Sabine had allowed the two of us the night off because of this recital, and she was everything I wished my mother had been. Jesper had assured us that our absence for one night wouldn’t hurt anything.
It wasn’t the perfect time to do this, but it was something I had to do.
Ihadto close the door on this life once and for all.
The faint smell of resin and polished wood clung to the air as I smoothed my fingers across the glossy black of the grand piano waiting center stage. My fangs hummed with anticipation, and my magic responded to my mate sitting in the front row of the audience in the seat I’d reserved for her.
The matebond was bright and warm, buzzing with excitement and pride.
It made my knees weaken, and my nerves knotted in my gut.
When the lights dimmed, the crowd hushed, and my name echoed across the hall.
The velvet curtains spread, and the stadium opened around me, the cathedral carved from literal crystal with arched ceilings, with beams glittering and floating lanterns drifting lazily above the audience.
Rows of velvet seats gleamed softly from enchanted lights beneath them.
I used to think it was my dream to play here, but now…
I sat at the piano.
My only dream was being an agent alongside my mate, who shared the dream of making Kalista a better place.
The crowd disappeared, and Rune’s presence in the matebond pulsed like heat along my spine. There was anticipation, admiration, and the intoxicating feeling of love that made my heart pump harder.
My fingers moved across the keys in soft, low chords. The vibrations reverberated through my chest, trembling with theemotion I didn’t know how to speak aloud. The amphitheater swallowed each note and sent it echoing upward toward the shimmering rafters.
The melody grew, climbing gently before it soared higher, as if trying to grasp something beautiful and unreachable all at once.
It was the feeling that swirled through me the moment I met my fated mate and every moment after. Watching her incredible abilities and knowledge of being an agent had only made me admire her more.
A warm ache spread through her chest straight into mine. Her admiration wrapped around me like her hand resting on my chest.
The piece shifted into a darker flow. It was richer, heavier, and filled with the grief and longing I’d carried my entire life.
Ilongedfor her the moment I saw her, but I never thought I could have her…
I felt her pride sharpen into something protective.
I closed my eyes, letting the music speak where I couldn’t.
By the time the final note settled into silence, my hands were trembling.
Then, the applause hit like a tidal wave.
It was deafening, but all I felt was Rune’s awe.
I stood up and bowed, but my gaze sought hers instinctively. She was standing in the front row, where I knew she’d be, clapping. Her bright golden eyes were glassy with emotion.
I hadneverwanted someone’s approval this badly, and having it was an indescribable feeling.
Afterward, once the staff cleared everyone out and the lights dimmed, I was packing my sheet music when my phone buzzed with a call from a prison in Cursinia.
I answered, already knowing who was calling. “Yes?”
My father’s voice cut through the static on the other end. “Your last recital, Dimitri? Truly? You shame yourself.”
“And us,” my mother added. “You had brilliance. You had an opportunity many fought for. And you threw it away for?—”
