Darkbeam Part I

Chapter 14

We shared a cigarette afterward. The beast was satisfied again. Finally.

I couldn’t believe how lucky I was to get another chance with Irene. She wasn’t the type of woman who gave those out easily. I knew Moon-Bolts, and giving second chances was one of the hardest things for them.

“I need to go.” I pushed myself upright. I swung my legs off her bed and grabbed my boxers from the floor by my feet.

As I pulled them on, her hands traced whorls on my back. Her soft lips caressed my skin. Goosebumps flushed over my body.

I smiled.

“You were right about the girl.” She was resting on one arm, the linen covering her perfect breasts.

“I don’t follow.”

“She’s a great distraction when it comes to Master Longwei, Blake. We’ll need that if you want this relationship to succeed.”

What? Was I hearing her correctly? “You want me to see Tabitha?”

She smiled. “Yes, I guess that would make you the luckiest guy under this sun. Having two girls to do whatever you want with.”

I chuckled disbelievingly. “You’re insane.”

“No, I mean it. He cannot know, Blake. If he thinks you’re dating the Snow Dragon, it’ll be much easier to see one another.”

I squinted.

“She’s going to expect certain things from me, Irene, if I’m going to pretend to be her boyfriend.” I pushed out the hated word.

“Then give it to her. I’m not the jealous type, as long as you promise that you know where you belong.”

The beast liked that. She didn’t say to whom I belonged; she said where. She wasn’t possessive. The fact that this was so forbidden heightened everything times ten.

“Okay, but I swear if you get upset with…”

She lay her finger on my lips and brought her face real close to mine. “I won’t fight.” She kissed my lips while her finger was still there.

This was so hot. She was hot. I wanted more. I growled as I pushed her on the bed and pinned her down again. My boxers disappeared instantly and in a few seconds, I groaned. Pure euphoria.

I finally made my way out of her tower.

Today had been insane. It seemed too good to be true.

Sure, Tabitha was by far the most beautiful girl in school, but not on the school grounds. Irene was way above her.

I entered my room to my Cammy’s light flashing. I had like twenty missed calls from Isaac. I listened to the voicemails. He sounded desperate to get a hold of me. A gig.

I sure could use the money and wouldn’t say no to the high of performing, either.

He picked up on the first ring.

“Hey bud, you looking for me?”

“It’s a big one, some rich kid’s eighteenth at Jimmy’s. The theme is vampires and werewolves, some book or movie that’s the big thing right now.”

“Seriously, vampires?”

“You’re a dragon, I’m sure vampires won’t be that difficult.”

I shook my head.

“Money is really good. What you say?”

“Yeah, sure.”

We said goodbye after he gave me the date: this Friday.

It was nice to be back with Irene. She made me feel less dark. More worth saving. Friday came fast and before I knew it we were getting ready in the VIP section of Jimmy’s club. I knew this pub like the back of my hand, with its booths, small kitchen, the stage, and one mother of a dance floor. We owed a lot to Jimmy; everyone knew us because of him—that and the fact that I was the Rubicon.

“I look like s**t,” I muttered to Isaac, staring at myself in the mirror. My fangs were fake, my clothes were costume-ish, my hair was teased to ridiculous heights.

“You look like Count Dracula mixed with Elvis,” Isaac joked.

“Suck your blood, blah, blah, blah,” I joked. The band laughed. “It’s time.”

We walked out of the VIP room, down the stairs, and onto the stage.

Longbottom’s was packed. The banners that hung on the walls all read “Happy Birthday Lee.” It must be nice to have a rich daddy.

“Are you ready?” My voice boomed over the speakers. They cheered and Isaac counted down with Ty hitting the drums.

The first song burst into life.

We sang about eight, then took a break. My voice wasn’t used to full gigs anymore.

It was nice to finally be back with the band.

We downed a few shots to get our throats all nice and warm.

Then a knock came on the VIP door. Ron, one of Jimmy’s bouncers, opened it.

“Hi.” A guy’s voice.

Ron grunted something.

“I’m Lee, the birthday boy. May I please speak to Blake?”

A weird feeling, almost like déjà vu, crept into my gut. I’d heard that voice before, but I don’t know where.

He walked in. He had stubble on his chin and ruffed-up hair. He extended a hand to me.

I hesitated. Where did I know him from? My memory was great, but this guy was a walking mystery. Yet I got the feeling that I knew him.

“Do I know you?” I asked.

“I don’t think so. This is the first time we’ve met. I’m Lee. It’s my birthday today. Thank you so much for playing, dude.”

“Part of the job,” I said.

“I was wondering if a few of us could, you know, hang with you guys for a few hours.”

“Hang with us?” I repeated.

“Sure,” Ty said. “As long as you bring girls.”

I looked at Ty and then at Isaac.

“Blake?” Isaac asked.

“Fine, whatever.” I took another shot as Isaac chatted with Lee. I knew him from somewhere but I had no idea where. I never forgot a face and this was going to haunt me.

Lee left as our break ended. Time for act two.

I found myself on the back of a yacht. It was a beautiful evening. A warm breeze blew against my face. I felt different. Content, happy... over-the-top happy. s**t, I knew what this was. It was one of those dreams.

She wasn’t here though.

I looked around. A party unfolding. I could hear Ty and Isaac’s voices, even Lucian’s and others I didn’t know.

In the corner of my eyes, I caught a figure.

“Blake.” Lee looked different.

“You shouldn’t have come back. She’s doing great without you.”

She? Without me? What was he talking about? But dream Blake didn’t share these questions; he knew exactly what was going on here.

“And yet she is spending all her time with me.” I sounded so cocky even to my own ears.

The dream faded.

I woke up as the sunlight peeked through the curtains. My dreams couldn’t be where I knew Lee from. That didn’t happen? Did it?

Reality seeped through. Although I didn’t see the redhead at all this most recent dream, I felt achingly lonely. My dreams were so messed up.

Still, last night wasn’t so bad. After the show, we drank a lot and I ended up crashing at Isaac’s.

Missy was sitting next to my bed. I could feel her yellow eyes on me before I even opened mine.

“You know it’s rude to watch people sleep. Creepy too.”

“I really don’t care. You know you’re hot, right?”

I chuckled. That was Missy for you. No filter whatsoever. She was intimidating in a good way. If she hadn’t been Isaac’s sister, it would’ve been a completely different story.

I got up and asked her to hand me the sweater by her feet.

She picked it up and tossed it at me. “My dad made breakfast. Food’s getting cold.”

She left as I pulled my arms into the sweater. I stepped into my jeans and went upstairs to the kitchen.

That dream about Lee still occupied my thoughts. For the love of me I couldn’t place where I knew him from. Maybe Irene would be able to help.

Isaac and Missy’s banter came from the kitchen.

“Good morning Blake,” Yuri, Isaac’s dad, said.

“Morning, sir.”

“Long night, I presume.”

“Hard one.” My voice cracked.

He laughed as Missy handed me a plate. Isaac was frying eggs. Balancing an egg on the spatula, he walked to where I sat and plopped it onto my plate. “Five more?” he asked and chuckled.

I dished up some bacon, hash browns and sausages. Isaac’s dad knew how to serve a mean breakfast. The kind that clogged arteries for sure. The best kind.

We ate as Yuri kept throwing around topics. Only then did I realize how long ago we’d actually talked.

I missed my father. He hadn’t been one for a long time. Would this wedge between us ever disappear?

We finished, washed up, and went back down to Isaac’s room.

He picked up his guitar and strummed it. I smiled. He always played—didn’t matter if it was for fun or for a gig, Isaac always had a guitar in his hands.

He was born to play.

He fell onto a beanbag with the guitar still secure in his arms. “So, have you thought about an album for ‘Never-Breath’?”

I looked at the floor. “Inspiration is dry, Isaac. We have the single. It should do great for a while, don’t you think?”

“The people want an album, Blake. We’ve got three great deals if we can just whip up ten more songs.”

“Whip up? You make it sound as if I just have to drink water, pore over a dictionary, and voila! You have ten new songs.”

Isaac laughed. “Think about it. That’s all I want. We need at least one more album, dude.”

Need. Before what? I got what he was saying, though. Before I became dark.

“Fine, I’ll think about more songs. Speaking of, I actually do have the beginnings of one. It’s called ‘Forever Last.’ I only have a few verses, but if you want to hear it…”

His eyes lit up. “f**k, sure. Hit me.”

I closed my eyes as I tried to arrange my memory to the words I’d written in my journal.

Mind, heart, and soul.

Should be good, pure as gold.

Darkness free was my forecast.

Because I’m evil, I’m fading fast.

I’m forever lost.

I’ll be forever last.

We jammed all morning. Around noon, I left Isaac to tinker with the song. He was in seventh heaven.

Music was his life.

It used to be mine too, but too much bad s**t had replaced it.

I could only imagine what he would think if he knew the truth. How would he look at me if he knew I was a killer? A druggie? I didn’t want to think about it.

I reached the Academy just before nightfall.

I hated the elevators. They were unnatural. I’d taken them once when I was younger and said never again. I’d felt off balance for almost two weeks after. If I really thought about the way they transported people, sure it was magic, but mixed with science too. Science that broke a body up in code, like sending an email, and rebuilt the code on the other side. But the rebuild had its flaws too.

So now, I trusted only the things I could see and feel: my wings.

Tabitha found me in the cafeteria.

I suddenly remembered what Irene said.

“May I?” she asked.

“Sure, it’s a free world—if you don’t count the Wall.”

She smiled. “Getting technical again?”

I gave her a lopsided grin.

“So...” She set her tray filled with salad and steamed fish on the table. “Are you done ignoring me?”

“Ignoring you?” I frowned.

“Yeah, you always do it right after we have sex.”

I felt... not bad. It was weird. “Sorry,” I lied. “I’ve been a bit occupied lately.”

“Does it have to do with my brother?”

I shook my head. “No, it’s me and my shit.”

“Blake, you don’t have that much s**t. But you have something else that is irresistible to a Snow Dragon, that much I know. My mind screams that I should just back off. It even fights with me now.” She pulled a face that made me laugh. “But I can’t. There’s just something about you I can’t stay away from.”

I always knew that she was a bit pathetic, but she’d never been this open with me before.

“So that’s why I keep coming back.” She started eating.

She was a suitable cover-up. “I’m no good for you, Tabitha.”

“Nobody is good for anyone.” She shook her head and scooped another forkful of leafy greens into her mouth.

I huffed. “Okay, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

She stared at me wordlessly for a minute. “What?”

I shrugged. “I can’t seem to lose you, so I’m giving in, if that’s what you want.”

She smiled. “I have to think about it first. Having you as a boyfriend does have more disadvantages than perks, so you don’t mind, do you?” There was that joke in her voice.

“Not at all. I’m not going anywhere.”

“That’s good to know. Cause I’m not going anywhere either.”

I smiled. At least the cover-up was done. It was easier than I thought it would be.