Page 21 of Music of the Night
An ugly laugh broke through my anxiety as the shadow stepped into a pool of light. I pressed a hand to my heart. “Lady Siobhan, you frightened me.”
She smirked, her eyes masked in shadow, her body covered with a ruby red gown, shimmering and dipping lower than the gauzy gowns the dancers wore. One hand rested on her hip which was thrust out, while the other held a glass of wine. She took a long sip before she spoke, and when she did her voice was thick. “I frightened you?” She waltzed closer until I smelled the wine on her breath. “Good, fair is fair, I suppose. You took my stage, my spotlight, you’ll be sorry.”
I swallowed hard and a knot tightened in my belly. Still, I lifted my chin. “I sang and was given the lead, I did not take it out of spite.”
“No? You took it because you want the stage, the attention, the praise, the gifts, you want it all to be lavished on you.” She shook her head. “You used to be a grand lady in the city, but this isn’t Solynn, this is High Tower, my domain. Don’t expect any favors just because you’re Count Zorik’s ward.”
“I don’t,” I snapped, fingers clenching into fists. They were just words but the effect she had on me was tangible. “I practice and I earned this,” I insisted.
“Did you?” She leaned closer, and then upended her glass of wine across my chest.
I gasped as the liquid soaked through to my skin.
“Lady Siobhan?” a male voice called from the other side of the hall.
Footsteps approached and Siobhan swept past me. “You’ll be sorry,” she whispered as she passed.
18
Aria
It was with trepidation I awaited the first night of the performance, shaking off Lady Siobhan’s cruel words, but they were only the beginning. When I walked down the halls, whispers followed me.
“It’s the Count’s ward you know, the one he saved.”
“Aye, she used to be a noblewoman and now look at her, singing in the theater.”
“She thinks she’s too good for us, do you know she never attends the parties after the performance?”
“I heard many a man asked for her hand, and she denied them all.”
It was only the ladies who stayed in the castle, gossiping behind my back, and yet it stung. I wondered what would happen after opening night. Would the negative attention turn positive?
“They all adore you,” Samara whispered one night after rehearsal. “They all want to bask in your glory. Just ignore the ladies, they just like gossiping.”
I removed my slippers and flopping on the bed with a sigh. “I know, but I wish they would stop. I don’t like the gossip.”
“It’s only going to get worst after opening night,” Samara reminded me. “Siobhan enjoyed the attentions.”
Siobhan. I scowled.
And then there was the problem of the dark creature in the castle. It was hard to ignore the second occurrence, but I’d escaped from harm thus far. Would it be wrong to attempt to escape?
“I don’t mean to complain, and I look forward to opening night but. . .” I worried my lower lip between my teeth. “Do you think I’d be able to escape for a night, just to be alone?”
Samara’s face turned pink, and she grinned. “Oh. You want to sneak away and see your secret lover, do you?”
Let her think what she would, although guilt pinched at me. I should tell her, of all people, the truth. “Aye.” I’d missed two lessons and my entire body ached at the thought of him waiting for me, especially after what had taken place between us the last time.
“I’ll help you, if you tell me something about him,” she teased. “Your face changes when you talk about him, you must be completely besotted.”
I was, but I couldn’t help it. Besides, I did not want to tell her anything about him, for it seemed as though I would break a spell, as though I were sworn to secrecy. Not that I was ashamed of him, in fact, the opposite. I was proud to know a man so skilled he could craft magic from his words. My undeniable attraction to him was so potent it made my head spin. I wanted nothing more than to be with him, and every waking moment I spent thinking about our last encounter. To utter a word about what happened would break the magic between us, and I desperately wanted to unravel the mystery of my mysterious instructor. He’d told me some, but not enough about his past, and I certainly did not understand why he played the heart-wrenching music every night.
“See.” Samara shattered my thoughts. “You’re doing it again. Whoever he is, I’d like very much to meet him.”
I stared at her, horror growing in my throat. “Please don’t try,” I begged. “I just need your help to escape.”
Samara stared at me for a moment, then shook her head, tongue in cheek. “You’re an odd one, Aria. Perhaps you know that already, but…” She held up a finger. “I like you, and it’s rare to find a kind lady in a fine castle like this.”
