Page 57 of The Music Demon

“Is Micheal a thug?”

“What!?! No. It’s just complicated.”

“He gives off thug vibes.”

“Does he?”

“You know he does. Don’t play dumb. What can I do?”

“Nothing, Rosie.” Pretending that gravity had an effect on him, he flopped down on the tuxedo sofa like a man overcome with weariness.

“You can’t be sad, Lally. It’s not allowed. You’re never sad.”

“How would you know that, Rosie?” He sounded a little out of sorts. “Time to grow up. I’m more than just the tooth fairy and Ostara hare.”

“You were my tooth fairy and Ostara hare?”

“Well, duh!”

Rosie sat in the chair next to the sofa, took in a deep breath, and turned that over in her head. “You made beautiful eggs.”

That earned her a ghost of a smile. “Theywereoutstanding, weren’t they?”

She nodded enthusiastically. “Best of all time. No question.” Pause. “You’re right about me growing up. You’ve been protecting me from something. And I don’t mean Micheal and friends.” She studied his reaction. “Haven’t you?”

At length he sighed. “It’s not really you I’m protecting, love. It’s more like the rest of us.”

She frowned. “I don’t understand.”

“I’ve been dreading this day. Well… Since you learned to talk, I guess.” Rosie waited for what was coming, not noticing that she’d stopped breathing. “Have you ever heard the theory that sometimes a thing can be more than the sum of its parts?”

“Of course. Yeah.”

“That’s you. At least it’s what I fear.” She shook her head to indicate that she was getting more lost the more he talked. “You might be the prophesy we all hoped it was the product of a soothsayer with too much imagination, too much time on her hands, and too many shots of whiskey disguised to look and smell like nectar.”

“Lally. We’re not getting anywhere. I…”

“We’ve kept a lid on exploring your capabilities because we’re scared shitless, Rosie.”

“Of what?” He gave her a look. “Not of me!” His look remained unchanged. “That’s impossible. I’m a lamb.”

“Really.” She nodded. “Remember how you felt when Carnal died?” She stiffened and went instantly somber. “You wanted to commit genocide. Simply wipe away all trace of a whole race. And, if I hadn’t stepped in and redirected, that’s exactly what would have happened.”

There was no way Rosie could argue that. At the moment Carnal was killed, she would have sent all trace of the Rautt into oblivion, as if they’d never existed.

She spoke quietly, slowly and deliberately. “You’re saying that you think I have the power to do such a thing.”

“I’ve hoped we never have to find out for sure.”

“Alright. Let’s back up. What was it that happened that led you to this… apprehension?”

“You fit the prophesy.”

“In what way?”

“You’re human, elemental,andhereditary from the most powerful line of witches. You absorbed not only your parents’ genetics but all their experiences and memories. At the end of your time with the Exiled,” Kellareal didn’t want to speak of Carnal’s death again, “you knew you could travel back in time. You didn’t ask if you could, you just knew. You were planning to go back and change the events. Fortunately, you agreed to rewind the clock for a day and leave it at that.”

“You managed me.”

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