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Unable to help myself, I took her seat. The piano was sleek and black, as large and gorgeous as the one I had originally been taught on.
It had been years. Like dancing for Esta, I wasn’t sure I remembered how. There were only four songs I had ever memorized beginning to end so it wasn’t like I was very accomplished.
I gently tried the keys, closed my eyes as I inhaled deeply, and began one. Opening my eyes, I played and played and played. Up crescendos and dipping down to the deeper notes, I was pulling out my favorite combination of both. I always thought it sounded like a fight of light against the heartbeat of the dark.
I finished, realizing I’d gotten lost a moment in the music and spun back to my company to see if they were done discussing the ball invitations.
Both were just sitting there staring at me.
Amory sniffled.
“I am sorry, Amory. I did not?—”
She shook her head. “Do not apologize. It was beautiful. I have never heard that song before.”
I fought off a grin, glad for the compliment despite knowing I missed a key at least three times. “Well, I only have four songs memorized, so don’t expect anything outrageous.”
“That was outrageous,” she argued.
“You play?” Esta asked, so surprised.
I gave her a nod as I stood. “Somewhat. My mother Katarina was adamant we become ‘well-rounded.’ Both Krew and I can play the piano.” I paused, swallowed down emotion. “On our sixteenth birthdays, our father had our pianos removed from our wings of the castle and ordered us not to play anymore. He said though we needed to be able to dance, playing the piano was not a hobby fit for a king.”
Neither woman said a word.
I smiled as I looked to them both before looking back at the piano. “I missed it.”
“Would you like a piano, Keir?” Esta asked me gently. “In your room? We have a smaller one on wheels that can be moved around.”
“I’d like that,” I admitted. “Though I am a little busy as of late.”
“You remind me how to dance, and I will get you a piano along with the time to play it. Deal?”
I made my way to her and reached my hand out for her to take. “I would have helped without a thing in return.”
She took my hand. “I know.”
“We have a portable device which allows us to listen to music in Wylan,” I offered. “We can record music and play it later. They run on our electricity. One would be handy right about now.” We began moving around without music playing. I wasn’t trying to brag but was rather trying to distract her from thinking too hard about dancing. Without music this was entirely more difficult.
“That sounds amazing,” she said as her eyes went from her feet up to my eyes.
“How is the skin feeling?” I asked her as I began moving us about the room. The two inches of skin between the top portion of her dress and the bottom was entirely distracting. “If this gets to be too much touching, please tell me. We can take breaks.”
Esta was quiet a moment. “How is it you get this?”
“Get what?”
“What it feels like to be back in my human skin.”
I moved her a touch closer, though we had more than enough space. “I listened. I heard you say to me in your dragon form how you could not feel anything. And now you can. I don’t have to be a shifter to understand that it must be jarring. I only have to listen, Es.”
She swallowed as we continued. Though it did take her a moment, a few minutes in, perhaps after finally shutting off her thoughts, we were able to glide seamlessly across the floor. I replayed the song I had played on the piano in my head to give me something to move to.
“You were right,” I offered her with a playful grin. “Icandance.”
“I told you, I am rarely wrong,” she laughed.
“Shall we pick up speed?”
