Chapter Sixteen

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

Maga Sagredo 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,” Signora Oscura said on a slow drawl. “The Vindicti rebels are anything if not lacking in creativity.”

Maga Sagredo 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.

Maga Sagredo 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. Maga Sagredo and her cronies wisely gravitated away from the troll’s bathroom.

“We’d like to propose a trade,” Maga Sagredo 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 at Maga Sagredo and praying she didn’t realize Puffy was flying toward Frederica.

Maga Sagredo leaned forward, crossing one arm over the other, her wand dangling as if she hadn’t a care in the world. “He’s not part of this negotiation.”

My face and chest flushed with rage. “Why not?”

“How about you surrender and we spare your lives?” Serena spat.

I inwardly tensed. She wasn’t helping by pissing off our enemies.

Signora Oscura flew in front of Maga Sagredo, leaving no doubt who was really in charge. “Do you honestly think we’re afraid of you and your little resistance?” She waved her wand, whispering an incantation beneath her breath, and the rest of the cavern lit up, revealing dozens more robed witches hovering behind her on their brooms. “You’re not the only one who’s been creating a secret army.”

I wasn’t comforted when the color drained from Serena’s face.

The walls shook again, followed by a troll-sized groan, gurgle, and splash, then another wave of unbearable stench.

We would’ve died in those sewers.

“ Maga Sagredo, listen to me,” I said with a plea in my voice. “ Signora Oscura is a succubus. She’s controlling you.”

Maga Sagredo let out a laugh. “My daughter has been making that false accusation for years. If I didn’t believe her, what makes you think I’ll believe you?”

“Think about it for a moment,” I said, remembering how I’d been so disoriented while staying with Antonio. “She’s causing your migraine and brain fog.”

She gave me a funny look, and that’s when I saw the haze in her eyes. “I don’t have a migraine or brain fog.”

“You do,” I insisted, “but you’re so disoriented you don’t realize it. I know how it feels. The succubi had done the same to me the other day.”

Groan. Gurgle. Splash.

Shu pinched his nose. “Grody to the max!”

Everyone moved a few more paces away from the troll’s bathroom door, and I vowed to myself that if I escaped this mess, I’d never eat another taco again.

Maga Sagredo splayed a hand across her chest, her facial features pinching. “Don’t you think if the demons have been controlling me all this time, they’d have possessed me, too?”

“They only possess strong witches, Mother.” There was no mistaking the disgust in Serena’s voice. “And as much as you like to pretend otherwise, you’re weak.”

Wow. If and when we survived this, my aunt and grandmother were going to need some serious family therapy.

Sparks flew off Maga Sagredo’s wand as she shook it at her daughter. “I should’ve disowned you the day you betrayed me!”

“I didn’t betray you, Mother.” Serena’s shoulders fell, a weariness in her eyes that I felt in my soul. “I got away before the succubus tried to control me, too.”

“Do you see this hourglass?” Maga Sagredo waved her wand, revealing an hourglass that floated in front of her with only a few grains of sand in the top portion. “When the last grain of sand falls, the stool will vanish, and the minotaur will die unless you surrender your wand and come peacefully with us.”

I sucked in a sharp breath, even as a powerful migraine formed at the back of my skull. I shook a fist at Maga Sagredo. “What you’re doing is illegal and a violation of every Tribunal code of ethics!” My hand flew to my brow as the migraine intensified.

“Don’t you lecture me about ethics!” Maga Sagredo clucked her tongue. “From The Practical Witchcraft Guidebook : Protecting the phoenix from demonic threats must be done at any cost.”

“You’re the demonic threat, Mother!” Serena shrieked.

Damn, that headache was getting worse. Much worse. I looked up at Signora Oscura, whose crimson gaze was laser focused on me. Oh, crud. She was spellcasting me! So much for my aunt’s shield. I shook my head, trying to clear the fog, but it was no use. What happened if her spell worked? Who would save me from myself if the succubus took over my mind?

I want what you want, Luciella. Dread sluiced through my veins when the succubus’s voice echoed in my skull. To end the reign of the evil nobility so all striga will be equal. Relinquish your wand, and together we can do that.

I hunched over with a cry. “Get out of my head!”

“Time is almost up.” Maga Sagredo’s voice reverberated around me. “Surrender your wand, Luciella.”

I loosened my grip on my wand. Maybe this headache would stop if I gave it to her.

“Don’t do it,” Serena warned while jerking me upright.

“Mama,” Des called behind me.

“Don’t let her die!” Ethyl pleaded.

“Only a few grains left,” Maga Sagredo taunted.

“Don’t, Luciella!” Serena grasped my wrist. Looking into my eyes. “She’s trying to control you. Don’t let her!”

“I can’t let her die!” I murmured, the wand feeling too heavy in my hand. I thought I heard Signora Oscura’s laughter echoing around me.

“Time’s up!” Signora Oscura taunted.

A snap sounded above me, and a frayed piece of rope fell just a few feet away from us. I looked up to see Frederica had broken free of her bindings, no doubt with Puffy’s help, and she was climbing up the rope toward the ceiling. Ethyl transformed into a full-sized witch and flew toward the minotaur at breakneck speed. Frederica flipped upside down, her floppy dildo horns flailing.

I gasped when several robed witches flew toward Ethyl and the minotaur. Frederica fought them off, swinging at them like an ape while trying to shield herself when they hit her with fire spells. Clutching my wand, I hunched over from the agonizing pain in my head.

“Kill them!” Signora Oscura screamed.

Kill Ethyl? No!!!

I felt the tremors in my bones widen and expand, and then the earth shook beneath my feet, rattling the walls. For a second, I thought that the troll had lost his battle with Taco Tuesday, but the very air around me started vibrating as debris fell around us. Frederica and Ethyl fell in front of my feet, Ethyl’s wings still buzzing, right before Serena threw another shield around us. I clung to Des as a powerful crack rent the air, followed by several screams and another giant tremor.

Rays of sunlight streaked through the smoke as the dust began to settle. The fog in my skull had lifted, though my head still hurt. Had the quake killed the succubus?

The first thing I noticed was the troll on the giant toilet, gaping at us with his pants around his ankles, an open nudie troll magazine in his hands. Whisps of clouds slowly passed over us, visible through the massive hole above his head.

Great Goddess! Had my tremors blown the roof off the Tribunal? I sure as heck hoped they didn’t bill me for the repairs.

The second thing I noticed was that several Vindicti witches were buried beneath the rubble. And standing on top of that rubble was the biggest beast I’d ever seen, a winged lion as big as a dragon with a familiar pair of golden eyes. He didn’t have a man’s face like in old husk illustrations. Other than the wings, he was all lion, with a flattened nose and razor-sharp fangs. But most shocking was that he had Signora Oscura trapped beneath his paw.

Wait a minute. How did he get here? Had I caused that avalanche, or had he?

The succubus tried squirming out from beneath his grip to no avail. “You think by killing me you’ll get rid of the threat? My children will find me a new body and summon me back from hell. You’ll never defeat the succubi!”

He let out a roar that shook the walls again, and then he pushed down on her before popping off her head with one talon.

Well, that was one way to kill a succubus. The last vestiges of my headache dissipated, and I felt as if I was waking from a dream. No, a nightmare.

I looked at the lion and he at me.

“Ric,” I breathed.

In a flash, he shifted back into a tall, tanned, and gorgeous hunk of manflesh wearing tight denim and a form-fitted t-shirt thanks to a spell that prevented shifters from appearing in all their naked glory, and he crossed over to me. “You okay?” he asked, standing close enough for me to throw my arms around him, though I still clung to my son.

I struggled to speak, much less think. I ran my tongue over the roof of my dry mouth, coated with dust. Yuk. I needed a stiff drink and a hot bath. “I-I think so.” I looked at Des. I had thought I was holding him in my arms, but no, he held me. “Are you okay, darling?”

He nodded while holding me tighter.

“When did you get free?” I asked Ric.

He gave me a curious look. “I escaped yesterday.”

Yesterday? Wouldn’t my aunt have known that? She had a network of spies, after all. Why didn’t she tell me?

“How?” I asked.

He puffed up his chest, his chin regally tilted as if he was still in lion form. “I had help breaking my bindings, and then I transformed.” He flashed a fanged grin. “The entire eastern side of the prison is rubble. There isn’t a cell strong enough to hold a sphinx.”

Wow. There was no way my aunt’s spies hadn’t known, which meant this was never a mission to rescue Ric, but a war into which Serena had dragged my twelve-year-old son. I glared at my aunt as she pulled Maga Sagredo from the rubble. My grandmother was covered in dust but looked otherwise unharmed.

“What happened?” Maga Sagredo asked while hanging her head in her hands.

“Your advisor was a succubus,” Serena said as she handed her a piece of candy. “She had you under her spell.”

My grandmother blinked up at her, a frightened look in her eyes. “For how long?”

Serena sat back on her heels, wiping sweat from her brow. “Years, Mother.”

Maga Sagredo rolled the candy around on her tongue while looking lost in thought.

Meanwhile, I was fuming. My aunt tricked me, made me believe Ric was still a prisoner, and put our lives in danger so we’d help her battle the succubi. I didn’t think I could ever forgive her.

“I want to go home, Mama,” Des said while loosening his hold on me. “I don’t like it here.”

“I know, sweetheart.” I straightened, rubbing his back. “I think you’ve had enough excitement for a while.”

Frederica stood, carrying Ethyl in her arms like a mother cradling a small child.

I frowned at the tear in Ethyl’s wing. “You okay, cousin?”

She nodded while wiping her eyes.

Shu examined Ethyl’s wing. “A simple repair spell should do the trick, though it may be sore a few days.”

Puffy materialized on Frederica’s shoulder, letting out a cross between a roar and a bark.

“Can we go now, Mama?” Des asked after spitting his jawbreaker into the rubble.

“Yep.” I threaded my fingers through his, then reached for Ric, my heart rapidly fluttering when he took my other hand in his warm grip.

“You can’t leave,” Serena protested. “We have too much work to do.”

“Duuuude.” Shu wagged a finger at my aunt. “Take a chill pill.”

I scowled at Serena. “We’ve done enough work for you.”

Her jaw dropped. “We’ve only just begun.”

I motioned for Frederica and Shu to join our circle.

“Let’s go home,” I said to my son.

Serena hollered moments before we blinked out and landed in the center of my darkened bakery.

SHU SPUN A SLOW CIRCLE . “Where are we?”

I turned on my wand light. It was still dark outside. “My bakery in New Mexico.”

Shu let out a low whistle. “Hella cool!”

Des pulled away from me and sat at a table in the corner of the bakery while shoving his headphones onto his head. Puffy flew into his lap, and he rubbed the dragon’s back while turning on his computer. Des was suffering from sensory overload and would need at least a week of downtime after our adventure. My heart warmed as I watched my son, and I had a new appreciation for Puffy. I had always thought him more of a nuisance, but I didn’t realize until this trip how much he meant to Des and to our family.

I looked around for Ric, momentarily panicked when I didn’t see him. But then he returned from outside, his face grim. “The outside is clear, but we shouldn’t stay here long.”

I nodded then motioned toward Shu. “Ric, I’d like you to meet our family’s fairy godfather. Shu, this is Ric.”

“Hello, Big Daddy.” Shu angled his head to the side, the springy curls on his mullet rattling. “So this is the gorgeous stud muffin you crossed an ocean to save?” He gave Ric an appreciative look. “I can see why.”

“Shu has been locked in his lamp since 1986,” I said as a way of explaining. “It’s a long story, but he was being held captive by the succubi.”

Understanding dawned in Ric’s eyes as he held a hand out to Shu. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

Shu looked ready to buckle under the weight of Ric’s handshake as he rasped, “Me, too.”

I pulled Ric away from Shu, motioning to the minotaur whose dildo horns nearly scraped the top of my bakery ceiling. “And this is Frederica.” I shot Ethyl a nervous look. Knowing she wasn’t the commitment type, I never knew what she wanted me to call her lovers. “Ethyl’s good friend. She helped us sneak into the Tribunal the first time.”

Her meaty paw eclipsed Ric’s hand as they shook. “Thank you for your help.”

She cast Ethyl a loving look. “I’ll do anything for meine blume .”

Ethyl’s cheeks colored as she handed Des a juice box before getting drinks for the rest of us. “Something to get the taste out.”

I ran my tongue over the roof of my gritty mouth before popping a straw in the box. “Thanks.” I frowned at the tear in her wing. She wouldn’t be able to fly until I mended it.

“What about our things?” Ethyl asked.

“I would love some new clothes,” Shu said, tossing his jacket onto the counter with a dramatic flare. “Just drop me off at the mall. We’ll hit Contempo Casuals and The Limited.”

“A mall?” Ethyl scrunched her brow. “Do we even have a mall?”

“Oh, Ethyl.” Shu laughed. “I adore you, but you’re such a dweeb.”

She wrinkled her nose. “A what?”

I grimaced while motioning for her to turn around. “We’ll have to get our things later. I’m not going back to Rome anytime soon.” I wasn’t about to transport back to the Insurgi headquarters, especially not after my aunt deceived me. I no longer trusted her. I had my phone and wallet, but most importantly, I had my family and friends. I sat Ethyl down and waved my wand over her wing until a scar healed over the tear.

Des took off his headphones, giving me an expectant look. “I want pizza.”

“Okay.” Ethyl jumped to her feet, her wings buzzing. “We have a few frozen ones I can warm up.”

Ric looked out the front window, squinting at the night sky. “We need to get out of here before they come looking for us.”

By they, I knew he could’ve meant the Tribunal, the Insurgi, or even the succubi. “Do you think it’s true, that the succubi’s children will come after us?” I asked him.

He grimaced. “They’re already hunting us.”

“He’s right,” Frederica said. “The queen hasn’t left Rome in years, which means another succubus framed Ric.”

I wrung my fingers together. “What do we do?”

“We hide at my place, and we prepare to fight them.” Ric looked far too sexy as he dragged his hands through his hair, his arms flexing with the movement.

“I’ll pack up the food,” Ethyl said with an excited squeal.

Hide at his place? So much for reopening my bakery. I could think of worse fates than unlimited use of the movie room, hot tub, and pool, though I did worry things would be awkward with all of us there. And then there was the issue of the sleeping arrangements. Oh, Goddess, my stomach churned. I supposed it beat being turned into goo by a succubus.

“You want all of us to go to your house?” I said, motioning to my motley crew.

“It’s big enough to accommodate all of us.” He shrugged, acting as if it was no big deal. Not every guy would agree to house his lover’s autistic son, retro fairy godfather, horny cousin, and her dildo-horned lover, plus a naughty crapping dragon. Talk about dating someone with baggage. I had a whole airline terminal of crazy carry-ons.

I took his hand in mine while looking into his big, golden-rimmed eyes. “Are you sure?”

He cupped my cheek, a low purr erupting from his throat. “Of course, mi amor.”

My knees weakened, and heat flooded my body as I fought the urge to swoon in his arms like the women in my mom’s favorite classic movies.

He flashed his fangs. “I’ll strengthen the wards when we get there.”

I swallowed, unable to say more as I was transfixed by his strong musky scent, and all I could think of was that delicious purr while he lapped up my juices. I wanted Ric so badly, I wasn’t sure how I’d be able to keep my hands off him. It would be wrong to sleep with him when my family was staying with him, too, right?

Maybe I could sneak into Ric’s room after they fell asleep. After the hell I’d been through, I deserved a release, and since the gnomes stole my vibrator, I had no choice but to sleep with Ric. That’s what I kept telling myself, anyway.

RIC AND I IMMEDIATELY worked on strengthening the wards while Ethyl warmed up six pizzas in his big ovens. By the time we returned from outside, she had set salad and pastries from my bakery on the table. I hadn’t realized how hungry I’d been, but I’d scarcely eaten in Rome. My stomach had been too twisted with worry to focus on food. But now I wondered if I was part sphinx, because I ate several slices of pizza plus a strawberry cupcake. I was feeling a little bloated afterward, nothing that a simple stomach potion mixed in a tall glass of wine couldn’t fix.

We saved two pizzas for Ric, though he refused to eat in front of us, choosing instead to take a shower. Then he helped Des and Shu set up the big screen in the movie room.

It felt so wonderful to take a long, soothing shower in Ric’s bathroom, letting those jets work their magic, easing the tension in my sore shoulders while washing away the grime from our harrowing adventure. Ric had been kind enough to give me privacy, saying he needed to go into his basement and eat. No doubt some poor stag carcass or a thousand pounds of ham was on the menu. I wondered if I’d be on the menu tonight, too. Was that what I wanted? To make love to a guy who wasn’t even my boyfriend yet with my son and friends in nearby rooms?

After stepping out of the shower, I slipped into a borrowed robe. Tomorrow, we would go to my condo and get the rest of our things, though I wasn’t sure for how long we’d be staying at Ric’s place. I hoped not forever. As much as I loved his beautiful home and the luxuries that came with it, I wasn’t ready to be tied down to anyone yet. To be honest, my heart was still weary after my divorce, and I didn’t know Ric well enough to make that sort of commitment.

But he was the only living sphinx, and my son was the phoenix. He was supposed to be Des’s protector, which was exciting and unnerving all at once. What if Ric and I didn’t work out? Having to endure awkward encounters with one ex was bad enough. I couldn’t imagine being stuck with an ex-boyfriend the rest of my life. It wasn’t like I could give him the “It’s not you, it’s me” speech and then screen my calls when I needed him to help me protect my son from demons.

What if he started sniffing his crevices and farting on me in bed? What if he slept around with his secretary? What if he became a self-centered, farty-breath prick?

But, no. I was getting ahead of myself and worrying for nothing. Ric had so far proven to be far more amazing than Colin. He’d wanted me to flee the Tribunal, even though I had testimony that could’ve saved his life. He’d risked his life to come back to the Tribunal and kill the succubus who was trying to capture me. He’d taken my family and me into his home without complaint. And, oh yeah, he knew how to pleasure me without breaking out a user’s manual and a GPS. In twenty years, Colin had never accomplished what Ric had managed in one night. I had a feeling it wasn’t just because Ric had better intuition when it came to a woman’s needs. Ric wasn’t a selfish ass looking only to satisfy himself.

After brushing out my hair, I released a slow breath while looking at my reflection in the mirror. I had heavy circles from exhaustion under my eyes and no makeup to cover it. Vain as I was, I couldn’t face Ric like this, so I used a little magic to touch up my eyes and add color to my lips and cheeks. Like I said, I was vain, and perhaps I wanted to look pretty for Ric, though I wasn’t ready to address why I cared so much.

I got lost going down one of the mansion’s many hallways. I wandered down one hallway and then another while hoping I didn’t disturb Ethyl and Frederica, who had helped themselves to a bottle of wine from the cellar and disappeared into one of the guest rooms immediately after dinner. Finally, one of the ghosts led the way toward the theater with a floating napkin.

I peeked inside to see Des reclining in a seat, Puffy curled up in his lap, an empty popcorn bucket between them and Shu. Our fairy godfather was dressed in what I could only describe as a moo moo, a long floral print robe that made him look like he’d raided his grandmother’s closet. He wore spongy curlers in his hair, a green face mask, and big, fuzzy slippers.

And who should be sitting on the other side of Shu but Ric, looking freshly washed and absolutely delectable in a pair of fleece sweatpants and a fitted shirt.

Of course, they were watching The Golden Girls.

Des had a confused look while squinting at the screen, but Shu had such a look of pure excitement on his face, that I knew he’d found the newer seasons.

“Everything okay here?” I asked as I came into the room.

“Yeah, Mama. We’re fine.” Des didn’t bother looking in my direction as he took a long swig from what looked like an old-fashioned root beer bottle.

Ugh. Soda before bed! I supposed I could make an exception after everything my son had been through these past few days.

“Look at all these episodes of The Golden Girls .” Shu motioned toward the screen. “I don’t need to wait to watch them. Des said it’s called streaming.” He clasped his hands to his heart. “I’m in Seventh Heaven!”

I sat beside my son, brushing a strand of hair from his eyes, pleased when he didn’t pull away. “It’s getting late, darling. You need to get to bed.”

He looked at me, a spark of clarity in his eyes. “Can Puffy sleep with me?”

I smiled down at the little dragon who’d risked his life to save Frederica. “Of course.”

“If you don’t mind,” Shu said. “I’d like to sleep here.”

Ric slowly stood, stretching all those gorgeous, tanned muscles toward the ceiling. “There are televisions in all the guest rooms.”

“Yes, but not with screens this big,” Shu said excitedly. “I can practically kiss Blanche.”

Ric crooked a smile. “If you need anything, just ask. My hosts will assist you.”

Shu arched a brow. “You mean ghosts?”

Ric laughed before stealing a glance in my direction. “They prefer to be called hosts.”

Shu waved his hand with all the dramatic flourish of a teenage girl. “Whatever.”

“Did you see my room, Mama?” Des tugged on my arm. “It’s so big.”

“No.” I stood, pulling him with me. “Show me.”

I was very aware of Ric following us to Des’s bedroom, which was right down the hall from Ric’s room. It was bigger than the master bedroom at my condo with a nice sitting area and a private bathroom. I was relieved it didn’t have a balcony. I could only imagine Puffy and Des getting into trouble out there. It overlooked the pool’s atrium and a pretty section of grass and trees, a much better view than the one he had at home. “It’s amazing.”

Des flopped onto a queen-sized bed, staring up at the stucco ceiling. “Can I stay here forever?”

I tensed, knowing my lover was standing behind me. “We don’t want to impose on Ric.”

“It’s fine with me.”

For some reason, his invitation didn’t make me feel better. I turned toward him, flashing a tight smile. “We’ll see about that.” After twenty years of monotony...er, monogamy, I wasn’t ready to commit to anyone right now, no matter how hot and bothered he made me. I wagged a finger at my son. “Don’t forget to brush your teeth. Add an extra minute after all that sugar today.” Ric had been kind enough to supply us with toothbrushes and toothpaste.

“Yes, Mama.” Des made a face. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, sweetheart.” I kissed his forehead, not surprised when he pulled away. He’d had enough of me for the day.

“Remember to ask the hosts if you need anything,” Ric added, pointing to the ceiling rafters.

I swallowed back my apprehension, realizing there were ghosts watching my son. Then a thought hit me. What if they had been watching Ric and me? They were probably popping ghost popcorn in anticipation of another sex show.

“And please do not leave this house for any reason without coming to me first,” I reminded Des, my tone dripping with motherly guilt.

He shrugged while scrolling on his iPad. “Okay.”

Sensory disorder be damned, I’d almost lost this boy today. I’d almost lost myself, too. I sat beside him, taking his hand in mine and refusing to let him pull away. “I love you so much.”

He stopped fighting me, a look of understanding dawning in his eyes before he threw his arms around me, hugging me tight. “I love you, Mama.”

Oh, it felt so good to hold my child, to know he was safe and happy. The hug was over before it started as he pulled back. Imagine my surprise when he kissed my cheek before leaning against his headboard.

My hand flew to my face, and it took all my willpower to hold back my tears. His love meant so much to me, especially since I’d been feeling like the worst mother after bringing him into danger. Des would never cease to amaze me, and I thanked the Goddess each day for him. I would battle a thousand succubi just to keep him safe.