a scowl. “So that I would produce the next phoenix.”

She stood, clenching her fists by her sides. “The phoenix has the power to help us banish all succubi to hell for good.”

“Then why didn’tyouhave children?” I didn’t bother masking the venom in my voice. “The Phoenix could’ve easily come from your womb, since you’re a Sagredo, too.”

She gave me an accusatory look. “I was too busy hunting demons to start a family.”

Was I supposed to feel guilty that she gave up a family, so I could sacrifice my son? I looked over at Des, thankful he had on his headphones and was sitting back in his chair playing his computer game. Ethyl sat across from him, alternating between casting me apologetic looks and stroking Puffy’s head.

I spoke through gritted teeth. “What do you think those monsters will do to Des when they discover what he is?”

“They won’t get him.” She held up her hands in a defensive gesture. “We’ll keep him safe.”

Bitter laughter erupted from my throat as I took a big step away from her. “So my son is supposed to live in a sewer the rest of his life?”

“No.” Her cheeks flushed. “Your son is supposed to fulfill his destiny.”

A rush of venom shot to my skull. I was so angry, I wanted to throttle her. “My child is not battling succubi!”

“We’re not asking him to battle them.” She advanced toward me. “All he has to do is find them for us, and we’ll do the fighting. They won’t be able to harm him once they’re restrained. Then it’s a matter of a simple spell to send them back to hell.”

My vison tunneled on her as I dropped my voice to an ominous rumble. “He’s not finding them for you, either.”

“Luciella, we have the power to defeat them, to get revenge on the demons who killed your parents, and to make the world a safer place for your son. He will be heavily guarded.” She clasped her hands in a prayer pose. “We won’t let them get him, I promise.”

The nerve of this woman! “I don’t even know you, and you expect me to trust you with my son’s life?”

She shook her head. “All we need him to do is help us find the nest.”

“The nest?” I instantly regretted asking, for I had a feeling I didn’t want to know.

“The breeding grounds for the succubi, and where their queen lives. You were already there. That cab driver who took you to his home, we believe he is one of the succubi leaders.”

“First off, hex no is my son getting involved in this, and second, you knew we were staying with succubi?”

“When Ethyl sent word you were coming, we sent a team to intercept you at the airport.”

---