She’s on fucking fire.
Grinning like an idiot, I watch Leonor from my side of the stage, proud as hell over what I see.
She’s hyping the crowd up, screaming the lyrics ofKid in the Back Rowinto the mic while she gets them on their feet. Jumping and pointing, leaning out toward the masses while basically riding the mic stand. Leo is crushing this show better than she ever has, and every motherfucker out there is eating it up.
I glance back at Lucky when he slows the double petals, his gun metal gray eyes colliding with mine long enough to know he’s seeing exactly what I do.
A goddess on stage.
Preaching to her followers, praising them for their blind devotion and loyal worship,
No one could forget Leonor Allan, not with the passion in her heart and the fire in her belly.
It was silly for her to think that, almost crazy for this woman to believe for one second that anyone who’d ever crossed her path wouldn’t remember every detail of the encounter. Knowingher the way I do, the waywedo, I know why she felt that way and it was valid, even if it was unwarranted.
Leo makes a lasting impression on everyone no matter how they know her.
Growling into my mic to give some bass to match my girl’s, my lips brush against it while I nod to the beat before quickly side stepping toward the center where I meet Norman and Pete.
We face each other, the two of them on the same page as Luck and I, the four of us slowly building the music back up while Leonor does what she does best.
The anticipation of a beat drop is always so intense, it’s always electric but right now, with the five of us in the headspace we’re in, with the love we share practically echoing out of the speakers, this is next fucking level.
Especially when our girl turns to us, waiting for the exact moment to light it up with a smile too evil to be as beautiful as it is and with a wink, she blows us a kiss, spins on her heel and delivers exactly what the crowd is screaming for.
A dirty fuckingbleghand a breakdown heavier than most of the ones we’ve written, and it has them fucking roaring.
“Okay, New Orleans,” Leonor pants into the microphone a few minutes later. She places it in the stand before dragging it back toward Lucky’s platform. “I’m sure some of you remember that theKid in the Back Rowis usually our closer.”
I smirk as I unhook the bass guitar around my neck, handing it to a roadie as the masses of people give Leo an almost pouty response. She has then wrapped around her finger and she knows it. Hell, our girl is eating it up just as much as they are.
They go silent as she motions for everyone to calm down, looking over her shoulder as Luck leaves the platform before checking with the three of us who are now sans guitars. “But since this is our first show in a long fucking time, we have a surprise for you.”
Everyone within range of the stage, each fucker inside the Fillmore loses their goddamn minds as the crew rolls out Leo’s piano. They position it as close to the edge as possible, leaving just enough room between her and our fans as few more rush out with my cello, Norm and Pete’s violins, and Lucky’s small timpani. I never thoughtstoolscould get a reaction from anyone but as they bring ours out, setting them up in a semicircle facing an insane crowd, I’m proven wrong.
Everyone is losing their goddamn mind.
Up until Leo quiets them again, taking her seat on the piano bench—her fucking throne—before leaning into the mic above the keys. “We thought, since we missed you so fucking much, we’d share something from the new album before we split.” She holds up a hand to keep them silent, and I’ll nevernotbe amazed by the way they follow her every command. “You’ve been amazing, New Orleans, and you will always be the heart of The Ravens. We love you so goddamn much.” Leo drops her slender fingers to the keys, briefly looking to her right then left to make contact with each of us, then, seductively as fuck says, “FromResurrection: The Life and Death of Leonor Poe and The Ravens,this isNevermore.”
The crowd pops for a few seconds before I lead with the cello, a whimsical and almost sad melody that twists my guts every fucking time I’ve played it but it’s fucking beautiful. And it causes them to get quiet enough to hear a pin drop.
Pete slowly joins in, his violin matching the mood, a blanket of sorrow unfolding in his notes, coaxing Norm to follow suit in a bit of a higher key. Luck starts on the timp, the tune and tempo blending seamlessly, the beat like a funeral march headed straight for the pearly gates as the anticipation grows with each part we play. And when our girl takes a sip of water before those tattooed digits start on the ivories, a goddamn ghost hauntingthose keys, one that’s been bottled up inside Leonor for four fucking years finally free.
That night
The death of me
The witching hour song
Echoed as my soul died
He took it away
You begged me to stay
Numb and bleeding
Shattered pieces on the floor
