Cadence allowed herself to be pulled inside. The mood had shifted somewhat, and it was in a way she didn't understand. She wondered if she had done something wrong - or said something wrong. But Ezvin still held her hand, and squeezed tighter, but still gentle. The silence as they turned back towards the Nest still wasn't uncomfortable. It was just hard for her to understand unspoken cues. Maybe her kiss had been bad, but she hadn't lied. She liked it. She had wanted it. And she wanted to do it again.
They entered the building and Cadence followed, her thoughts going back to the angel and Ezvin's words right before he had leaned in prompting her kiss.
"Someone else has to hold the other side for awhile."
More thoughts came. A zine written by a man who didn't want to talk to anyone who knew his name. A zine about people setting themselves on fire trying to feel something. Wounded souls meeting at dusk.
Souls. Not soul...souls.
Her parents had told her that she was neurodivergent and when she had asked what that meant, they had told it just means that you processed information differently. For Cadence, that usually meant it took longer. Especially when a lot was going on, and she had changed a lot in a short time. There were pieces there. Pieces that were coming together now, and she wondered was Ezvin trying to tell her something. Had she been so absorbed in herself that she had missed it? Had she been selfish? Along with that, her neurodivergence also tended to overthink things. Perhaps she had missed nothing. Perhaps she was over thinking.
"Ezvin, wait," she said quietly, her voice quiet. She looked back towards the statue garden, where the angel stood, quietly watching the silent winter. "Wounded souls..."
Cadence's eyes moved through the corridor as her brain shifted through information, trying to put them in neat rows that made things make sense. That wasn't how the world worked though. Things weren't simple and neat. They were messy, harsh, and unorganized. Unordered. As a musician, that's what she tried to do - make sense of the chaos and help others do the same.
Her eyes landed on a woman, sitting in the a corner where the hall turned. A guitar leaned against the corner. She sat with her knees drawn to her chest, her elbows resting on her knees, and her face buried in her hands. A notebook, opened to a blank page, and a pencil sat next to her. Cadence recognized the position. Any musician would. It was the position of someone who knew the chords, the guitar riff, or the lyrics were right there - right behind a wall that you just couldn't get through. But Cadence knew better. It wasn't a wall - it was a door. A locked door, but still a door.
And Cadence knew she had the key to the door.
Cadence bit the inside of her cheek lightly in thought, as she remembered in college her choir director saying he was looking for a song to finish out their concert, but hadn't found the right one. She remembered her power being there as she whispered the words telling him to write it. The next day he handed out a new choral arrangement penned by himself. And she remembered Matt. The small wisp of power that had accompanied her telling him to trust his instincts. She had given them nothing. Nothing but the key. They had opened the door.
Cadence released Ezvin's hand, but instead wrapped him in a hug, and when she spoke into his ear, her voice was twinged with fear. Not fear of begin held by him. Not fear of people, but fear of what she was about to do. She was about to step out in a way she never had and in a way she wasn't sure she understood yet. "I'm not sure what's happening right now, but it's important. I've been given a gift. Power. Power that I've held back because I haven't understood it. My power...my...fire... she said, the word just sounding right. "Isn't just conjuring tricks or a gift to heal. It's more...and...I don't want to hide anymore. It's time to embrace this. It's time to understand. I'm terrified Ezvin because it's new, it's real, and it's truth. You have seen it once - with Matt at the studio. That was a trickle...this will be...a storm."
She sighed a little bit, a smile coming to her face. "I need you to hold me so I can fly. I hope you don't think me selfish. I have a feeling your soul may be wounded too, and if you'd like. I will be there to help you fly too. Please bear with me...for this..." she paused. "Is a sacred duty." The words came out in instinct - but she knew they were right.
As Cadence begin to move back, she brought her lips once more to Ezvin's. The kiss started light, but it lacked the tentative nature of the previous one. Cadence had put together enough to know that Ezvin didn't want a relationship with her. Cadence, although not opposed to a relationship, didn't need that either. She pressed slightly harder before releasing it, a slight smile curving on her lips. "Now watch...and listen."
Cadence pulled the power into herself, the light within her growing brighter than it ever had before. She turned to face the woman, one arm still around Ezvin's waist as she began to weave the power. It was an ancient power, and this magic was an ancient and powerful magic. The words she had spoke to Matt came back into her head. Trust your instincts, for they are strong.
An image came to her as she wove. She carried a sick child, and sang to her. As she looked up, she approached a tall white tower.
Trust your instincts...
Another image: She stood with eight women before a mighty king to receive their divine mandate.
Trust...
A man knelt on the ground, lyre clutched to his chest, as he grieved the loss of his beloved. As she knelt down and touched his shoulder, he whispered her name.
Instinct...
A Man sat on a boat, looking at the ocean. As she approached he began to write a poem of an epic journey.
The images were fast, appearing quickly one after another as she drew upon her power. More of it filled her, and the weave came together. Cadence knew then how dangerous what she was doing was. She knew a slight change of the structure or even the use of more spirit could bend the woman to her will. She would do whatever Cadence wanted her to.
No! I will not taint my gift that way. She thought to herself.
Not compulsion, but inspiration.
The weave settled over the woman and she raised her head, tears in her eyes. "I have shown you the door and I have given you the key. Only you can unlock it," she whispered a quiet cheer to the woman that only she and Ezvin could hear. When she moved, she didn't reach for her guitar first. She pulled out her wallet, pressed a few times on the screen and then set it in front of her. She was recording it. Cadence continued her whisper as the woman reached for her guitar. "Yes, trust your instincts."
Cadence pulled Ezvin gently around the corner, not removing her arm from his waist. What was about to happen wasn't for them to see, but hearing was a different story. She leaned a little more against Ezvin for support, suddenly feeling tired from the channeling. She had never used that much power before. The woman began to strum and sing, the words coming from deep inside her. Cadence smiled. "Yes...set them free."
They entered the building and Cadence followed, her thoughts going back to the angel and Ezvin's words right before he had leaned in prompting her kiss.
"Someone else has to hold the other side for awhile."
More thoughts came. A zine written by a man who didn't want to talk to anyone who knew his name. A zine about people setting themselves on fire trying to feel something. Wounded souls meeting at dusk.
Souls. Not soul...souls.
Her parents had told her that she was neurodivergent and when she had asked what that meant, they had told it just means that you processed information differently. For Cadence, that usually meant it took longer. Especially when a lot was going on, and she had changed a lot in a short time. There were pieces there. Pieces that were coming together now, and she wondered was Ezvin trying to tell her something. Had she been so absorbed in herself that she had missed it? Had she been selfish? Along with that, her neurodivergence also tended to overthink things. Perhaps she had missed nothing. Perhaps she was over thinking.
"Ezvin, wait," she said quietly, her voice quiet. She looked back towards the statue garden, where the angel stood, quietly watching the silent winter. "Wounded souls..."
Cadence's eyes moved through the corridor as her brain shifted through information, trying to put them in neat rows that made things make sense. That wasn't how the world worked though. Things weren't simple and neat. They were messy, harsh, and unorganized. Unordered. As a musician, that's what she tried to do - make sense of the chaos and help others do the same.
Her eyes landed on a woman, sitting in the a corner where the hall turned. A guitar leaned against the corner. She sat with her knees drawn to her chest, her elbows resting on her knees, and her face buried in her hands. A notebook, opened to a blank page, and a pencil sat next to her. Cadence recognized the position. Any musician would. It was the position of someone who knew the chords, the guitar riff, or the lyrics were right there - right behind a wall that you just couldn't get through. But Cadence knew better. It wasn't a wall - it was a door. A locked door, but still a door.
And Cadence knew she had the key to the door.
Cadence bit the inside of her cheek lightly in thought, as she remembered in college her choir director saying he was looking for a song to finish out their concert, but hadn't found the right one. She remembered her power being there as she whispered the words telling him to write it. The next day he handed out a new choral arrangement penned by himself. And she remembered Matt. The small wisp of power that had accompanied her telling him to trust his instincts. She had given them nothing. Nothing but the key. They had opened the door.
Cadence released Ezvin's hand, but instead wrapped him in a hug, and when she spoke into his ear, her voice was twinged with fear. Not fear of begin held by him. Not fear of people, but fear of what she was about to do. She was about to step out in a way she never had and in a way she wasn't sure she understood yet. "I'm not sure what's happening right now, but it's important. I've been given a gift. Power. Power that I've held back because I haven't understood it. My power...my...fire... she said, the word just sounding right. "Isn't just conjuring tricks or a gift to heal. It's more...and...I don't want to hide anymore. It's time to embrace this. It's time to understand. I'm terrified Ezvin because it's new, it's real, and it's truth. You have seen it once - with Matt at the studio. That was a trickle...this will be...a storm."
She sighed a little bit, a smile coming to her face. "I need you to hold me so I can fly. I hope you don't think me selfish. I have a feeling your soul may be wounded too, and if you'd like. I will be there to help you fly too. Please bear with me...for this..." she paused. "Is a sacred duty." The words came out in instinct - but she knew they were right.
As Cadence begin to move back, she brought her lips once more to Ezvin's. The kiss started light, but it lacked the tentative nature of the previous one. Cadence had put together enough to know that Ezvin didn't want a relationship with her. Cadence, although not opposed to a relationship, didn't need that either. She pressed slightly harder before releasing it, a slight smile curving on her lips. "Now watch...and listen."
Cadence pulled the power into herself, the light within her growing brighter than it ever had before. She turned to face the woman, one arm still around Ezvin's waist as she began to weave the power. It was an ancient power, and this magic was an ancient and powerful magic. The words she had spoke to Matt came back into her head. Trust your instincts, for they are strong.
An image came to her as she wove. She carried a sick child, and sang to her. As she looked up, she approached a tall white tower.
Trust your instincts...
Another image: She stood with eight women before a mighty king to receive their divine mandate.
Trust...
A man knelt on the ground, lyre clutched to his chest, as he grieved the loss of his beloved. As she knelt down and touched his shoulder, he whispered her name.
Instinct...
A Man sat on a boat, looking at the ocean. As she approached he began to write a poem of an epic journey.
The images were fast, appearing quickly one after another as she drew upon her power. More of it filled her, and the weave came together. Cadence knew then how dangerous what she was doing was. She knew a slight change of the structure or even the use of more spirit could bend the woman to her will. She would do whatever Cadence wanted her to.
No! I will not taint my gift that way. She thought to herself.
Not compulsion, but inspiration.
The weave settled over the woman and she raised her head, tears in her eyes. "I have shown you the door and I have given you the key. Only you can unlock it," she whispered a quiet cheer to the woman that only she and Ezvin could hear. When she moved, she didn't reach for her guitar first. She pulled out her wallet, pressed a few times on the screen and then set it in front of her. She was recording it. Cadence continued her whisper as the woman reached for her guitar. "Yes, trust your instincts."
Cadence pulled Ezvin gently around the corner, not removing her arm from his waist. What was about to happen wasn't for them to see, but hearing was a different story. She leaned a little more against Ezvin for support, suddenly feeling tired from the channeling. She had never used that much power before. The woman began to strum and sing, the words coming from deep inside her. Cadence smiled. "Yes...set them free."