40. Azriel
Ifelt dirty. I wanted to gag just getting the words out because this was sacred. I only uttered them when I meant it. So many people begged me and asked for this and I turned them down. But I could protect a lot of people with this lie.
So, I found Isobel and lied through my teeth about how I wanted her to be my muse. It was just that I felt a certain way about my muses. I had to pretend like I enjoyed the noises she made on her violin and that I wanted to listen to it for inspiration.
This girl had an ego. Harlowe was tuning her violin for her in rehearsal like she was a fetus and had just started learning, and she believed me that I overheard her playing and was inspired.
She didn’t question how I overheard her.
According to Orion, who practically lived in the practice rooms, she was never there.
Isobel gave me the creeps. Once she found out I wasn’t completely gay like she thought, she kept touching me.
There were only a few people I wanted touching me.
Two of them did it every night and the other I was going to have to convince.
I might have to beg, but I was fine with that.
If she was dressed just right, it could be a whole new kink for me.
“If I’m going to be the new violin player for Immortal Nightmare, why are all of you all over the new girl?”
I hadn’t said a fucking thing about inviting her to play with us. Me listening to her was one thing. I didn’t want her anywhere near Misha and Orion had religious objections about listening to people with no talent. He would not be able to control his face. He would give up the whole ruse.
Still, I could work with that.
“It’s just business, baby. Her patron has helped us out a lot. He asked us to look after his investment. That’s all. He liked her subway video, but she’s kind of skittish. We just had to make her feel welcome for a bit.”
Isobel narrowed her eyes at me.
“I heard you’re doing Leif’s ballet with her. That should have been me.”
“Leif asked Orion and Misha to work on his ballet. I didn’t want to be left out, so I offered to do the sets. The subject of his ballet is right up our alley, so we agreed to do it. That’s just business too.”
“I wish she’d just leave. All she does is embarrass me and take what’s mine.”
“Pretty sure you’re stuck with her. Why can’t you just ignore her? Her patron wants her composing and you’re in performance. You probably won’t interact much. She didn’t ask to be Klaus’s assistant. No sane person would do that.”
I heard Klaus stories from Orion before I ever saw him in action at rehearsal. I’d been called a madman by more than one person, but I wasn’t that obvious and I never took it out on someone who didn’t deserve it.
“I’ve been dealing with Klaus all semester. He hated her at first, but he doesn’t anymore.”
Yeah, Harlowe had that effect on madmen. If only Isobel would get with the program. I wasn’t getting any bunny boiling vibes from her, but Dante was glaring at me pretty hard. Tell her you love her and offer to make her famous, or sit down, bro. No one was a mind reader.
I just shrugged.
“She’s not intentionally doing any of this to you. Leif saw her viral video and asked her to compose his ballet. Klaus is the one making issues at rehearsal.”
“Yes, she is. She doesn’t have to do or say anything when Klaus opens his mouth.”
Yes, she did. For the good of the show. I wasn’t going to breathe a word about Klaus trying to get Isobel replaced for the performance.
“What are you going to do about it, Muse?”
“I had some ideas, but Dante talked me out of them. He said he could get rid of her in a way no one got in trouble for it. I don’t know what he has planned, but he’s working on it.”
What the fuck, Dante? The girl you like is practically hopping on my dick and you’re plotting to get an innocent girl kicked out of grad school?
Awesome. At least we knew Isobel wasn’t going to be lurking in dark corners with roofies and a melon baller and she wasn’t going to destroy Harlowe’s violin.
Now, we had to look into Dante.