Page 81 of Unraveling Fate

Drostan’s jaw worked back and forth before he heaved himself out of his chair. He grasped Canon’s shoulders and stared him in the face. “If you make it up to me with this. You help Reyna and Cadenza, however they need it.”

Canon’s gaze reached past Drostan’s shoulder to rest on Cadenza’s face. “Always.”

Reyna sighed at the implication in his words, but the thread held. The spark stayed lit.Alright, Mr. Richards,she thought.Seems you get one more chance. Don’t blow it.

Nineteen

15 Sep 2019

No days. No part.

Cadenza tapped her phone against her thigh, the clouds blowing oboe and bassoon above her in the back field. Canon had left to talk to Thomas two hours ago but hadn’t checked in yet. She and Reyna had filled the time practicing with the tuning fork, so Cadenza would feel it when Reyna had the “HVAC” door open.

Before that, she’d spent the morning with Drostan, practicing matching earthsong melodies. When they stole the oracles, she’d have to find the safe’s song and match it—not pull it in, the way she did with the earthsong, but sing her own version of it, sending each note back to the box, to mirror the “combination lock.”

That hadn’t proven difficult on things like trees, or rocks, or even objects made from natural resources.

But none of those had resisted her efforts, and as Drostan had pointed out, the safe didn’t want to be opened.

A ripple of energy and an echo of strings swept over her, and she raised her arm high to signal Reyna that she’d felt it.

The smith jogged in from the far edge of the field. “I think you’ve got it. Anything from Canon?”

Cadenza checked her phone, stomach like lead. “Nothing.”

Canon rolledup his sleeves and marched into Thomas’s office with two purposes. First, to make sure Learmonth wasn’t the one behind the attempts on Cadenza’s life. Easy enough. When Thomas peered askance over his glasses at him, Canon asked a simple question.

“Did you know someone is trying to kill Cadenza?”

Learmonth exploded. Expletives and fury flew out of him like daggers, most of it directed at the Norroways and what Thomas considered their incompetence. Canon searched his former employer’s desires on the subject. The outrage was genuine. Learmonth knew that Canon could use his gift on him, but he detected no attempt on Thomas’s part to hide what he wanted. Thomas wanted Cadenza safe, and he wanted her to choose to come back to him. Which played into their plan to steal the oracles perfectly but also played into Canon’s second objective for the meeting.

“Give me more power,” Canon said before Learmonth could regain his composure. Giving people an easy way to accomplish what they wanted while they were emotional was a basic technique, lacking finesse in Canon’s opinion, but at this point, perhaps the most effective. “I know you can—I know you choose the next Crown. Make me Crown. I will keep her safe, bring her back here so you can teach her.”

Thomas cut off his tirade to shoot Canon a piercing look. “That is not a role you want.”

“What role could be better? I could help so many people as Crown. The sun—and by extension the Crown—affects the entire world.AndI could take care of Cadenza.”

The anger trickled out of Learmonth, leaving him deflated. He sank heavily into his chair. “You are a worthy man, young Canon, and you have many talents. Put them to use elsewhere.”

The response stung like a scorpion. “What does that mean? Worthy, but not enough to be Crown? Talented, but not talentedenough?” Canon dug his nails into his palms, aware he’d lost any advantage in the conversation but unable to stop the words that came next. “Please, Thomas.”

Thomas stared at a picture frame on the bookshelf. Face haggard, he shook his head. “Do not ask me for this, Canon. I will not open that path to you.”

Canon stormed from the room, all out of words.

A night breezefluted through the dry grass in the back field. Cadenza ignored it, staring at the text Canon had finally sent that afternoon—the message that meant Thomas wasn’t the one trying to kill her. The message that meant maybe he really did want to help her.

All clear.He hadn’t elaborated and hadn’t responded to her messages other than to confirm he’d see her on Friday for his fundraiser. She and Reyna were still performing.

“That text isn’t likely to change, you know,” Taran said, setting up another picnic under the stars.

“Right. No more phone.” She shoved her cell in her pocket and peeked over his shoulder as he pulled a covered pie plate out of the basket. “Have you been baking again?”

He shrugged, tone light. “I have to pass the time somehow while you sleep. Close your eyes.”

She shut her eyes. A fork touched her lower lip, and she opened her mouth. Pastry, fruit, honey, and cream sang on her tongue. “Mmmm. We may need to appeal to Rome to make you the patron saint of dessert.”

“Glad to know you like eye of newt,” he said, voice light.