Page 101 of Rise of the Melody

“Well,” I corrected. “Coosh was a big help.”

“Aw, CooShay!” Clare went to her knees and started nuzzling the harbinger of death, rubbing his ears. “Who’s a good boy? You’re a good boy! Yes, you are.”

He full on wagged his tail, and we all laughed.

The sound of tires on gravel had me cursing under my breath as Teague’s little truck came up the path into view. Oh, my gosh. My heart rate went erratic as we watched him park.

My three friends and I faced the truck in silence. The girls were like my sentinels as he got out, eyeing our group, but not looking at me. For the first time ever, Teague wasn’t wearing his big smile. An ache settled in my abdomen.

He strolled over and looked at everyone but me. He wouldn’t meet my eye no matter how hard I willed it. I felt exposed and hurt.

“I didn’t want to text you all. I have big news that you should hear in person.”

“We know about Letty,” Nora said. “You told the one person in Shehan with the biggest mouth?—”

“It’s notthat,” he said, still not looking my direction. “It’s…even bigger. You’re never going to believe it.”

Apprehension and a spike of awareness hit me as I realized what was happening. The smoke was about to shift away from me because a whole new fire was about to be lit in Shehan. A fire that I would be expected to play a part in stoking. Oh, Gaia…I’d barely had time to breathe since getting rid of the kelpie.

But it didn’t matter if I was ready or not.

Teague said in a low, serious voice, “My cousin, Xarus, is back.”