Page 39 of The Gargoyle and the Songbird

From the corner of my eye, I can see Graeme glowering. I hesitate, worried that I made this decision too quickly.

But then my resolve hardens. No—I want to give back to Elderberry Falls, and it’s not like I have better things to do when we’re trapped here, anyway.

And I won’t let anyone dictate my choices. Not my stalker, whoever—or whatever—they are.

And especially not my bossy, moody gargoyle bodyguard.

15

ECCO

Isettle into the plush velvet chair in the quiet corner of The Moonflower Inn lobby that Mariah found for my virtual media interviews. The comforting scent of the Inn cafe’s lunch service prep mingles with the gentle crackling of the hearth to create a homey ambiance.

The cozy spot should put me at ease, but my mind keeps drifting to this morning’s argument with Graeme.

His words echo in my head. “Your stalker could be anywhere, anyone. Even someone you think you know.”

I clench my jaw, pulse quickening with irritation. I get that it’s his job to keep me safe, but I hate how his overprotectiveness is making me doubt my instincts.

“Hey, Ec, you all set?” Mariah’s voice breaks through my windmilling thoughts as she adjusts the laptop camera for me. I’m lucky to have her helping me through this unexpected wrinkle in my album launch plans.

“Yeah, thanks Mar.” I force a smile, pushing down my frustration. “Any word on how Velda’s doing? I feel so bad.”

We’ve known Velda for years; she was one of our teachers in middle school, and every student’s favorite.

Mariah sighs and shakes her head sadly. “Still not great. Losing Myrtle hit her so hard and now this sickness messing with her powers...” She sighs. “Life keeps throwing punches and kicking her while she’s down.”

My heart clenches painfully for Velda. I can’t imagine the grief of losing your soulmate and then getting sick and having your magic go haywire, on top of everything else. If only there was something I could do to ease her suffering, even a little.

Maybe I could?—

“Ahem.” Laurelle’s melodic voice draws our attention as the elf glides over, gray hair cascading elegantly down her back. “I’m at your disposal to set up the soundproofing enchantment for the illustrious Ms. Waverly’s interviews.”

“Perfect timing!” Mariah grins. “Thanks Laurelle, you’re the best.”

Laurelle smiles graciously, then winks at me before raising her slender arms and murmuring an incantation in Elvish, fingers deftly weaving patterns in the air. Glimmering tendrils of silver magic trail from her fingertips, stretching and curling to form a shimmering dome around my little interview nook.

I watch in awe as the enchantment takes shape, marveling at the casual way Laurelle wields her power. Magic never fails to fill me with wonder, even after living in a world brimming with the fantastical my whole life.

“There we are,” Laurelle mouths on the other side of the barrier, but no sound gets through. She smiles with satisfaction and pops her head through the barrier to say, “No sound shall pass in or out. You should be all set for your calls.”

“You’re amazing, thank you so much,” I beam at her.

Laurelle returns my smile with a graceful nod and then heads off to tend to other inn duties—of which there are many, I’m sure, with a full house of guests and nowhere for them to go.

I take a deep, steadying breath as I log into the virtual meeting room.

Showtime.

I push down my worries about poor Velda, about being trapped here, about a certain stubborn gargoyle, and smile. Time for the pop star sparkle.

“Hi, everyone!” I chirp brightly to the grid of entertainment reporters filling my screen. “Ecco Waverly here, coming to you live from… well, a super secret magical location! Ooooh!” I waggle my eyebrows mysteriously.

The reporters chuckle at my antics, and I relax a little as I see that my quirky charm is still working for me.

I’ve gotten very good at this part—hiding the messy, stressful parts of my life behind cutesy sound bites. Gotta keep it light and positive. That’s what the people want from Ecco Waverly, Siren Pop Princess.

As I dive into answering questions, there’s a prickling heat of eyes on me.

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