Page 33 of Unraveling Fate

And Cadenza Cavalieri was extraordinary.

She could still hearTaran’s heartbeat. Moonlight and drums rippled through the dark night as they strolled towards her apartment, but his heartbeat shone like a lighthouse.

Cadenza experimented with reaching out to his music and pulling back again. The lighter drum pattern—The bodhran pattern,she corrected herself—tripped over her arms, constant and playful. The ocean of deeper drums, she found when she reached for it. Not tamed, but navigable as long as she kept to the harbor of his heartbeat.

She smiled, almost laughed. It was like learning to sail, when before she’d been drowning.

“That’s a happy look,” Taran said. “Feeling better than last night, I imagine?”

“Much, yes.”

The earthsong of the evening mixed with Taran’s rhythm in a summer symphony, and Cadenza didn’t hurry on their way up the hill.

“Thanks, by the way,” she said. “For trying to keep Canon at bay tonight.”

He chuckled. “He’s a determined sort, isn’t he?”

“Very. He’s been genuinely helpful to me, it’s just…”

Taran shook his head. “You don’t owe me any explanations. Although, to be totally honest, I’m afraid my motives weren’t entirely altruistic.”

“No?” She arched an eyebrow.

“No. I was hoping to ask you a question.”

They halted at the garage door, and he stepped in closer.

“I was wondering if you’re free tomorrow night?”

The secret smile blossomed again in Cadenza’s chest. Taran stood close enough for her to see the pulse in his neck, beating in time with his drumsong.

Venice reared up in her mind, strict as a rehearsal schedule.What are you doing? Think of gelato and gondole!

A breeze tangled flute notes through his hair, and she caught the faint scent of motor oil and summer leaves.

Teatro la Fenice! Piazza San Marco!

She reached out a hand. Brushed the errant lock of hair behind his ear.

Drums boomed.

“I think I am free tomorrow night, actually.”

Nine

2 Sep 2019

25 Days, $4252. Don’t eat in Italy, save $400. Who needs to eat?

Midday sun blazed through the sales building’s glass walls. The heat seeped through Cadenza’s jeans, chiming like a mallet on xylophone keys. She checked the time on her phone.

Again.

12:09 p.m. Six more minutes until Reyna arrived for practice. And after rehearsal with Reyna, thirty minutes until she taught Brylee’s first lesson. And after Brylee’s lesson, five and half hours until she got to see?—

Ungh! Stop it! You don’t care how long it takes to get to this evening,she told herself.It’s just one time, because you’re leaving for Italy.

She paced around a bright yellow Lamborghini Aventador and pictured clocks evaporating. The door chime sounded, but it was just Canon.