Making Midlife Madness: A Paranormal Women's Fiction Novel (Forty Is Fabulous Book 2)

by Heloise Hull

  The archon continued his inhumane howling, but only I winced. Because only I could hear him.

  Outside of the Arch, Rosemary squeezed me tightly, her familiar hug smelling of yeast and sugar. Coronis shouted and whooped, and even Thessaly gave me a fist bump. As for Luca, I avoided him completely. Although he was still a convicted body-knapping necromancer, bearing his disappointment was more than I could handle right now.

  I wanted to bask in this. We’d done it. My little Siren Squad—and I guess Luca—had stopped a rogue member of the Council and secured the safety of my twins. But I hardly could. Deep down, I knew the Council was hiding more secrets. It was a body of supernatural beings that had existed for centuries. How could they not?

  Aurick kissed the top of my head and wrapped me under his arm. I gave in to the urge to glide my fingers down his neck and rest my head in the crook of his shoulder where I fit so well. He flashed me that half-grin, his version of a knowing smile, and I was undone.

  I began to bawl. I straight up blubbered all over his Italian suit. Yes, he’d come to a magic battle wearing a three-piece, Italian suit. It was Aurick. He’d always be more fashionable than me.

  “Ava, it’s over. You don’t have to cry,” he said, sounding alarmed.

  Too late. The floodgates were opened. I cried from fear and exhaustion and jubilation, letting it all out in one big, snotty jumble.

  Through my tears, I felt everyone surround me, and their concern buoyed me. It felt surreal that my boys were safe—for now. Yet, I was determined to break my curse and free them from all the folly of my past lives. I doubted, too, that Mestjet was the last supernatural to know they were the key to a new empire. The twins wouldn’t be completely safe until the curse was broken. That wasn’t to mention Thoth. The boys still couldn’t visit me. Perhaps Hypatia or someone else at the Library of Alexandria could help me figure out how to rid ourselves of a god—and an archon. Perhaps that would be enough to break the curse.

  “Are you ready?” Aurick’s eyes were sweet as he wiped the last errant tear from my cheek.

  I stared up at the Arch. Despite the damage to the inside, it looked exactly the same as always on the outside. Proud. If it could survive, so could I.

  “Yes,” I nodded. “I’m ready.”

  Aurick laced his fingers through mine and pulled out his bone dagger. “Good,” he said. “Then let’s go home.”

  Tiberius’s cure held strong and I journeyed without issue. Aradia’s cypress and salt scent met us first. Villa Venus looked warm and inviting as smoke curled up from Nonna’s hearth. I couldn’t wait to call her back from the twins’ dorm and hear the shenanigans they had gotten into. Parents everywhere didn’t know what they were missing by not spying on their college kids.

  The front door banged open and Nonna herself came rushing out. She was beaming as she scooped me into a soul-crushing hug. “Mamma! You’re safe. Thank the gods.”

  I stood there flabbergasted. Of all the things to happen today—and it was a lot—this was the most shocking. What was she doing here? She was supposed to be watching the boys!

  “Come in and get warm,” she said, practically pulling me over the threshold like a robot. “I have bruschetta and wine.”

  I tried keeping any hostility or blame from my voice, but it seeped through the edges as I bombarded her with questions. “Nonna, what about the twins? Are they okay?”

  Nonna gestured for everyone to sit at the kitchen table, but she continued dragging me to my bedroom, a cryptic smile on her face. “See for yourself,” she said.

  I pushed on the door. It creaked open and my heart skipped as I peered apprehensively inside.

  Josh and Jacob stood up as one and grinned.

  “Hey, Mom. Are you surprised?”

  To be Continued…

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  To prevent the next great war between the gods and supernaturals, I had one job. To keep my sons far, far away from Aradia.

  Then why are they sitting next to me, enjoying their own Italian getaway?

  Back home, they're Josh and Jacob, two average college freshmen with a propensity for pranks. In my world, they are the She-Wolf's twins, feared and fated to rise—or fell—great empires.

  Nonna swears it's fine. They’re safest here on Aradia. That's why she invited them to celebrate their eighteenth birthday with me.

  But it doesn't feel fine. Suddenly, the sleeping god's voice is getting stronger, whispering in the shadows and speaking in my dreams.

  But my power is growing, and I am learning. For the first time, I feel strong enough to protect my sons—from the Council, from evil mages, and even from the gods themselves.

  I only hope I’m not mistaken.

  Thank you for continuing your journey! I hope you enjoyed your second ticket to Aradia. If so, please consider leaving a review on Amazon. You’re inundated with pleas for this all of the time, but it’s for a good reason, I promise! Your thoughts and words help other readers find new favorites and help me continue to write. They’re extremely important.

  If you missed the introduction to this book and are still confused about Cleopatra, don’t worry! You’re not crazy. You just haven’t read Making Midlife Memories, book 1.5 of the Forty Is Fabulous series.

  If you’d like a copy, simply sign up for my newsletter, and I’ll send you one. You’re under NO obligation to stay on, but if you do, I promise I’ll only send out new release notices and sales/giveaways every few months. You can also follow me on Amazon for updates.

  NOTE: You won’t miss anything in the main arc of the Forty Is Fabulous series if you don’t read the novella, as it’s merely a fun look into a historical figure I adore: Cleopatra. If you do choose to read it, however, please know it’s grittier than Ava’s story thus far. Remember, it’s her first reincarnation after the She-Wolf. She has no idea what type of curse she is up against. Be prepared for blood, sex, glory and even an ancient Roman recipe for honey fritters. If you’re cool with that, then carry on!

  Afterword

  Of course, all of these “past lives” are true, historical women. I wouldn’t lie to you! I have taken the liberty of changing Lay Le Freine slightly, but I encourage you to read the translated version from its original Middle English by the poet, Maria de France in the 12th century. Seriously! It’s really cool. Almodis’s murder by her stepson occurred in October 1071, but there’s no mention of the details of the crime. The hunt scene is entirely my imagination. Pere Ramon was punished severely, stripped of his titles, and exiled, forbidden to bear arms. The murder of one of her twins by the other is also true, and he was slain in the forest during a hunt.

  Jeanne de Clisson was a badass. That’s all. Also, Guillaume and Jeanne weren’t twins, but they were quite close in age. I let it slide for the sake of the story. Note: the source for the name of her lead ship, My Vengeance, comes only from French Wiki. so make of that what you will.

  People have a lot of strong feelings about Catherine de’ Medici. (You know. History people. Not like regular people on the street.) I’ve stayed true to the events (although her thought process is mine.) She really did believe in prophecies and magic and mages, and she did consult Nostradamus, who gave her that prophecy before she dreamed of her king’s death. Henry was never supposed to be king when they married, either, but his elder brother died a few years into their marriage, which really put the pressure on her to beget heirs. Definitely lookup Chateau de Chenonceau. It’s wild!

  I also wanted to say a little note of thanks to women like Hypatia and Diotima in the ancient world. Many scholars have argued convincingly that Diotima was historical, which would be earth-shattering! Many of the developed ideas about love that we attribute to Plato would then be hers in origin. Some have even theorized she is actually Aspasia, lover of Pericles, hero of Athens. I always adored Aspasia’s story in college, so I’m thrilled to bring her back to life in some small way here.

  Finally, if you’re ever i
n St. Louis, try Imo’s. Like Ava, I didn’t appreciate it until I moved away. Also, like Aurick, my non-native husband claimed it tasted like “a squirrel threw up in my mouth” during his first experience. He’s wrong. But don’t you want to try it now?

  Lay Le Freine: http://www.eleusinianm.co.uk/middle-english-literature-retold-in-modern-english/breton-lais/le-freine

  Catherine de’ Medici’s emblem: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/C_G3-FrM-46

  Investiture of Charles as king of France: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/renaissance-quarterly/article/abs/littleknown-description-of-charles-ixs-coronation/954098E4255565A848CB12E021CC1F78

  Want to learn more about the Library of Alexandria? Here you go: https://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/greece/paganism/library.html

  About the Author

  Unlike her namesake of medieval infamy, Heloise doesn’t intend to have her midlife crisis in a nunnery. She’d much rather drink espresso martinis and chant in fairy rings while wearing socially questionable clothing.

  In her other pen names, Heloise writes romance, nonfiction, and epic fantasy with tinges of the ancient world all thanks to dual degrees in archaeology and Classics. She splits her time between St. Louis and Chicago with her husband, two kids, and two cats, but is plotting how to bring in a puppy.