Page 22 of Music of the Night
I smiled at her but did not say more. After she left, I drew the curtains, peering out to the cool night. It was a midnight velvet with thick mists hiding the stars. It was too dark to see the tower, but I knew he was out there. Alone. Always alone.
When I slept, I dreamed of a great beast with shaggy black hair and eyes that shone, one gold, the other teal as it trotted on four legs through the castle. A foulness emitted from it and it growled as it sniffed and passed, ears alert, tail sweeping the floor. Fangs curved out of its snout and a sharp bark erupted from its mouth as it came upon a door. It scratched and sniffed, digging against solid stone, begging to be let in. I traveled behind the beast, but when I looked at the door, it was my own. Dread made my heart thump hard. The beast was after me. It was trying to get in.
19
Aria
Samara was true to her word, and two nights later, after practice, I was able to sneak away, fading into the shadows of the castle until I found my way outside. The stables were quiet, the shadows were long, and the air bitter and frozen. After the first snow, the air had turned cold, far too cold for snow. My mount wasn’t ready, and it took me a few moments to find the reins and saddle, all the while feeling bad as I checked to ensure the horse’s hooves were ready for the ice that covered the bridge.
Squeezing my thighs around Beauty, we galloped to the tower. The air created icicles on the tips of my hair and exposed eyebrows. We arrived in a blur of cold air and I whirled off her back, my heart pulsing with anticipation, an ache already gathering between my legs as I approached the door.
A trellis of vines grew around the door as though it did not recognize winter, nor care about the cold. I approached slowly, biting my lip. How would he react when I returned? Would he hold me again, make sweet love to me until I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think again? I lifted my hand to knock, and the door swung open.
He rose above me, his face pale, haunted, lips pink and full. I gasped, a hand going to my throat, surprised and awed by his presence. His white shirt was open at the neck and tucked into his black pants. His hair was brushed back and the lights behind him showed off his elegant profile. He was strength and beauty, and my heart twisted and melted at the sight of him. I wanted to rush into his arms and yet stand and take in the way his teal eye lit up, soft and gentle as he studied me from head to toe. A warm shiver came over me as he held out his hand, and I took it. He pulled me inside, letting go to shut the doors behind me, then leaned against them as he examined me.
“You returned,” he breathed. Finally.
“I could barely stay away,” I admitted, holding his gaze, unashamed of my wanting, my yearning for him. And yet, an air of shyness hovered around me.
His lips curved up into a smile and his eye went dark. “But you waited…”
Moving closer, his presence swallowed me up. Oh. My breath hitched in anticipation of delight as I reached out a hand, trembling, frantic, almost craving his touch to soothe my nerves.
“I’m sorry it took so long. I wanted to return sooner but I sang for Count Zorik. When the next performance opens, I will be the lead singer.”
The smile faded, and a tension hummed in the air. “It is what you wanted, isn’t it?”
“It is! The production is in rehearsal and…” My lips wobbled. “The music is beautiful and I love singing but. . .”
“It’s not what you want?” He cocked his head.
“It is, it’s just the jealously and other performers whispering about me. I just want to sing and be left alone. Is it possible?”
“Then you do not want lessons anymore?”
“No!” It came out sharp and hard. “I do. I want to sing, more than anything. Perhaps I’m just… I don’t know. The castle unsettles me because there was another attack the night of the winter ball. It’s getting harder to sneak away, to escape.”
Uriah’s entire body went rigid. Brushing past me, he strode into the room, his back to me as though he wanted to hide his reaction. But why?
“What is it?” I ventured.
He turned, his face drawn. “But you are well?”
I squinted, why did he keep asking me that question? “No harm has come to me, but why would it?”
Crossing his arms, he frowned and studied the floor until at last he came to a decision. “Because the creatures of the night are real. High Tower used to be the haven of monsters, and the song I play each evening keeps them at bay. Clearly it is not enough.”
His words hit me like a slap across the face. “Wait.” I held up a hand. “That means that… You have to stay here, don’t you? To keep the monsters from attacking, to protect the theater…” Tears of disappointment welled up, and I cursed my stupidity. What was I thinking? That he’d fall in love with me and race away to Solynn or elsewhere? “Tell me the truth,” I begged. “Are you trapped here?”
It all began to unravel, the legends, the stories I had little faith in, but I’d seen the power of music in the tower, I knew it was a magic that wasn’t natural.
Uriah was beside me in a moment, his broad hands on my waist, pulling me into his embrace. “I did not know you cared so much,” he murmured.
Closing my eyes, I leaned into his chest. “How could I not care?” I protested, my fingers twisting around his shirt, anchoring him next to me. “I…” The words I wanted to say died in my throat, and for a moment, I couldn’t imagine my life without him. “You’re the one bright spot of life I’ve had ever since coming here. I was grieving and hopeless and now I have something to look forward to and knowing this is just a moment in life, unless I choose to stay in High Tower forever, is more than I can imagine.”
“I did not know that,” he said, cupping my cheek with his hand. “I did not realize you feel the way I feel.”
This time when he kissed me pure magic sent chills up my spine. When I opened my eyes, the candles shone brighter, the rose petals strewn about the floor gleamed and a lightness hovered in the air. Something was changing. Uriah eyed me hungrily, but with practiced self-control, he stepped back, taking my hand, drawing me to the center of the tower. “Will you sing with me?”
