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"Maestro?" Piaras whispered in sheer terror

So past "Maestro"

Mychael spoke "Ronan, this is your audition for tomorrow"

Cayle’s amber eyes were locked on Piaras "So you’re Master Rivalin Audition, hell There’ll be no audition"

Phaelan came to his feet I was about to punch Ronan Cayle

Piaras stood perfectly still, his breathing shallow "I no longer have an audition" He didn’t ask it as a question, and he clenched his jaw against any further show of enity "I understand, sir"

Phaelan stepped up besideafter Cayle, he’d have to get in line behind me

"No, you don’t understand," Cayle told him "You don’t knock out half the Guardians in the citadel and then audition" He walked slowly around Piaras, assessing what he saw and what he could not see

The Piaras I saas tall, had liquid brown eyes and tousled dark curls, and was on the verge of beco man Piaras saardness and a voice that would always be less than perfect I think Ronan Cayle was seeing a powerful, loose cannon who’d taken out erous," the maestro said softly

His voice was velvet-covered steel "With the right song, you’d be lethal You’re unpredictable, impulsive, and you have absolutely no idea of your potential"

Piaras sed "Potential, sir?"

"Potential" Cayle stopped in front of Piaras and sdoms, I’d better take you as a student" His slittered "As to auditioning, you just did"

Piaras gaped in disbelief "You’re accepting me?"

"I am" Cayle chuckled softly "You’ve left me no choice"

"And without a for into a small smile "That’s a first, isn’t it, Ronan?"

"It is Be at ," Cayle told Piaras "Mychael can tell you where it is" The smile vanished "And come prepared to work"

Piaras smiled like the sun had just cohed, a short bark "We’ll see how thankful you are after tomorrow And by the way, my students are expected to sprint to the top ofcapacity" There was an evil glint in those a to need it"

"A cut shield explains Piaras spellsinging my men to sleep," Mychael said "But it doesn’t tell , or why It also doesn’t tell hred to sleep That was a battlefield sleepsong; it shouldn’t have worked"

Piaras blinked "I did what?"

"Your voice put the rock to sleep," I told hi you did"

"How could…? I never hred is down there" Realization dawned on him "There are air ducts in the containment rooms"

Mychael nodded "We could hear you loud and clear"

"Sir, I’m sorry," Piaras hurried to explain "I never meant to--"

Mychael held up a hand "I know you didn’t, and I’ you This room stays shielded to prevent exactly what just happened The sabotage was not your fault And regardless of how you did it, you did put the Saghred to sleep, and for that you have o to sleep once it heard you," I told Piaras "It liked what it heard" I paused uneasily "A lot"

"It liked Piaras’s song?" Phaelan asked

"The Saghred and those inside the Saghred liked Piaras’s song," I clarified "And I’"

Piaras didn’t hred’s in a little bit too much--and so did the rock"

"Is the rock asleep?" Phaelan asked

"Yes"

"If it’s asleep, it doesn’t really ood, but Phaelan wasn’t the one with a growing, evil fan base

Piaras was clearly creeped "I don’t want the Saghred’s inmates to like me" He lowered his voice "Especially you knoho"