“Of course it is, loca.” I pull back to meet her eyes. “I'm here, we're in this together. No matter what. Got it?”
She nods, her eyes still glimmering with tears, and the door to the tour bus slams open abruptly. I jump as Sebastian storms inside, dressed all in black, his red eyes almost glowing through the holes in his mask. The air thickens with his presence, and I blink at him, trying to make sense of it.
The power radiating off him is dark, unlike anything I’ve ever felt, and it makes my skin prickle.
“Are you okay, my love?” he asks, shoving between Niki and me and dropping to a knee next to her; he completely ignores my existence. “I knew I shouldn't have left. Don't worry, I won't leave again. I'll cancel this week's shows if I have to.”
“No, no, no.” Niki shakes her head. “I'm fine. Tobias was here. And you're not canceling anything.”
Sebastian scoffs, but it sounds more like a growl. “I'll do whatever I need to to make sure you're safe.” His voice is sharper than normal, but I can’t help but approve; whatever he has to do to keep her safe, he should do.
Concerts and fans be damned.
“How chivalrous of you.” Niki beams at the lead singer. “And I'm glad you say that, because I think it's time to fill Joseline in on everything. We can't keep her in the dark forever. Especially since she saw Tobias transfer energy earlier.”
Transfer energy? Is that what he did?
I expect Sebastian to argue and say I shouldn’t know—the way I’d imagine Tobias would—but his shoulders sag as he sighs. “You're right. She has to know if she’s going to stay.”
“I'm right here,” I interrupt, pointing to myself. “I can hear you.”
Sebastian stands and whirls to face me, his red eyes burning holes through me. The dark energy that followed him into the bus has faded a bit, but there’s still something disturbing about the way his presence seems to fill the entire space. Yeah, he’s broad, but not that big.
“Sit,” he urges, gesturing to the couch, before adding a subtle, “please.”
Rather than argue the way I want, I obey, crashing onto the sofa with my hands folded in my lap. There, I wait expectantly for the grand reveal, the information that’s going to make all this shit make sense.
Sebastian opts to stand in the middle of the bus, between Niki and me. “What I'm about to show you puts us all in grave danger. More than you can possibly fathom,” he explains. “But if my mate trusts you, then so do I.”
Mate?
My eyes bounce between the two of them, mythoughts spinning. When he reaches for his mask, my chest constricts, and I watch, wide-eyed, as he drags off the disguise. Dark gray skin with red tattoos stretching up his nose and around his forehead comes into view. Sharp, angular features, pointed ears, and horns that curl up and back over his head like a halo. Only, instead of the light energy I’d expect an angel to exude, everything about Sebastian feels… demonic.
My stomach knots at the word.
Reality sinks in, and every muscle in my body tenses. It feels like my world has been turned upside down.
“You’re a…” My mouth suddenly goes dry, and I can barely get the last word out. “Demon.”
“Yes,” he answers, tipping his horns slightly in acknowledgment. “An Ennubus, to be exact. We live on the energy of others.”
“Uh huh,” I manage, unable to tear my eyes away from his bizarre features. “You must make a killing at concerts. Hopefully not literally.”
The corner of his mouth lifts in a smirk, and somehow it’s more unnerving than his anonymity had been. “Something like that.”
I force air into my lungs, still struggling to wrap my mind around the truth. This was the last thing I expected, but it somehow makes more sense than drug kingpins or felons.
“And the rest of the band?” I ask, even though I already know the answer.
Sebastian simply nods. “All Ennubi.”
I blink once, twice. Force a breath. Blink again. Myeyes bounce from Sebastian to Niki and back. “You said you live on the energy of others, but Tobias saved Niki.”
“We can drain energy, reduce a being to nothing but dust,” he explains. “But we can also restore it. My bandmates and I have been keeping Niki alive these last several months by feeding her the energy we collect.”
I smile and nod as numbness seeps through my veins, making everything feel like a dream.
Is this a dream?
