The Air Singer (The Cantors) (7 page)

Anna shook her head. “No. The Cadence believes that the battles of men should be allowed to progress without interference. Both the Cadence and the Spina formed to protect the world from having a single entity decide what is right and what is wrong. The difference is that the Spina believe that power of the elements is too great to let even the best intentioned Cantor survive.”

“
Survive?” Tally stood up and walked to the center of the room. “What do you mean survive? If we use our gifts for the greater good, why destroy us? We can prevent disasters!”

“
Sometimes preventing one disaster creates a much larger disaster in its wake.” Anna rose from her chair. “Follow me.”

Tally followed
the old paladin back to the library. Anna took the open book from the reading table and handed it to Tally. On the open page was a painting of men, women, and children in robes laying on the ground or carrying bodies. One man led his wife and child through what appeared to be an ancient city holding his hand over his mouth. The caption of the painting called it
The Plague of Ashdod.
“What is this?”

“This is what some people believe a day during Justinian’s Plague would have looked like
. It killed twenty five million people during the sixth century. Good intentions brought it about.”

Tally looked up from the book waiting for an explanation. “I thought the
Cantors only had power over the elements. How would we have control over disease?”

Anna took a seat in one of the chairs next to the table. “
At the beginning of the sixth century, Egypt was experiencing a drought. People were starving and the Water Singer, an Egyptian woman, had just received her powers. She had children and could not bear to watch them starve. She called on the rain and the drought ended.”

Tally still stood in front of Anna. “Of course she did
. Would you expect a mother to let her children die?”

Anna held a hand up to silence her. “
Her people weren’t the only victims of the harsh climate. Without grain or plants to feed them, rodents became scarce and eventually the larger predator population decreased due to a lack of prey. When the plant life revived itself, the rodent population exploded without the larger predators to hunt them. These rodents carried with them fleas that had been infected by the plague. When grain was exported back to Constantinople, it brought with it the carriers of what would be the largest pandemic the world had ever known.”

Tally closed the book and placed back on the table. “That wasn’t her fault
. How could she know that would happen?”

“Exactly my point Tally
. We have no way of knowing what effect our actions will have. Sometimes it takes hundreds of years before the Cadence finds out. That is why the Cadence was formed, to properly train singers. The Spina would destroy you before you have a chance. That is why you are here. We need to teach you the history of the singers. To learn from previous mistakes and understand that what is good for the people within your sight is not always good for the rest of the world.”

Tally sat in the empty chair next to the table. “So why bother training me
? If I don’t know how to use these powers, I’m not a threat.”

“Because just as we were looking for you, so was the Spina
. You need to be trained to use your powers to defend yourself.” Anna reached across the table and placed her hand on Tally’s arm. “What happens if you unlock your power in public view? The Spina agent assigned to you would end your life at once. You are not a person to them, you are a threat.”

The silence between them was thick, broken only by the hum of the desk moving across the floor upstairs
. Tally looked up and saw Roland’s smiling face returning to the library followed by Oliver. “Sorry to interrupt. The shop is closed up tight and it is getting to be dinner time. Mind if we take Tally for some food?” 

Tally didn’t even wait for Anna’s reply and walked to Roland’s side.

Anna gave a knowing smile. “I will see you tomorrow for your first lessons.” She rose from her chair to walk them to the stairs. “Get some sleep Tally. Tomorrow will be a long day.”

Roland allowed Tally to head up the stairs first
. She stopped and reached back for his hand before entering the floor of the antique store. Feeling his grasp, she continued to the top of the stairs. 

“So what do you
want for dinner?” Roland inquired while Oliver emerged from the staircase. Tally noticed her body was beginning to feel the weight of everything that had been revealed to her.

“Can we just order pizza and eat in?
” Tally looked to Roland for agreement.

Oliver opened the file cabinet to move the desk back
over the stairs. “Tally you are quickly becoming my new favorite person, as long as you don’t like olives.”

“Hate them.” Tally agreed.

“Great, it’s settled.” Roland opened the office door and pulled Tally through the store. “Dinner at Tally’s place.”

“Huh?” Tally was confused.

Oliver laughed. “Time to see your new home Tally.”

The top of Tally’s legs
burned as she held the square pizza box on her lap. Oliver sat next to her straddling a case of beer between his feet while Roland drove them down a dirt road that didn’t seem to end. They turned away from the main road about three miles out of town and into deep forest until the straight lines of a cedar red structure peeked through the trees. A covered front porch spanned the entire length of the cabin. Stacks of split logs took up one side of the porch while a pair of Adirondack chairs sat at the other. The truck pulled alongside a white sedan in a cleared parking area that was shared with a second, larger cabin next door. The more rustic of the two, trees hid its olive green timbers from view before reaching the driveway.

Piling out of the truck
, the trio headed inside. Roland held the door for Tally as she entered a cozy family room complete with a fireplace and a basket of pinecones on the mantle. A small table and chairs stood to her right with a modest kitchen trimmed in yellow just beyond. A small blue vase with sprigs of lavender sat in the center giving just the slightest aroma to the air.

Oliver bumped into her as he passed her with the beer.
“Sorry, it’s a tight squeeze.”

“No problem.” Tally
examined her new surroundings, “So you guys live here?”

Roland took the pizza from her hands. “
Nope you do. This is your home now Tally.”

“Mine?” Tally was still
confused.

“
Yeah, Anna believes that it is better to have a residence away from the facilities.” Oliver placed the cans in the fridge. “It gives you a place to decompress from training.”

“
Why would I need to decompress?” This alarmed Tally a bit.

Roland pulled out a chair for Tally to take a seat and
smiled. “It’s not as bad as you think.”

Oliver joined them at the table bringing three plates and three cans of beer with him. “Yeah, well
I hope you brought more than boots or our morning run is going to be torture for you.”

“
Okay, first of all I don’t run,” Tally opened her beer and took a sip “but I do have to agree that I need to supplement my wardrobe. I did not pack for a lengthy stay.” 

Roland opened the pizza box and Tally helped herself to a slice. 

“So which one of you will be taking me to the mall?”

Both men
put their beers down and avoided looking at Tally.

“Well unless the Cadence supplied a
personal shopper with this place, one of you is taking me shopping. I have no shoes for working out, and I brought clothes for just two days.”

“I would take you, but I’ve got to report to Anna in the morning.
” Roland looked over to Oliver, “Guess you lucked out, buddy.”

Oliver pondered
aloud, “Taking Tally clothes shopping or reporting to Anna? While either brings its own sense of dread, I will have to say that I agree with you.”

Tally playfully smacked Oliver on the arm. “You don’t know me well enough to tease me like that! Besides, my friend Kate is the
fashionista.” Tally took another sip of her beer. “Speaking of Kate, can you hand me my phone? I should let her know that I’m safe.”

Oliver kept his eyes down as Roland fidgeted before he answered. “You can’t call Kate from here Tally
. In fact you shouldn’t use your phone at all. The Spina have the resources to watch for calls originating from your phone to locate you.”

Tally stood up and grabbed her purse from the counter
. She shoved her hand into the center pocket and rummaged around hoping to find her cell phone. “Where is it?”

Roland stood up. “In or
der to protect our facility, I had to take it until you understood the danger of using it.” He reached out to Tally and she pulled away. “A lot of people rely on the safety of the facilities and I can’t risk it.”

“
You took my phone?” Tally’s voice began to elevate. “What am I, your prisoner?”

Oliver maintained his composure
. “Leave anytime you like if you think you can survive without us.”

“Shut up Oliver!
” Roland growled.

“
No. She thinks we are being unreasonable by taking her phone. She needs to realize that this is about more than her calling her friends.” Oliver looked straight at Tally. “I’ll give your phone back to you right now. You can call Kate, and then guess what happens? The Spina already have Kate’s phone tapped or are at least watching her. She is their only connection to you now. Once you use your phone, she is useless to them unless they need bait.”

Tally hung her purse over her shoulder.
“Bait?”

“What better way to
get you out of hiding, then to threaten the lives of the ones you hold dear.” Oliver took a bite of pizza and continued sitting at the table nonchalantly.

Tally
looked at Roland for some kind of response. “He’s right Tally. A bit of a jerk,” Roland threw a balled up napkin across the table at his friend, “but he does have a point.”

Tally
returned to her seat, her purse still dangling at her side. “So that’s it? To keep Kate safe, I can never talk to her again?”

“
Just for a while.” Oliver took another sip, “Once you know the ways of our world, it will be easier to stay in contact with your loved ones. Think of it as motivation to be a quick learner.”

“Fine.
” Tally wasn’t happy, but she had to concede that Oliver was right.

While enjoying the rest of the pizza, the conversation turned to lighter topics; music, cars, and the occasional joke about whether or not Oliver would hold Tally’s purse while she tries on clothes at the store. Around nine o’clock, the conversation wound down and Tally looked forward to getting some sleep. Oliver gathered up the pizza box and empty cans to take out to the trash while Roland showed her how to use the alarm pad and checked to make sure all of the doors and windows were locked.

“Everything is locked up tight. Oliver will come by in the morning
to take you to get some clothes. There are some sweats and a t-shirt in the bedroom so you can get comfortable tonight.”

Anxiety rushed over her
. She lived alone before, but never in a place so foreign. Any other time, a phone call to Kate or her parents would help her to relax, but after Oliver’s warnings, she didn’t dare take a chance with anyone’s safety. Still, the thought of staying here alone tonight was almost unbearable.

“So where do you and Oliver live?
” Tally hoped the cabin across the drive housed her protector.

“Oliver
stays in the green cabin next door. Most of the time I’m on the road protecting a singer or helping another paladin, but when I’m in town I stay at the facility with Anna.” Roland picked a sprig of lavender from the vase on the table. He brought it to his face and took a gentle whiff as he tried to find a way around Tally’s shields. It was difficult to get a read from her. If her ability to shield herself from outsiders was any indication of the power she contained, he had a lot of work ahead of him. “Why do you ask?”

“
I just thought that someone would be staying with me after everything that has happened. I don’t have any way to contact you or the police. What if I need help?” 

Roland smiled. “
This place is more secure than Fort Knox. There are cameras watching the cabin and grounds, the alarm system has a panic button that will alert us, and if you need help, Oliver will be here in a matter of seconds.”

He walked over to Tally and stood close enough that she could smell the lavender
. She kept her head down, hiding her face from him. He cupped her chin and tilted her head up. She met his gaze for a moment before averting her eyes. They glistened with unshed tears. “Tally, I won’t let anything happen to you,” he whispered. “You’re safe.”

She
relished the touch of his hand on her face. The warmth of his skin on hers brought with it the familiar tingle that had made her blush the first night they met. She didn’t want to admit her fears, but she didn’t want him to leave. She leaned her face against his palm, closed her eyes, and inhaled his scent. “I’m scared. Stay with me.”

Roland lost his breath when her words
brushed against his hand. He wanted to wrap her in his arms and feel her against his chest. He swallowed his own yearnings and tried to remember that he was her paladin and needed to remain in control. “You’re safe, Tally.”

Tally brought her hand up to cover his
as a tear began its journey down her cheek. She dropped her shield for a moment. The familiar gold and green energy enveloped her. Her light moved toward him. He cared for her. She could feel it in his aura. She just couldn’t determine if it went beyond his position as a paladin. “I’m scared, Roland. Please don’t leave.”

A
gentle wave rolled over the paladin as Tally’s defense came down. Her energy was calming, but he could sense her fear mixed with confusion and behind all of it something else. He tried to isolate it from the fear, but his desire to assure her she was safe wouldn’t let him. He dropped the sprig of lavender and wrapped his arm around her waist bringing her closer against his body. He guided her head to his shoulder and she relaxed against his chest. “I won’t let anything happen to you. You’re safe. I promise.”

Tally leaned into his muscular chest and let her hand rest on his neck
. She knew she was only making it worse for herself, but being this close to him, knowing he would protect her, made her want to be with him even more. She didn’t care if he was only holding her out of a strange sense of duty. She would take this over being alone tonight. The tears continued to roll down her cheek. She hated anyone to see her like this, but she needed to be held by someone at this moment. She needed someone to tell her that everything was going to be okay. Just as the rhythm of his chest rising with each breath began to comfort her, the front door shut to announce Oliver’s return.

Tally’s shields
reemerged with the sound of the door closing. She quickly pulled away and tried to dry her face before turning to see Oliver looking at Roland with an almost amused look on his face.

“Well, we need to be going.
” Oliver broke the silence. “Are you coming?” he asked Roland.

Roland looked to Tally and brought his hand to the
moisture that had been left on his shirt by her tears. “No, I think I will stay here tonight.”

Tally let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding
. Relief fell over her like a blanket. She wouldn’t be alone tonight. 

Oliver looked back and forth between the
singer and her paladin. “Okay, well could you help me with something outside?”

Roland gave Tally a quick wink before following his friend
to the porch. He braced himself for the lecture that would surely assault him when Oliver had him alone outside. As soon as he closed the door to the cabin, Oliver whipped around to look him in the eye. “What happened to
I’m her paladin, nothing more
?”

“She’s scared and has every right to be
. Between Spina attacks, taking her away from her home, and your horror story at dinner, I think she is allowed to want some comfort right now.”

Oliver
tried to keep from yelling. “Then remind me to buy her a teddy bear tomorrow, but don’t let this get out of hand. Just like you said, she’s scared. It would be easy for either of you to become confused and take advantage of the situation.”

“I’m not an asshole Oliver!” Roland tried to keep his voice down, but was appalled that his bes
t friend thought he was such a snake.

“I kn
ow, you just seem a little overprotective of her.”

“Well I am her paladin. It is part of the job.”

“You know what I mean. The hand holding, the smiles, and whatever it was I interrupted in there are all above the call of duty. What do you think Anna will do when you don’t wake up at the facility in the morning?”

Roland
knew that Oliver’s rant would have nothing on Anna’s wrath if she found out he stayed with Tally tonight. “I’ll deal with it in the morning.”

“No you won’t.” Oliver started walking away from Roland
toward his house. “I’ll tell her you stayed with me.”

Roland smiled at his friend and he followed him to
his front door. “Thank you Oliver.”

Oliver let himself in, leaving Roland outside
. “Yeah, I’m a sucker for a girl when she cries too.” He turned around to close the door. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

Roland headed back
to his singer’s cabin. Tally had already found blankets in the linen closet and attempted to make the sofa appear comfortable. She looked up and smiled. “Thank you for staying. I hate feeling this way, but it just doesn’t seem like anywhere is safe anymore.”

Roland walked over and took the throw pillow off the sofa. “
You have every right to be overwhelmed. Don’t worry, it won’t always be this way. The training will build your confidence and you will be back to feeling secure in your own skin.”