Page 58 of Midlife Witch Unexpected

I was going to tell him, too.

Later.

“Let’s go to the altar room,” I said. “That’s where this spell works the best for me.” I was a bit intrepid. This spell was draining, but I knew I needed to do it despite how it would impact my body or my consciousness.

“Are you sure you want to do this? Hilda asked. “What if the Folded Cross is in the Underworld?”

“Then I go to the Underworld,” I said.

“We will go with you,” Anita said.

“It’s too dangerous,” I said. “We don’t know where the stone is. This locator spell isn’t just going to show us where the magic is, it’s going to take us there. It’s going to transport us. I added a little zing to it so we could take care of this once and for all.”

“Yeah, we figured you souped it up. That’s why we’re going with you,” Branson said. “You will need to use the circle of magic, so it doesn’t just zap yours.”

I looked around the circle of eager faces, terrified I was putting them in mortal danger.

“Do you think we’re going to miss this?” Anita asked.

“I missed your last heroics,” Trina said. “I don’t want to miss this episode.”

“All right fine. Let’s do it.” I conceded.

We all took our positions around the altar and held our hands out to the side, letting the energy move and flow through us. The magic from the other witches’ hands merged with mine over the altar, creating a beautiful sparkling bubble of light all around it.

“That which is mine, allow me to find.” I began the chant and listened as the other witches joined in. The buzz in the room from the magic energy was electric intense and it zinged into every part of my body. My gaze went to Branson. The look of worry and concern on his face made me reach out to him and take his hand just as the magic exploded over the altar and we were all transported in a blinding flash of light.

Chapter 34

The Earth was dark and pressed up against my face. Blades of grass kissed my cheek. I was outdoors. But it smelled like…green, wet, forest. It smelled like Southern Oregon. I open my eyes and lifted my head.

“We’re on The Estate,” I said in surprise. We were in the backyard of the house, down the little path that lead to the cemetery.

I looked at the other witches, who were pulling themselves off the ground. Branson had been transported with my energy, too, and was standing up.

I felt disastrously weak.

“The stone is here,” Hilda said climbing to her feet.

Traces of the magic light made their way into an area of underbrush. I began poking around, looking carefully, and the tracers went directly to a small metal circle that was glowing and buried in the dirt.

“What is it doing here?” I asked.

“The pet cemetery,” Trina groaned. “I told her to just burn all her pets when they died. But did she listen? No. She needed to have a pet cemetery. I didn’t get it.”

“I understand the pet cemetery, but I don’t understand why the Folded Cross was moved here.” I reach down and, digging in the dirt, pulled out the metal orb carved like a folded cross. “Well, you’ve got to go back.” I grabbed the folded cross out of the ground. A shooting pain went through my hand up to my spine and throughout my body.

I bit back a yelp.

But the others were busy looking at the grave.

Carl 2002 - 2014

“That’s the dog I was telling you about,” Hilda said, "the Saint Bernard.”

“Well, Carl is going to have to do without his Folded Cross for right now,” I said. “We need all the talismans at the cemetery, the real cemetery. I’ll take it down there. You guys want to come down with me?”

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