“Miss Astrid, shouldn’t there be more about her online? At least a few recordings?”

Astrid tilted her head and gave an expression Katrina could not read. “I believe that she’ll explain it to you herself.”

“Music industry stuff?” Katrina ventured.

“Yes. You might say that.” Astrid smiled as if Katrina had made a very clever joke. But before Katrina could respond, there came a voice from above:

“What is this about the music industry?”

The entire room seemed to stop and stand at attention.

“Miss Katrina noticed your lack of available recordings,” Astrid explained.

“Ah. Well, we can talk about that later.”

“But, Miss Satomi, it just seems so unfair. What gives them the right—”

Astrid raised her hand.

“I’m sorry,” Katrina said automatically.

“No, don’t apologize. In fact … thank you.” Shizuka sat at the table, then looked at Katrina carefully.

“However, my music career is not the focus. What we must really concern ourselves with is yours.”

9

“Katrina, have some muesli.”

“Muesli?”

“I soaked it in yogurt overnight and added tangerine slices. And here’s some fresh tangerine juice.”

Shizuka smiled at the thought of Astrid triumphantly using the last of the Aguilar tangerines. And, even more importantly, the seventh student, the one she had been seeking for nearly a decade, was sitting in front of her, having breakfast at her table.

Yogurt? In cereal?

Katrina dipped her spoon into the muesli. She had never heard of such a thing. It looked a little like soggy oatmeal, but it was sweet, tart, nutty, with just a little chewy crunch. And the tangerine slices were like bits of sunshine.

It was almost too good to be true.

Katrina paused.

“What’s wrong, honey? Do you not like it?” Astrid asked anxiously. “If you have any favorite foods from home, perhaps I can learn to make them.”

Katrina shook her head. Her mother had always made what her father wanted. There was nothing there that she wanted to recall.

Besides, the muesli was wonderful. Miss Astrid had been wonderful. Miss Satomi had been beyond wonderful. But people like this weren’t supposed to be wonderful.

Not to people like her.

“Why are you being so nice to me?”

“Why? Because you are Miss Satomi’s student.” Astrid glanced at Shizuka, then back at the girl.

“And she’s been searching a very long time for you.”

Shizuka watched her new student try to relax and fail. Of course she would be suspicious. Tremon would be suspicious. Even Astrid was having her doubts.

After all, Katrina Nguyen was most definitely not someone that Hell would have chosen.

Yes, Hell accepted that it could neither create talent nor control where it landed. Paganini had all the tools for immortality before he signed over his soul. As did Tartini, or anyone else who claimed the Devil came and made them great.