and she became a new version of herself.
Finally, when it was over and the sound had dissipated, Cavanaugh rose slowly and smiled. He took a seat on the couch, and motioned for Kerry to come to him. As she did, Kerry felt him transform, not necessarily in any physical way she could have identified. But there was no doubt in her mind or her heart that he changed, somehow, in his nature.
Chapter 12
So, Who Were You?
Kerry sat down at the end of the couch, leaving some distance and expressing her hesitation in that way. She wanted to go to him, but she had to know more, to know what all this was about, before giving herself to him and being able to know completely.
"So...who were you?" she asked, her voice as soft as she had ever heard it.
Cavanaugh merely looked at her, in a way that made it impossible for Kerry to read him. She knew the answer to that question before she asked it, and he knew it as well, so the game of cat and mouse continued between them, each glancing at the other, then looking away.
" Lermentov? Rubinstein?" Kerry smiled, teasing him with her flashing eyes.
The pianist turned silent, licking his lips in a gesture that almost seemed to be timed, as if this was a measure of rest in the ongoing music between them. Still, he said nothing.
"The demon, then," she concluded. Her voice had turned low and throaty without her realizing it, and she wondered where it came from. Who was this new person inside her, confident and almost bold, seemingly in command of the situation?
"I conducted this music," he stated simply. "In the beginning. In heaven."
Kerry gasped, then managed to catch her breath. She felt no fear regarding Cavanaugh's revelation, for reasons she couldn't even begin to understand. Instead she waited, knowing there would be more.
"I chose an angel," he continued. "A soloist. She was brilliant. And beautiful."
He sighed, deeply. "I had eternal love, within my grasp."
Kerry waited once more.
"And I was cast out."
Finally she spoke. "Why?"
"Because it was not my place to do that," he explained. She felt his pain, and Kerry wanted to go to him, but she knew it wasn't quite time.
"And now?"
He turned to her and smiled. "You know the story. You've read it, you've performed it. And now it is inside you."
Cavanaugh paused. "Do you know what you have been given?"
Kerry smiled in return, her confidence beginning to flow again. "Of course," she replied, licking her lips.
"Tell me."
"Tamara," she said simply.
Cavanaugh grinned, fully and broadly. " Yesss!" he hissed. "Everything she was, you are. You have been infused with her spirit. Totally and completely."
Kerry gasped, knowing it was true. She was still herself, she knew that, but this explained the changes she had been feeling, fully and without question. Kerry took a deep breath, then another, and then she asked the final question.
"Toward what end?"
For the first time since she had met him, Cavanaugh seemed genuinely surprised. He paused, this time for more than a second, until finally he answered.
"Balance."
This time it was Kerry's turn to go quiet. She frowned in confusion, then waited for more, knowing it would be coming.
"We find the ones who are fakes," he explained. "The hypocrites. The falsely pious. And we capitalize on their weaknesses."
She considered his answer, knowing this was what she wanted and what she had been born for as well. "Within the church?"
"Initially," Cavanaugh replied, his eyes widening with excitement. "But we will go further than that, ultimately."
"Toward what end?" Kerry repeated.
Cavanaugh blinked, staring at her. "Simple. To take the music further."
She shook her head. "I don't understand."
He smiled. "You will." He took a deep breath, but Kerry remained puzzled. "Let me try to explain."
"Ok."
"Think of this music," he began. "To some, the original poem it was based on represents evil incarnate. And yet, in this form, changed around, it becomes
Finally, when it was over and the sound had dissipated, Cavanaugh rose slowly and smiled. He took a seat on the couch, and motioned for Kerry to come to him. As she did, Kerry felt him transform, not necessarily in any physical way she could have identified. But there was no doubt in her mind or her heart that he changed, somehow, in his nature.
Chapter 12
So, Who Were You?
Kerry sat down at the end of the couch, leaving some distance and expressing her hesitation in that way. She wanted to go to him, but she had to know more, to know what all this was about, before giving herself to him and being able to know completely.
"So...who were you?" she asked, her voice as soft as she had ever heard it.
Cavanaugh merely looked at her, in a way that made it impossible for Kerry to read him. She knew the answer to that question before she asked it, and he knew it as well, so the game of cat and mouse continued between them, each glancing at the other, then looking away.
" Lermentov? Rubinstein?" Kerry smiled, teasing him with her flashing eyes.
The pianist turned silent, licking his lips in a gesture that almost seemed to be timed, as if this was a measure of rest in the ongoing music between them. Still, he said nothing.
"The demon, then," she concluded. Her voice had turned low and throaty without her realizing it, and she wondered where it came from. Who was this new person inside her, confident and almost bold, seemingly in command of the situation?
"I conducted this music," he stated simply. "In the beginning. In heaven."
Kerry gasped, then managed to catch her breath. She felt no fear regarding Cavanaugh's revelation, for reasons she couldn't even begin to understand. Instead she waited, knowing there would be more.
"I chose an angel," he continued. "A soloist. She was brilliant. And beautiful."
He sighed, deeply. "I had eternal love, within my grasp."
Kerry waited once more.
"And I was cast out."
Finally she spoke. "Why?"
"Because it was not my place to do that," he explained. She felt his pain, and Kerry wanted to go to him, but she knew it wasn't quite time.
"And now?"
He turned to her and smiled. "You know the story. You've read it, you've performed it. And now it is inside you."
Cavanaugh paused. "Do you know what you have been given?"
Kerry smiled in return, her confidence beginning to flow again. "Of course," she replied, licking her lips.
"Tell me."
"Tamara," she said simply.
Cavanaugh grinned, fully and broadly. " Yesss!" he hissed. "Everything she was, you are. You have been infused with her spirit. Totally and completely."
Kerry gasped, knowing it was true. She was still herself, she knew that, but this explained the changes she had been feeling, fully and without question. Kerry took a deep breath, then another, and then she asked the final question.
"Toward what end?"
For the first time since she had met him, Cavanaugh seemed genuinely surprised. He paused, this time for more than a second, until finally he answered.
"Balance."
This time it was Kerry's turn to go quiet. She frowned in confusion, then waited for more, knowing it would be coming.
"We find the ones who are fakes," he explained. "The hypocrites. The falsely pious. And we capitalize on their weaknesses."
She considered his answer, knowing this was what she wanted and what she had been born for as well. "Within the church?"
"Initially," Cavanaugh replied, his eyes widening with excitement. "But we will go further than that, ultimately."
"Toward what end?" Kerry repeated.
Cavanaugh blinked, staring at her. "Simple. To take the music further."
She shook her head. "I don't understand."
He smiled. "You will." He took a deep breath, but Kerry remained puzzled. "Let me try to explain."
"Ok."
"Think of this music," he began. "To some, the original poem it was based on represents evil incarnate. And yet, in this form, changed around, it becomes
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