Darkbeam Part I

Chapter 11

Perched in the bathroom, I had no idea why I was so f*****g nervous. I’d done this a million times, yet I was dreading getting back on that stage.

My stomach turned at a knock on the door.

“Dude, you okay?” Isaac asked.

“Give me a few seconds.”

Was this because we were going to sing “Never-Breath” for the first time?

I took deep breaths. More than a few, actually. Finally I opened the door.

Ty was resting against the wall and raised his eyebrow. “Yeah, yeah, I know.”

Isaac laughed and handed me a shot. “For the nerves.”

“I need an entire f*****g bottle.”

“Blake,” James said. “You’ve done this a million times.”

“I know. It’s that song, man.”

“The song is perfect,” Isaac said.

“We need to do that song.” Ty was adamant.

“You scared to show people what really goes on inside you?” Mathew joked.

“Ha, ha.” I said sarcastically.

As we approached the stage, the guys kept teasing that all I was made of was mush and heart.

If only they knew the truth.

I shoved aside the curtain and the crowd roared like crazy.

Twenty-five bands had already played tonight. They always did something for Independence Day. I was obligated to come anyway. But since the band got together, it was completely different.

They chanted our name and I chuckled.

“Nothing new, Blake!” Isaac yelled.

Still, I was nervous as hell.

The hall was packed. Thousands upon thousands were here for this feast.

We waited for Jeremy Scwhile, a famous actor, to call our name.

“You are going to be okay, dude,” Isaac said.

“The next band... Oh man, we’ve all been waiting for this,” Jeremy exclaimed into the mic.

They cheered until Ty jumped out and lifted his arms. Then they went ballistic. Isaac and I just laughed. He had no self-preservation.

“We’ve all been waiting for them to finally get back together and blow us out of the park.”

“So lame,” Isaac said.

“I give you the Shifters!”

Ty ran out to his drums, then James on the keyboard, Mathew and Isaac took the guitars and last, it was my turn.

The crowd churned and screamed. I smiled, shaking my head as I took the microphone.

“You guys ready?” I asked Isaac.

“Oh hell yeah!” Isaac said.

“Ty?” I prompted.

Ty beat the living crap out of the drums nonstop. I started bouncing up and down until he finally stopped and screamed, “Yeah, motherfuckers!”

Mathew did a small intro on the guitar, playing his heart out for a few seconds.

I counted down and we launched into our first song of the evening.

Isaac was right. I was fine.

Each band got four songs in between intervals, so two now and then one later and our last song would be the introduction to “Never-Breath.”

I still felt nervous about how the crowd would take it.

It was an extremely personal song. Not that the others weren’t personal... But this one was deeper.

It made me feel vulnerable. It was a side of me I really didn’t want to be associated with. But it was a f*****g good song.

When the second song was over, we left the stage and everyone demanded more. Jeremy struggled to get in a few words.

It was hard to imagine that this was just because of me. The entire band was brilliant.

We walked into the VIP section where everyone waited and listened to the banter of all the other bands.

I dashed to the bathroom, wash my face, and cool down from the oppressive heat of the stage. I splashed cold water on my neck and dried it with a towel. When I opened my eyes, Irene had appeared behind me.

I smiled. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“You always ask so many questions,” she said. She was wearing a short skirt with a button-up shirt. Her breasts filled her shirt near to bursting. Boots came up to her knees. Before I knew it, her legs were wrapped around my waist and our lips smashed vigorously together.

I pushed her into the stall she’d just exited and peppered every bit of her skin with kisses.

I went down on her, showing her that dragons my age could be just as brilliant lovers as dragons her age.

She complained and had to suppress her noises. “f**k, Blake,” she gasped and pulled me up to kiss her again.

Her hands fiddled with my jeans buttons. She pushed them off. My boxers were discarded next.

In less than a minute I was inside her. The beast growled in pleasure. It loved every single moment. I was lost inside of her. Not wondering or caring about anything in this f****d-up world.

She was my antidote. And as long as the beast needed it, I would kill whoever stood in our way.

The door opened and my name rang out. It was time to stop this wild over-the-top screwing session and go sing.

“Sorry, I really don’t want to leave, but…”

“Go. Sing.” She pushed me away as I hitched up my boxers and jeans. She gave me another kiss. “Has anyone ever told you how amazing you are?” Her blue eyes penetrated mine as if staring into my soul.

“No, lately I only hear about what a s**t-head I am. But I’ll take that compliment anytime.” I slapped her perfectly sculpted ass, hard.

“Go,” she pushed my hand away.

I ran out of the stall. I found Isaac outside at the bar asking someone if he had seen me.

“I’m here,” I said distractedly, still buckling my belt.

“Dude, what the f**k? You already had s*x?”

Laughing, I ran my hands through my hair and tugged my shirt until it sat perfectly.

“Yeah you look fine,” Isaac growled. He strutted onstage to the guitar.

I sauntered out and the crowds went insane again.

“What is it with you and crowds?” Isaac’s voice came over the speaker.

“It’s a Rubicon thing,” I joked. They cheered again. “Only a Rubicon thing.”

The crowd laughed as Isaac pretended to be pissed off. I looked at them for a while and introduced our next song.

Ty beat the intro on his drums. The rest of the band joined in. The first few notes wailed on the guitars and it was my turn.

The crowd sang the chorus with us. I bent down with the mic in my hand and everyone sang as loud as they could with Ty and Isaac on backup.

I laughed, got up, and took over, finishing the song perfectly.

The crowd chanted for more as Jeremy reclaimed the stage.

I returned to the bathroom, hoping Irene was still there, but the stall was empty. She really just knew how to keep a guy on his toes, wanting more.

I found Isaac by the bar.

“She’s gone?”

“Shut up.”

“Only you can get s*x before the gig is f*****g over.”

I chuckled. “I’m not so sure about that.” I sipped the drink the barman put in front of me as Isaac’s eyes followed mine toward Ty.

“So f*****g unfair.” Isaac shook his head.

“You’re too nice. I told you, treat a few like s**t. I mean, just ask Ty.” We watched him, sitting on a couch with four girls. “They’ll eat out of your hand in no time.”

“Yeah, no. I don’t possess that talent.”

I couldn’t help but wonder where the hell Irene had disappeared to. I couldn’t even call her. I really should get myself a new f*****g Cammy. Soon.

Our turn was up one last time. This was it. I was nervous, but it was time. The big one.

“You ready?” Isaac slapped me on the back as I downed my beer.

“To pour my guts out? No.” I got up from the barstool.

Jeremy was already introducing us. The crowd seriously had a thing for the Shifters.

“Break a leg,” Fred from Downstairs Octavius said. He was their lead singer, and man, he had pipes.

“You f*****g wish!” I yelled back and he laughed.

My heart stammered as I grabbed the microphone. Just listening to the crowd cheer and soaking it up made me rocketed me to the top of the world again.

The stage manager brought a high chair. I took a seat.

“It’s one of those songs,” I joked and the audience chuckled indulgently. “I’m pouring my heart out, so be gentle.”

The crowed ahhed.

“We love you, Blake!” someone yelled.

“I’m bad news, sweetheart,” I joked to general titters.

Isaac started strumming the guitar. I took another deep breath as the tune picked up, soft as a dove’s wings. The drums and the keyboard joined in. I closed my eyes and started to sing “Never-Breath.”

It was seriously over before it even began, but in that moment, I completely lost myself. My heart, my guts, I poured out my everything.

When the last word was sung, the crowd fell silent. I felt as if I was going to die.

A few seconds later cheers and chants brought the house down. Goosebumps flushed over my skin; it carried on for thirty seconds, a minute, longer.

They absolutely loved it.

“Thank you very much. You’ve been great,” I said and waved at the crowd.

We left as they chanted for more.

“What the f**k was that?” Milly from Two Steps Up asked. “How the hell am I going to beat that?”

“Sorry,” I mouthed.

“I hate going on after you.” She threw a playful fit.

“I told you, Milly, you should’ve stuck with us.”

“Suck my d**k, Isaac,” she joked and disappeared.

Everyone congratulated us. They loved “Never-Breath.” They’d soaked it up.

I was on top of the world again and this time I didn’t need a snort of Fire-Cain to get me there.

I stayed the night at Isaac’s and celebrated. I needed to buy myself a phone with my cut of the prize money we’d won. The rest, well, my mom needed it more than I did.

Isaac had already gotten a few calls from studios wanting to record “Never-Breath.”

I hated when that happened. It was hard to choose. Although the money was good, I would find a way to spend it on bullshit.

But not this time. The house needed it more than I did.

On Monday, I was in Irene’s tower again. More specifically, her bed up in her tower.

She was driving me insane. Our time was limited whenever she summoned me for our sessions.

“Have you decided who you are going to use to record ‘Never-Breath’?”

I shook my head. “I don’t know if I should. The record labels always find a way to screw you over.”

“C’mon, Blake, it can’t be that bad.”

“Shows how little you know about the entertainment business. We need to fix that.” I forced her on her back and kissed the soft flesh of her neck. She smelled great, fresh. It was addictive.

Gazing into those bright blue eyes, I asked, “Why do you never tell me about your past?”

“You never asked.”

“So if I ask you anything you’ll just tell me?”

“I will.”

I squinted. “Okay, how did Tansee die?”

“Long story. One I’ll need a few bottles of gin for before we get into that conversation.”

“You were Dents?”

“No, but after a while it felt like that. She was my everything.”

“Your everything?”

“What, you didn’t know?”

“Know what?” I squinted.

“I’m not just into boys, Blake.” She bent over and kissed my lips softly.

“You like girls too?”

“Oh, women are the best damn lovers one can get.”

“Excuse me?” I felt intimidated.

She laughed. “You are quite impressive yourself, but if you don’t leave soon, I’m afraid someone will find you. Then all this will be over.”

“Yeah? Let them try.”

She laughed just before my lips kissed hers one last time. She took a strand of my hair and played with it. “Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?”

“I’ve heard that one a couple of times,” I joked.

“Well, you are. I can tell you this. If your father finds out, he will literally kill me.”

I squinted. “Why does he hate you so much?”

“Easy. I couldn’t see who was going to betray Al. He lost his rider. He lost everything that night. And he blames me.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“I know, but…” She sighed.

“It’s not your fault.” I kissed her again and that was that. The nail in my coffin. Irene was starting to become more than just a tool to calm the beast.

She was starting to become my everything too.