I smiled down at the slight bump in my coat. “You didn’t complain during the concert.”
“I didn’t want to ruin the howling for everyone else.”
I patted the bump. “I still thought it was wonderful.”
“Sing a song for me,” Marc requested.
The wish was so sudden that I stopped dead in my tracks and blinked at his back as he continued a few steps. “Come again?”
He half-turned to me with a smile on his lips. “I happen to think your singing voice is much better than hers. Sing a song to me and prove it.”
I snorted. “But I kind of cheat, don’t I? I mean, there’s magic in my voice.”
He strode back to me and clasped my upper arms. “There would be magic in your voice even if you didn’t gather the elements around you. Now sing for me.”
A heavy blush accented my cheeks. “Here?”
“You’re right.” He grabbed my hand and turned us down a hall to the left that led to the back of the stage. “You need better scenery than these plain back corridors.”
“But should we really be doing this?” I asked him as we hurried up a short flight of stairs and onto the stage.
“Why not?” he countered as we strode to center stage.
I paused on the threshold and looked out at the empty seats. My mind conjured up a million memories of me singing in that dingy bar. The concert hall was a lot more glamorous, but the bar had always been packed on the nights I sang. Now it was like looking out on a desert where once there’d been a forest.
It made me miss my insignificant life.
Marc stood by my side, and he leaned forward to catch my eye. “What will you sing for me?”
I shrugged. “I’m not really sure.”
His eyes flicked between the empty house and me. He slipped in front of me and promptly plopped himself down on the very edge of the stage. “Well? Your eager audience awaits.”
A laugh forced itself out of my mouth. “Is the audience sure he doesn’t have any requests?”
“Just to hear you sing, but be careful not to let your disguise drop.”
I took a deep breath and let it out. “Alright. Here goes.”
I closed my eyes, opened my mouth, and my song floated out. The acoustics in the hall were fantastic, much better than those in any bar I’d ever sang in. My voice echoed off the walls and created enough reverbs to mimic a choir. My magic came out, as well, as the chairs vibrated with the sound, and dust floated out from the floor between the seats to dance beneath the lights like twinkling stars.
I was interrupted by the sudden joining of someone’s lips against mine. My eyes shot open, and I found myself staring into Marc’s face. He wrapped his arms around me and drew me into a deeper kiss.
My singing had left me with very little air as I was. I pressed my palms against his chest and separated us. My breaths came out quick and shallow, and my body felt on fire.
I blinked up at him. “W-what was that for?”
He nodded at the auditorium, where a few mists of dust still floated about. “I didn’t want anyone to notice your magic.”
My heart fell a little. “Oh. I guess that is a good idea.”
Marc leaned back and grinned. “And I wanted to remind myself what you tasted like.”
A heavy blush warmed my cheeks, and I turned my face away. My eyes fell on where we had entered the stage, and I sighed. “I guess we should go see Miss Dolios. We might be keeping her waiting.”
“That might not be a bad lesson for her,” he mused, though he stepped back and took my hand. “But let’s go see what she’s up to.”
“Is someone out there?” The voice came from the wings, and Theo soon stepped into view. His gaze fell on us, and his eyebrows crashed down. “Who are you?” he snapped as he stalked toward us. “What are you doing on Miss Dolios’s stage?”
