Page 84 of Sugar, Spice, and Magical Midlife

I fought back a wave of nausea when the most disgusting, thunderous sounds came from the other side of that door.

“Good thing we didn’t go through the toilet,” Ethyl whispered. “Or we’d be drowning in sh—”

I gave a start when the lights suddenly flickered on, revealing at least two dozen frightening witches hovering above us on their brooms with wands at the ready. I recognized my grandmother,MagaSagredo, and her demon advisor,SignoraOscura, hovering directly above us.

I squeezed Des’s hand, thankful that we were hidden beneath the shields of my invisibility spell. Hopefully, they hadn’t noticed the jaw breaker that had rolled a few feet away from us.

ThenSignoraOscura pointed her wand at the floor in front of my feet. “Revelio.”

I pushed Des behind me, and Serena swore when the bubble around us popped. How did she know we were there, and how was she able to reverse my invisibility spell?

“Oh, H E double hockey sticks!” Shu blurted.

Serena threw up another shield around us, this one a translucent gray, and I recognized it as a protection chamber. They could still see us, though.

“There you are.”SignoraOscura peered down at us, crimson flaring in her eyes and her smile the incarnation of the devil himself. “We’ve been expecting you.”

Chapter Sixteen

“So do you speak for my mother now?” Serena turned up her chin, glaring atSignoraOscura in an impressive act of defiance. “No longer hiding the fact that you control her.”

MagaSagredo cleared her throat while hovering above us. “I speak for myself.”

Serena craned her neck to look up at her mother. “Do you?”

My heart twisted when the two locked heated gazes. I couldn’t imagine turning against my child as my grandmother had done. Demon powers be damned. I would throw myself off a cliff before I let them break my bond with Des.

“We thought you’d return here,”SignoraOscura said on a slow drawl. “The Vindicti rebels are anything if not lacking in creativity.”

MagaSagredo pointed her wand at her daughter’s chest. “I don’t know if I should be relieved to see you’re alive or disappointed you’re not dead.”

“Wow,” I blurted. “What a lousy thing to say to your own child!” Demon tranced or not, what a bitch. And how could I forget this was the same woman who’d turned away my mother and father when they’d appealed to them for a place to hide? If it hadn’t been for her, my parents might still be alive.

MagaSagredo waved her wand down at me with a snarl. “This is Sagredo family business, and you will stay out of it.”

“Oh, Mother.” Serena clutched her stomach, letting out a deep bellow. “If you only knew.”

Everyone froze when the troll’s groan shook the walls, followed by a noisy, gurgly splash. And then we were hit by the powerful stench of the aftermath of Taco Tuesday, like toxic chemical fumes, spilling from the crack beneath the door.MagaSagredo and her cronies wisely gravitated away from the troll’s bathroom.

“We’d like to propose a trade,”MagaSagredo said while fiercely fanning her face. “Luciella Lovelle for our prisoner.”

I inwardly swore when she shone a light on a rope hanging from the ceiling above her. Attached to the end of that rope was Frederica with a noose around her neck, her feet balancing on a floating step stool beneath her. Should the enchantment on that stool fail, the minotaur’s neck would snap.

Ethyl let out a scream, then miniaturized.

“Stay here!” I hissed, thankful when Ethyl settled on my shoulder.

“You must save her,” she squeaked.

“I’m trying,” I said as I felt a puff of warm air and heard fluttering wings near my neck. Ethyl was still sitting on my shoulder, which meant that Puffy was up to some sort of mischief that could get him hurt, or worse. Then again, maybe he was our last hope. For some reason, the succubi’s reveal spell hadn’t worked on him, and he’d been invisible this whole time.

“Des needs to get us out of here,” Serena hissed.

“Not without Frederica and Puffy,” Ethyl cried.

Des pressed against my back. “Do you want my help, Mama?”

I froze at that. “No, Des. Stay behind me.” I cringed when I heard the dragon flutter farther above me. “Where’s Ricardo?” I demanded while glaring atMagaSagredo and praying she didn’t realize Puffy was flying toward Frederica.

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