Epilogue

“Yamamoto,” Shizuko softly growled as the man sat down across from her. She slowly put down her coffee, not making a scene in the busy cafe.

“It’s ‘Agent’,” he countered.

“Hardly.” She picked her drink back up, slowly taking a sip. “I could have Liam, or any of the gods and their singers here in minutes… That’s your cue to leave.”

He held up his hands defensively. “Look, I’m not trying to start anything. What happened to your sister was… unfortunate. And not expected.” He leaned in forward. “That smells good. Specialty brew?”

Shizuko briefly considered flinging the drink in his face, but as cathartic as that would be, it would complicate things. “Why are you here? I told you before, take me in again, and I’ll be gone within a day. And then you’ll never contain my song.”

The man chuckled, leaning back in the seat, pulling at his collar. “Look, we all make mistakes. Sometimes it’s bringing in the wrong person, and sometimes… it’s letting our emotions get the better of us. And someday, you’ll slip up too, isn’t that right? Maybe not like your parents, but like your sister. Attachment is a dangerous thing, a dagger that just as easily turns on its wielder."

“Don’t count on it. My ascension would be your worst nightmare,” she muttered. She kept her eyes on him as she again brought the mug to her lips, skimming off the top as vapours rose.

“Hmm, is that so?” he asked, looking amused. “Maybe, maybe not; a song without a composer is just noise, blowing in the wind.”

“Is that a bet?” she growled. “You know enough to know I can trigger it at any time.”

He reached over, taking the mug from her hand, the motion so unexpected that Shizuko didn’t stop him. “At least you’ll join the rest of your family then.” He took a long, indulgent sip before handing it back to her, wrapping her hands around the mug. She grimaced, the hot porcelain slowly stinging her hands as he held them there, a smile creeping across his face as she grunted in discomfort. “Well, that will be all, I suppose,” he declared as he finally let her go. He stood, adjusting his coat for the growing cold outside. “Oh, and I know that Liam is overseas as of yesterday. We’re the government; we track that stuff,” he gloated, giving a wink as he turned away.

Shizuko cursed as the coffee burnt her hand, spilling some of the hot liquid over the rim in her tremble of surprise.