ShadowSong [Book 1 & 2: Complete] [NaNoWriMo16/17]

Chapter 60 - Wearing Thin

With absolutely no sleep after last night's mission, Jason's composure was in short supply.

He'd made it last as Naomi sat by him, continuously commenting on how wonderful his violin playing was for two whole hours. He simply forced himself to smile and nod and accept the praise, even if he didn't feel it was deserved. He wanted to hit her over the head with his instrument when she tried to sing along to every song he played.

He'd stretched it out as he watched Stefan dance with Olivia. With Adande's presence yesterday, he'd been keeping an eye on her all morning while she practically fell asleep on the table beside Ericka. It'd almost been... nice, he supposed, to see her there, untroubled, a piece of calm amongst the chaos of his life. Yet when she'd starting dancing with Stefan, he'd been forced to turn his back, close his eyes and focus entirely on his playing to stop himself from going over there to... he didn't even know what.

But when his mother entered the room, Jason knew his carefully constructed composure wasn't going to last much longer.

Aurelia had strode in, apologised, given her reason for being late, and finally called Naomi away to take Olivia's place practicing with Stefan. That relief was short lived as the entire room heard Olivia being corrected on the High Shadowspeaker's title multiple times before Aurelia lowered her voice for the rest of the conversation that didn't reach Jason's ears.

After she dismissed Olivia, Aurelia prowled the room, drifting from group to group. By some small mercy, she started at the opposite end of the room to where Jason had set up. When she reached him, however, she simply stood there for almost ten minutes, the slightest scowl lurking on her face as she listened to him play.

Under her watch, his fingers tired and unsteady, Jason fumbled twice.

"Jason," said his mother as she turned away to progress to the next group. "When everyone else is dismissed for lunch shortly, I wish to speak with you."

She left, and the anxiety that she left him with caused three more fumbles in a basic temple song he'd been playing perfectly for years. Every mistake only coiled the anxiety a little bit tighter, and by the time Aurelia dismissed the group for lunch, Jason could barely bring himself to play.

He stood there, violin still at the side of his neck as everyone else prepared to leave until his mother's voice cut through the air.

"Jason?"

Jason placed his violin back down in its case, exaggerating the movement so that it lasted as long as possible, but there was only so far an action could be stretched before it was over.

"I'm coming."

His mother waited until she was certain he was following her before she turned her back to him and strode towards a side door that no one else would be using. At the door, she stopped, held it open, and waited until Jason had passed through before she closed it firmly shut behind them.

Without the light from the performance hall streaming in, the corridor felt dark and tight.

Aurelia stared him down for a long moment before she spoke. "I hold the door for you, and I receive no thanks?"

"I apologise," said Jason. "I had a long night, and I fear my thoughts may be a little more scattered than usual. Thank you, mother."

"If they're more scattered than usual, I'm surprised you managed to make it this far in the day at all."

Jason drew his next breath in through his nose, steadying himself. "What did you wish to talk to me about?"

"I'm rather dismayed, Jason," said Aurelia, her hands placed elegantly on top of each other in front of her skirts. "You appear to be losing your manners at a disturbing rate."