#Chapter 38 – Private Performance

Damon The private chamber was smaller than I remembered. I rarely used this room but the musicians said it had ‘excellent acoustics’. Why do I care about acoustics? I wasn’t even sure why I asked her here. That thought had repeated itself a dozen times since I gave the demand. I didn’t usually second-guess myself. But tonight, with nothing but her voice on loop in my soul, I couldn’t stop myself from needing to hear her again. A single chair had been placed near the hearth, and I sat ramrod straight, arms crossed, posture too tense for someone who’d supposedly requested a song for enjoyment. Elena’s footsteps echoed just beyond the door, followed by her scent. I spoke before she knocked. “Enter.” The door opened with a soft creak, and Elena stepped inside. She wasn’t dressed like she had been at the banquet, no wine-stained finery. Tonight, she wore a simple navy dress, modest and clean. Her hair had been pulled back, though a few strands clung to her cheek. She