Page 111 of Autumn L.A.W

Magda, Joell, and Crystal heard her shouts and rushed into the mansion’s kitchen. No one tried to argue with her. They simply waited for her to get it all out.

“Merde! Merde! Merde!”

Eventually, Victoria crumpled to the ground and wailed. Then she seemed to pull herself together. “Maybe if we pay him extra to continue… Or perhaps Bas can intervene and compel him to keep trying… Oh, it’s no use!” She burst into tears, lay on the floor in a fetal position, and covered her face with her hands while she wept.

The four other witches in attendance gathered around her. Lioness grabbed her and pulled her up to a sitting position. “We’re not going to desert you, Victoria. We will help you figure this out, if it’s the last thing we do.”

“Yes,” Crystal agreed. “Who needs a man, anyway?”

“Easy for you to say,” Victoria grumbled. “You have Mason.”

“Yes, but I’ve been where you are. Remember Stan?” Crystal said.

“No one has been where I am!” Victoria wailed.

“When inner strength and compassion are required, it’s women who are better equipped to handle it,” Magda added. “You must be gentle with yourself.”

Joell jammed her hands on her hips. “Fuck compassion. Get up, woman!”

Victoria let out a deep breath and struggled to her feet. She swayed slightly, then planted her feet shoulder-width apart and crossed her arms. “You’re right. If Duke wants out, so be it. I’m not giving up on me.”

Joell nodded. “Yes! And we won’t give up on you either.”

Magda smiled. “Atta girl.”

A sly smile stole across Crystal’s face. “You know, I think that’s the fastest I’ve seen someone go through all five stages of grief.”

Duke went back and forth on his decision to involve the witches in his latest attempt or go it alone. The sorceress was incredibly powerful. Simply the fact that she could make herself invisible and transport him out of her house before he could blink was something he’d probably never master. If he involved the witches, they might have a full-on war with the powerful entity. Because they were not at full strength without Victoria, one or more of them might not survive.

On the other hand, if he went up against her alone, he might not survive, either.

He wished he could be more confident that he had found the correct spell to reverse. If it were something else, and he missed a key component, he could do more harm than good. Perhaps, switching bodies with the sorceress himself! That would be incredibly awkward.

Wait a minute!

This is what the witches do! They go up against powerful paranormal entities every day. They’d be insulted if I didn’t come to them for help. What were you thinking, Duke?

The wall phone in the mansion’s kitchen rang. Yes, they had an antiquated landline as a backup.

Lioness answered. “You have the L.A.W., whaddaya want?” she growled, then giggled. Lioness could always be counted on to provide a little silly or inappropriate humor.

He heard a few chortles in the background. “Lioness, I assume that’s you… Don’t let Victoria know it’s me, if she’s there.”

“Oh, Hi, Duke! You wanted to speak to Victoria? You want to apologize for sleazing out of telling her in person that you wouldn’t help her?”

“No! I⁠—”

“Duke?”

Victoria’s voice came over the line. Lioness must have handed her the phone.

Duke plopped down on his makeshift jungle swing; two long vines connected to a strong mat, tied to an overhanging branch. “Uh… Yes. I—I do want to apologize, but I didn’t give up. I may have found the spell I need, and I found the sorceress who cast it, but I need to be sure I can control her. I was hoping your L.A.W. sisters could help me interrogate the sorceress. I tried, but I can almost guarantee she’s hiding something.”

“Merveilleux! That’s wonderful!”

A voice in the background called out, “Did he finally solve this bitch of a conundrum?”

“Was that Rosa?” Duke asked