by Zen DiPietro
She twined her fingers in his and they walked through the doorway, headed toward the concierge desk.
“It was good of Will to give us two weeks of vacation,” Arc remarked. “I’m looking forward to some relaxing together for more than just a day here or there.”
Instead of a dignified concierge, a young bard wearing orange and yellow spikes of hair in a startlingly spherical configuration greeted them with a grin and waved them into the ballroom. Clearly, this event would have none of the fancy formality of the awards. Kassimeigh felt a spark of relief.
“Oh, wait. Here,” the brightly coiffed bard called after them, holding out a pair of tambourines.
“What are these for?” Arc asked, accepting his and giving it an experimental jiggle. A shimmer of light sound rippled from it.
“Music,” the bard replied, in a distinctly “duh” tone, before returning to the desk.
Once inside the ballroom, Kassimeigh stood with Arc and simply gazed in amazement at the colorful gathering. Like the song circle they’d attended out in the hinterlands with Élan, this one offered an eclectic mix.
Some people wore almost nothing at all, while others wore formalwear. One woman bounced around in a very short skirt and a long, shimmering veil. Kassimeigh had no idea how those things went together, but apparently that bard felt it was her truest expression of self.
“Wow.” Arc stood taking in the scene.
A couple of performers did acrobatic turns and flips while waving long streamers in flowing patterns. Musicians littered every area, arranged into circles throughout the room, while other people wandered around the seated rings of revelry. Throw pillows and blankets, as well as low ottomans, dotted the floor in bright spots of comfort.
Kassimeigh craned her neck to admire the ceiling, which showed a shifting cascade of stars and planets, giving the ballroom the impression of moving through space. She took a moment to focus on the mana energy and traced the display to a projector and a young, dreamy-eyed manahi boy of thirteen or fourteen.
“Care for a drink?” A server wearing some sort of poofy green jumpsuit stopped next to them and offered a tray covered with a variety of tall and short glasses, which were filled with an even-greater variety of brightly colored beverages.
“Why not?” Kassimeigh selected a curvy glass full of something neon green, simply because a huge, fresh strawberry had been split and slid onto the rim.
“That looks disturbing.” Arc tapped a short, chunky glass of something blue. “What’s this one?”
“A surprise,” chirped the server, winking. “Just like all the rest.”
Arc shrugged and took the glass, and the server flitted away, leaving a few fuzzy green filaments floating in the air in the wake of his outfit.
“How’s yours?” Arc asked before committing to tasting his own drink.
Kassimeigh rolled the frosty beverage around on her tongue before swallowing. “Very sweet, but high octane.”
He took a sip of his own. “Yah, same here. Yow. More than a couple of these and I’ll be up on the ceiling, floating around with all the stars.”
A voice came from behind them. “There you are!”
She knew the voice, so she wasn’t surprised to see Izzy when she turned. She was surprised to see Will’s arm around her waist in a very familiar way. Will wore his Guard uniform, and Izzy wore an above-the-knee, figure-hugging dress in a shade of amber that complemented her whiskey-colored eyes and her light blue hair.
Kassimeigh enjoyed watching Arc’s surprise as his eyes traveled from Will’s arm up to his face, then over to Izzy’s delighted smile. Then he glanced at Kassimeigh with many, many words in his eyes.
She squeezed his hand in a wordless promise to discuss it later. Finally, she had the opportunity of seeing Izzy realize the truth of something that Kassimeigh herself had known for quite some time. She’d be sure to point that out later. The turnabout was remarkably pleasing.
“I’m glad to see you two.” Will pulled his arm free of Izzy long enough to give Arc and Kassimeigh each a hug. “What do you have planned for the next couple of weeks?”
Arc took a sip of his blue drink. “Lots of sleeping in, leisurely days, and spontaneous fun.” He raised his glass slightly. “You two should get one of these.”
“I’m hoping to check in with Luc about the team he’s put together to do some research into soulbonds,” Kassimeigh admitted. She saw Arc start to open his mouth, and forestalled him with a raised hand. “Nothing demanding. But we’ve been wanting to find out more about our bond for a long time now, haven’t we?”
He smiled. “True.”
“Our vacation will be a good opportunity for some preliminary research.”
“Let me know if I can help,” Izzy offered. Will gave her a look and she added, “Via the comm. For now. I’m, uh, going to be too busy to leave the fortress for a while.”
Kassimeigh felt Arc seize up next to her with the effort of not laughing. She hid her own smile. “Thanks for the offer.” With a sense of mercy, she changed the subject. “Who else is here?” She pointedly turned her head, seeking out familiar faces.
“We saw Azure and Finn,” Will said. “Looking cozy. Justin and Mila are here somewhere. Carston and Canan traveled with us, so they’re either here or will be soon.”
She smiled. She’d had little trouble securing the hall and the services for Élan, who had done all the planning. Kassimeigh hadn’t known why Élan had wanted to include her friends in this song circle, but she found herself thoroughly enjoying it. She relished the idea of having the people closest to her gathered for simple togetherness and amusement. No need to save the world or solve any mysteries. She’d invited Bryan and Ash, but didn’t see them yet. She wondered how they would dress.
“Oh, look. It’s Ina and Luc.” Izzy gestured toward the entry to the ballroom.
Ina wore her dark hair around her shoulders, hanging in loose waves. Quite a departure from her typical twist or bun. Instead of a classy, elegant suit, she wore a thin-strapped sundress and a pair of beachy sandals. Kassimeigh had never seen her looking so lovely and happy, other than on the day of her wedding.
The wedding remembrance pulled her back from her thoughts, and she glanced at Arc, but he was busy smiling at his aunt and shaking Luc’s hand.
Luc wore dark brown trousers and a well-cut casual shirt. She’d never seen him wear anything else, except for on the day of his wedding or when he donned a lab coat.
Kassimeigh had no interest in handshakes. She gave both Ina and Luc a warm hug, which they returned with equal affection.
They spent several minutes catching up on the most recent events. At times, the conversation evolved into two or three different, simultaneous conversations, then merged back into a single one.
Kassimeigh had been monitoring the comm chatter to see how the public reacted to Ina’s recent revelations about Sorenson. Flyn had worked his PR magic over the past several days. The general consensus had settled around satisfaction in having answers for the spark bug hysteria and resulting terrorism. Most people had never heard of sparkle, so they’d been relieved the stuff had been rooted out before they even knew about it. Of course some of Sorenson’s more staunch supporters had some grumbles, but most people expressed renewed faith in the shiv order and Ina Trewe. Sorenson had been caught and his plans discovered, which meant everything had worked as it should. Kassimeigh had greater reservations, knowing how much Sorenson had managed to do, but it was better that the public felt safe. She’d do everything she could to ensure that they truly were.
Perhaps everything she’d gone through in her expulsion from the order had been truly worth it. If that experience had made her into the elder who could use unorthodox means to get to the bottom of Sorenson’s treason, then she was glad for it. She wondered if she should tell Eryl how she felt. Maybe. Someday.
When she looked around the hall again, it teemed with people. She’d been aware of a stream of party-goers arriving in the ballroom,
but now she saw how it had added up. She realized she’d been visiting with her friends for nearly an hour.
“Thank you all for coming.” A familiar voice resonated through the room. Élan stood on the stage, smiling. She wore a silver skirt and top, and with the lights shining down on her, she glowed with a pale, silvery light. Her hair lay down her back with tiny braids peeking out here and there. She looked like she’d stepped out of a storybook. Kassimeigh wondered how it felt to be so dainty. She couldn’t quite fathom how a whole adult person fit into such a small body.
When the drone of voices had ebbed, Élan continued, “I’m thrilled beyond words to hold this very special event. Having so many amazing people under one roof makes me want to spend about a year composing.”
Light laughter rippled through the crowd, and a few shouts of “Do it!” rose.
“I must thank Kassimeigh for making it possible, and Coco and Sim for helping me chase down all the details like what drinks and food to serve. Because it’s all about the food and drink, right?”
Yips and cheers rang out, with a few ululating cries of enthusiasm.
“Anyway, I’m not going to stand here and monologue all night. There’s no particular agenda for our evening. Just like any song circle, we have a few people scheduled to perform, but anyone is welcome to share with us. Otherwise, we’ll continue our free-form small groups. It’s all about sharing whatever gift you have to give, at this particular moment in time.” She paused to allow murmurs of encouragement and agreement, then added, “You all have my heartfelt thanks for attending. You were all invited because you’re special to someone here.”
More cheers. When they subsided, Élan smiled almost shyly. “The last time I was on this stage, I sang a song from a long time ago. I hope you’ll indulge me tonight by listening to something new I’ve written, to celebrate a new phase in my life.”
Kassimeigh was tempted to cover her ears, as the shouts grew so deafening that she wondered if her eardrums might sustain permanent damage. That passed, though, and Élan walked offstage, then returned holding the odd instrument Kassimeigh had seen at Ina and Luc’s wedding. Élan sat in a chair and cradled the instrument to her chest. Kassimeigh knew from the wedding performance that the thing was capable of making many different sounds, as though it were multiple instruments in one.
Élan’s voice began pitched low and soft, then her fingers skimmed the instrument and it raised its voice to entwine with hers. As her melody wove an intricate tapestry with the music, the lyrics of the song penetrated Kassimeigh’s mind.
Élan sang about sunrises, saplings, children, and dreams. At least, those were the words. Somehow the language supported a greater structure that seemed to encompass growth, friendship, and love. The words sank beneath the surface of the music, even as Élan’s voice rose higher in pitch and stridency, finally coming to a peak that broke and slid down to a satisfying end. Her voice ended on a whisper, even as a note of urgency still rang in the air.
She rested her fingers on the strings of the instrument, halting its sound, and the room erupted in applause, whistles, and shouts. Élan smiled, stood, and bowed. “Now it’s someone else’s turn! Who’s next?”
Kassimeigh admired how Élan had turned the attention from herself back to the people in the audience. Guests volunteered one another and laughed, taking little notice as Élan left the stage. Kassimeigh thought she saw movement in the wings as Élan walked in that direction, but whatever it was disappeared from view, just as Élan herself did.
Kassimeigh thought Élan’s new song was even better than “Realms,” but she was certain that she wouldn’t be seeing any videos for it. Élan had learned and moved on, and Kassimeigh was happy for the bard she’d come to consider a very good friend.
A few of the smaller groups converged into one larger circle, and began playing dance music. Izzy led Will to the group of dancers, and Arc invited Kassimeigh to join them. To her surprise Luc and Ina accompanied them as well. It was a fast song, but the older couple did a fine job of keeping up with the young people.
Another fast song came after that, then the musicians segued seamlessly into a slow, romantic song. Many dancers drifted away for drinks, while several couples stepped up. Izzy moved into Will’s arms, and they both looked delightfully unaware of the world beyond. Kassimeigh couldn’t have been happier to see it.
She already knew she loved swaying in Arc’s arms, and let the sense of romance waft through her. She rested her head on his shoulder, glad that he was as tall as she, with just a little extra.
“Will and Izzy, huh?” he murmured in her ear.
“Yup.”
“But you’re not surprised.”
“Nope.”
“Figures.” She felt his breath waft across her cheek and brush the hair near her ear.
She lifted her head. “That reminds me, though, of something I’ve been meaning to ask you.” She peered into his eyes, looking for an answer to the question she hadn’t yet asked. She didn’t want to do a bad job of this.
“You can always ask me anything. You know that.”
“I do. I just don’t want to say the wrong thing.”
“You’ve said the wrong thing before. If you do it again, we’ll get over it.” He grinned.
Her answering smile was more contained. “Marriage. What do you think about it? In terms of us? We talked about kids, but never marriage.”
“We didn’t,” he agreed. “I didn’t want to bring it up if you didn’t want to talk about it. There was a time, you recall, that you didn’t even want to talk about our soulbond, even though it was dead obvious.”
“Yes, I know. You were right, I was wrong, tra la la. But what about it? Marriage.”
“I always thought I’d get married,” he said thoughtfully. “Eventually. But now that I’m with you, and we’re bonded, it doesn’t seem super important. I mean,” he added quickly, “I’m happy to do it, if you want to. It just seems . . . ” he trailed off.
“Superfluous?”
“Exactly.” He nodded, relief smoothing the crinkles on his forehead.
She smiled. “That’s precisely how I feel about it.” She put her head back on his shoulder.
“Well, good. I guess we’ll agree to get married sometime, if we ever feel like it, but if we don’t . . . ” He shrugged. “Whatever, right?”
“Yes. Whatever.” She laughed lightly, glad they felt the same way. She’d worried she might be ruining some big proposal plan he had.
“Good.” He kissed the top of her head. The song moved seamlessly into another slow song, this one with flute. “Want to get another drink, or stay here?”
“Oh, let’s stay here. Just for a while longer.” She absorbed the dreamy music, the feel of him breathing against her cheek, the proximity of all the people dearest to her, and the beautiful starscape above them. Or forever, she thought.
As Élan stepped toward the case to put her leth away, she saw Night standing offstage in the wings.
“Hi,” she greeted him, suddenly shy.
“Hi yourself.” He watched her.
She wiped her leth down with its cloth and settled it into its case, ensuring that the latches closed properly. The brief ritual steadied her nerves.
“Having fun?” she asked.
“Not yet.” He watched her with an inscrutable expression.
“You didn’t like the song?”
“I loved it. It was exquisite. Your best yet.” His eyes were sincere, but he stood so impersonally far away.
She doubted herself. Doubted him, too. She’d had a plan for the evening but thought perhaps she should abort it. She glanced out into the ballroom and her gaze snagged on Kassimeigh, curved into Arc as they swayed to the music, so that the two of them formed one entity.
Her attention returned to Night and she sighed. He and she could never be that way. They would always fray each other’s edges, keep each other raw. No. It couldn’t work.
Picking up her case, she faced him square
ly. “Did you need something? I should get back to the party.”
He shifted, turning his body sideways so she could pass. “I just wanted to tell you I’m proud of you. For the party, for helping your shiv friend. For coming out of hiding. For being you.”
He shrugged and began to step away, but her hand decided to catch his arm. Stupid hand. And stupid bard, for letting one statement change her mind again.
She sighed. “You and I will never work as a couple.”
“Probably not,” he agreed.
“We’ll always be fighting. I never know what the hell you’re talking about.”
“You’re very annoying,” he added. “Hard to get along with.”
“You mean you are. With all of your cryptic phrases and lack of ability to communicate. How is it your songs can say everything, but you never said how you feel about me until just recently?”
“Why should I? My songs already say everything. It’s not my fault you don’t pay attention.”
She glared at him. He looked bored.
“Good. Then we agree.”
“Yes.”
She leaned up even as he leaned down, and a vortex stole her breath when their lips met. She stepped closer and his arms wrapped around her. Light exploded in her chest and she burrowed in, sliding her hands down his ribs and over his abs. His very nice abs. Her fingers plucked at his shirt, wanting to smooth over the warmth of his skin.
He broke the kiss, and they both pulled in a shared breath.
“I love you, Night.”
He smiled with every feature he had. “And the sun shines down on the valley.”
Message from the Author
Thank you for reading!
I hope you enjoyed Breaking Bard. I’m excited about how the characters developed, and how events resolved. I hope you are too! If you want to stay updated on future releases, or read author interviews and book reviews, visit me at my blog www.WomenOfBadassery.com.