Page 34 of Muse

“Are you here for me?” I asked the little songbird.

In response, the mimicaro hopped down from the window ledge and onto my bedpost. He tilted his head to one side, blinking his bright eyes at me, and when he opened his beak, it was Soren’s voice that came out: “Isadore, Isadore, Isadore.”

My name was put to a playful tune, but then it shifted to his regular speaking voice.

“I hope you made it to Lamida safely, and I know that you’ll do wonderfully there,” the bird told me in Soren’s voice. “I’m sorry about how we left things, and I don’t want it to be a darkcloud over your time in such a magickal palace. Have fun, let your light shine bright, and I will see you in a few weeks.”

A tear slipped down my cheek, but this time from happiness because that was just what I needed to hear. I thanked the mimicaro and offered him a few welcome chin scratches before he flew off into the night.

Chapter 22

“The mental part seems like the hard part, but it's really the easy one because basically, you just do it even though you don't want to," Wrenley told me as I stared up at the silks. The open skylight made it seem like they stretched forever into the bright blue sky and the stars beyond.

"The physical part is harder because you can't force your way through stamina and muscle the same way. Both just take time. But you're already strong and enduring, so really, that means that both parts are easy," xe reasoned with a smile. "Besides, I'll be here every step of the way."

“Wrenley,” Madge’s voice cut through the morning chatter, and we turned to look toward the enchantress. “Come forward.”

Xe went to the middle of the room, xer feet padding softly on the sand to meet Madge. By the way xe stood, with xer hands behind xer back and chin raised defiantly, xe acted like xe was being called front and center for castigation. And honestly, for Wrenley, that was a safe assumption, especially given that Madge had watched xer talk to King Asmond the other day.

“What can I do for you, Madge?” Wrenley asked.

"You will be primamusa," Madge announced. "You will have specialized aerial choreography using hoops, so I will work closely with you."

Wrenly looked back over xer shoulder at me, xer eyes wide with surprise, but I just smiled and mouthed “congratulations” back at her.

Yes, this did throw a wrench in my plan to rely on Wrenley’s expertise to guide me through the next three weeks, but this wasn’t about me. Xe worked hard at aerials, and xe was damn good at them, too.

Plus, Wrenley was a terrific friend, and I was happy to see xer talent appreciated and given a place to show off xer skills.

Before we finished stretching, Madge ran through the first set of choreography she wanted us to learn. The moves didn't seem that dissimilar to some I had done in previous conductions. The fact that I'd be doing them suspended in the air by a thin piece of silk fabric certainly added a degree of difficulty and terror.

"Just keep on dancing. The storm will rage, but we dance on anyway," Rowan said from behind me when I was only a foot off the ground. "And you'll eventually get where you need to go."

The familiar idiom put me at ease, and Rowan’s reassuring timbre didn’t hurt either. I took a deep breath.

"Now twist your leg back," Rowan instructed. I carefully turned my body, keeping the fabric snugly around my calf. Put your left hand above the right."

I readjusted my hands on the silk, and he said, “Not quite. Your hand needs to be higher.”

He’d been close behind me, but now he moved into my space, so I could see him from the corner of my eye as he leaned and put his hand over mine.

“Is it okay if I move your hand?” he asked, and I nodded.

With that assurance, his fingers wrapped around my hand, and his chest was pressed against my back as he reached.

“You’re locked in with your right hand and your leg, so just let go with this one,” he said. “And when you fall, I’ll catch you.”

“Did you saywhenI fall?” I asked.

“Everybody falls sometimes,” he said matter-of-factly. “So let’s do this.”

With my hands in the right place, he let go and stepped away so I could try the trick on my own. I contorted in the air, with my body appearing to float between the ribbons a few feet off the ground. It didn't seem that far, but when all the weight was suspended on the fabric and my grip, it was actually frightening. The sand softened the impact, but it could not eliminate it entirely.

“Excellent form, Isadore,” Madge commented as she walked past, inspecting all the muses. “Now you have to do that about twenty feet in the air and add some magik. But that won’t be for a week or so. I want to be sure that none of you will break your necks when we combine all three.”

I took a deep breath and pushed through the fear. I focused solely on my movements, the fabric between my hands, the precision of my balance, and my body.

From across the room where Wrenley was practicing with a hoop, she gave me an encouraging smile, and I tried to offer one in return.

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