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“And I think we need to get out of here so the rest of you can sober up,” I said.
Gemma made a little whimpering noise in the back of her throat and I turned to see the lead singer approaching our table, a drink in his hand. “Are you enjoying the show?” he asked in a softly accented voice. His close-cropped hair made his pointed ears stand out even more.
“It’s the best thing I’ve ever heard,” Gemma said. “Can I go home with you?” Philip elbowed her.
“I never want to hear any other music, ever,” Marcia sobbed.
“It’s really good,” I said. He flinched, and I decided to take pity on him. “Sorry, magical immune. The whammy doesn’t work on me. But I do like the music, even without it.”
He gave a big, relieved grin. “Oh, that explains it. It was so weird looking out into the audience and seeing someone who wasn’t as into it as everyone else was. I thought something was wrong.”
He came across as awkward and a little shy, wincing when people came up to him just to touch him and bask in his presence. I decided he wasn’t doing it to be manipulative. It was just part of performing as an elf.
Once Owen seemed to have come completely out of the music’s spell, I whispered, “I think the bus guy was here, and he was with the guy who was investigating the bus incident.”
“Where?”
I turned to point them out, but they weren’t still at that table. “Damn. They moved, or they left.”
“Are you sure it was them? And together?”
“I’m pretty certain about the guy riding the bus. Maybe ninety percent? Less sure about the bus wizard, since we didn’t get a good look at him. But it could have been him. Maybe.”
“Someone investigating magic is at a magic club?”
“Yeah, I thought that was fishy, too.” The lights dimmed for the next set and we had to stop talking, lest we earn the wrath of the other patrons.
It took some effort, but Owen and I managed to get the others out of the club after that set. By this time, it was close to midnight, way later than I was used to staying up, and that half-hour nap I’d taken after work had long since worn off. I had to fight not to yawn. It was early April, so it was still rather chilly in the middle of the night. The night air after we left the heady atmosphere of the club snapped all of us out of our stupors.
“Wow, so that’s magical music,” Marcia said, shaking her head.
“That’s elf music,” Rod corrected. “I forgot about that part. Sorry.”
“As much as I loved it, I have to say they’re probably not your best bet for a reception band,” Gemma said.
“I think we’re all agreed on that,” I said.
“Where to next?” Rod asked.
“Home!” I voted. “You don’t have another band in mind for us to hear tonight, do you?”
“We might catch the next set for another one I think you’ll like, but it’s probably best that you not listen to them after hearing elfsong. Everything’s probably going to sound a bit lame tonight. I’ll call the car.” He got out his phone and began pushing buttons.
“Are there any late-night dessert places?” I asked. “I could do with some chocolate.”
Gemma put her arm around my shoulders and gave me a gentle shake. “You’re in New York. There’s a late-night just about anything you could want. And, yeah, I could do with some chocolate, too.”
“It’s the endorphins,” Owen said. “There’s something about the elfsong that hits you there, and chocolate helps restore you. I’m surprised that it hit Katie that way. Maybe there’s a physiological effect even without the magical impact.”
“Nah, I always want chocolate when I stay up too late,” I said.
Rod closed his phone and returned it to his pocket. “The car will be here in about five minutes,” he reported. “It’ll be easier if we
meet them on the corner. This is a one-way street going the wrong way from where the car is now.”
We began walking down the street. Sets must have ended at some of the other clubs nearby, as people were streaming out of doorways. So, this was the infamous New York nightlife, or at least one slice of it. I had to admit it wasn’t bad. I wouldn’t want this every weekend, but it didn’t hurt to leave the house every so often.
When we reached the corner where we were supposed to meet our limo, quite the crowd had already gathered, and I realized they were in line to get into a club rather than coming out of one. I couldn’t begin to imagine a nightlife that started at midnight. Suddenly, someone just appeared in the line, near the head.
