Chapter 24

~Erik~

The third star shimmered in the cloudless sky joined by the waxing moonlight. In the heat of the night the Bowery surged with the crowd. The moment Blanjini and I struck the first chords of a harvest festival song, a chorus of cheers rose to the heavens. The thunder of the drums echoed off the walls of the buildings. Our ward gorged on the feast of music and gaiety as once more the gamblers brought out their games of chance. For once again the Bowery earned its reputation of being a ward of the vice, a ward of defiance.

I threw my head back in laughter. The celebration tonight took on a new light. It had been days since the last burial. News passed through of those who had been ill and managed to recover. Many were gaunt, shadows of their former selves. But in the music and lights they came alive with the promise of tomorrows others would never have.

Even in the joyous night my eyes caught the spaces between. Families shattered by the absences left behind. But they danced. Their feet moved to the rhythm and they lost themselves to the spell woven in the notes. Children laughed and spun in circles making up lyrics.

We were lesser in number as we recalled those who no longer stood among us. Tonight we played to honor their spirits.

Blanjini leaned back against the rusted iron, a soft smile on his face. "Oh how I missed her voice all these weeks."

I continued to play, eyeing him over the strings. "As I missed playing her beside you."

"It has been good having you play beside me these past few days. Once more the coins rain down. The world has returned to normal."

My bow came to a halt, the other musicians continued to play. "If only it had." My eyes roved over the spaces, too many compared to how it had been a month ago. "After this, we can never return to normal my friend. We can only move on."

Blanjini nodded and held up a finger. "Like our city councilmen friends?"

I chuckled before I caught myself. More than Wellspring had suddenly decided to retire. It seemed they took my warning seriously. I had no need to carry forth with further demonstrations of my reach. And fortunately the distillery remained untouched. "Indeed."

"Your friend believes you to have something to do with their removal."

I laid my violin across my lap and folded my hands. "Nadir is of a rather suspicious nature."

"And you are of a curious one." I glanced to the side at him. His blind eyes studied me, continuing, "The nightingale is said to hold sway over even an emperor when he flew through the window."

"That is a mere story with a talking bird."

He held up a hand. "And still, stories are often based on some fact. It leads me to wonder … where have you flown?"

I brought my violin up to my chin and in the pause of the music began to play another folk tune, the other musicians followed. I smiled to myself.

Blanjini's knowing smile grew wider. "Your silence speaks louder than any words."

"My silence means no one has to deny." I whispered, knowing he could hear me.

He lifted his violin and prepared to join me. "Oh come. Like any would betray you. Why hold such doubts after the day you lit the fire that saved the Bowery? You are the most celebrated of men."

The notes shivered in the air on my strings. "A divine comedy, if I ever heard one."

And yet, there in the distance, the elders stood together. When they met my eyes, they raised mugs of ale in a toast to me and drank to my health. Beneath the mask heat rose to my cheeks. I sought refuge in watching Nadir and Chastity dancing, the glaze of alcohol already bright in his eyes.

Life once more danced beneath the moon, defying the abysmal odds of survival. We had somehow weathered the storm. Though the thousands buried in that mass grave bore no markers—we would remember their loss.

Death cannot be outrun forever. But as I played beneath a ceiling of stars, I knew I had narrowly avoided its grasp, played a desperate gamble and won a reprieve for some. I smiled as my bow danced on the strings. I stood relegated to the shadows for now … but that was not where I would remain.

This nightingale dreamed of the light.

The End