The Baritone’s Rival (The Vampire Impresario #2)

12. Oscar

Chapter 12

Oscar

T rent went back into the cabin to put away his weapons and eat his now-cold breakfast. Oscar, on the other hand, had lost his appetite. He stayed out on the porch, leaning forward with his hands against the rail, ruminating.

He hadn’t been lying when he had told Trent he didn’t think they’d been followed. To avoid detection by Freddie and Lillian, as well as by Oscar himself on the road, would be some feat. That’s quite the drive for someone to be tailing them and not reveal themselves.

But still he was uneasy.

“What’s going on?”

Oscar spun around at the question, his claws out and ready to attack…Justin. It was Justin. He relaxed his stance as Justin clopped up the stairs. Oscar took him in. He knew he was a bit of a clothes snob, but surely his friend owned more than just plaid pajama pants. Not the ideal outfit to go walking through the woods in.

“Did something happen?” Justin asked.

Oscar rubbed his eyes with his hand. “Not really, but my senses are on high alert.”

“What?”

Oscar gestured to the lifeless body of the crow on the porch floor. “Bird crashed into the windowpane. It cracked the glass and scared the shit out of us.”

“Oh.” Justin stared at the crow for a moment. “Is that all?”

“We had a visit from the alpha of the Scopan Lake pack. She seemed to think we had visitors. Several of them.”

Justin furrowed his eyebrows. “She was probably just smelling me.”

“That’s what I said, but she wasn’t convinced.”

Justin shrugged. “Well, I’ve traipsed all over, and the only predators I’ve come across were squirrels. No sign of vampires. Or humans, either.”

“Good.” Oscar blew out a stream of air from his lungs, willing his muscles to relax. “I’m being ridiculous.”

Justin stepped toward him. The slim blonde only came up to his chest. He reached out, touching Oscar’s arm.

“It’s a lot. You’re worried about keeping a human safe. You’re a good person.”

Oscar let out a sardonic chuckle. “Thank you. There are quite a few people out there that would disagree with you, but that’s very sweet.”

Justin’s face was open and earnest. “I mean it! You always try to do the right thing. It’s admirable. And very sexy.”

Oscar stepped back. Was Justin flirting with him? That made no sense. Justin was like a little brother to him. He didn’t view the vampire twink like that.

And why didn’t he? He’d never normally let anything get in the way of a good fuck. Friends with benefits were his favorite kinds of friends. What was stopping him from having some fun? Justin was a little thin for Oscar’s taste—he liked them beefy and muscular—but he was still a hottie. What had changed?

Trent. That was the change. Trent was here. Trent was in his life.

No need to think about that now.

“I’m going back inside,” Oscar said, ignoring the flash of disappointment that crossed Justin’s face. “There’s nothing out here.”

“No. I guess not.”

The day passed in a lazy haze, with no more surprises. Oscar spent the time writing and thumbing through classic novels from the tiny bookshelf in the cabin. After a few hours, Justin went back to his room to take a nap. The ability of that vamp to sleep the day away was astonishing.

Sometime in the early evening, Trent grabbed his bag and fished out a big plastic binder full of sheet music. He flipped open to a piece about halfway through, studying the page slowly, his mouth shaping silent words as he ran through the phrasing.

Something about the sight of him made Oscar’s blood race. Trent was meant to sing. Even now, not making a sound, his musical intelligence and passion came through.

“What are you practicing?” Oscar asked.

“An aria from Faust ,” Trent said, his eyes still glued to his binder. “My French piece for the audition.”

“If you want to sing out loud, you can.”

Trent glanced over from his pages. “I don’t have to…”

“I’d…I’d like to listen.” Oscar pulled on his left pointer finger nervously. “If you don’t mind. I know I’m your competition, so if you don’t want to…”

Trent stared at him with an uneasy look, as if he were deciding whether to try an unfamiliar and unappetizing new food. Ultimately, he turned and picked his bag back up, fishing out a small silver pitch pipe. He put it to his lips and sounded his starting note.

Trent made eye contact once with Oscar once again. He looked vulnerable, like he was about to reveal something intensely personal. Oscar was confused. He’d heard Trent sing many times, in class and in concert. Hell, they were working on a damn duet together. Maybe it was just that they were so close in the confines of the cabin, or maybe it was that it was for an audition that Oscar would also be attending.

Whatever the reason, Trent shook off the nervousness with a few quick blinks, stood up, and began to sing.

Avant de quitter ces lieux,

Sol natal de mes a?eux

A toi, seigneur et Roi des cieux

Ma s?ur je confie,

Daigne de tout danger

Toujours, toujours la protéger

Cette s?ur si cherie!

Oscar didn’t know Faust very well, although he had a vague memory that the aria was a prayer of protection for the character’s sister. French was not Oscar’s strong suit. He found the vowels strange and difficult to place. He avoided singing in the language when he could.

For Trent, it was like a native tongue. His rich tone fit the music perfectly, and the sense of line and connection in the melody, the legato , it was gorgeous. As he continued to sing, Oscar leaned in, unwilling to miss a second of it.

Trent’s voice was astonishing. For a man with such a large instrument, everything flowed effortlessly. He tossed off his high notes with an ease that Oscar envied.

But it was more than that. There were few truly unique voices in the world. The true magic came from the marriage of superb musicianship with the singer’s passion, the way they imbued the words with deep meaning. And that is where Trent was a revelation.

As he reached the end of the aria, Oscar’s heart broke as Trent’s plea for his sister’s safety spun off into heaven. The room around them was alive with sound, the pine boards of the cabin themselves vibrating in sympathy with Trent’s desperate prayer.

O Roi des cieux, jette les yeux,

Protège Marguerite, Roi des cieux!

Trent finished the final phrase and a quiet settled over everything. It was fragile and perfect, and Oscar was loath to break it. Trent eventually started to blush at the exposed silence.

“What do you think?” he asked tentatively.

“That was exquisite,” Oscar whispered, not wanting to introduce normal speech into the hushed temple the cabin had become. “I’ve never…I’ve heard you sing before, but this was special.”

“I don’t know…” The lack of confidence in his singing was something Oscar had not seen in Trent before, and it broke his heart.

“I do,” Oscar replied, stepping closer to Trent. “You can borrow my certainty. That aria will show anyone who hears it the beautiful and sensitive artist you are.”

Trent stared into his eyes, and it was clear to Oscar that he was fighting his instinct to reject the praise. Oscar reached out, grabbing both of his arms above the elbows.

“Please believe me, Trent. You are special.”

A creak of a door opening came from off to the side of them, and they broke apart as Justin, now in a different pair of pajama pants, emerged from his bedroom.

“Anyone wanna play cards?”