Page 6 of Coven of Corpses

Grant stayed in place, giving him space, and extended his arm. He held the phone in his hand, and, as if to prove Grant’s point, it buzzed in his grip and the screen lit up.

“Oh, thanks. Sorry about that.” Demetrius moved a step closer and took the phone. He had no idea why he’d apologized.

“No problemo, Dems.” He started to turn away, then looked back. “I know me and the fam can be a lot sometimes. I just want you to know how much we appreciate you opening your home to us this week. It was hard enough saying goodbye to Grandma Felicia, but being able to be close to you and Codes while we’ve been here has made that a little easier. So, yeah, thanks.”

“You’re always welcome. And I’m glad you were all able to be here to honor her memory.”

He watched Grant go, his height and the shadows of the dining room making it seem like a horror movie set.

The phone buzzed again. Curious and a bit anxious, he checked the display. He’d been expecting to see Cody’s name with a string of texts about how bored he was at work or that he’d mouthed off and gotten himself fired. Instead, he was surprised to see a number of texts from Amelia. She and Otis and Cody’s parents hadn’t been gone long. Had there been an accident?

He unlocked his phone. After reading the many text messages, then going through them a second time, he felt like he understood things. Amelia, Otis, and the Bowers had made it safely back to the condo. Soon after, Isaac Wilkerson, their neighbor, had knocked. He had been listening to his police band radio with a few other Parson’s Pines condominium residents and heard about a body out in Parson’s Woods. Isaac and the others had been around long enough to know about the occasional supernatural incidents in town. He’d asked her—point blank, Amelia had stressed, using all caps—if he and Cody were involved in another spooky case. And she was hoping they weren’t because why hadn’t they shared any of this with her before now? Did she need to get her crossbow out of the hall closet?

Demetrius sighed and locked his phone. He didn’t have the energy to deal with that right now.

The squeak of hinges on the side door startled him, and he looked around. Mac came onto the landing a couple of steps below the kitchen.

“Are you standing in the dark for a reason?” Mac asked.

“Not really.” He reached to flick on the overhead light. The sudden brightness made him squint. He made a mental note, again, to swap that bulb for one with a lower wattage. Might save money, too. Every penny made a difference these days. “I was just taking a minute.”

She closed the interior door and gave him a half smile. “Were Conrad and Brooke arguing again?”

Demetrius smiled and shrugged. “It wasn’t bad. I just needed a quiet moment.”

“I’m sorry to intrude.”

“You’re fine. How was yoga under the moonlight?”

She ascended the two steps and stood before him. Slightly taller than he was, she had excellent posture and seemed so at ease with her body and its place in the physical world, Demetrius couldn’t help feeling envious.

“It was… more informative than I’d anticipated.”

“Informative?” He frowned. Had she received some kind of message from the universe or something? “I don’t understand.”

“Do you know any Wiccans?”

“Like, witches?”

“Yes, or someone who is more spiritual and connected to the elements?”

Anxiety made his heart beat a little faster. “Why do you ask?”

“I found something.” She pressed her lips together and shook her head. “That’s not correct. Trevor found something, and I gave it a closer look.”

His stomach tightened and sweat slicked his palms and prickled beneath his arms. “What did Trevor find?”

She held out her hand, fingers curled around a dark object. Demetrius took a step back as she slowly opened her hand. He cautiously leaned in for a closer look. It was a bag made from a piece of rough material, maybe burlap. The ends had been gathered together and bound with a long piece of leather.

“What is it?”

“It’s a hex bag.”

He looked at her, eyes widening. The overhead light felt even brighter. A low hum started in the distance. Had that sound always been there, or was it just in his head?

“What’s a hex bag?”

“It’s a combination of herbs and crystals and other energy producing items gathered together for a specific purpose.”