Chapter Eighteen
Music Mage
Becca’s pain and fury refused to be thwarted by her sudden fear at seeing Kayde leave the way he had. That music—it’d been so horrible, so dark. She was sure Kayde hadn’t meant to just control Terrance and Gabe, to force them to leave against their will. He’d wanted them harmed, maybe even killed. Whether he’d realized it or not, Kayde had shielded himself, blocking everything and everyone—including her—as he’d woven his dark melody.
Shivering, Becca turned toward Toby. The sight of her friend standing there with a swollen lip and worried expression caused a whole new set of emotions flooding through her. She broke down and sobbed as he wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. “I’m so sorry, Toby!” she apologized between sobs. “I should’ve listened to you. We should’ve hidden. This is all my fault!”
Toby squeezed tighter. “No, Becca. It’s mine. I should’ve stood up to Gabe a long time ago.”
They parted and Becca gazed into Toby’s eyes. “What did they want, Toby? Why did they come here in the first place?” She tried to focus on Toby’s face as the echoes of Kayde’s music drifted further and further away.
Toby looked uncomfortable. “I’m not sure, but I think it has something to do with that book. Something is happening here in Glenville, Becca. Something big.”
Invisible hands squeezed Becca’s heart, restricting it until she thought it would stop completely. Toby was saying the same thing that Kayde had been telling her all along. “Toby, what exactly are you saying? What’s happening? I need to know!”
Scratching at the back of his neck, Toby answered, “I wish I could be clear about it, Becca. But the truth is, I just don’t have enough facts to give you a solid answer.”
“Well, try!” Becca’s shouted.
Toby licked his lips and paced back and forth in front of her. “Ever since I started reading that book, learning about music mages and mage masters and the magic of music, strange things have been happening. And,” he looked intently at her, “it all started when your boyfriend arrived.”
Becca shook her head, “You got that book the same day, Toby. How do you know it has anything to do with Kayde?”
He gave her a strangled smile. “After tonight, you still need to ask that question? Becca, I told you he could be dangerous. I know what I saw, what I heard!”
Becca swallowed. She couldn’t lie to Toby. “Okay, I realize and know that Kayde has an ability. He told me as much himself. He’s been fighting it, trying not to use it. He hates it. He ended up here because he was trying to run from it, to escape it. He hasn’t used it at all until tonight. And he only did it to defend us.” Panic was seeping in around the corners of Becca’s defenses. Kayde couldn’t be that danger here. She couldn’t accept that.
“He told you that, but even you know he did it out of selfish desire. You could see it in his eyes, Becca. He was going to kill them!”
She couldn’t deny what she’d admitted to herself already. She looked at Toby, “But he didn’t. He’s a good person, Toby.” Her friend clenched his jaw with frustration. Becca needed more answers. If she could make sense of anything at all, she might be able to help Kayde. “I read about the music mages on your paper. Is that what you think Kayde is?”
“After tonight, I know that’s what he is. That’s why he’s dangerous,” Toby answered wearily. The fire in his voice had left and he seemed sluggish.
“So, all music mages are evil?” Becca asked, praying for Toby to give an answer she could accept.
“Well, no. They’re usually good. But sometimes, they go bad, just like any other human.”
Okay, I can work with that. I won’t believe Kayde is one of them that has gone bad.
“Then what is a mage master? Are they good?” she asked.
Becca followed Toby to the porch where they sat together on the bottom step. She rubbed the swelling hand she’d punched Terrance with as Toby answered, “A mage master is the only thing that can stop a music mage if they go bad. With a specific spell cast by a third party, like a witch—yes, I said witch--a mage master can remove a music mage’s song, kind of like magical surgery. And then, they can give it to someone more worthy—someone with self control, someone noble.”
Take their music? Becca fought the panic again as images of someone ripping Kayde’s music from his soul assaulted her imagination. What if someone did take his music—that music that bonded them together so deeply, the music that had saved her from her own misery?
Becca got a hold of herself and then released a strained laugh. “Toby, this can’t be real! This is like those stories in grade school. You’ve let that book get to your head and you’re believing nonsense! This is Glenville, not some fantastical place in one of your stories.” Even as the words left her lips, Becca doubted them. She couldn’t deny Kayde’s ability. She’d experienced it herself—and she’d seen him use it tonight.
“It is real, Becca,” Toby said. “And I think you know it. You are in danger.”
“Me? What about Kayde? If he is a music mage, isn’t he in greater danger?” Becca asked. Was someone trying to hurt Kayde? Was that why he’d freaked out the other day? Could he sense the danger here that could destroy his music?
Becca stood suddenly, staring at Toby as if she’d never seen him before. Kayde had felt that fear at this very house, with Toby sitting exactly where he was sitting now. “What do you know about these spells? Are you trying to stop Kayde from using his music?”
Toby’s face told Becca she’d guessed completely wrong. His pain at her words spoke plainly enough. She relaxed and said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to accuse you. But you can’t honestly believe that Kayde is the threat here. He freaked the other day—he was terrified. Whatever the danger is, he is the one threatened, not me!” The more she thought about it, and spoke the words aloud, the more Becca knew she was right.
“I don’t know what to think,” Toby said. He stood and faced her. “I just don’t want to see you in the middle of some supernatural war. I couldn’t take it if anything happened to you.”
Grasping Toby’s arms, Becca looked into his eyes, needing him to see and understand what she was about to say. “Toby, I love Kayde more than anything in this life. That doesn’t mean I love you or Chris or anyone else less than I ever have. But my heart belongs to Kayde, and it always will. If he is in danger, I have to let him know. He doesn’t even know what he is—his dad tried to find out their family history and came up empty handed. But if someone else has figured him out, if someone knows what he is and what he can do, and if that someone is a mage master…” Becca shivered as a grim picture formed in her mind.
Toby’s eyes were wide, a hint of understanding and even excitement behind them. He finished her sentence, “They’ll be after Kayde’s music—if the master is evil. But what if Kayde is the dangerous one, Becca? If there really is a mage master here, maybe they’re trying to save us from Kayde’s magic.”
There was a glimmer of doubt in Toby’s eyes as he spoke. It was all Becca needed to see. “You know I’m right, don’t you? You know Kayde isn’t the bad guy here.”
Scratching at the back of his neck, Toby answered, “I don’t trust Kayde at all, Becca. But I trust you. If you say he hasn’t used his ability to make you love him, then I’ll believe you. Just don’t expect me to let my guard down until I figure this out.”
Becca beamed at him. She hugged him tightly before saying, “Thank you, Toby! I have to go find him. I have to tell him what he is and warn him. Don’t tell anyone else, okay? I’ll convince him to come back to my house and you can meet us there. Maybe we can figure this out between the three of us and stop the threat before it starts!”
She didn’t give time for Toby to answer. She spun and ran back toward her house. Toby shouted after her, “Be careful, Becca!”
“I will!” she shouted over her sho
ulder. When she reached the house, she jumped in her Malibu, excitement pumping in her veins. She knew what Kayde was! She could help him learn to control his music. Maybe Toby’s book had more explanations. They could figure this out. They wouldn’t have to leave Glenville if they could stop whatever or whoever was threatening Kayde.
Becca stopped at the B & B first. All the lights were off, the house still and quiet. Not wanting to wake Mrs. K, she peeked into the garage. Kayde’s bike was nowhere in sight. Quickly, she jumped back in her car and hit the highway. She drove toward the badlands. Somehow, she knew Kayde would be there.