Page 34 of Midlife Demigod Unexpected

I swallowed hard as she touched a bloody finger to each of the stones in the pendant and muttered an incantation softly under her breath.

“Is this blood offering enough?” She wept. “Will they return to me?”

A whirl of purple and green power came up from the center of the pentacle and it reached out to all the five stones on each point of the pentacle, piercing them with its light. The blood from her finger pushed its way into the stone, making each of them turn bright red at first and then revert back to their normal color.

“Stop,” a woman’s voice came as she wielded a large sword.

“It’s the sword,” I said, pointing toward the blade with the blue stone in the woman’s hands.

“It is done. Esmeralda, you will have no say in this. Your descendants. My descendants. The Dagda’s descendants. All will suffer for what you have done to me.”

The sword faltered in Esmeralda’s hands, but she shook her head. “We have done nothing to you, Geraldine Hayes. What you think of as being disrespectful was completely respectful. Dagda will take none of us. He is married to the Morgana. It is only your decision to punish us for actions you have taken.”

“Lies,” she said, her eyes growing larger. “This offering is done.” She sagged, wilting as her hand clutched the Pentacle.

The Hayes held out her hand and her magic flew against Esmeralda, green and gold light circling and pushing her out the door before it slammed in her face.

“By your blood I protect this house. Only the coven members and approved may enter and leave it.” Geraldine took a deep breath and stared down in the cauldron, tears streaming from her eyes.

A movement in the shadows on the screen caught my eye.

Kartika gripped my wrist. “It’s Styx.”

Geraldine glared at Styx. “I have made my promise to you and committed the descendants of this coven to you via this blood pact. Now fulfill my heart’s desire.”

“You wanted your daughters brought back to life. You wanted them returned from the river,” Styx said. “Before they go to Undirheim. Before they go to the world beyond.”

“You know exactly what I want,” Geraldine said.

In the very altar room where we carried out our own magic, Styx opened a portal to another realm. Through the portal I saw a dark room with a glowing river flowing through it. The river had milky white film forming around the edges, but it flowed clear in the center.”

“That must be what the Styx looked like back then,” Kartika said in awe.

“Geraldine bound the coven to Styx?” Mae asked in horror. “To bring back the lives of her daughters, the Celtic martyrs.”

“But I thought there was a big uprising,” Bianca said. "I thought the Celtic martyrs died in a battle against Styx or against Morel or against someone.” She looked around the room. “Who is Geraldine Hayes battling against?”

“The only people she seems to have an argument with are the Dagda and Esmeralda,” I said. “Clearly, she had a thing for the Dagda and didn’t believe Esmeralda was the right choice for him.”

“Could she cast a spell to keep them apart?” Bianca asked.

“Maybe she had to cast a spell to keep them apart and bring him to her?” Chloe asked.

“You can’t compel love,” Hilda said. “It’s impossible.”

“Maybe Geraldine Hayes didn’t know,” I pondered. “Maybe Styx misled her? Either way, something is definitely off with the first coven.”

Chapter 25

It was my turn to take a patrol of the cemetery. I didn’t mind going down there. The zombies was creepy as all get out, but I needed to look at what we were up against. We needed a plan on how we were going to face it. Bianca and I walked down the slope and through the undergrowth that lined the edges of the cemetery.

The second we stepped out of the foliage I wanted to shirk back. Three zombies stood swaying and groaning in front of us, their wild eyes seeking out what was apparently smelling so good to them.

Us.

“Gross, aren’t they?” Bianca said before she shifted.

---