The song ended. “So, what did you—” Daphne started, but she broke off when she noticed the shininess of Zada’s eyes. “Zades, are you okay?”
“I’m good,” Zada managed. The band was tuning up for the next piece. Zada bounced on her heels. “I’m good, Daphne.”
“Oh.”
Like it was nothing, Daphne threw an arm around Zada’s shoulders, and Zada squeezed her hand. They stayed like that for the next ten songs. Zada closed her eyes, full of music and goodwill for her fellow concertgoers and a sudden, almost disorienting absence of fear.
“You know,” said Daphne into Zada’s ear when the set was over and the applause finally died down, “Aubrey might know something. They have their ear to the ground.”
“What?” Oh, right, the entire purpose of them coming in the first place. “Of course,” said Zada, and they snaked through the crowd to where Aubrey was still sitting at their drums, downing a bottle of water.
“Hey,” said Aubrey when they saw Daphne and Zada. “Zada, I have to admit you’re the last person I’d expect here, but I guess it makes sense.” They nodded to Daphne. “I’ve got another single for you if you want it. Rare. The guitar solo alone will knock your stockings off.”
Zada glanced between the two of them. “Black market recordings?” she guessed.
Aubrey went very still.
“No, no,” said Zada, “if it sounds anything like all of this, I’m very in favor.”
“She’s safe,” said Daphne, and Aubrey seemed to relax.
“It’s what funds our, uh, extracurriculars,” said Aubrey.
“Do you mean the concerts, or something else?” Daphne said. “Care to elaborate, Aubrey?”
Aubrey leveled a drumstick at her. “Full of questions tonight, you two. Why, what do you need? Rowan told me about what you tried to do for Aiden and Flora, by the way. Sorry it didn’t stick.”
“You know Rowan?” said Daphne, eyes wide.
“We’re friendly,” said Aubrey with a shrug.
“So,” said Zada, “how much does that single go for?”
Daphne stared at her. “Don’t worry,” Daphne said at last. “I can spot you.”
“I have access to the wedding funds,” Zada reminded her. “A little bit could go missing. Enough for a song or two, surely.” Zada could barely fathom the words coming out of her mouth, but she couldn’t deny that five minutes at a grotto rock concert had made her feel like a different person. “Besides,” she added, “I want to help. With all of it, I mean. Be of some actual use.”
“No need to break the bank,” said Aubrey. “You’re worth more than any hard cash you choose to contribute. If you’re really in it, I can put in a word to Rowan for you. The underground, such as it is.”
“We have an underground?” said Zada, looking to Daphne for confirmation.
“Don’t ask me,” said Daphne. “I really am usually just here for the music.”
“Seedlings,” Aubrey said, “but they’ll grow. There’s a lot more of us than anyone realizes. Next set is starting up in five. Talk to you after?”
“Sounds good,” said Zada.
“You sure changed your tune,” Daphne said in an undertone as they wound their way back to their spot by the cave mouth. “What happened?”
“I don’t think I can explain it,” said Zada, “but you were right about grotto rock.”
The first song of Hope Springs Nocturnal’s next set was “Keep Calm and Panopticon.” It was an old classic, judging by how many in the crowd threw their fists in the air and sang along with their whole chests. Daphne held one hand over her heart like she was reciting the Founders Creed. Her whole body rocked with the music, seemingly involuntarily.
Zada was doing it again. She was staring too long at Daphne. She wrenched her gaze away, physically turning her head because she didn’t trust her eyes not to trail back to their target. That’s how she noticed him: at the edges of the throng of people, a man on his SmartGem. He was pulling up a map for some reason. It was schematics for the park, she realized. Zada took a few steps back and checked his shoes.
One of her mother’s most enduring complaints about the guard was that even when they were going undercover, they had a hard time giving up their city-issued smart boots. The man’s boots were thick-soled and very shiny.
Trying very hard to seem casual about it, Zada slipped farther back into the crush of people until she was standing next to the stranger. “Get in position,” he was saying.
