Page 80 of Rise of the Melody
“Go home,” the mayor told him.
“Okay, sheesh.” Teague gave me a wave.
“Bye,” I told him.
The moment he walked out of the room, Mayor MacCray converged on me.
“Do you think this is some sort of game?”
“No,” I swore to him. “I’ve literally kept my phone on me every single moment, and I…I must have been asleep so hard that I didn’t hear it.” My heart was racing now, my nerves pinging, and I regretted hardly eating all day.
“Well,” he said in a menacing tone. “It’s time.”
Oh my God.Oh my God!“You got the cage?”
“Yes. Let’s go.”
I rushed to my aunt’s side to squeeze her hand and kiss her cheek. “I love you, Auntie,” I whispered. I took comfort in her presence, holding back the panic that wanted to rise.
“Come on,” he urged, though not as roughly.
With a series of deep, settling breaths, I left Aunt Lorna and rushed out behind the mayor to meet my fate.
Chapter24
Friar Pond
Icouldn’t say I enjoyed being in a vehicle with Bryant MacCray, Stevens, or this other older druid. Their magic vibes unsettled me, like a pinging of restless energy as we drove in silence.
I thought about Zar, and a chill skated over me. I crossed my arms tightly. When was he going to announce himself to his father and the town? A small thrill filled me at the thought of seeing him again, and I knew I needed to analyze that, but too much was going on in my head at the moment. Zar hated me and was only keeping me alive to use me. I should not feel excited about seeing him ever again. But he’d also gone missing with my parents…and come back. He’d seen things that nobody else on Earth had.
And unlike my friends who supported the girl they thought was just a nix, Zar knew exactly what I was. There was weight in knowing the truth, even if I was hated for it. Would Teague have snuggled me today knowing what I was?
Bryant pulled up near the Friar Pond, which was much larger than the word “pond” alluded. It was more like a small lake. If I didn’t know anything about a kelpie, I would have thought the pond at twilight and its surrounding masses of flowers and lily pads was lush and gorgeous—worthy of pictures. But knowing what was hidden in its depths made it eerie and dangerous. Not to mention the massive cage set up near a gap in the trees like a small jail cell.
My stomach knotted tightly as we climbed from the car, and I felt slightly dizzy.
Bryant grabbed things from the trunk and faced me, all business as usual.
“Stand near the cage. Here is the flare gun; it’s ready to go.” He showed me how I’d have to hold it high, pointing straight to the sky. “Here is the bag of blood. Just as we discussed. We’ll be waiting down the road.” Stevens stood to his side, his arms crossed, looking like he smelled something bad as he watched me. Why couldn’t the kelpie have dragged him under instead of some innocent hikers?
And then, with a look of reluctance, he stepped closer and motioned for my arm, which I lifted. His lips moved silently, and the cuff opened. Just as it did whenever Aunt Lorna removed it, a rush of energy flushed through me like submerging into a glorious, hot bath. I sucked in a breath just as Bryant MacCray and Stevens did. Both men stepped back, eyeing me with distrust and disgust. Stevens scratched his arms. I stood taller knowing at that moment I had the upper hand over them.
Then I turned to the lake. My body and spirit did not like the feeling of being in danger. My throat became parched as I tamped down the urge to make myself safe in the way of my ancestors.
“Any questions?” Bryant asked.
I shook my head. My heart began to thump erratically as they turned to leave me here all alone with a monster who put my so-called monster-ness to shame.
I watched the car tires crunch their way down the path, and then my skin prickled with trepidation. It was so quiet. My eyes darted around, and I spun, afraid it was right behind me. It took all my willpower to move one foot in front of the other all the way to that cage. But it felt slightly less scary to have the cage at my back. I swallowed and unscrewed the tap on the pouch of blood, which was cold like it had been refrigerated. I tried not to think about it too much as I bent and emptied it onto the damp pebbles and partly in the water, my breaths sounding loud in my ears. I set the empty bag aside and watched the blood spread.Ew.
“Okay,” I whispered to myself. “You’ve got this.”
I stretched to my full height and swallowed to wet my throat. I wanted a song that would keep me calm but had fierce lyrics. “You Will Be My Ain True Love.” The Alison Krauss version of the Civil War themed ballad was haunting and perfect.
As I opened my mouth to sing, my entire body and all my senses became more aware. Heightened.
“You walk unscathed through musket fire….”
