Chapter Twelve

I sucked in a scream as I fell onto something soft and springy. I blinked up at a familiar stained and cracked ceiling, then looked at Des, whose hand was joined with mine.

I gaped at him.

He smiled at me.

“Des, did you do that?” I asked as I sat up, dropping my wand by my side and rubbing my throbbing temple.

He nodded. “Mama was in trouble.” He opened up his other hand, and I felt a gust of wind whoosh past me. Puffy materialized in a huff, landing on a dilapidated shelf before licking his paw like a cat.

I squeezed Des’s hand and kissed his cheek. My amazing boy.

I swore when I noticed my suitcase was on the floor again. I’d warded the lock this time, but the hinges had somehow come off the back, and a trail of tampons led from my suitcase to the gnome-sized hole in the wall. A maxi pad was stuck above the hole with words written in my favorite lipstick: Wichz, keeep owt!

The little shits. Though they were the least of my problems.

If the Tribunal were unsure if I was the phoenix before, they certainly believed it now that we’d managed to break through their wards. The only problem was, it was clear to me now that my autistic son was the phoenix, and if the succubi ever realized this, they would stop at nothing to get him.

Without a sphinx protector, the phoenix is more vulnerable to succubi possessions.

Ethyl fluttered out of my pocket and transformed into her full size. She fell onto her bottom, a dazed look in her eyes, her rainbow-hued wings sagging behind her. “Luci, no witch in history has ever been able to break the Tribunal’s wards. They’ll be looking for us.”

The sorceress’s words rang through my skull like a gong. More powerful than a dozen combined witches...

“I know.” My gaze flitted from my son to Ethyl. “And once they figure out I’m not the phoenix, they’ll come after Des.”

Ethyl sat up straight, her eyes narrowing to slits. “We can’t let that happen.”

“We need to hide,” I blurted. Where would we go, for I was certain every striga across all seven continents would soon be looking for us?

Ethyl fluttered to her feet then knelt beside me. Taking my hand, she blinked up at me with luminous pale blue eyes. Her eyes were only blue when she was being sincere, which was hardly ever. “Do you trust me?”

I swallowed back my fear. “I do.”

She stood, holding down a hand to me. “Then let’s go.”

“To where?” I asked as I took her hand and stood.

“Luci, you know I love you like a sister, but I haven’t been entirely honest with you these past few years.” She visibly swallowed then looked away.

My knees quaked. “Tell me,” I rasped.

“The past two summers, I wasn’t sleeping my way across Europe,” she said as her gaze flitted from me to Des. “I was in training with the Insurgi.”

My hand flew to my throat. “What? You were with drug dealers and thieves!” Sure, I knew Ethyl liked bad boys, but not this bad!

“They’re not drug dealers.” Ethyl shook her head, snickering. “That’s what the Tribunal wants you to believe. They’re an underground rebel army preparing for war against the succubi.”

What the what? “Did you...” I paused, struggling to push out the words as panic gripped my heart in its webbed fingers. “Did you tell them about Des?”

She shook her head. “I didn’t need to. They already know.”

My knees gave way, and I fell back onto the bed. No. No. NO! I hung my head with a groan. “They know about my son?”

Des sat beside me, patting my back. “It’s okay, Mama.”

I gave him a hopeless look before scowling at Ethyl. “Explain.”

She chewed her lip while toying with her pentagram necklace. “That’s why they recruited me, to ensure I helped you keep him safe.”

I flashed my teeth while snatching my wand off the mattress. “And you’re just now telling me this?” A blade of despair pierced my heart. How could she betray me like this?

She backed up, a hand splayed across her heart. “I was spell-sworn to secrecy.”

I slowly stood, clenching my wand in my fist. “But you’re able to tell me now?”

“I guess so. Our leader said the spell would break when the succubi found us.” She looked at me unflinchingly with eyes as pale as the summer sky. I’d known Ethyl her whole life. I knew her eyes reflected her moods. I knew she was being sincere, damn her.

I loosened my grip on my wand. “Is Frederica part of the Insurgi?”

She nodded.

No wonder the minotaur was so willing to risk her job, possibly even her life, to sneak us into the Tribunal. I suspected it was too much of a risk all for a lover. She had an ulterior motive. Now I had to figure out what it was. Ethyl wouldn’t betray me, not willingly anyway, but I feared she might have landed us in a big pile of dragon doo.

I arched a brow. “And Ric?”

She scrunched her features, that same puzzled look when she was trying to manually figure out a customer’s change. “I don’t think so.”

Good, because my heart would’ve shattered if he’d been working for them, too. I would’ve been mortified if they’d sent him to seduce me. I paced the floor, a million questions running through my mind. “How do you know these Insurgi aren’t succubi, too?”

She blanched. “They’re not.”

I pinned her with a glare. “How do you know?”

She visibly swallowed. “Nana Clara introduced me to them.”

I clutched my stomach, feeling as if I’d been punched. “Nana Clara?” The woman who’d raised me and Ethyl after our parents had been killed. My mom’s cousin and Ethyl’s grandma who had been like a grandmother to me, too.

“She’s one of the Insurgi.” She shrugged, letting out a nervous-sounding laugh. “Well, she was before she retired.”

I was tempted to ask Des to teleport us to her retirement community and tell her off for keeping such a huge secret from me. “I need to sit down.” I plopped back onto the bed and took my son’s hand.

“It’s okay, Mama,” he said again as he rubbed my back like I’d done for him countless times.

I blinked at him through a sheen of tears. Was he just trying to comfort me, or did his amazing brain know something I didn’t?

Ethyl knelt in front of us, her hand upon my knee. “Luci, the Insurgi are the ones who hid us from the succubi after your parents were killed. They changed our identities. They paid for you to go to the Salem School of Witchcraft.”

I sucked in a sharp breath. “That was a scholarship.”

“Yeah.” She laughed. “And you were the only candidate.” She toyed with her pentagram charm again. “They also financed the loan on your bakery.”

“That was a private investor who loved sweets.” I had always suspected it had been Colin’s parents, though he’d vehemently denied it.

She shook her head. “It was your aunt.”

My jaw nearly hit the floor. I had an aunt? My parents had told me they were only children. “My aunt?”

She worked a tic in her jaw before slowly standing. “The general of the Insurgi.”

Oh, hex no! “W-what?” I stammered. “Why am I finding out about all this now?”

She kissed the top of Puffy’s head after he flew into her arms. “Because Serena wanted you to have a normal life.”

“Serena?” Where had I heard her name before?

She gave me a look as if she was a toddler who’d been caught stealing sweets. “Your mom’s sister.”

“My mom didn’t have a sister.” But even as I denied her words, I knew them to be true. Her eyes were paler than I’d ever seen them.

“She did,” she said as she stroked Puffy’s scaly spine. “Serena has been battling succubi since before you were born.”

I didn’t know if I should’ve been overjoyed or annoyed at this news. I had an aunt. Did she look like my mom? If so, I wondered what it would feel like to look at her, to be held by her. I didn’t realize until that moment how much I’d missed my mom, but I did miss her—terribly. She’d been taken from me too soon, and in such a brutal way. It was all too overwhelming. My eyes filled with moisture. “And she never thought to visit me?”

Ethyl’s eyes glossed over, too, as she continued to stroke her dragon’s back. “I think it was too dangerous, but these are questions you can ask her.”

“No,” I blurted as I swiped away tears. As much as I wanted to see my aunt, I also didn’t want to see her. She could’ve visited me years ago, like when I was grieving my lost parents. Instead, she chose to avoid me. And now she wanted to force my son and me into her rebel army den? No, thanks.

Ethyl’s jaw dropped. “What?”

I stood, heaving my suitcase onto the bed and murmuring a fusion spell while pointing my wand at the hinges. “Do what you want, but Des and I are going home.” I nodded toward my son. “Pack your things, sweetie.”

I’d had enough of this dragon-shit-show. I wasn’t about to drag my son into whatever my aunt was scheming. I felt bad about leaving Ric before his trial was finished, but I’d already accomplished what I’d set out to do. I’d given my testimony in the Lenny Ledbetter case. I couldn’t help with the case from eighty years ago.

“Luci,” Ethyl whispered at my back, “you’ll be hunted wherever you go. You need the Insurgi.”

I tensed at that, fearing these Insurgi needed us more, especially Des, to wage a dangerous war against the succubi. There was no way in nine hells I was letting them put my child’s life at risk.

I jumped when I heard a loud roar outside, followed by several pops like fireworks and terrified screams.

Puffy landed on Des’s shoulder and Des jumped to his feet, pointing at the small window above Ethyl’s bed. “They’re here, Mama.”

“Who?” I asked.

“ Maga Sagredo and the succubi,” he answered.

“Damn!” How was I supposed to go up against the most powerful striga witch and her demons?

Ethyl clasped her hands in a prayer pose. “Luci, we have to go to the Insurgi.”

I jerked Des into my embrace and threw up a shield when the walls rattled and debris from the cracking ceiling rained down on us. “How do we get there?” I yelled over the din of the shaking walls. Any moment, and I feared the building would collapse upon our heads.

Ethyl shoved our suitcases between us and took mine and Des’s hands. “Hold on tight.”

Still clinging to Des, I grabbed Ethyl’s hand as she grasped the pentagram charm around her neck and whispered, “ Regreso .”

And then my world slipped out from under me, and we were falling through the darkness again.

I BLINKED, AND WE LANDED on hard earth, our suitcases tumbling beside us and popping open, scattering my clothes and cosmetics everywhere. I zapped the mess with my wand, and everything flew back into the suitcase before the lid slammed shut. We stood in what appeared to be an underground cavern, much like the Tribunal headquarters, only darker and damper. Where in Hades were we?

“Whoa.” Des spun a slow circle. “This place is cool.”

“There you are.” A woman emerged from the shadows, her long cape flowing behind her like a swath of ink, her wand producing a pleasing, soft light. She made a big show of checking a pocket watch attached to her vest. “You’re five minutes later than I expected.”

I gaped at the woman, hardly believing what I was seeing. She wasn’t just my mother’s sister. She was her twin! Sure, she had a few more lines around her mouth and eyes than I remembered, and her spiky dark hair was cut much shorter than my mom’s. Other than that, they were identical.

“I’m sorry, Serena.” Ethyl heaved a groan. “The Tribunal was...long.”

“I know,” Serena said to her. “My informants have already told me.” Then she turned her eyes on me, and I thought I felt my heart fall out of my chest. “Luciella.” Her voice changed to a rasp as she pressed her wand to her heart. “I’ve been waiting a long time to meet you and my darling grandnephew.” She flashed Des a loving smile, one I remembered my mom giving me numerous times.

“You look just like her,” I blurted, not knowing what else to say.

“I know.” She crossed the distance to me, taking my arm. “You’re in shock. You should sit down.” She led me across a plush rug to a wide, leather sofa and made me sit.

I got a good look at my surroundings. I heard the trickle of water and felt a cool draft coming from somewhere, though I wasn’t sure where. There weren’t many candles illuminating the place, so the walls of the cavern were terrifyingly dark, like the edges of oblivion. We were in a fully furnished chamber with a four-poster bed with velvet drapes on one end, and a living room on the other, with antique dining furniture in between.

My nose wrinkled when I smelled something strong, like a troll had farted pancake syrup and onions. It took me a moment to realize that smell was coming from me.

“Excuse me,” I said, unzipping my janitor jumpsuit and sliding it down my legs before kicking it across the floor. Then I fell back onto the sofa, my legs weak from either stress or shock or both.

“I’ve prepared a small repast,” my aunt said as she watched Des strip out of his suit like it was on fire. “Tell me what you like, and I’ll fix you a plate.” She motioned toward the spread on the long buffet table behind the sofa.

Des clapped his hands while peering at the buffet. “Pizza!”

“Oh! We can’t eat gluten.” I struggled to stand while still clutching my wand. The last thing I needed was Des getting sick while we were fleeing the succubi.

“I know that already,” my aunt said with a wink. “Ethyl told me. I’ve had everything prepared exactly how he likes it.”

Ethyl beamed. “Three olives per slice.” She nodded toward Serena. “Spend some time with your aunt. I’ll take care of Des.” She walked Des to a nearby table and poured him a juice, sitting beside him while he ate.

I waved my aunt away when she tried to offer me a plate of food, but I did take a cool glass of tea. I slipped my wand into my pocket, still able to reach it should I need it. Family or not, I wasn’t entirely sure I could trust my mother’s twin. She poured herself a glass of wine and sat across from me, watching me while twirling the stem of her glass between her fingers.

“What is this place?” I asked her.

She smoothed a hand across the leather upholstery. “My private living quarters. I wanted Ethyl to bring you here first before introducing you to the others.”

Others? I swallowed at that. Did I want to meet the rest of the Insurgi?

I set the half-empty glass of tea on a nearby coffee table while leveling her with a look. “Why?”

She set her glass on the coffee table before averting her gaze. “I’ve prepared this speech in my head a thousand times, yet I still don’t know where to begin.”

I leaned toward her. She had the same large eyes and long lashes as my mother and an oval-shaped face, plus a long Roman nose, though not too pronounced. She was thinner than my mother, with concaved cheeks and a weary look in her eyes. Sure, she was twenty-seven years older than the last time I’d seen my mother, but witches lived longer than humans, so they aged much slower. Time had not treated my aunt well, though, made apparent by the many strands of gray peppering her hair.

“Start with the beginning,” I said.

“Oh!” She let out a burst of laughter while toying with a big, shiny ring on her finger. “That would take all night. I’ll start with the basics,” she said. “You’re a descendant of the most powerful witches in Italy, the Sagredos.”

I sucked in a sharp breath. “Like Maga Sagredo?”

She nodded. “Endora Sagredo, my mother, your grandmother.”

A bolt of shock shot through me. “She’s my grandmother? Holy hex!”

She flashed a half smile before staring off into a darkened corner of the cavern. “The history of the phoenixes dates back thousands of years. One is born about twice every millennium, and at least half of them have had Sagredo blood. The succubi knew this and that the next phoenix would most likely come from the Sagredo line. There’s a secret cult that worships the succubi called the Vindicti, all trained to lure unsuspecting witches into succubi hands.” She paused, giving me a pitying look. “Your father was a Vindicti.”

I’m pretty sure time slowed to a standstill as I gaped at my aunt. She had to have been lying. There was no way my father was part of a demon cult.

“He was born into the cult,” she said. “He was trained in seduction and groomed not just to seduce Samanta, your mother, but to impregnate her in hopes he would father the next phoenix.”

I clutched my roiling gut. I was going to be sick.

“What they didn’t count on was your parents falling in love.” She flashed a smile that didn’t mask the sadness in her eyes. “He fled the priesthood, and they went to our parents, your grandparents, for protection, but they turned him away, saying a cult follower wasn’t fit to marry their daughter.” Her voice cracked as she looked away. “Your grandparents tried to separate your parents, but by this time, Samanta was already pregnant, and she refused to leave his side.” She visibly swallowed, smoothing trembling hands down her dark pants. “They had nowhere to go, and I knew they’d always be hunted, so we had to do the unthinkable—the severance of souls.”

I sucked in a hiss. The severance of souls was a dark spell that erased striga from not just everyone’s memories, but also from the registry. “That’s forbidden magic!” Not to mention dangerous magic. If the spell had gone wrong, she could’ve killed all of us.

“I know it is, but we had no choice.” She shrugged a shoulder, acting as if what she’d done was no big deal. “The spell required too much magic for your mother and me at the time, so we had to enlist the help of Ethyl’s mother, Tabitha, and grandmother, Clara, who were our trusted cousins on our mother’s side. We severed Samanta from our family. We erased her not just from our parents’ memories, but from every living striga’s memories. Our cousins and I were the only ones who remembered her, and the world now believed me to be the only Sagredo heir. I severed your father from his cult and the world, too. Nobody knew they existed, so they were free to start new lives in America.”

“That explained why my parents never liked talking about their past,” I said.

“They lived happily in anonymity until you were three.” She heaved a weary breath. “I don’t know how, but the succubi discovered their existence. First, they either killed or captured our family’s fairy godfather. We haven’t seen him since.”

“Fairy godfather?” Why was this the first time I was hearing we had a fairy godfather? Fairy godparents were reserved only for the richest, oldest striga families. I had read they were able to grant small wishes, such as an iced lemonade on a hot summer day as opposed to curing baldness or making their families insanely wealthy. Still, I wouldn’t mind a freshly squeezed lemonade. Too bad I didn’t remember having a godparent.

“Shu!”

I looked over my shoulder to see Des standing with a wide smile, one slice of pizza in his hand and a juice box in the other.

“That’s right,” Serena said as she smiled at him. “How did you know his name?”

“Shu!” He repeated, rattling the table.

“Omigoddess!” My hands flew to my mouth when I knew what my son was trying to tell me. Every muscle in my body tensed as I faced Serena. “I know where he is.”

She leaned toward me, her eyes widening. “Where?”

“At the succubi’s house, locked in an old shed. We heard banging, and Des kept yelling Shu.” I mentally kicked my behind for not investigating the shed, but we had barely escaped with our lives. “I thought he was shooing something, but I think he knew they had the fairy godfather.”

“Shu has been with our family for centuries. I’m glad to know he still lives, but he must be miserable.” I didn’t like the look she gave me. “We must free him soon.”

“Of course, but finish your story about my parents,” I said gruffly.

“Oh, yes.” She clasped a pentagram charm hanging around her neck, almost identical to the one Ethyl wore. “Where were we?” She scrunched her features, looking lost in thought before her eyes lit up. “By this time, the succubi were threatening not just your parents, but our other relatives, too, so I sent Ethyl’s mom and grandmother to live with your parents. They remained in hiding for another twelve years until the succubi found them again and—” She turned away, biting down on her knuckles.

I didn’t need her to finish, for I knew what happened next. I swiped moisture from my eyes. “I was there for that.”

She got up and sat next to me, taking my hands in hers. How odd it felt to be holding hands with the woman who looked exactly like my mom after so many years of missing my mother’s touch.

“I know, and I’m so sorry.” She heaved a sigh, the lines framing her mouth looking more pronounced. “My magic was much stronger by this point, so Nana Clara and I did another severance of souls. This time I believed it worked, because you were able to live in anonymity until now.”

I looked down at our joined hands, hardly believing my mom had a twin. Was it wrong that I imagined it was my mother sitting next to me, giving me tender smiles? “How do you know about Des?” I asked through a tightened throat, then I tensed. Did I want to know?

“Because I visited you both when you were infants sleeping in your cribs.” Smiling affectionately, she squeezed my hands. “The Sagredo line has always produced very powerful witches who all possess unique gifts. My gift is revealing auras, even when they’re masked with concealment spells.”

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 believe you are 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’t you have 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.”

I arched a brow. “And?”

Her shoulders fell. “And they were killed in a car crash. The explosion incinerated their bodies.”

I swallowed, my stomach churning when I remembered passing the burned-out shell of a car on the freeway. “Oh. I’m sorry.”

“We sent our best agents in search of you,” she continued. “They said they almost had you, but you used a concealment spell.”

“I thought they were succubi.” The least they could’ve done was identify themselves before following us. Then again, I would’ve probably hidden from them, anyway.

“And our text messages to Ethyl didn’t go through,” she said. “The succubi put hexes on your phones.”

I gasped.

“Don’t worry,” she continued. “Our agents removed the hexes when you were at the hostel.”

What? I didn’t remember agents coming into our room. “Your agents?”

She crooked a smile. “Their methods are a little unorthodox, but they get the job done.”

And then it hit me. “The gnomes!”

She nodded. “We told them to debug all the electronics. Sorry about that other thing they kept.” There was no mistaking the gleam in her eyes or the humor in her voice. “I can have them return it.”

Ugh. I wished I had Ethyl’s ability to miniaturize, so I could flutter between the couch cushions and never come out. “No, thanks.”

“We’re just glad you’re safe now.” She nodded toward my son, who was still playing his wizarding game. “Once Des helps us find the nest, we can finally destroy the succubi.”

I balled up my fists. “Absolutely not!”

“Luciella,” she pleaded, “we can’t find it without him. Their nest is heavily warded with disorientation and concealment spells.” She cast another look in Des’s direction. “Not even the most powerful witches among us can break through their wards, but a phoenix should be able to get through.”

“No.” I slipped my hand into my pocket, grabbing hold of my wand. “My son is not getting involved in this, and that’s final.”

Her gaze traveled to my hand in my pocket, and an understanding passed between us. She knew I was prepared to fight for my son by any means necessary.

Her features fell, her voice dropping to a somber whisper. “Then they will keep hunting you until they kill you and take your son.”

“There has to be another way to find them.”

She threw up her hands with a groan. “You think we haven’t been trying for years?”

“Why don’t you just follow my grandmother’s advisor,” I said, unable to keep the rattle from my voice. No way in nine hells were they using my son. “She lives at the succubi house. She might even be the queen of the succubi.”

“Yes, we know about Signora Oscura, and she is the succubi queen. What part of disorientation spells don’t you understand?” She rolled her eyes to the darkened ceiling. “My agents get disoriented when they get within a few feet of her.”

Merlin’s balls! “So you’ve known that a succubus is controlling your mother?”

“For a while now. It’s why the Tribunal can’t be trusted and why the Insurgi were forced to go underground. Signora Oscura became your grandmother’s advisor after your grandfather died. I tried to warn her, but she refused to listen. She’s weaved a powerful spell over not just my mother’s mind, but over all the Tribunal.”

“How?” I asked.

She shook her head. “As a queen, her magic is far stronger than the average succubus, but all succubi have advanced over the years and have gotten better at hiding their demons.”

“Crud.” I wondered if that was why I hadn’t seen red in Antonio’s eyes and how he had so easily disoriented me.

“Another reason we need Des to help us find the nest,” she continued.

No. No. No! I shuddered while remembering those hooded figures armed with wands. He wasn’t going anywhere near the succubi ever again. “Why can’t I help you find it? I’ve found it before. I’m sure I can retrace my steps.” I’d gladly volunteer to go in my son’s place. I’d walk through fire to keep him safe.

“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 GOING into 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.”