But dreams and wishes are just that, aren’t they? Besides, she had killed already. And, given the choice, would she do it again? To rescue her music, her soul, would she have sent six students to Hell?

She walked to her dresser and retrieved a long, thin case.

February, the end of her contract, was coming soon.

Lucy Matía was working on another late-night violin. Supposedly, this one was cursed by a spurned lover of Johannes Brahms. Really?

The absurdity of Brahms ever spurning a potential lover … Oh well. At least the money was real.

She shook her head. Somehow, the owner had gotten blood inside the pegbox.

And that other fluid? She did not want to think about it.

The doorbell rang. Lucy picked up a chisel and walked to the door. She relaxed when she saw who it was.

“Shizuka?”

“Nice chisel, Lucía.”

Lucy nervously put the sharp chisel down.

“Um … you can never tell who might show up in the middle of the night.”

Shizuka smelled the air. “So he’s been here.”

“Who?”

“Don’t be silly. Short old guy, looks like a toad?”

“Tremon Philippe?”

“Yes. And that would explain the chisel.”

Shizuka started to say something else, then reconsidered.

“Well, no matter. For now, I take it my violin is ready?”

“Of course, Miss Satomi.”

As she retrieved the Guarneri, Lucy felt herself perspire. Tremon Philippe was a demon, but tonight Shizuka Satomi somehow seemed even more terrifying.

“Lucía, I envy you,” Shizuka said innocently.

“For, myself, my students, even Tremon, it’s a different world. We battled for immortality. We spilled blood.

“Yet now there are people on the Internet better known than any of us would dream. Music and performances—both good and bad, are digitally recorded, and will outlive us all.”

“In the meantime, in your shop, in your family, the violin continues to be the violin. Speaking of which…”

Shizuka examined Lucy’s work carefully, then nodded.

“Wonderful. It took me quite a while to find a Katarina Guarneri.”

“It is a beautiful instrument,” Lucy agreed. She paused. “But it’s not cursed, is it?”

“Cursed? Why ever would you think that?”

“I mean, I had thought…”

Shizuka laughed. “You’ve seen how cursed violins are treated. Ick.”

Lucy thought about her last client and his body fluids. “Ick.”

“But this, however.”

Shizuka pulled out a long, thin case. She opened it and placed it in front of Lucy.

It was a violin bow. But like none she had ever seen.

“Lucía, might you replace the winding and thumb leather, and rehair?”

Lucy picked it up, and her eyes opened wide. She had read about this bow in her grandfather’s notes. The notes were strangely incomplete, but what was there seemed too fantastic to be true. Even seeing it now, Lucy still could not believe it was real.