Making Midlife Mistakes: A Paranormal Women's Fiction Novel (Forty Is Fabulous Book 3)

by Heloise Hull

  “What are you looking for?” Hilda asked.

  “Something bright for Nonna’s table. Cheerful, I’d say. But, you know, masculine, too. It’s my twin boys’ birthday,” I said proudly.

  “Hm, let’s see.” Her hands zipped around a glass jug faster than my eyes could process. She pulled stems from one side and then another, over and over again until the jar was full. She handed it to me with a smile. “Something like this?”

  The jar was a riot of red, white, and purple flowers of varying shapes and sizes. Thick greenery had been tucked around the buds, making it feel more like a bush than a bouquet, and it smelled divine.

  “Wow, you have a gift,” I gushed. “I mean, even for two creatures possessing nature magic, that was impressive.”

  The fauns bowed, pleased at the compliment.

  Through the window, I caught sight of Jo directing a few men to carry my cases of wine for her. Why I’d thought she’d do the work herself, I don’t know. Her tail slipped around their necks, and she laughed—fake laughed—as she patted their cheeks. My eyes narrowed. The back of my neck heated up. She was some piece of work, and if she thought she’d get her foxy claws into my boys…

  “Ava, stop!”

  I looked down at the mess of flowers in my hands. They had rotted. Fuzzy gray and white fungus coated the plants like a blanket. I almost dropped the glass jar when I realized it hadn’t been my neck heating up. It had been my Eye of Ra tattoo.

  “I… I’m sorry, Hilda. I have no idea…”

  Donatella put on a pair of gloves and took the jar, dumping out its contents. “It’s fine, Ava. Perhaps the charms wore off. After all, we haven’t used our magic so openly in a long time.”

  “I’ll get you a new one,” Hilda promised.

  I turned my palms over as the sisters prepared another vase for the table. Nothing seemed different, but the chill in my fingers, which was now making its way up my spine, told me I was wrong.

  Something odd was happening to my magic. Something sinister.

  Chapter Nine

  “If you’d like a glass of wine, one, mind you, then wash up and sit down,” I called to the twins.

  “Are you okay?” Aurick asked, as I rather aggressively cursed a corkscrew to Hades for eternity.

  I sighed and handed him the bottle. “That obvious, eh?”

  He shrugged. “You look tired, that’s all.”

  “I can’t sleep,” I admitted. “Dreams haunt me. Nothing specific or anything…”

  Aurick’s face wore ragged lines, and they furrowed deeper at that. We both knew that couldn’t be good. Whether the boys had accidentally triggered something or I had, it barely mattered now. The most important thing was getting them home safely. Tomorrow. After their birthday. I couldn’t ruin that, too.

  Nonna bustled around the table, setting down steaming bowls of pasta and meatballs and pointing to the serving spoons. “It’s family-style around here, boys. Serve yourself and don’t be shy.”

  “Looks delicious, Nonna. What is it?” I asked.

  “Garganelli pasta with a homemade pumpkin seed pesto and roasted butternut squash. See the little ridges? That’s to catch all the good pesto.” She handed me a plate with a yellow, cotton dish towel folded across it and perfectly crisp circles of fried prosciutto on top. “Take a couple to crunch over the pasta for a natural punch of salt. The meatballs are my own special recipe of mortadella and beef. I stewed them in a simple Pomodoro sauce and flourished it with a mound of grated Grana Padano cheese. Prego!”

  My mouth watered as she explained the dishes. What a perfect last meal for the boys. You know, besides the presence of Jo.

  The vixen wore an evening gown that sparkled in champagne sequins and accentuated her voluptuous figure. Her red lipstick matched her waved hair perfectly, and yet, she didn’t look out of place. The rest of us did.

  I, in particular, wore my favorite old sweater that had lost its shape over the years. I tucked the ends into my jeans and tried to make it look edgy as it slid off my shoulder every time I lifted my fork.

  I offered Jo a glass of red wine. She managed to take it gracefully without having to actually touch my fingers.

  Across the table, Mino boomed, “Do you have any bigger glasses?” At this rate, we’d have to invite the whole village. I shuddered imagining Spyro in Nonna’s small, rustic kitchen. Nothing would be safe.

  “Sorry, Mino. This is it,” Nonna said. “You should’ve brought one of your amphora pots if you needed something your size.”

  “Just as well,” he sighed, accepting the normal sized glass with a very put-out gesture. He did look rather ridiculous with the human-sized wine glass fisted in his meaty hand.

  I took a sip of wine and shoved a forkful of food into my mouth. Its meaty goodness instantly brightened my mood, and as the room lit up with laughter and love, I gazed wistfully at my sons. “I’m going to miss you so much,” I said, barely holding back from ruffling their hair. Apparently that was a big no-no. Still, as their mother, I had the ability to embarrass them. Josh especially reddened around the gills, and I caught his gaze track to Jo.

  “Speech!” Aurick yelled, clapping the table with a huge hand.

  “Speech!” Mino mimicked, clapping it even harder. The scarred wood groaned under their appreciation.

  Never one to miss a moment in the spotlight, Jacob stood up, his glass in the air. But before he could get out a word, his brother practically shoved him out of the way, fixed his hair, and turned on the charm, which was mostly directed at Jo.

  “What the hell!” Jacob cried. “I almost spilled my wine.”

  “We both know your speech was going to be lame.”

  “Was not. I was going to kill.”

  “Literally with boredom. Now, watch how it’s done.”

  I stood mouth agape, shocked at the sudden turn of events. Again, the twins were arguing. Again, I felt powerless to stop them. The feeling of chaos banked hotter, an ember exposed to oxygen. It fried any resistance.

  I caught Jo smiling, sinisterly, in my opinion. She was a tease, never wanting to be caught, just like her fox counterpart. Why was she even here besides to torment me and ruin my sons’ birthday? The tightly wound coil within me snapped.

  “Enough!” I shouted.

  Terracotta pots vibrated on Nonna’s hand-sawn shelves, and the string of dried pepperoncini swung wildly over the window. Everyone stared at me in surprise, but I didn’t back down. “I’m sick of the arguing. You two should be exhausted from it.”

  “Mom—”

  “I don’t want to hear it from either of you. In just a few moments, you will be adults so start acting like it.”

  The boys muttered sorry, and I was immediately reminded of the queen of Versailles and her twin daughters’ argument centuries ago. I felt as ancient as her in that moment. When would this cruel curse end? I had half a mind to march back to the basilica and throw a spike of my mother magic directly into Thoth’s non-beating heart.

  Would that stop the fighting? I had no idea, but I was certain it would make me feel better.

  My wrist beeped, and I glanced down, having completely forgotten about the alarm I’d set. I had to continue the tradition of singing happy birthday to the boys at the exact moment they were born.

  First was Josh at 6:07 a.m. I’d wish him a happy birthday, and then we’d all wait patiently until exactly ten minutes later to sing happy birthday to Jacob.

  When they were little, they could barely contain their giggles as they waited. Teen boys were less thrilled about the process, but it certainly tickled me to no end. Accounting for the time change, it was now the exact moment Josh came into the world. We could still salvage this day.

  I opened my mouth, fully prepared to belt it out alone, when a voice—that voice—rumbled through my mind.

  I am so looking forward to meeting your sons, little wolf.

  Chapter Ten

  I saw him.

  The outline was so familiar. His curves a
nd lines were as unmistakable as those of the people I loved in celebration around me. Who were all oblivious, by the way.

  No, that wasn’t right. I blinked. They were frozen, as if someone had pressed pause on our party.

  Only the god’s outline moved. He shifted from corner to corner, taking stock of the small, homey kitchen. When he drew near, he smelled like incense.

  “How are you doing this?” I demanded.

  Just like that, the room resumed play and the outline was gone.

  Aurick put his hands over mine. “Ava? You’re shaking.”

  I flexed my trembling fingers in a feeble attempt to hide them. “Am I? Sorry… I lost my train of thought for a moment.” I swallowed. Kill once, and it ruins you forever. “Boys, you’re officially eighteen. Happy birthday.”

  “Only Josh,” Jacob pointed out.

  “Right.” I shook my head. “Right. Well let’s cut the cake. More wine? Not you two.”

  Nonna refilled my glass, and I nodded in appreciation. Perhaps one more to take the edge off.

  As smoothly as I could, I made my rounds, smiling at each of the guests around the table while secretly studying the shadows behind them, looking for the smallest clues.

  Only Thessaly stared at me with slitted eyes. She could tell. For having absolutely zero social skills, she always knew how to sense the supernatural.

  The conversations continued, but every hair in every pore was standing straight up, and I was on edge. The edge of sanity? Very possibly. Rosemary joked with the twins about a proper goodbye kiss and Nonna snuck Tiberius bites of meatball. Aurick asked about future study abroad trips and recommended the Tarim Basin before rhapsodizing about oranges.

  It was all entirely too normal. Even Jo mostly behaved, limiting herself to purring and running her fingers over her wine glass before deciding she was bored and leaving in the middle of the birthday toasts. I’ll admit that I breathed a tiny sigh of relief at that.

  Ten minutes later, the alarm beeped a second time, and I rose to sing the last happy birthday song, curling my fingers around the stem of my wine glass as the air rippled around me—

  You look different.

  I opened my mouth to scream, but nothing came out.

  Time has changed you. Lives have changed you.

  I was standing in a pool of mist, watching it shift as it swallowed my legs and then dispersed. Where had he taken me? How? It was a blank space of nothingness.

  My fear ballooned. There was violence in this mist. And desperation. The second I saw his outline, I rammed a spear of my mother magic into his chest, but the god’s deep voice only laughed as the spell puffed away.

  They have warped you. You think they are your family or that they care. Only I can see the real you. No one else will understand. No one else will love you like I do. Even now, deep beneath the pretty exterior, I sense that fire raging. You want to hurt me now, don’t you?

  “Who are you?”

  That’s not the right question.

  “What do you want with me?”

  Still not it.

  “Fine. I don’t care what you have to say. I will find a way, and I will kill you. I swear it.”

  They’re calling for you. Can you hear them?

  I strained to listen, but I only heard my own heart pounding against my ribs.

  I hope you’ll tell them it’s too late to save you, my love.

  Whoever was speaking came close to me. I felt his ominous presence wisp by my ear, disturbing my hair, and leaving a cold shadow across my neck. Then it was gone, and I was on the floor of Nonna’s kitchen with Josh and Jacob shaking me. Red wine had spilled over my white sweater like blood, and my glass had cracked in two.

  “Mom! Are you hurt? What happened?”

  It felt like everyone was speaking at once. My temples throbbed. That voice. I had been haunted by that voice in a dozen lifetimes. It was the god in the cave. But that didn’t tell me who he was or what he wanted. And he said those were the wrong questions? I thought those were grand questions!

  Shakily, I sat up to my elbows. “I’m fine. Sorry, just a little dizzy.” I swatted everyone’s hands away. “Seriously, I’m fine. Perhaps I’ll switch to water for now, though,” I amended. “I better go change. We’ve only got a few minutes before Jacob turns eighteen after all!”

  “We’ve already sang. Remember, Mamma?” Nonna asked, watching me closely.

  “Oh, right. Give me a moment. I’ll be back in a second.”

  I dusted myself off and went to get a new shirt. But I was shaking so badly, I could barely turn the door handle to my room. A horrible thought had invaded my mind. If Thoth escaped before the pillars crumbled, wasn’t it entirely possible that other gods did too, like my stalker god? Was Khonsu out there somewhere?

  “You’re fine. Settle down,” I told myself.

  Yet I stopped short of lying to myself. I wish I could say it had nothing to do with the curse or the boys turning eighteen, but of course it did. Only a fool would think otherwise, and I refused to be a fool.

  Chapter Eleven

  The day dawned bright and early. Birds chirped. Dolphins frolicked.

  I despaired.

  The boys were tucked into bed, and I hadn’t slept once so I knew no one was awake.

  I’ll admit it. I was too scared to sleep. The god had found me.

  Quietly, I slipped on my shoes and shrugged on a jacket. I wanted to see the waves.

  The morning air filled my lungs as I breathed deeply and set off across the yard. Every step felt cleansing. The boys were legal adults and on their way to being functional members of society. They would go back to school today and be safe. I would figure this curse out. I had nothing but time.

  Yet, even the salt-tinged morning air couldn’t cure me of my worries. The more I wandered, the more my confidence faltered. I could barely protect myself from the god who made me, let alone archons and Thoth. How could I possibly protect my own sons? And the constant fighting worried me. It was unusual and heart-rending. The boys had always been so close, sharing everything from mud pies to clothes to friends.

  Was it too late? Had the damage already been done?

  By the time I got back to the villa, I was in a total funk. Nonna met me at the door and handed me a strong cup of espresso. “Buongiorno, Mamma. Are you ready to say goodbye to your boys?”

  I blew steam in curls off the top. “Yes and no. I’ll feel much safer, of course, but they are little, intricate pieces of my heart that, by design, live outside of me. It’s a vulnerability I can’t protect, and I know I’m going to miss them fiercely the moment they’re gone.”

  Nonna’s cold, liver-spotted hand cupped mine fondly. “What a good mother you are. I’m sure they realize how much you adore them. Look how they’ve been doting on you since the split! You've done better than you think."

  “Besides the whole cursing them to misery thing, you mean.”

  Nonna tapped her nose. “Honestly, I wouldn’t worry about that.”

  “It’s pretty much all I worry about.”

  “We’ll figure it out, like we’ve figured everything else out.”

  “But we might not.”

  “When have you failed, Mamma?”

  “When have I succeeded?” I countered. Mestjet stared at me again and again. I doubted I would ever shake her dying gaze.

  Nonna’s eyes narrowed at the fight in my words. “That demon, for one.”

  “Thessaly?”

  “Sì. You saved her, didn’t you? Somehow you rehabilitated her to the entire town despite her total lack of awareness. So stop moping and eat your breakfast.”

  “Well, at least I can always count on you for tough love, Italian nonna style.”

  “Exactly. Now enjoy your boys while they’re still here.”

  “Are they up yet?” I asked.

  Nonna pursed her lips and cut a square of rosemary focaccia. “Probably still asleep, and they’ll need it. The journey today will wear them out.”

&nbs
p; She handed me a warm piece of bread and a tin of salted butter, but I couldn’t shake the feeling of unease. By the ancient kitchen clock ticking over her stove, it was nine in the morning. I had hiked for a lot longer than I realized.

  “How are you taking them back without explaining the improbability of astral travel?” I asked.

  “Magic.”

  “Could you be a bit more specific?”

  Nonna laughed and tapped her temple. “Used infrequently, a little memory spell doesn’t do lasting damage.”

  I yelped. “But it does inflict some damage?”

  “No,” Nonna soothed. “They’ll just feel disoriented for a few moments. To their minds, they’ll experience a long, international trip with two in-flight movies. They’ll associate the grogginess with jet lag. It will be an appropriately long trip.”

  “Thanks,” I said. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “I really should go check on them.”

  I stood and tip-toed to their room before Nonna could stop me. I only planned on peeking in for a second to assure myself that they were safe, but when I turned the corner, their door was ajar.

  Gently, I pushed it open, and it swung eerily on its hinges, squeaking in a way that horror movie directors paid big bucks to recreate. Except this horror story was my own.

  Their beds were unmade, rumpled sheets half-falling to the floor as if they’d stumbled out and gotten caught before untangling themselves. I called their names, hoping they were behind the closet or in the bathroom. Somewhere. Anywhere. But my heart had already dropped out of orbit.

  “Josh? Jacob?” I called a little more desperately. The blinds were broken and the window was open. “Please answer!”

  The dreadful silence matched the feelings thudding inside my body. Something was very, very wrong.

  My hysterical screams filled the house, and Aurick instantly appeared in the hallway, as if conjured. He took one look at the room, our eyes met, and we said it in unison.