Page 35 of Midlife Demigod Unexpected

“Definitely,” I agreed as she crouched low and let out a growl that caught the zombies’ attention. “Those wards better hold.”

The wards created a buffer around the cemetery. It used to be to keep non-magical people out, but now the clear forcefield was keeping the zombies in. We walked down the pathway that marked the outer perimeter of the cemetery and even with a simple count I could see the numbers of zombies had grown. A couple of days ago there had only been one. Now there were more than a dozen. They were drawn to us. Whether it was our brains or blood they could smell, I didn’t know, but the zombies ambled after us with surprising speed.

When we got to the main entrance, Bianca shifted back to continue our perimeter walk. She walked closer to the cemetery. For some reason I always felt the safest when she was with me, regardless of what form she was in; Chloe ran a close second. I could understand their powers. They were violent and physical. The witches were a little different. They could wield magic and for some reason, even though it was clearly my skill as well, I wasn’t confident around it.

“I did some research on the Dagda. He was an agrarian god; a great warrior and fighter, but he was also a druid,” Bianca said. “I think you have the makings of glue.”

“Excuse me?” I asked.

“You can bring us all together,” Bianca clarified. “You bring us all together because we have magic powers in different ways. Mae, Jane, and Kartika wield magic. Chloe and I are more physical in our response. I think you’re both; magical and a fighter.”

“Hypothetically I can do both,” I said, “but I’m still learning.”

“We’re all learning,” Bianca said. “Not only are we all learning, but we’re still trying to figure out what in Hell’s name is going on here. I mean, unless we figure out a way to use the sword and the golden egg for wards, we’re screwed.” She stopped. She stared into the cemetery, past the zombies, then back at me. “The golden egg. What if it’s a ward?”

“You mentioned you thought it might be,” I commented.

“You weren’t there when we were doing it but in the very beginning when zombie dog woke up there was a red stone. It’s inside the cemetery in a depression of a gravestone and it acts as a ward. Maybe there’s a place in the cemetery for the sword and the golden egg?”

“The best place for the sword is in someone’s hands if we’re going to be battling zombies,” I said. “We need to figure it out who Esmeralda’s descendent is. That’s who owns the sword. Clearly, it’s not you, me, or Chloe, since we know who our ancestors in the coven were.”

“That leaves Jane and Kartika.” Bianca mused. “Which means, no matter what, it’s a Fae sword.”

“No surprise there. Have you seen the handiwork? If we can identify the origins of the sword, we’ll know whose ancestor Esmeralda is.”

Bianca tapped on the ward as we moved by the cemetery. “How are you going to do that?”

“I have Chloe researching weapons right now,” I said. “The sword had a name. Athyrius.”

“Well, I hope whoever inherits it knows how to wield it,” Bianca said.

“What if the golden egg isn’t mine either?” I asked.

“I don’t think it matters whether it’s yours or not. I’m pretty sure the golden egg is part of the ward. I also think it’s yours. I mean, the Dagda made a golden egg from a turnip.”

“Hilda said the golden egg would be a key. All we need to do is go into the cemetery and find out where the key fits,”

We both stopped and turned as five zombies pressed their faces against the ward. Their moans and high-pitched keening was intense, even through the ward, as they smashed their bloody corpses against the side, trying to get us. My stomach roiled as a finger flew off one of the zombies. It hit the ward right in front of my face. I flinched and took a step back.

“You’re seriously suggesting one of us goes inside there? “I asked.

“No, that would be suicide, “Bianca agreed. “I’m suggesting two or three of us go in there and figure out where the golden egg goes.”

“Maybe you guys should be called Crazy Cougar Creek Coven,” I muttered, shaking my head and turning to continue down the path. “I do not see how that is ever going to work.”

Chapter 26

“I think whoever inherits the sword should go in,” Bianca said as we all gathered in the red room to discuss the situation. We found a time when all the guys were busy, because otherwise, we knew none of them would agree to this plan. I still didn’t know how I was agreeing to it.

“I’m going in because I’m going to place the golden egg.” I volunteered. There was no way around it. It was my egg and I would need to place it.

“I’m going in because I’ve got a sniff out where the location is.” Bianca wasn’t asking permission either. She was just planning to handle it.

“I should join so to help keep things calm,” Jane said.

“As the high priestess, it’s my job to enter the cemetery and take the lead,” Mae said. “I won’t have the entire Coven go inside. It’s too dangerous and it’s too difficult to watch everyone’s back. One bite from one of these creatures and you’ll become like them.”

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