Midnight Solstice

Chapter 15

Picture: Katerina and Lorne Morgynstein (picture is my edit)
The lyrics from the Casual Affair by Panic! at the disco and Only Hope by Mandy Moore are used in this chapter. Not all of the lyrics are used.
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Lorne's bar was packed when we got there. Nearly every seat was filled. I took Katerina and Jayden over to the side until I could find Lorne. It took me a second before I noticed that he was up on the stage singing. To be honest, he was good enough to be a famous music artist.

Break involuntary ties
A secret so the spies
Could never find us out

Stay for as long as you have time
So the mess that we'll become
Leaves something to talk about

Just lay in the atmosphere
A casual affair
Just lay in the atmosphere
A casual affair

Just lay in the atmosphere
A casual affair
Just lay in the atmosphere
A casual affair

The crowd bursted into applause when he finished. He smiled and bit his lip. When the crowd finally finished clapping he spoke into the microphone.
"Thank you. Please enjoy the rest of your evening, we have more entertainment coming soon. Feel free to come buy some drinks, the music is so much better when you're drunk." The crowd laughed. "Yeah, that's why I love my job so much! Um...anyway, enjoy yourselves and have a wonderful evening." He put the mic back on the stand and walked off the stage. As he walked, many people stopped him. He responded with a huge smile.
"Should we go over to him?" I asked Katerina. She shook her head.
"Let the poor guy enjoy this. He doesn't really sing that often anymore. A couple of compliments won't kill him."
"Why not? He's very talented!" Jayden exclaimed.
"Yeah he is, he used to sing a lot actually to distract him from..." She cut herself off. I could tell she didn't want to give Jayden the facts so she watered it down. "All of the bad memories of when we lived with my father."
"That sucks. He should sing more often." He told her, just as Lorne noticed us. He practically sprinted over to us and caught Katerina in his arms as she ran towards him.
"Oh I've missed you so much!" Lorne told her, stroking her hair as he spoke. "One of the receptionists called and told me that you were coming. I thought something bad might of happened!" She pulled away from his embrace.
"Nothing bad happened, I haven't seen you in a while and I figured it was time to pay you a visit. I'm sorry I didn't come sooner."
"It's okay, you're here now!" He kissed her forehead and hugged her again. "Gracie and I miss you so much."
"I miss you guys too." I saw him wipe tears from Katerina's eyes. Lorne looked over at Jayden and I.
"You were amazing!" Jayden shouted. "It sounded like it was some track or something playing but then I saw you and I was all like woah and it was really really cool!" Lorne smiled.
"Aw thanks. You know, one day you and Gracie should sing something up there together. She would really like that."
"That would be cool."
"Kat, why don't you bring Jayden upstairs, I'm sure Gracie would like to see the two of you." She smiled and lead Jayden through the sea of people.
"That was a good performance." I told Lorne.
"Thanks. I'm glad it went well today. Most of the time I'm doubting how well I actually did, but I'm feeling pretty good about it this time." We were both silent for a moment. He walked behind the bar.
"So, what are you drinking?" He asked. I raised an eyebrow.
"Vampires can't drink." I told him. He snorted.
"Yes they can. When a vampire drinks, the alcohol enters the blood stream. It happens a lot slower than it does with humans and all of the alcohol ends up getting absorbed in the bloodstream so it's harder for vampires to get drunk." He informed me. He gave me a long look before he shrugged.
"You look like a scotch type of guy." Lorne grabbed a bottle from the large liquor shelf behind him and poured some into a glass that he put in front of me.
"I just drink this?"
"No, you have to juggle it and make sure none of it falls out of the glass." He laughed. "Yes Alec, you drink it." I picked up the glass and took a cautious sip. It didn't taste bad actually. I liked it more as I continued to drink it.
"This is pretty good. How much for another glass?" He chuckled.
"Don't worry, it's on the house. It's the least I could do after all your doing for Kat. Speaking of Kat, how are things going with her?" He wiggled his eyebrows at me. I sighed.
"They aren't going anywhere at all."
"They will, you just have to get over the fear of your own emotions Alec. When I had that vision about you and Kat, I saw your hesitation about how you feel. Piece of advice; don't hesitate with her. She's just like her mother; the more you hesitate and try to resist, the more you end up wanting her even more."
"I've figured out that part." I told him, remembering the argument I had with myself earlier.
"I know I should be threatening to bash your head in if you hurt her, and don't get me wrong, I will...but you need help."
"Help with what?"
"Kat. Geez, you are still so slow. Believe me, if you haven't even asked her out yet, you need major assistance."
"How am I supposed to do that when I can barely talk to her without arguing with myself about what to say?"
"You lock yourself in your room until you know exactly what you are going to say. Or say something quickly so that you can't tell yourself not to, simple."
"Not simple. I don't want to force her into anything having to do with me. I want her to make the choice."
"That's kind of you, but that's why they call it asking her out, Alec. She gets to decide."
"Oh..." I smiled. "That's a good idea."
"You're going to need another scotch aren't you?" I nodded.
"To get through the nerves, yes." He took my glass and filled it up again.
"Pauley Sutherdale is coming here to talk to Katerina about specializing. She may have specialized in fire as well as earth." I told him taking another sip from the glass once it was full.
"I heard, the receptionist told me that as well. That doesn't surprise me though, her mother always thought she was going to specialize in more than one element." Before I could say anymore, Katerina returned with Gracie and Jayden.
"They want to hear me sing." She told us.
"I don't blame them. I'm excited to hear you sing too. Why don't you go pick a song?" Lorne suggested.
"Oh, you want me to sing up there?" She asked, pointing to the stage. "There's a lot of people here..."
"Well, you've danced in front of more." She sighed and walked over to the side of the stage and started flipping through a book.
"She's really good. Kat had all of these producer people giving her cards all the time before she left." Gracie whispered to Jayden. Lorne walked over to Katerina to help her set up, leaving me with the children.
"On a scale of one to ten, ten being the best, how good is she?" I asked Gracie.
"An eleven." She responded. "But you'll know why after you hear her sing." The quiet background music stopped, and Lorne's voice replaced it.
"We have our next act here and I'm honored to call this very special young lady my niece. Give it up for Katerina." The audience applauded as Katerina got in front of the microphone. She looked very nervous as the music started.
As soon as she started singing, I never wanted her to stop. Her voice was that of an angel's; so sweet and so beautiful. She was like a siren from the sea drawing me in with her melodious voice. I never thought that I could be captivated by something as simple as a woman's voice, but in this moment I was. I couldn't take my eyes off of her.
"Hello there." I heard Pauley's voice say. "Wow is she good or..." I shushed him, but didn't take my eyes off of Katerina. I heard quiet laughter as well but soon tuned that out when Katerina's eyes locked on mine. I know that it sounds cliché, but it felt as if we were the only people in the room and that she was singing to me, and me only. My own beautiful little song bird...