Page 157 of Fallen Stars
“I did,” he said, kissing her knee through her dress.
The song was her favourite, one sang by a bard who had visited Asteria—one she had never forgotten. It was now famed throughout Celestia, sung in taverns far and wide, but she always remembered the pure and crooning voice of the first bard who had played it.
He began. “True that I saw her hair, like the branch of a tree…” Elara nearly fell off the piano. His voice was beautiful, deep and rasping. He nodded at her to continue as she grinned.
“Willow dancin’ on air before covering me…”
“Everybody!”
“Under garden and calicoooos!” Isra shouted.
Leo and Merissa joined in as Elara sat, mouth agape. “How in Stars’ name do you all know the words?”
“Elara,” Leo laughed. “You only sing it to yourself every cursed day.”
The verse continued, voices shouting over each other as they attempted to sing the words, Adrian and Eli chipping in now and then after a swift slap to the back from Isra.
When the chorus came, Elara stood on the piano, an empty wine bottle in hand, the other clutching her skirts as she sang at the top of her lungs.
“But that’s not toniiiight!”
“Woah-oh-oh-oh!” Merissa shouted.
“And I blink inside,” Enzo sang.
“Woah-oh-oh-oh!” Leo bellowed as Elara laughed.
“Your blinding light,” Elara sang to Enzo, serenading him with her wine bottle. He laughed, light bursting from him in response to the cheers of the room.
“Oh, that’s not tonight,” Adrian sang.
“Yes, Adrian!” Leo applauded.
“All the fire bright,” Enzo chimed in, fire rippling from his hands as he fixed his gaze on Elara, his eyes not leaving her even as he continued to play, and the others sang the next line. Then for the crescendo.
“Elara, what am I?” Enzo yelled above the din, his fingers rising above the keys.
“Ohhhhh, you’re good to me, oh you’re good to me, hope that you’re good to me, baby!” she sang, a palm cupping his face as he kissed her knee again.
Isra came by, swinging an arm around Elara and kissing her on the cheek. “The best voice I’ve heard both sides of the Olympian Ocean.”
Elara pushed her off, snorting as she jumped off the piano. The mood in the room was palpable, for once cheerful, carefree, the world locked out of their small, peaceful cabin.
“You know what a night like this is missing?” Adrian slurred. “A game of cards…”
Eli pushed a hand into his pocket, producing a pack. “I always have a deck,” he said, grinning. “How about some gambling too?” He reached into his other pocket but frowned, pulling it out empty. “Damn it. I could have sworn I had a bag of midans in here.”
“Bare cards it is,” Adrian smirked.
“Bare cards?” Elara asked.
Enzo chuckled as Leo groaned. “It’s a variation of your usual betting games. If you lose, you substitute coins with…garments.”
Isra wolf-whistled, Adrian cackling as he poured himself another rum.
Elara grinned. “Now this I have to see.”
“The last time I played this, I was stark bollock naked for four hours,” Leo groaned, rubbing his face as Adrian forced a bottle into his mouth, calling for more rum as they all gathered.