Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

HENDRIX

"Hen, you ready?"

"In a minute."

I knew they were getting antsy. They were before every gig. But I started every gig the same way. I took slow deep breaths, mindful of each muscle and coaxing it to relax. Some guys smoked, some drank, I meditated. It worked for me.

"Is he ready?"

"No. He's doing that thing again."

"Ugh. We're gonna be late."

I ignored my bandmates. If they wanted me to sing well, then they had to let me get ready. It wasn't like we were world famous. We might be more popular in the Other Realm, but in the human realm, we were more of a novelty than a claim to fame. Over time, we hoped to change that. Every gig counted. Which meant I didn't change my routine for anyone.

Sometimes it was frustrating that we were starting over from scratch. We still did gigs now and then in the Other Realm, but with most of our usual attendees crossing over during the integration, it isn't the same anymore. We figured we'd try again out here, but it was harder than I thought it was going to be. I almost wanted to quit once in a while. I just couldn't stand the thought of doing anything else.

Pushing those depressing thoughts away, I focused again on my breathing. Once my body and mind were relaxed, I opened my eyes. Like I expected, my bandmates hovered around the door, all staring at me. I lifted an eyebrow accusingly.

"You know, it would go a lot faster if I wasn't distracted."

Ruby rolled her eyes. "No, it wouldn't. You drag it out on purpose."

I sighed. They were so impatient. "I don't know what to tell you. It takes–"

"... as long as it takes," they all chorused together.

"We know," Duncan finished, with an exasperated look.

I grinned. "If you know, then why do you insist on interrupting me?"

"Because you look like a tool."

"Feeling the love tonight, guys." My eyes narrowed. "Wait, where's Zion?"

Laz shook his head. "Don't think he's making it tonight. I can't get ahold of him."

"Again?" I didn't know why I was surprised. Zion thought he was a big shot and only showed up when he wanted to. He was lucky I could cover him on lead guitar because otherwise we'd be screwed. I had to get creative with the claws, but I learned to deal with that a long time ago. The band had talked more than once about booting him, but I hesitated to pull the trigger without a replacement.

"Did you actually expect him to show?" Ruby drawled. "Can we just go now? The crowd could dwindle if we don't hurry."

Our presence had no effect on the crowd. Not yet anyway. Our band, Children of Myth, was still getting its bearings in the human realm. We took every gig we could get and didn't complain about anything. Time slot, dressing room state, nothing. Not until we made it big.

Tonight's gig wasn't the worst. The dressing room was clean and the time slot was decent. Eleven was a little late for a decent crowd, and most people came to see the show before us, but when I finally stepped on stage, there was a good amount of people still hanging around. Enough to get my blood pumping. I loved this part. The adrenaline, the thrill. It was like your first flight all over again. A dash of nerves, an insane amount of excitement, and the thrill of finally getting off the ground. It was worth every bad gig and disappointing payday. It was all worth it.

The warmth of the stage lights settled on my skin, hiding the crowd that wasn't right by the stage. It did nothing to block out the feeling of eyes on me, the swell of interest as people gathered closer to watch.

"Let's do this."

Heart still pumping wildly, I lifted my hand to the crowd. "Thank you! Good night!"

Their cheers warmed my soul, and we were all smiles as we headed off stage. Duncan was practically bouncing, a huge beaming grin on his face.

"That was a good night. Right? Good crowd."

I nodded, ruffling his hair. He was the youngest, and I loved his exuberance. "Yeah. They were into it. We did good. Well done, guys."

Laz clapped my shoulder, squeezing once. "You too. I know it's harder when you take on Zion's role too, but you were great tonight. Not one missed note."

I chuckled. When I first started learning music, that had been almost impossible for me. Doing two things at once wasn't my strong suit. But after years of practice, I was better at it now. I still struggled sometimes, which was why we had Zion in the first place, but I'd do in a pinch.

"Thanks, man. I'm gonna get a drink. Anyone else?"

Most of them shook their heads. Unlike me, they had actual day jobs. I was the only one living the starving artist lifestyle. I raised my eyebrow at Ruby, who hadn't acknowledged me yet.

"You down, R?"

She pursed her lips, frowning at her phone before tossing it aside. "Yeah. I need to feed and my usual feeder just canceled on me."

I grimaced. Vampires were barely better treated than demons were in this realm. Finding a decent feeder was hard. I understood that life events came up, but Ruby only had the one feeder. If they ditched out, she didn't eat.

"If you need someone to supplement, you know you can ask any of us," I offered.

She made a face. "No offense, but that's not going to happen."

I snickered. There was a level of intimacy involved with vampire feedings, but she was my friend and I didn't want her starving. After the other guys headed out, I stopped her from following, leveling her with a look.

"I'm not gonna push, but I am going to make sure you heard me. If you need help, tell me. We can close our eyes and pretend we're with someone else. It's better than you starving yourself."

Her usual scowl softened, and she sighed. "I know. I'm not there yet, but I appreciate the offer. I'll have a few drinks, scope out any potentials, and get back to you."

Nodding, I tossed my arm over her shoulder, my guitar slung over my back as we headed to the bar. Ruby and I had been friends since we were teens, and I never wanted her to suffer. We toyed with the idea of a relationship when we were younger, but while we were great friends and bandmates, the spark wasn't there. We agreed to stay friends and when I started this band, she was the first person I asked to join me.

Setting my guitar protectively between the bar and my feet, I lifted my chin at the bartender. "Hey, Maya. Two beers, please."

She nodded to acknowledge us, grabbing our drinks when she had a spare minute. Sliding them in front of us, she offered us a smile.

"Nice show tonight."

"Appreciate it." I handed her some cash, leaning my forearms on the bar top. "How'd the crowd look?"

She pursed her lips thoughtfully. "Decent. Interested. I heard a few people ask your name and at least two were looking you up on their phones while I got them drinks."

That made me smile. Each fan counted, and I loved that we even snagged one person's attention. When Maya got us this gig, I had my reservations. The club she worked at was nice, but not our usual kind of venue. It was a little higher class than I was used to. I came here with the guys for drinks, but I never thought about playing here. But they had a drop out in their line up last minute and when Maya offered it to me, I couldn't say no. I was glad we did.

"So what am I gonna have to do to appropriately thank you for doing this?"

She raised an eyebrow, a teasing grin pulling at her lips. "You know what I want, Hen."

I made a face. "We don't play weddings. Pick something else."

She laughed, her eyes dancing with amusement. I loved her and her fiancee, Isla, but we were a rock band, not a wedding band. I shuddered at the thought of playing sappy love songs all night.

"Well, we're willing to pay. So when you become desperate enough, let us know."

Ruby had been busy scanning the crowd, but she turned around at the word ‘pay'. "Hold up. What are we talking about?"

Maya gestured to me with a tip of her head. "We asked if you guys would play at our wedding. Mr. Big Shot over here thinks he's too good to do weddings."

Ruby scowled at me. "We aren't in a position to turn down gigs, Hen. How much are we talking about, exactly?"

"We offered two thousand," Maya replied. "We know wedding bands usually ask for more, but it's all we can afford. Weddings are stupid expensive."

Ruby's eyes widened, and she shot me an incredulous look. "And you said no?!"

Oh great. I could see where this was going. I shot Maya a dirty look before trying to reason with Ruby.

"It's not our style. Our songs aren't wedding appropriate and you know I hate covers. I–"

She waved her hands, her face a mask of irritation. "Stow it. You might be the leader, but this is a decision we make together. And I know the guys will be on board with that kind of money." She turned to Maya. "We'll do it. Give us a time and place. We'll be there."

Maya beamed, elated, while I sank in on myself. This was why I didn't bring it up to them. I knew they'd want to do it. It just felt like another gigantic step down from where we'd come from in the Other Realm.

Maya patted my shoulder, doing her best to hide the joy on her face. "Cheer up. This isn't one of those fancy weddings with cheesy music. You know Isla and I aren't those kinds of people. We want to have fun. And I'm sure Isla will have more than one of your songs on request. She loves you guys."

It settled me a little and I let out a slow breath. "Yeah, alright. Just keep the torment to a minimum. They only have to play the music. I'm the one who has to say the stupid words."

That made her cackle, but I found less joy in it. Oh, how the mighty have fallen. I needed to do everything in my power to make sure my dad and my uncle never found out. I'd never hear the end of it.