Page 16 of Moonlight Hearts

Soyer raised an eyebrow.“Now that’s a lie.You were eyeing that moss display with more interest than you showed me, but it’s fine.I can deal with that if it’s only for a night.Look out the window.”

“But we’re just…”

I didn’t get to finish.Low music started to play from hidden speakers.I looked, and instead of the boring tunnels, the walls opened up.Much like the moss display, there was a spectacle to see here too.

Platforms to either side of us that had been converted into stages, where performers—artists—moved with slow grace in front of stylized backgrounds.On our side of the train, an underwater world had been created.I saw someone with tentacles dancing with someone winged like our server, who was wearing a ballet dress in ocean blue.Around them, people in costumes or in their own skin danced, making the scene come to life.On the opposite side, the performers were posing as all the characters in theBacchus and Ariadnepainting by Titian.Even the leopards looked pretty real.

And I was about ready to bet that they were.If there were werewolves like Ben, there had to be other types of shifters too, so why not leopards?

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Soyer lean on his elbows to watch me instead of the dazzling display.“See?You’re doing it again.Looking at everyone and everything, but not at me.”

My gaze landed on him even as the train slowed to barely walking speed.I was starting to feel giddiness rise inside of me.

“This is so cool.”

He tapped the menus the server had left with his index finger.“Hmm.Don’t forget to order a cocktail.That might make it even better.”

“No, this is really,reallycool already.Thank you for bringing me.”

He picked up his own menu, one of those heavy things that looked more like an old library book than a menu.“You’re very welcome, Amory.But I’m getting a…not sure.They have themed cocktails, you know.Cocktails that go with the sights.”

And that got me.Without wasting too much time thinking about it—and trying to keep myself from turning the page of the menu so as not to spoil the next display—I went with something called Dionysos’ Delight.They served it with dried ice smoke that smelled like grapes and freshly cut grass, and it was delicious.

This was the best date Soyer had taken me on ever.

Chapter Six

Thetrainwentincircles, passing each display several times.The artists and performers changed tiny details on each round, so it never even came close to being boring.

Not that Soyer’s company was ever boring.When we finally got off the train, I was slightly tipsy, and he was holding my hand and pretending he was sober.

“This was the best time,” I told him, leaning against his side as we headed toward the moss room.

“I agree.Watching you having fun generally is.”

I rubbed my cheek against his hair, tiredness catching up with me.“Careful.If people hear you, they might find out that you’re actually sweet.”

I’d whispered, but we were in the moss room now.Luckily, the ticket vendor simply nodded at us from behind their desk and made no other attempt at conversation.I hoped they hadn’t overheard me.

“My heart, I’m really not.But you need to be put to bed, don’t you?”

“I’m fine.”

Really though, I was getting tired, and curling up next to Soyer, hearing him breathe in the bedroom we now shared, sounded more than a little appealing.At the same time, I didn’t want to spoil this surprise date; the way he’d turned going to the bodega into a good experience rather than the dark memory it had been.

On top of that, the moss displays were even more enchanting now, probably because I was slightly buzzed.On the other hand, the slow train journey had felt magical, and I was ready to look for magic and wonder elsewhere, even within those little landscapes of greens and coppery browns and burnished reds.

“Liar.Come on, we’re taking the nearest exit up.”

“Don’t we have to get back to your car?Oh, wait.You drank.No driving for you.”

He chuckled—a low, warm sound.“Always such a law-abiding citizen, aren’t you?Makes you all the more tempting.”

While he’d been speaking, my mind had gone back to the Moonlight, and as we reached the elevator with the staircase snaking around it, I realized what it would mean to be open all night.

“Everyone we saw can come now, right?To the Moonlight, I mean.It won’t matter how many heads they have or… All the other stuff won’t matter.”

“That’s right.”He pulled the elevator open and gently pushed me inside before joining me and hitting the Up button.“Ugh.We’ll probably become a tourist spot just like the Small Express.”