The Air Singer (The Cantors) (17 page)

“Sounds good
. When we get back to Anna’s, I’m crashing for a few hours. I’m exhausted.” Oliver complained.

Roland just nodded and starte
d back toward the truck. His mind raced with thoughts of Tally. She was in danger. Not the far away threats that he’d grown used to, but up close and personal. Thankfully, The Lager House had a crowd that came from many neighboring towns. That would slow them down, unless Anna was right and they’d tracked Oliver’s license plate prior to running them off the road. Suddenly going back to Oliver’s, even just to pick up their stuff, didn’t seem like a good idea. “Why don’t we just send Mike to pick up our clothes and meet us over in Heber?”

“Heber?”
Oliver jogged to catch up with his friend. “Why Heber?”

“If they did run your plates, they are watching the place, waiting for us
. We could call Mike to pick up the stuff and drive it out of town. We can tail him and see if anyone follows. This way we know if the Spina are watching and avoid bringing anyone to the facility.”

The pair reached the truck parked on the side of the road. Oliver climbed in the passenger side. “You are probably right
. I’ll phone Mike and have him meet us at The Billy Goat Grill.”

Roland started the truck and headed down the road back
toward Pinetop. Things spun out of control in a matter of hours after one phone call. How could Tally have been so careless? Down deep, he couldn’t blame her. He’d purposely pulled away from her and training did not allow her much of a social life. Who else would she talk to? He’d hurt her and she had no one to sympathize with her situation. Something needed to be done. He couldn’t let something like this happen again. Last night only made things that much more difficult. Roland took a deep breath and surrendered to the inevitable. He knew what must be done.

When Tally awoke in the small sparse room, she didn’t know what time it was. One of the drawbacks of the facility being underground was the lack of windows. She sat up and looked at her ankle. The swelling had gone down substantially and it appeared that Anna had changed the compress at least once since she’d fallen asleep. She began to move her foot around to find the pain had dulled to an ache. She put on her shoes and started toward the library, hoping that Roland returned from burying the Spina agents.

Voices
came from the map room where she and Oliver had found Roland and Anna arguing about the Fire Singer months ago. This time the voices were hushed. Tally slowed her pace and tried to listen, but understood nothing. Frustrated, she walked into the room almost bumping into Anna as she walked out. Oliver followed behind her.

“You’re back!” Tally exclaimed.

Oliver kept his head down and ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah.”

“So did everything go okay
? Did you find them?”

Anna placed a hand on Tally’s shoulder and directed her to exit the room with her. “Yes, yes
. Oliver just finished giving me a report on the findings.” Anna looked down at Tally’s feet. “It appears my compresses did their work. You should be good as new within a few days.”

“Yeah
.” Tally tried to look behind her as Anna continued their forward momentum. Oliver was behind them, still looking down. Roland was nowhere to be seen.

When they arrived in the library, Tally noted the bags near the stairs
. “So when do we head to the new place?”

“After I feed you and Oliver, you two can head over to Fool Hollow.
” Anna replied as she continued to the kitchen.

“Did Roland already eat?
” Tally asked as Oliver passed her.

“I don’t know.
” Oliver answered softly. He continued into the kitchen.

Anna plated dinner that consisted of slow cooked pot roast and potatoes
. She dominated the conversation with information she’d acquired from the other facilities, not allowing a chance for Tally to make any inquiries about Roland’s whereabouts. It seemed the recent attack was isolated, but it shook the Cadence enough to want to begin consolidating their resources. As soon as Anna believed it to be safe, Tally was to be moved to another facility along with the Fire and Water Singers. 

“When will that be?” Tally asked.

“When I am confident that the Spina were just lucky last night and they aren’t watching us.” Anna answered.

“So should I bother unpacking at the new place, or just live out of a suitcase?”

A flash of irritation came across Anna’s face. “You will be ready to leave when I tell you to leave.”

Tally straightened her posture. “So do you think that will be tomorrow? Next week? Next month?”

“I hope it won’t be tomorrow,
‘cause I would love to sleep in.” Oliver interrupted. He stood up and gathered everyone’s dishes. “I know you got to make up for some sleep today, but I’m running on fumes.”

Anna’s calm demeanor returned. “Yes, you should both get some rest.
” She stood and joined Oliver at the sink. “I’ll take care of this. Go take Tally to Fool Hollow.”

“Is Roland already there?” Tally asked.

Oliver turned and walked out of the kitchen without a word. Tally went to reach for his arm when Anna spoke up. “Roland left this afternoon on Cadence business.”

Tally froze. “When will he be back?”

“When he is finished.” Anna answered abruptly.

Tally’s
heart dropped. “But he’s
my
paladin. What is more important than protecting me?”

Anna continued washing dishes as she spoke over her shoulder. “The Cadence is always more important than a single
singer.” 

“Tally!”
Oliver called from the library. “I’d like to get there before dark.”

She squeezed her eyes shut trying to hold back tears and took a deep breath
. She felt the familiar vibration that came just before the wind. Clenching her fists at her side she tried to bring her shields back up. He left her. Even worse, no one cared that he left her. The precious Cadence came first and always would.

Oliver shifted his weight back and forth waiting for Tally to come out of the kitchen
. He told Roland it was a bad idea to leave, but he insisted. What surprised Oliver even more was that Anna agreed. The Spina was active in the area, the Cadence would be moving them from Pinetop any day, and Roland decided to leave his singer to complete some secret mission without so much as a note for Tally, leaving Oliver to deal with a broken hearted singer. He hadn’t filled him in on the details of last night. He didn’t need to.

The sound of rustling paper brought Oliver out of his thoughts
. On the small reading table, the pages of an open book rustled to and fro. The hair on Oliver’s neck stood on end as he rushed into the kitchen.

Tally stood stiff as a board, hands clenched at her sides
. Anna still faced the sink, concentrating on the dishes. Oliver walked to stand directly behind the singer and placed a hand on her shoulder. “This is not the place. I know you are hurting, but you need to control it. Let’s go to the lake and you can lose it somewhere safe.”

She let her head fall and allowed Oliver to guide her out of the facility without a word from the old paladin.

The drive to Fool Hollow
was long and quiet. Oliver didn’t go straight to the cabin, instead choosing to take her to the lake. The setting sun reflected in the still water. The area was deserted. Tally got out of the truck and walked to the shore. Without a word, she waded into the frigid lake.

“Tally, it’s freezing!
” Oliver ran toward the edge.

She just stared at the water that lapped at her knees
. “Why did he leave Oliver?”

He stopped just before entering the water
. “I don’t know.”

She put her shields down to determine if he was lying
. She’d promised not to read him without permission, but at the moment she wasn’t too concerned about broken promises. Oliver’s energy was black with reflections of pink. Not the dull blackness of disease or imbalance, but the shiny reflective black that occurs when someone is trying hard to hide something. She knew this aura well. 

“Stop lying to me for my own good
. I’m a big girl.” She said quietly. “Does Roland really have Cadence business more important than protecting me, or did he decide that we need boundaries again?”

“I should know by now not to lie to
a psychic.” Oliver put his hands in his pockets. “Look, Roland didn’t tell me what happened between you two last night, but it doesn’t take a genius to figure it out. I don’t know why he left and I don’t know why he didn’t say anything to you. All I know is that he cares about you and he is convinced whatever he is doing is for your own good.”

Tally turned around and looked at the sentry.
“Really? He left me without a word for my own good? No thanks for the easy roll or maybe a twenty on the nightstand?”

“You’re hurt, I get it.
” Oliver started wading in after her. “Roland may not be the greatest at relationships, but he is the best paladin in the Cadence. He wouldn’t leave just because of last night. Something else spooked him enough to leave without saying goodbye.” He grabbed her hand and started pulling her back to shore. “I’m sorry Roland is an ignoramus when it comes to dealing with the opposite sex for more than twenty four hours, but I promise he has a very good reason for this. I bet when he comes back everything will make sense.”

Relief came over him as Tally nodded and moved
toward the shore.
You better have a good reason for this Roland.

The cabin near the lake was larger than Tally’s previous accommodations:  Three bedrooms, two baths and a full kitchen. A wall of windows faced the lake creating a serene view of the water framed with scattered pinion pine trees. Oliver immediately ran through the security systems to ensure everything was in working order. Besides the standard alarm sensors on the doors and windows, cameras watched the perimeter as well as the road from the highway. Unlike her previous accommodations, this house had phone lines as well as internet. A few days ago, Tally would have jumped at the chance to communicate with friends, but now knew the danger everyone warned her about was real. She found the master bedroom and claimed it as her own. A king size bed covered in a patchwork quilt took up the far wall. She hid under the covers and sobbed, hoping the ache in her chest would not last long. How could she be so stupid, so gullible? He loved her. Didn’t he? Of course he didn’t. A man doesn’t leave the people he loves. He stays with them. Roland warned her, he wasn’t good with commitment. She just thought she was different. Every woman he’d been with probably thought she was different too.

These thoughts tormented Tally most of the night, only to be stopped by the oblivion of sleep.

Tally woke to the aroma of coffee and bacon. She crawled out of bed and walked to the bathroom. Looking back at her from the vanity mirror was a sad and broken version of herself. Tear stained eyes stared back at her. She was a mess. She hadn’t even bothered to change clothes before going to sleep. She couldn’t believe how much she’d experienced in forty-eight hours. Now she just needed to accept that Roland was gone.

You gave him your heart two nights ago
. You gave him your tears last night. Today you stop giving.

Taking a big breath, she got ready to face the day.

Oliver stood over the stove
, stirring a pan of scrambled eggs. The sound of footsteps alerted him that Tally had woken up.

“Something smells good.
” Tally tried to sound cheerful.

Oliver smiled. He’d prepared
himself for a depressed, tearful woman and instead Tally appeared in the family room showered and dressed with a small smile on her face. He knew she was faking, but he would take it.

“
The coffee is brewed. I’m finishing up the eggs.” He motioned toward the bar stools sitting at the granite island. “Take a seat. We have a fun day ahead of us.”

Tally grabbed a mug of coffee before accepting
his invitation to sit down. Oliver pulled two plates out of a cabinet and filled both with scrambled eggs and bacon. He set one in front of Tally and decided to enjoy his breakfast standing up across from her. “Did you sleep well?”

“I guess.” Tally didn’t want to talk about last night. “What do you have planned for the day
? I don’t think my ankle is ready for a run yet. Anna’s compresses worked wonders, but a few days may still be needed.”

“Oh, we won’t be running for at least a couple weeks
. I agree you need to let that ankle rest. I’m thinking we start working on your element control more.”

A small grin formed on her face. “That sounds perfect!
” With the events of the past few days fresh in her mind, elemental work would be the perfect distraction.

“Focus, Tally!
” Oliver yelled over the wind. Leaves and dirt flew chaotically around them. “Control it! Don’t just be the engine, be the driver!”

The wind died immediately and the singer threw her hands in the air
. Four hours of useless wind tested Tally’s patience with herself and Oliver. “What the hell does that mean?”

Oliver started laughing as the once airborne debris fell around them. “It means that you aren’t directing anything.
” He started pulling leaves out of his hair. “You’ve proven you know how to turn the power on and off, now you need to learn how to control it. You almost lost it yesterday in the kitchen with Anna. Discipline is the key. You should be able to create a tornado as well as blow out a birthday candle and you should be able to do it when you want to, not just when you’re overwhelmed.”

Tally sat on the cold ground
cross-legged. “Okay, sensei,” she said sarcastically, “How do I do that?”

“What do you focus on
? When the wind kicks up and everything is blowing around, what are you thinking about?”

“Nothing, I just focus on the inner vibration that comes with the wind.”

“Is the vibration constant?”

“Yeah
.” Tally started tossing rocks in front of her.

Oliver moved to sit next to her. “Have you ever tried to speed up the vibration or slow it down?”

Tally stopped throwing rocks and looked at Oliver. “No, I just thought it was a side effect of the power.”

“Alright, let’s try it again, but this time, try to slow the vibration
. That is your goal, slow it down to almost nothing.”

Tally closed her eyes
. She let the memory of Roland’s rejection overwhelm her. That steady vibration grew from within. Strands of hair blew around her face as the wind kicked up, becoming stronger.

“Slow it down.” Oliver reminded her
. She focused on the vibration and attempted to control it. The wind began to howl and leaves rustled all around them. “Don’t let it overwhelm you, make it align to your will.”

Tally found the rhythm of the vibration
, the pulse. It was rapid. She felt her own heartbeat, slower in comparison and tried to force the two to match. Then it happened. The constant tremor changed. It slowed without weakening, falling into a rhythm with her own beating heart.

Oliver
watched as the wind became a gentle breeze. Leaves rustled, but remained on the trees. “That’s it Tally! Now make it smaller. Try to make it all happen in one small space.”

Tally pulled the vibration in
. Instead of pounding through her entire body, she directed it to her upturned palms. Her hands burned with pins and needles, but she only felt the pulse of her own blood running through the rest of her body.

“Open your eyes, Tally.”

Tally looked at her hands and saw perfect circles of wind balanced in the palms of her hands. Oliver dropped a small leaf into the pool of air and let it float and spin as if riding an invisible carrousel. She continued to watch as she started to experiment with her newfound control. If she concentrated the energy to the tip of a finger and kept the vibration low, the leaf would seem to levitate just above. When she increased the speed of the vibration, a small funnel cloud would form and the leaf would disappear into a blur of wind the size of a soda can. She watched as the spinning air hovering above her hand grew into a tall slender twister that rose above the tree line.

“Amazing!
” Oliver whispered next to her.

Tally smiled and brought the twister back to its original size before stopping the vibration
and watching the rotating leaf fall to the ground in front of her.

Tally turned to look at Oliver. “That was so awesome!”

Oliver nodded his head in agreement. “Yeah, that was pretty impressive. If you keep mastering your control this fast, you will be an expert in a matter of weeks!”

Tally couldn’t wait to tell someone about her newest accomplishment
. Disappointment came over her as she realized there was no one to tell. Roland deserted her and the last time she called Kate all hell broke loose. 

Oliver noticed the smile leave her face and stood up reaching down for her hand. “C’mon, we should get back to the facility and see if Anna needs anything.”

Tally took his hand and they walked back to the jeep. Once they reached the highway, Tally decided to find out how much Oliver knew about Roland’s sudden departure. “Did he say anything to you before he left?”

Oliver kept his eyes on the road. “Not really.”

“What happened when you left the facility yesterday?” Tally pushed.

“We called the tow truck to take my car to the junk yard
. We searched the bodies, buried them, and called Mike to pick up our stuff and met him over in Heber. We drove back to the facility and Roland had a private meeting with Anna. Next thing I know, he’s telling me that you are my responsibility while he’s gone, grabs his things and leaves.”

“Did you find anything when you searched them?”

Oliver shook his head. “Just a couple texts from an unknown number. Nothing that would tell us who they are.”

Tally nodded with understanding and looked out the window, hoping to hide her eyes until she could control the tears that wanted to fall.

Oliver reached across and patted her knee. “I know it doesn’t seem like it right now, but he does care about you.”

Tally shook her head. “A paladin always cares about his singer, it’s his job.
” She repeated the words that echoed through her thoughts today.

“It’s more than that.” Oliver turned into the dirt parking lot of the Antique Mercantile
. Once he shut the engine off, he turned to Tally. “Tally, why do you always want me to hold your hand before you walk into the antique store?”

Tally looked confused.
“It makes me nauseas if I’m not shielded from all of that stuff. It’s overwhelming.”

Oliver shook his head, “Yes, I get that. But why do you insist on holding my hand?”

Tally looked at him confused. “So you can shield me.”

Oliver smiled
. “I don’t need to touch anyone to shield them from that kind of energy. Someone taught me how to do it without physical contact. It is a skill I learned years ago.”

Oliver got out of the jeep and opened her door
. Tally stood up and waited for the normal wave of nauseous energy, but there was nothing. “Someone should teach Roland that trick.”

“Who do you think taught me?
” Oliver smiled as he walked to the store and opened the front door leaving Tally standing in shock by the jeep. “Are you going to stand there all day, or are you going to come inside?”

  Tally
walked forward to join him. Her mind raced with this new information. Roland didn’t have to hold her hand. He didn’t have to touch her. He chose to every time!

Anna stood behind the f
ront counter mercilessly tapping away at a laptop. When she finally looked up, she seemed pleasantly surprised to see them walk into the store. “Tally! Oliver! How has the day treated you? Do you like Fool Hollow?”

“The place is great.” Oliver answered
. “It must agree with Tally, because her element control grew by leaps and bounds today.”

Anna strolled out from behind the counter. “Well that is wond
erful news. Why don’t you two head down stairs and I’ll join you as soon as I get the shop locked up.”

“Did you give Mike another day off?” asked Oliver.

“No, the poor boy is sick. He called in this morning.” Anna secured the dead bolt on the front door. “I’ll send a care package of my herbal teas and a few muffins.”

“I’m sure that will fix him right up.
” Oliver answered.

Anna smiled and joined them to walk to the office
. “I hope so. I don’t ever remember Mike calling in before. He must have caught a nasty bug.” She turned to smile at Tally. “So tell me about these leaps and bounds.”

“I figured out how to control the intensity and the size of the wind.
” Tally stated.

“That is a huge step in your development Tally
! You just learned to access your element a few days ago. Being able to control it like this usually takes months.” 

They reached the bottom of the stairs and headed
straight to the kitchen. Anna began pulling a foil-covered dish out of the refrigerator and readied it for the oven. “I made lasagna early this morning after Mike called. I figured it would be too late to make it from scratch after closing the shop.”

“Boy scouts got nothing on
a paladin like you, Anna. You’re always thinking ahead.” Oliver took a seat at the table. Tally grabbed a couple bottles of water out of the fridge and joined him.

“So what’s the latest news from the Cadence?” Tally asked
. “Will we be moving anytime soon?”

Anna sat at the table across from Tally. “We are still waiting to see if the Spina will be making another move
. Once everyone is confident, we will head to our new facility.”

“Where will that one be?
” Oliver asked.

“There are a couple of locations that are being considered
. Don’t worry. You will be notified as soon as soon as a decision is made.”

“Will Roland be notified?” Tally asked
. “I mean, how will he know where to find us? He’s my primary paladin and should be with me.”

“
Roland’s smart and received the best training. He knows the location of other facilities and will find one of them if we leave prior to his return.” Anna answered. “No need to be concerned, Tally. It is his job to worry about your wellbeing, not the other way around.”

“Have you heard
from..ouch!” Tally stopped mid-sentence as Oliver gave her a swift kick to the shin. Realizing that she still had Anna’s attention, she looked up. “Leg cramp.”

“Have you heard from the elders?
” Oliver took over the conversation.

Anna
gave Tally a questioning look, but then replied to Oliver. “Not yet, I’ve been planning everything with the other senior paladins.”

“How is the search for the Earth
Singer?”

A look of surprise passed over Anna and quickly disappeared. “No major developments, but we hope that if it is difficult for us, it will be difficult for the Spina as well.” 

“Any reason why we are looking now?” Oliver pushed.

“We are always looking for
singers. Earth is no different.” Anna stood from the table as if to announce the conversation had ended. She checked the timer on the oven. “Well it will be a few more minutes before dinner is ready. Excuse me while I clean up.” She exited the kitchen and headed to her rooms.

Tally waited for Anna to be out of earshot before confronting Oliver. “What the hell was that for?”