[This post is from Thomas Merlin Ambrose’s point of view.]
“Okay,” Kailey said slowly, once again looking between us. Her gaze was wary, now, her movements slow and careful, the way you move when you’re trying not to startle or scare something that spooks easily. “So are you guys going to actually lay this out for me or is this one of those things I’ll find out on accident later?”
Bile crept up into my throat and I swallowed hard, closing my eyes again. It probably wasn’t fair to leave her in the dark, not about this. I wasn’t sure how much it was going to be a shift in her world, but I knew how much it might change mine—
—and how much it was going to change Tory’s, if I’d read everything right.
Phelan stood and started to pace. Kailey blinked, then sat down next to me, her brows knitting.
“I—Uncle Phelan, I’m sorry. I don’t—you don’t have to tell me. It’s okay.”
“No,” he said. “No, it’s not okay. What do you know about the old legends? Which of the old stories have you read?”
“Like—like all of the books? I don’t know. There’s a lot. I like reading.”
One corner of Phelan’s mouth twitched into a smile. “A good habit, I think.”
“That’s what Mom always says.” Her brow furrowed. “Are you okay?”
“No,” he admitted. “And I won’t be. But that’s all right. We’ll figure it out.”
“Our world’s about to change, isn’t it?” I said quietly. “Turned on its ear?”
Phelan stared at me for a few seconds.
Then he just nodded.
It was only confirming what I already knew, anyway.
