Page 56 of Death Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

Lucinda’s eyes flashed. “Watch your tone.”

Faith didn’t blink. “No.”

Carnell’s brows lifted, amused. He looked pleased, as if this were dinner theater.

Hunter’s gaze snapped to Faith, then to Lucinda. “Enough. We need solutions.”

Lucinda ignored him and kept her focus on me, voice cold. “If you cannot prove your usefulness in resolving this, I will remove you from my coven.”

The words hit me like a slap.

Not because I cared about Lucinda’s approval. I didn’t. I cared about survival, about belonging somewhere that wouldn’t stab me in the back, and about not being isolated when the town was full of undead.

Lucinda wanted me alone.

Faith’s body went rigid. “Try it.”

Lucinda’s smile was thin. “I can.”

Faith’s hands curled into fists. “You’ll have to go through me.”

Caton’s eyes narrowed at that, and for a heartbeat I enjoyed it. Not because this was funny. Because Caton hated anything he couldn’t control, and Faith defending me with this much aggression wasn’t in his plan.

Hunter stepped closer to the table, voice like a growl. “Lucinda. Stop. You need Salima.”

Lucinda’s gaze flicked to Hunter. “Do I?”

Hunter didn’t hesitate. “Yes. Her necromancy is our only direct link to what’s controlling those bodies. You pull her now, and you lose that. Besides severing her link could kill her.”

Greyson finally spoke, calm but firm. “He’s right. We don’t have the luxury of personal grudges.”

Lucinda’s eyes narrowed at Greyson, as if she didn’t appreciate him speaking without being invited.

Greyson met her stare anyway. He had that solid, down-to-earth warlock energy that didn’t bend easily.

“We’re falling behind,” Greyson continued. “I’m barely keeping up with scrubbing videos online. Every time I pull one down, five more pop up. New zombie sightings are outpacing our ability to respond.”

He gestured toward the magical board, where red points flickered like a rash.

“We need the source. Now.”

Silence fell, and for once Lucinda didn’t fill it with insults.

Because even she could see the board.

Even she couldn’t ignore the speed of it.

I swallowed, then pulled the disk from my pocket.

Cold bit into my palm. My skin prickled.

“We found something,” I said.

Greyson’s eyes narrowed. “What is that?”

“From Ravenholde Cemetery,” I said. “The smaller one on the east side. There were symbols carved into several graves. It’s Ancient Egyptian. Resurrection magic. We disrupted part of the pattern, and we found this near the back fence.”

Greyson held out his hand. “Let me see it.”