Chapter 17

17

" T hat was some damn fine acting," Jabril clapped Rory on the shoulder, not noticing his flinch. "Your terror was so believable, even I got scared. The audience will eat this up."

They'd shot the scene in one take, and we were all expected to be in the next. Ali's eyes narrowed as he scanned Rory's pinched face, then glanced at me. I avoided his gaze. Not ready to discuss what happened to us earlier. Or the coin. He'd called it magical. I'd thought he'd been joking. Now, not so sure. I'd need to talk to him later, but it wasn't the time. I pulled Rory over and tucked him against me, needing the contact.

Jabril looked around, scowling. "Where the hell's Hatcher?"

We all shrugged. Hadn't seen him and I was relieved. Too raw to have him poking my tender spots today.

Jabril repeated himself, his volume booming this time, calling for Hyde.

Two young men—the blond who'd been at the bar and a brunette—I recognized as part of Hyde's entourage stepped forward. The blond glared at me before saying, "He won't be on set today, Mr. Jabril. He's sick. Laryngitis. From working in the rain, probably." The guy kept his voice meek, but the glint in his eye didn't fool any of us. Talk about a power move on Hyde's part. Wow, first the photos, and now basically giving Jabril and the producers the middle finger.

Jabril turned a very unflattering shade of red. "That fuck . . ." He sucked in a harsh breath, blew it out in a stream. Repeated the gesture a few times until his color returned to near normal. "Let Mr. Hatcher know the second director will be down with a doctor to make sure he's going to be okay. I'll be by later as well. Can't have the talent thinking I don't care." The disdain with which he said ‘talent' made it clear he didn't think Hyde had any.

The other guy nodded and turned to leave.

"You're both dismissed." Jabril waved for the blond to follow his friend.

The guy stiffened. "I'm to remain here so I can keep Mr. Hatcher updated on the goings on."

"I'll bet," Jabril said, baring his teeth. They looked surprisingly sharp. "No, not on my set, you don't. If Mr. Hatcher can't make it in person, he'll have to catch up once he's back. Besides, he shouldn't be bothered with trivial matters like his job when he has a sore throat." Jabril waved at another production assistant. "See these two back to Mr. Hatcher's cabin, please, and alert security that no member of his team is allowed on set until he returns from sick leave."

The blond gawked, though didn't fight when led away.

Kade had been absent during this exchange, but he broke away from a conversation he was having with one of the camera operators and joined us. He scanned my face, the same narrow-eyed gaze Ali had used to appraise Rory, now focused on me. He prowled toward me when Jabril stepped between us.

"We need to talk."

"Can it wait? I need some water and want to—" Kade began.

"No." Jabril crossed his arms, his scowl deepening.

Kade shot me an apologetic glance, letting Jabril lead him away. Jabril gestured wildly as they walked and tugged at his hair. Kade leaned in, nodding. They hopped onto the ski lift and went back down the mountain.

"Well, well, the plot thickens, darlings." Alistair smirked. "I suspect Hyde is going to find he's not as indispensable as he once thought."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." I filled them in on Kade's hypothesis about the timing of the released photos.

"Shit, that was a clever play." Poppy tapped a nail against her chin. "I wouldn't have thought he'd be that bright."

"I know, right?" I groaned. "And now that he's claiming to be sick, it's going to cost the production time and money."

"They'll have to bring in another backer." Ali sighed. Even that looked creepy, with all his makeup and modifications. "From what I've heard, they're maxed out, and already dangerously over-budget."

"Let's just hope they find someone fast." Rory rubbed his forehead. "We deserve a little good news."

We did. But when an assistant came around with sandwiches and bottled water, I covertly tugged the coin from my pocket and gave it a flip.

Raven.

Shit.

Kade and Jabril returned together an hour and a half later, Jabril looking pleased, while Kade seemed tense. He didn't meet my eyes, instead opting to pull Poppy into a conversation about the next scene.

We'd pulled some folding chairs around in a semi-circle, with me on an end. Ali and Rory were trading lines from some old movie they both loved, and I'd tuned everyone out, trying to process my day and everything the future might hold. I should ask Ali about the coin, but I didn't want to do it in front of everyone. Did magic really exist? Didn't seem possible, though lots of weird things kept happening on the set, and I needed some answers soon.

"Summers, I'd like to talk to you. Walk with me for a moment." Jabril motioned for me to stand.

I pushed to my feet, my body stiff from my earlier feat on the lift. We walked a little way apart from the group.

"Yes, Mr. Jabril?"

"I had a lovely talk with your agent today. We've amended your contract, and I'll need you to sign off on it. You should have an email from her with the new contract."

"Amended my contract?" I didn't understand. "Did I do something wrong?"

"Quite the opposite. I'm impressed with your work, and I want you to take a larger role. Especially with Hatcher down for the count. You'll stand in for him."

"Like a body double?" We were of similar size, though he carried a bit more bulk. Still, easy enough to disguise.

"No, you'll film his role. Depending on what happens with his . . . illness, we may need to make some changes to the cast. It's likely just precautionary. Besides, we purposely gave you the same hair, so a lot happens without a clear shot of the face, and we can dub in his lines if necessary."

I squinted like that would make his words clearer. "How would that work? His wardrobe won't fit me the same—"

"I've arranged for that." He unclipped a walkie-talkie from his belt and spoke into it. A moment later, someone from wardrobe arrived with a replica of Hyde's outfit. "It's your size."

How did they just happen to have one in my size? "But—"

"Here." He shoved some papers in my hand. "This is the script for the next scene. Read it over and we'll get filming."

Read it? I-I couldn't. Oh, shit, shit, shit.

"McMahon! Come read lines with Summers. Get him up to speed. Walk him through it." Jabril turned to the set costumer. "He'll be ready in 15. See if you can work with makeup to prep him as fast as possible."

I stood frozen like a deer in the headlights. No way this could work. He didn't even ask whether I wanted to do this. "I'm not so sure—"

"Everyone has jitters the first time they take on a leading role. Don't worry, kid, you'll do great." He patted my shoulder and stalked off, the distinct clip-clop present as always.

Rory hurried over. "What does he mean, go over your lines?"

I quickly explained, trying my best not to hyperventilate.

"Let me see the script." He took it and scanned it. "Oh, this won't be a problem for you. But we need to check your email first and sign off on the amendment. I'll help you. No one will know."

"I'm not leading man material. You know this. I can't pull it off. Hyde's coming back, right?" Can't believe I was hoping the asshole would stride onto set and take his place.

"I'm sure he is." Rory ran a soothing hand over my hair. "Jabril's being smart by having a backup plan. You'd be a fantastic choice, and I'll help you so no one has to know."

"I've seen how they make changes on the fly. It hasn't affected my role much, but Hyde has a lot more lines. What if—"

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there. I promise, it will be okay. You just need to believe in yourself. You've got this."

Right. After all, what could go wrong?