Page 15 of Spirit Island

Serin nodded.“I may have to call you up there, so stay on alert.”

“Uh-huh. I willbe on alert. Ish.” She grinned.

“I will takeit. Anyone can give you directions to the palace.”

“Okay.”

Deno and hismate walked back toward the hills.

Belle turnedback to the Daring Pod. “I think I am in trouble.”

Thera asked,“Do you drink?”

“Not recently,and today isn’t any time to start. Is there anywhere around to dokaraoke?”

Thera grinned.“There is. I just need to check and see if there are anyperformances tonight.”

Thera dartedover to a stage with a microphone and spoke to someone working withthe equipment.

Orc chuckled.“Thera loves singing.”

“It issomething in the marked betas. We all like singing. I am guessingit is to lure in the unwary alphas.”

Skaay snorted.“She did it with giggles and swimming.”

Kayak smiled.“And those eyes.”

“Oh, yeah.”

Thera sprintedback and grinned. “They are setting up for karaoke.”

Belle grinned.“Yay!”

Her phonestarted going nuts during her third song. Belle finished it andhopped off the stage to answer. “Hello?”

Serin spokegrimly, “Belle, can you come to the palace?”

“He won’tbudge, huh?”

“No. Hedemands a penance and apology.”

“Ouch. Well, Iam on my way. I can squish him if nothing else.”

“Nosquishing.”

Belle laughedand grabbed her bag of clothes before she told the pod where shewas headed. She could follow her brother, so finding the palacewould not be an issue.

She wandered upthe path to the town and kept a bead on her brother while she didit.

Belle tried tofigure out a proper apology and was sure it would come to her whenshe got there.

She kept thatthought during the whole walk.

The palace wasa long building with a second floor, but the main floor was open tothe night. She could hear voices and slowly crept toward the spillof light from inside. For some reason, she was a littlenervous.

Deno calledout, “Come in, sis.”

She wrinkledher nose and stepped inside. Alohi looked at her and sighed,“Pretty.”

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