The four of them, each strikingly attractive, drew more than a few curious nces as they made their way through the airport. Whispers rustled through the crowd; some people even mistook them for celebrities and began snapping photos with their phones.


    Except for Ste, the others had long grown used to this kind of attention and hardly gave it a second thought.


    Walking beside her, Wendy Burke nudged her gently and asked, "Star, have you finallye around? Ready to get back in the game?"


    Ste gave a small nod. "Sorry... I haven''t kept in touch all these years, and now here I am reaching out just to ask for your help."


    All three were Ste''s old ssmates, and each had earned a spot in the Neo- Vespera University Hall of Fame. Now, they were leading figures in their own corners of the music world. Two of them had even turned down invitations from Mr. Walden himself.


    They came from well-connected families-there was never any real need to be Mr. Walden''s protégés, especially considering how strict his standards were. They were used to doing things their own way, and with resources at their fingertips, apprenticing under Walden simply wasn''t necessary.


    Besides, Mr. Walden, despite his genius, wasn''t equally skilled with every instrument. Back in school, the four had often performed together and had be close friends, but each had their own specialty.


    Katrina Greene—the youngest and liveliest of the group-looped her arm affectionately through Ste''s. "Come on, we''re like sisters, aren''t we? No need to stand on ceremony. But seriously, Star, you''ve got a cold heart-how could you go this long without a word?"


    Genius attracts genius, after all. Most of them were Novaris natives, which meant they always had plenty to talk about. Back at Neo-Vespera, they''d formed a band, performing atpetitions and concerts all over the ce. Their group had nearly swept the entire Western scene. Katrina herself had once defeated one of Mr. Walden''s own students in apetition-the girl never quite recovered, and her brilliant career fizzled out.


    Ste lowered her eyes. "I''m sorry."


    If it hadn''t been for that ident, Ste should have stayed in Solmaris for a while longer. The four of them had even made a pact to form @band together-each could pursue her own musical path most of the year, but whenever there was a concert or apetition, they''d reunite and perform as one.


    But fate had other ns.


    Ste''s ident changed everything.


    Wendy hesitated, then asked, "Star, what happened, really? How did you go back


    to Novaris and end up married with a kid? Did you fall madly in love or


    something?"


    Those days had been chaos for Ste-dealing with a difficult pregnancy morning sickness, and Haynes''s mother all at once. others were busy too, caught up in advanced studies, performances, orpetitions, and over time, they lost touch. By the time their own careers had settled, Ste had disappeared from their lives entirely. Only Lauretta Chapman, whose family connections outstripped everyone else''s, managed to track down Ste''s number. The band ns slipped away and gathered dust.


    Ste fell silent for a moment. "I''d been invited to perform-there was a big after-party, and I had a little too much to drink. I''d just gotten back to Neo-Vespera, still jegged, and somehow I wandered into the wrong room. The next morning, we''d talked it over and agreed it was a one-time mistake. But, somehow, that one time... I ended up pregnant."


    Katrina''s eyes went wide. "You''re kidding. That''s straight out of a soap opera."


    Ste managed a wry smile. "I know. It''s ridiculous, but that''s how it happened."


    They chatted as they made their way out of the terminal. Abby was already waiting outside, her car idling at the curb. When she spotted them, she waved enthusiastically.