Page 2 of Hunger & Harmony

“It’s a little funny,” I reply.

The moment her brow arches further, I stammer.

“I-I mean . . .not that funny, though. You’re right. Total idiot.”

“Hey!” Ezren says, but she lifts a manicured hand to silence him.

“You must be our new PA.”

I flip my strawberry-blonde ponytail over my left shoulder and pull my hand up to salute her.

“Yes, ma’am. Cadence Monroe, reporting for duty!”

Her hands settle onto her hips, her stark white acrylics sharpened like claws.

“I’m Selene, but you already knew that.”

She’s right. Arteria’s bassist and co-manager surely lives up to her infamous ice queen title.

That would be only two out of four members, though. I glance around to confirm it’s just them and me.

Their rehearsal studio is rock royalty heaven. I wouldn’t expect anything less. Despite running their own record label, money is clearly not an object. A vintage mini-bar and black leather seating are to the right, with the rest of the space dedicated to music. The blood-red guitar and onyx drums on the elevated platform are drool-worthy.

“I guess it’s better to be used to Ez’s antics than not,” she says. “Most new hires don’t last a month, let alone the assistants.”

“It’s not my fault,” Ezren defends as he flops onto one of the couches. “If it’s not Ryel being a thorn in your side, watch out for the king’s demands.”

“I’ll be fine!” I say, standing at the far end of the same couch Selene perches on. “I am perfectly qualified and will be the best assistant ever!”

They don’t need to know that my resume is one-hundred percent fabricated. They don’t need to know that I dropped out of college just before entering my final year. They certainly don’t need to know that I’ve never even listened to a full song of theirs. I researched enough to know the basics. What could be so difficult about checking emails and running errands?

“That’s the spirit,” Ezren says before jutting a finger at me. “So, go grab me a drink.”

I nearly short-circuit.

“What . . .I mean, like . . .Where, or . . .?”

“In the fridge, duh.”

Ezren looks at me expectantly. My shoulders relax. At least I don’t have to grab a human or something. As if she read my mind, Selene’s brow hits the ceiling.

“Did you think you’d have to snatch a stranger off the street?”

“I can do my own hunting, thank you very much,” Ezren says, adding a wink for good measure.

Warmth floods my cheeks. Maybe I should’ve brushed up on vampire etiquette.

In my defense, they've only been public for twenty-five years. We’ve barely had internet search engines in that amount of time! It’s not like my parents would’ve ever let me look up the performance that broke everything open, anyway.

“Is that my favorite newbie?”

I turn to the door, my smile returning when I see a familiar face.

“Lo!” I greet her.

Lorelai helped me during the interview process. It was nice to see a human crew member. Even though her gothic style couldn’t be more different from mine—and I swear, her natural hair color must be bubblegum pink—we hit it off instantly.

“Cadie! Oh my god, you made it,” she says as she bounces up to me.