Page 61 of Coven of Corpses

“He probably planted them there because he wanted to meet you,” Clarabell said. “Get to know you two since you’ve been the town guardians against the supernatural.”

“Fuck no.” Cody shook his head. “We’re not taking that title.”

“All right, don’t get excited,” Clarabell said. “Let me tell you everything I’ve learned since I’ve moved here.”

“I’m going to need another beer for this,” Cody said, standing up. He wobbled a bit, then looked down at Demetrius. “Jesus Christ, you really can’t handle your booze, can you?”

“How many times have I told you this?”

“Yeah, but I thought you just didn’t like to give up control. I didn’t know you physically had such a low tolerance.”

“Thanks?” Demetrius said, cocking his head.

“Do you want a beer?” Cody looked between him and Clarabell.

“I’m fine,” Demetrius said. “I’m having enough trouble managing your big body as it is.”

“What’s it like?” Clarabell asked. “Can you see his memories?”

“Yes, we can see each other’s memories,” Cody called from the kitchen as he opened the refrigerator.

“But I haven’t done a lot of snooping.”

“Probably best not to,” Cody said as he returned with a fresh beer and sat beside him again.

“Yeah, but you two are married,” Clarabell said. “And you’ve known each other pretty much all your lives. There shouldn’t be too many memories you don’t know.”

“You’d be surprised,” Demetrius said. “Come on, tell us about this witch. What’s he doing here, and why did he come?”

“From what I’ve learned, it all connects back to when the town was founded.”

“Of fucking course it does,” Cody muttered, taking a deep drink.

“Easy, big guy,” Demetrius said, putting a hand on his leg. It was strange seeing the size of his hand, and he stared at it a moment before Clarabell’s continued explanation caught his attention again.

“Do you two know the history of this town?”

“The witches who escaped Salem and settled in this area?” Cody said. “Tracey told me about them. Or you did. Somebody told me about them recently.”

“Right. But there’s more.”

“We were taught in school that Pastor Abbott Stone came to the area and loved the woods around the hollow so much he built a cabin for himself. A church soon followed, and other people settled around it.”

“That’s right. But do you know how those two things connect?”

Demetrius exchanged a look with Cody. “Not really. We’ve been wondering how the parson would have reacted to a coven of witches near his church. I mean, we found the spot with the church’s foundation and what’s left of the cemetery.”

“Graveyard,” Clarabell said. “If the bodies are buried on the same property as a church, it’s called a graveyard.”

“Filing that away in my things I never wanted to know folder,” Cody said and took another drink.

“So, you’ve been out there?” Clarabell asked.

“Yeah, it’s out by the wiggle,” Cody said, then snickered before draining his beer.

“Where the hell is the wiggle?”

“It’s the S-curve on 118 just past Parson’s Pines,” Demetrius said, then looked at Cody. “You’re cut off.”