Page 47 of Rise of the Melody
CooShee jumped up from his sprawling sleep under a table and nudged her neck. I wasn’t sure if he did magic or maybe it was his cold nose, but she gasped and her eyes popped open, rolling around as if trying to focus. After a few breaths she whispered, “I’m okay.” She tried to laugh, making a breathy sound. “Woo, just a little dizzy.”
“Aunt Lorna, you passed out! You need to go to the hospital!” My arms were quaking as I helped her into a sitting position.
“I just need to rest here for a moment.”
“I’m telling Ron! He’ll agree that you need to go.”
“No, Letty,” Her voice was more forceful. “I’ll be fine.”
“No, you won’t!” My own voice raised in frustration. “Why won’t you go?”
“Because.” Her voice was strong, and then faded. “I think I’ve been cursed.”
I sat heavily on my butt, staring at her. “Cursed? You mean by a nix?”
“Or a druid,” she said. “I’ve suspected for a long while.”
My stomach tightened like a boa constrictor. “What does that mean, exactly?” She was quiet a moment.
“Tell me something,” she said. “Do you see anything supernatural around me? Like a cloudiness or mist? Mostly around my shoulders?”
I shook my head. “No, nothing.”
She made an exasperated sound. “I don’t know what else it could be. When someone is hexed, the dark magic shows itself for other mystics to see. But if it was someone really strong, perhaps it would be undetectable? That’s what I’ve been telling myself. I don’t know much about curses or dark magic.”
“Well, if youarecursed, how do we lift it? Can I do it?” I was ready to sprint for her spell book, although I’d glanced through it once before and only saw potions and other healing remedies.
“Only the one who places a curse can lift the curse, and I have no idea who did this. All I know is I began feelingoffthe day after the disappearances.”
“It has to be connected,” I said, a shiver ratcheting up my spine.
She shook her head, appearing weary. “I just wish I could remember something, anything, that could make this make sense.”
“Don’t stress.” I stood and held out my hands, helping her up and hugging her until she felt steady. “Let’s get you inside to rest. I’m going to run some errands.”
* * *
I biked straightto the mayor’s house, flip-flops and all, with CooShee trotting along at my side. More than one car nearly ran off the road staring at us.
At the gate, I was buzzed in right away. I knocked on the door expecting stupid Stevens to answer, but to my shock it was Teague. Without a shirt on. And I suddenly remembered I wasn’t wearing a bra under my sweatshirt or any makeup, and my hair was in last night’s sleeping bun, now crooked and falling sideways. I blanched.
But Teague? Nothing ever bothered him. He grinned huge, taking in my whole aesthetic.
“Letty! How’s it going? Want to come in? Or do you want me to come out so we can talk?” He gave CooShee a silly wave, and the creature glared.
“Actually,” I said, feeling stupid-nervous. “I need to ask your uncle something. Is he here?”
“Oh.” Teague’s eyebrows went up in surprise. “Sure. No problem. Come on in and I’ll get him.”
I watched the muscles on Teague’s back as he jogged around the corner out of sight. CooShee and I stood in the foyer and closed the door behind us. I felt super out of place in the fancy house with all of its shiny, dark wood. I wiped under my eyes where I probably had crusty mascara from the day before, and quickly took out my bun, redoing it.
When Mayor MacCray came around the corner with a severe look on his face, Teague rushing to keep up, my stomach churned again.
“Leave us, Teague,” he said over his shoulder, eyeing me with suspicion.
“But—”
“I said, go!”
