Page 81 of Coven of Corpses

Cody and Demmy exchanged a look.

“Who was that?” Demmy said.

“Me.”

They turned to see Tracey getting up from behind Cody’s parents’ SUV. She looked rough: flyaway hair, same jacket, shirt and jeans she’d been wearing when Cody had last seen her at Bulk & Beyond. She held the strap of her messenger bag in one hand and what looked like a large Mason jar with holes punched in the lid in the other.

“Tracey? Oh my God, are you all right?” Demmy said. “What happened?”

“I’ve been following it. I realized it had jumped in the mayor but before I could do anything it took off. I came out here because I had a lead on another descendant, so I was parked down the block when this all happened. When I saw it was going to try to jump hosts again, I blocked it with this.” She held up the mason jar. Inside Cody could see a number of dry ingredients. It looked like a large shaker of seasonings a fancy restaurant like Antonio’s might keep on tables. “But I don’t know where it ended up. From what Clarabell and I have learned, it needs to find an organic host soon after leaving or being expelled from the last one.” She looked over her shoulder. “And I’m fine, thanks. What’s with all the concern all of a sudden? That’s usually his thing.” She gestured to Cody.

“That is Demmy,” Cody said, jerking a thumb toward Demmy. “Your favorite ex-boyfriend is right here.”

She made a face. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

“We wish we were,” Demmy said, then looked around. “It happened out in the woods by Parson Stone’s church.”

Tracey’s expression softened and her shoulders drooped. She looked incredibly exhausted all at once, and, despite their complicated history heavy with sarcasm and bad mojo, Cody felt for her.

“That’s where he killed Rita,” she said. “And took over Heath.”

“We were there when it left Heath,” Demmy said, Cody’s voice soft and compassionate. “I’m very sorry. I know you two cared a lot about each other.”

Tracey nodded but wouldn’t meet their eyes.

“So, where did it go this time?” Cody asked, trying to change the direction of the conversation to the more immediate problem.

“Don’t know,” Tracey said, pushing her glasses up her nose.

They looked up and down the street. Shadows clung to the sides of the condos, deepening the feel of the night and playing tricks on Cody’s vision. Or Demmy’s vision. Maybe Demmy needed to get his eyes checked once this was all over.

“What the hell is going on?” Greg came forward, looking from Demmy to Tracey to Cody and back again. He finally focused on Demmy, and said, “Will you please tell me who that woman is and why she wanted to drive us off the road?”

“Um, yeah, sure,” Demmy said, glancing at Cody over Greg’s shoulder. “Dad. Let’s all go inside Amelia and Otis’s house and call the police. We can talk inside.” He looked over at Tracey. “Do you want to come in, too?”

“I don’t know,” Tracey said, coming forward and looking closely at each of the seniors in turn. “I’m not sure what happened to it.”

“To what?” Alice said, and he could hear a slight edge of hysteria in her voice. “What’s going on?”

“The demon that had possessed the mayor,” Tracey said flatly. She turned her back on them all and looked both ways up and down the road.

“The what?”

“Who is this woman?” Greg said, waving at Tracey’s back. “What in the name of hell is going on?”

Loud creaking and cracking sounds made them all jump.

“What the hell was that?” Dieter said.

“Trouble,” Tracey said. “But I don’t know where it’s coming from.”

Cody looked at the seniors grouped behind him and Demmy. Whatever was coming next, they wouldn’t last inside one of the condos. Tracey only had so much of her magical mixture of herbs and spices in that jar. They needed to get somewhere safe. Somewhere else. He nudged Demmy.

“You’ve got my keys on you?”

Demmy nodded and patted his front pocket. “Right here.”

“We need to get everyone away from here. Now.”