Did she say she liked all the challenges of being a band manager?She shook her head as she set her tablet down and started yanking up the taped-down cords on the stage.She must have been high when she thought that.
“Well, if you lose your wings, I promise I’ll use my magic to fix your clothes,” Zara said.
“Wow,” Skye said, deadpan.“Thanks.”
“I’m a good friend like that.”
“A good friend would help me figure out how to get this damn bargain to work.”
Zara tapped her finger on her lips as Skye started dragging an amp into the correct position.“And you still won’t ask Laurie?”
“Absolutely not.”
“Skye?”Ollie said, his voice strained.
He, Liam, and West trudged up to the stage.She forgot about the misplaced amp as she took in their downtrodden faces.
Liam focused on Zara.“Hi there.”He grabbed at his shirt, smoothing it out.His smile was tight, like he was trying to pull out his usual charm, but the spark was missing.
Zara just smiled and extended the back of her hand for Liam to kiss.“Zara,” she said.“What’s your name, handsome?”
Skye cleared her throat pointedly, but Zara ignored her.
“Liam,” he answered.“And while I’d love to kiss your hand, along with every single inch of your body”—Zara giggled—“I’m sick.”
Skye’s annoyance with Zara was smothered by the new issue.“What?”
West grimaced.His face was pale.“I think we caught the flu or something.Ollie’s been puking his guts out.Liam and I are a little dizzy.”
“Like you’re hungover?”Skye asked, hopeful.Hangovers she could deal with.She’d get them to guzzle water, shove a few burritos down their throats, and get them on one of those IV drips.
“We didn’t party last night,” Liam said.“But don’t worry.The show will go on.”He winced and grabbed his stomach.“Just need a couple of puke buckets on standby.”
“Where’s Remi?”Skye asked.
“I don’t know.He was still sleeping on the bus when I got up,” Ollie said.
“Alright,” Skye said.“Zara, I need you to go to the pharmacy.Get every stomach bug medicine you can find.Anti-nausea, everything.I’m going to find our singer.”
Zara grabbed Skye’s arm.“I could just compel them not to be sick,” she whispered.“It would probably only work for an hour, but that’d get them through the show?”
“Demon magic won’t work on West since he’s—” Skye’s head jutted back.“Wait.You’d do that?Use your magic to help me?”Zara would have to drain herself of demon magic to compel two grown men into not feeling sick.
She shrugged.“Yeah, sure.I want to see my new boyfriends play without hurling.”
Skye gave her wide, stern eyes.
Zara put her palms up in faux-innocence.“Kidding.Kidding.Sorta.”She smiled.“Come on, let me help.You’re having all the fun.I just want to be involved.”
“None of this is fun, but…” Skye sighed and then nodded.“Yes.Okay.They don’t go on until nine.”
Zara nodded.“I’ll get medicine for West.He seems the least sick of them all.”
“You three go wait in the dressing room,” Skye said to the band.“I’ll send someone in there to keep an eye on you.”
They nodded.West curled an arm around Ollie’s torso to help him walk.Liam shuffled behind.
As the band disappeared into the dressing room, a metal door crashed against the wall.
