The ten minutes went by in a blur of costuming, makeup, and hair. I warmed up while Sabine worked, methodically pushing myself up and down the scales while letting my mind drift away, a waking dream where I was surrounded by glass flowers and light, and all I cared about was the pair of silver eyes watching me from afar.

For all that I had failed to free him, Tristan felt closer to me tonight than he ever had since I’d left Trollus. His emotions were a tangle in my thoughts, rich and heady, and I didn’t try to separate them from my own. I reveled in a dream world of my own creation, where we were together and there were no curses or kings or witches to keep us apart.

And when I stepped out onto the stage, the roar of the full house filling my ears as they realized I was performing tonight instead of my mother, I channeled those emotions. I sang like I had never before, pushing aside all thought of technique in favor of the rawness that I preferred. My throat burned and I shook with fatigue, but I felt alive. And I didn’t want to give that up. Didn’t want it to end.

But the curtain falls on every performance, and this one was no exception.

“You were amazing tonight,” Julian breathed, his eyes bright after we had taken our final bows. “An incredible finale.”

And just like that, the magic broke. My knees trembled, and I swayed unsteadily on my feet.

“Cécile?” He rested a hand on my shoulder.

“Can you ask them to give me a few minutes alone?”

“Of course.” Julian’s hand left my shoulder, his feet making small thuds as he walked off the stage. “Leave her be,” I heard him say.

The crowd cleared out swiftly to the grand foyer, where they might well linger for another few hours. The cast would be off to celebrate the end of a successful production run, and I expected the crew would leave what work they could until tomorrow in favor of warm beds or dark taverns. Word would spread quickly that I’d performed tonight, and Lord Aiden would not find it difficult to track me down.

“You can’t do this dressed as a harem girl, Cécile.” Sabine was standing at stage right.

“I know.” I went with her, changing back into my still damp dress, allowing her to remove the thick cosmetics from my face. When she was finished, I hugged her hard. “I love you,” I said into her ear. “Now go find Chris and be safe.”

Wiping tears from her face, she nodded. “Good luck.”

I went back out to the stage and ducked under the curtain. Far above, the flames lighting the crystal chandelier were being extinguished from the access point in the ceiling, while two men slowly worked their way up the aisle, snuffing the wall lamps as they went. The red velvet of the theatre faded to grey, and one of them turned to give me a questioning look before snuffing out the last flame and leaving me in darkness.