The Essence of Music

Chapter 2

What the hell was he supposed to do with her?

Violet eyes drifted down to the girl who'd fainted into his arms. Their discussion cut short. She hadn't looked ill, or so he'd thought. Perhaps she had been paler than when they'd first met. His skin crawled with the idea that she was spreading whatever sickness she'd come down with to him.

"Is Wolfie getting cozy with a lady? How intriguing."

"Of course I'm not. She... fainted," Mozart replied, irritated that of all people, it had to be the most annoying one. From behind, it likely did look as though the two were in an intimate embrace.

Arthur's grin fell at his words. He'd quite enjoyed the girl's performance. She'd paired well with their prickly pianist. "I'm impressed that you didn't drop her on the floor." His palm pressed against her forehead. No fever.

"I wouldn't do such a thing to a child." But he'd be lying if he said that he didn't feel the strong urge to do so. It would reflect badly on both of them, so he refrained. "Get her off me."

The writer chuckled but lifted the dainty girl into his arms. Surprisingly, Mozart followed him into a side room. Curious. The loner musician must be interested in her if he cared enough to check on her well-being, he mused to himself. A quick examination led him to a simple conclusion.

No fever or signs of illness. It was clear that she was a little underweight for her age.

"Is there a reason you're so enamored with this girl?" Arthur asked, rising from where he'd crouched by the couch to examine her.

Mozart's gaze turned away as he huffed softly. "Not particularly."

"Oh? Then you can leave her in my care. I'll be sure that she's seen home." He meant nothing by the words, only trying to rile the other man. And oh, how successful he'd been.

"As if I'd ever trust you." He threw a glare in the writer's direction. Was any of this really his responsibility? Their performance together hadn't been that magnificent, especially since she'd changed his composition. Regardless of whether or not it complimented it as she'd said, he didn't approve of her changing his perfect music.

But...

"She quoted me."

Arthur tilted his head, sifting through those three words as if there were a single clue in a riddle that only he could solve. His lips quirked up, thoroughly entertained at this turn of events. "Ah, so she's a fan of yours. A big one if she'd memorize things you'd said in your previous life."

"More like she twisted what I said for her own justification."

"But you liked it. I can tell. It doesn't matter why she said it. It matters that she said it to you. Poor dear has no idea that she was speaking to the real Mozart. Are you going to tell her?" He definitely wanted to be there for that. Her reaction would be absolutely brilliant.

Violet eyes narrowed. "Have you lost your mind?" He doubted that she'd believe him. Not to mention he'd have to explain that he was a vampire, resurrected into this timeline. "I have no intentions of seeing her again after tonight. I fulfilled my obligation of playing a song with her."

The girl on the couch stirred, blinking slowly as she woke up. An unfamiliar room, and a friend of Wolfram's perhaps? "What happened?" The last thing she remembered was their ethereal performance... but that wasn't right. They were speaking on the terrace...

And she'd utterly embarrassed herself by speaking freely of her thoughts on music.

"You fainted, my dear. Now, when was the last time you had a proper meal?" Arthur asked, already knowing that it had been far too long. With no signs of sickness, the probable cause being that she'd gone at least a day without food.