“I find that hard to believe.”
“The poet never had eyes for me; he was too smitten with Merine.”
Velario saw no jealousy in Reyn’s expression, only pure happiness for her friend.
“Well, I’m sure several songs tonight will be dedicated in your honor.”
“Why Velario, you plan to sing, then?”
He scowled. “Suggest it in front of others again, and I’ll toss your favorite gown into the ocean.”
She laughed, her true laugh, and their moment of privacy ended. People swarmed closer, begging to know what Reyn planned to sing.
Velario let her handle responding, rarely doing more than nodding. He was more relaxed than he had expected, but he still didn’t have the patience for court-speak. He should have let the admiring crowd pull Reyn away, so he could fade into a corner and be forgotten. But he kept her tucked against his side instead.
If all he could have of her were these moments when they played for a crowd, then he’d hoard them close.
Soon enough, Lady Dachsi announced the start of the evening’s entertainment. People drifted to the seats filling the ballroom. Velario, having already been given strict instructions by his aunt, led Reyn up to the first row. She sat, and a murmur of disappointment filled the room.
Velario felt bad for the poor woman who took the stage first. No matter how skilled her performance, she was doomed to disappoint the audience.
Unsurprisingly, Reyn had an excellent sense of timing. She let other performers take the stage long enough to build anticipation, but not so long that the audience became bored with the lackluster performances. Velario felt bad describing the songs of the various men and women in such a way. One lady had played the harp quite masterfully, and Fideo Dachsi turned out to be skilled on the pianoforte, but with Reyn’s whispered commentary in his ears, he found it hard not to find the songs lacking. No one’s voice could compare to hers.
When Reyn stood and made her way to the stage, a hush settled over the entire assembly. She showed no sign of noticing. Her shoulders were back, her head high, and when she turned to face everyone after seating herself in front of the pianoforte, she had a flirtatious, friendly smile in place.
“Tonight I shall sing theBallad of Koranthi.”
Velario leaned forward, as did everyone else in the ballroom. TheBallad of Koranthiwas a lovely piece that few amateurs ever mastered. But he had heard Reyn sing before. She may not be a professional singer, but she was not an amateur either.
She began playing, softly at first, then louder as she sped toward the first verse. Then she opened her mouth and more than just words came out. It was more than a song. It was emotion, sensation, passion. Velario was no longer in the Dachsi ballroom. He was in the Valley of Koranthi, listening to his lover declare her affections in front of two warring armies, hoping that her ardent appeal could bring peace and the future he longed for.
He didn’t think anyone so much as breathed until the final notes of Reyn’s song faded away.
Somewhere on the other side of the aisle, closer to the pianoforte than his seat, someone spoke. Velario couldn’t hear the words, but he saw the effect they had on Reyn. She stood suddenly. Everyone clapped and shouted requests for an encore, but she did not seem to hear any of it. She searched the crowd, then hurried down the aisle and out of the ballroom.
Velario chased after her.
“Reyn!”
Velario’s voice followed her out of the Dachsi home and into the street. She glanced back over her shoulder and found him hurrying after her. He hadn’t even stopped to retrieve his greatcoat before rushing outside.
She stopped. He would keep chasing until she spoke with him. Better to take care of the conversation right away. “Make my excuses to Lord and Lady Dachsi, please. I need to go.”
“Reyn, what is wrong?” His breath clouded the air in front of him, but he didn’t so much as shiver as closed the last bit of distance between them. “Your singing was amazing. Why are you running away?”
“I’m not running away. I need to visit Lisca.”
“Somebody said something after you finished your song. I didn’t hear what it was, but it clearly affected you. What does Lisca have to do with it?”
“Her Family knows the most about elementals and succubi.”
“What?”
Reyn sighed. Getting rid of Velario fast wasn’t working, so she might as well explain. “Sirens. When I finished my performance, Fideo told his companion I had the voice of a siren. I always thought sirens were just a myth, but they were supposed to be a combination of air sprite and succubus bloodlines, weren’t they? Their lure was in their voice.”
Velario stared at her, wide-eyed. “That would explain a lot, wouldn’t it?”
“That’s why I need to go see Lisca. It fits. It could explain all the oddities of my lure.”
