Page 76 of Rise of the Melody
“I’m sorry,” Teague whispered to me. “I didn’t even think about how it might make you feel, being at the place where?—”
“It’s okay,” I said, but my words came out a tremor, and Teague took me into his arms. I let myself hug him back, feeling his strength, warming me until my shaking subsided. He had no idea what had happened. He had no idea his parents could be alive still, just beyond that haunted veil. Gods, I wanted so badly to tell them all.
“I can take you back,” Chrystamos said behind him.
“I’ll be okay.” I gently pried myself away and smiled up at Teague, then Chrys. “Thank you.”
“I brought sleeping bags and blankets so we could chill for a bit,” Teague said.
“And I made a carafe of hot chocolate,” Nora said.
My spirits lifted as everyone got the stuff and we went to a wooden shelter area built against a rock wall. Shani lined sleeping bags along the floor, and we all sat close, looking out at the portal and sea with blankets over our laps and paper cups of hot cocoa. I was sandwiched between Teague and Clare. Our group got quiet, letting the sounds of water fill our ears—rushing up, receding back, over and over. My head eventually fell against Teague’s strong bicep and rested there.
Something felt monumental about that moment. Like I was exactly where I should be. Finally. I stared at the portal and silently whispered in my mind,I’m going to get you out of there, Mom and Dad. I swear it.All the fear and anxiety I’d felt about Aunt Lorna softened, as if deep down I believed I would find the answers, save our lost families, and get my aunt healed. That’s how perfect everything felt, even in the midst of complete imperfection. I was so bolstered with delusional hope that I didn’t immediately feel fear when I saw something move out of the corner of my eye in the darkness.
And then I tilted my head and squinted.
A person.
Someone was leaning against the rock. Watching us. Just as I gasped, Teague cursed and jumped to his feet, blankets flying.
“Hey!” Teague shouted. “This place is off limits!”
“I didn’t see a boat come in,” Chrystamos said to us as we all stood and looked out.
“I’m no’ harming the birds, am I?”
Oh, gods. I shuddered at the sound of Zar’s voice, completely in disbelief. What the heck was he doing here? Was there going to be a fight? A sense of danger razed the air. Would he tell them about my mom? I rushed forward to Teague’s side as Zar lazily made his way closer, looking around as if checking out the place.
“Who isthat?” Clare whispered.
“Stay back,” I whispered in return.
“Says the girl with the cuff!” Clare grabbed my arm. “You stay back too!”
Shani pulled Clare to her side. Nora took a protective step in front of the two girls as I stood between Chrystamos and Teague, facing Zar. His eyes passed over both of the guys before landing on me, sending my pulse into NASCAR mode. The fog took that moment to clear just enough for the night sky to illuminate the area. Zar flicked his head and his light eyes were revealed, his power zinging toward us. I wondered if anyone would guess who he was, but they didn’t.
Teague raised a hand a split second before Zar, and both of them sent up barriers, their magic like two shimmering walls colliding. Clare gasped behind me and Shani yelped.
“Both of you stop!” I said, but they were focused solely on one another. Teague was pushing so hard I could see the veins in his neck, while Zar appeared to be holding his barrier up with little effort.
“What do you want, bro?” Teague asked. “Who are you?”
“Bro,” Zar said. “Is this how you treat all visitors to your quaint town?”
“I will bury you,” Teague warned. “You need to drop your magic and back off.”
Beside me, I heard a disgusting crunch and saw Chrystamos fall into a crouch, his form changing and shrinking within his clothes. Holy crap! Chrys was shifting! For a second I forgot everything that was going on because a dude was freaking changing his form right next to me! His cat form shook off the shirt and hissed at Zar through large canines. OMG!
“Adorable,” Zar said to Chrys, then he eyed me. “We meet again.” Our eyes locked and for a second everyone else disappeared. I saw in his eyes that he had plans for me. That I was somehow locked to him. That he could out me right now. I silently pleaded for him not to tell. Then I remembered my whole crew was there and had heard him speak to me as if we were old pals.
My knees almost buckled with dread.
Teague’s head flew in my direction, his eyes filled with disbelief. “You know him?”
I faltered for a moment, my mouth opening and flapping like a salmon before I finally got out, “He’s the druid from New York.”
Behind us, the girls gasped.
