Page 58 of Song of the Heart Scale
The wind picked up slightly.
And nothing happened.
Absolutely nothing.
I turned slowly back to Madame Vexalia. “You lied.”
She shrugged. “Or maybe the spirits are on their lunch break.”
“You tricked me!”
“Honey, this is Hollywood. Trickin' folks is the economy.”
“You will rue this day!” I snapped.
The witch breezily waved one bangled arm in the air. “I already rue it, baby. My rent's due.”
I stormed off, still clutching the smoldering incense and trying to figure out if I could reasonably file charges for magical fraud. By the time I reached the street corner, I saw Angie waiting beside her car, watching me with raised brows and crossed arms.
I shoved the incense into the nearest trash can. “Please don't ask.”
“I won't,” she replied, though a grin tugged at the corners of her mouth. “But... did you seriously chant something about bananas?”
“It waspart of the spell.”
“Sure it was. You okay?”
“No. But I will be.”
She patted the hood of the car. “Come on, let’s get tacos. You’ve earned them.”
I sighed and climbed into the passenger seat. “Fine. But next time someone offers to open a portal behind a frozen dessert establishment, stop me.”
Angie smirked. “Deal, princess. Deal.”
12
DAMIEN
The news came by raven at dawn.
Thorne was to be crowned emperor by sundown.
I stood by a window, staring out at the vast gardens of Uncle Bai’s estate bathed in early morning mist. The letter in my hand bore the royal seal—its message was brief, formal, and smug. The ink hadn't even fully dried before I was cursing under my breath.
“He's really doing it,” I muttered. “That snake is actually going to sit on the emperor's throne.”
Behind me, Uncle Bai folded his arms. “We expected this. Still, it’s… sooner than we thought.”
I turned toward him, my heart pounding with a slow, dark rhythm. “He’s rushing it. Why?”
Uncle Bai slowly paced, his expression unreadable. “Either he wants to consolidate power before the truth spreads—or he’s afraid of something.”
“And he should be,” I growled. “We still don’t know who killed the emperor.”
He gave me a long, considering look. “We’ll go to Dragon Valley. But Cat stays here.”
I opened my mouth to argue, then stopped. Uncle Bai was right. She’d be a target in a den full of wolves, especially now. Thorne might not strike directly, but others wouldn’t hesitate. And if the enthronement was anything like the last court gathering that saw the death of a common singer, I couldn’t guarantee her safety.
