3. Overture
Christy
I’d dreamed about two ghosts last night.
Not one. But two.
“Christy? What’s wrong?”
I jumped as my friend touched my shoulder, startled out of my daze. The dressing room was full of chaos, and the mirror in front of me reflected the circus. I’d grown so used to it—the bustle of costume fittings, hair being fixed, makeup touchups, and performer’s egos blowing up.
Lisa sat down on a stool next to me with a frown. When I looked at her, though, I could have sworn the shape of her pupils were diamonds.
“Lisa,” I whispered, staring at her. “Am I losing my mind? That cafe. The one you took me to. What is that place? Yesterday, my date was a disaster.”
“It was?” Her brows shot up, her face flickering. I blinked, and her pupils appeared to be normal. “That’s surprising. The Barista never fails.”
“He wasn’t even there,” I scoffed, picking up my curling iron. I wrapped a strand of hair around the heated bar, meeting my friend’s gaze through the mirror. “And then, I was humiliated in front of an entire cafe.”
Lisa scowled. “That is so . . . odd. Does this mean he didn’t . . . Oh.” She winced and leaned forward, dragging her chair closer. “My darling friend. Do you trust me?”
“Of course,” I said. “We’ve been friends for years. I trust you more than I trust my own family.”
Her eyes softened, and once again . . . Diamonds. And her face . . .
I put the curling iron down and spun in my chair to face her. To really look at her.
Lisa was beautiful. She had long, curling blonde hair that she often wore pulled back into a sleek braid. Grassy green eyes, tan skin, countless freckles. I knew every line of my friend’s perfect face—and something was different.
“Did you see anything odd at the cafe?” she asked patiently.
I heard the stage manager’s voice echo through the back rooms. I swallowed hard, choosing to ignore it. It didn’t matter that we were at rehearsal, this was important.
I trusted her. I trusted her with whatever was happening to me.
“Yes,” I said under my breath, my eyes darting around nervously. I didn’t want anyone to overhear us. “I saw things. I don’t know how to describe them.”
“Did you see . . . monsters?”
My heart pounded in my chest, but I gave a silent nod.
“We are real,” Lisa whispered gently. She reached over, her hand closing over mine.
It was only then that I realized my friend had claws.
Shock rattled me. “You’re a monster.”
“Yes. I’m a harpy,” Lisa said. “I use a human glamour to blend in with this world. I work every day, live a normal life, but that life is supernatural. Filled with magic and spells and other creatures too.”
“But . . .”
I was having a difficult time wrapping my mind around this.
But Lisa would never lie to me, and I could see her claws now.
I stared at them, then slowly let my attention lift to her face.
In place of her blonde hair, there were now feathers.
Countless golden feathers that cascaded down the back of her head.
Wings sprouted from her shoulders. Her ears were pointed, and her frame petite.
She was beautiful. Absolutely gorgeous, even more so than she was as a human.
My eyes filled with tears. “Oh.” This was real. This was really happening. “Why did you never tell me?”
Lisa let out a soft sniffle, her shoulders relaxing. “Truthfully, I feared your reaction.”
“No,” I said, shaking my head. “Oh my gods. Wait. So—”
“Christy!”
I jumped as Jon poked his head around the corner. The creepy stage manager always made my skin crawl, but I was paid good money for the work I did here so I still showed up to rehearsals.
“What are you doing?” he demanded. “Why aren’t you fully dressed? We need you ready and in the wings, now. Lisa, help her, and get her up to the stage.”
“Yes, sir,” Lisa said, her voice hardly hiding her disdain.
Truthfully, neither of us liked him.
He left us, and I blew out a breath. Lisa stood up, turning my chair and meeting my gaze in the mirror. She smiled, and I smiled back because now I could truly see her.
“We’ll talk after we secure our paychecks, okay?”
“Yes,” I said. “Can we make time for dinner together?”
“Of course,” she said. “Now let’s get you ready.”
* * *
The waiter poured us glasses of champagne and I sank back in the velvet chair, trying to stifle a giggle.
When Lisa lowered her human glamour, she’d opened up a whole new world for me.
Everywhere I looked, I saw them. Monsters.
Creatures. All blending into the world. And it was wild how humans just naturally moved around them.
Like Lisa’s wings. Everyone naturally gave her space, and honestly, I’d always just assumed that was because of the vibe she gave off. When we first started working together, she’d intimidated me with how serious she could be. But once I got to know her, she became the warmest person I’d ever met.
“So now you know the truth,” Lisa said with a fanged grin.
I shook my head and lifted the flute of bubbling brut. “Now I know. I can’t believe this. My head is still spinning. I would have thought Jon was a monster, but no. Turns out Jack, our sound guy, is a minotaur.”
Lisa laughed, turning heads in the room.
A couple of men stared at her a little longer, lust painting their faces.
We were in one of my favorite upscale restaurants downtown.
Chandeliers glittered, alcohol was abundant, and everyone was dressed to the nines.
We’d decided to splurge given how hellish rehearsal had been.
Jon was a dick, and there’d been countless issues that had sprung up, including one of the tenors trying to sing through his cold.
He was sent home after being yelled at in front of everyone by Jon.
But, at least now I was having a delicious meal with my best friend.
“I’m very glad you can now see through the glamours,” she sighed happily. “I’ve been wanting to show you for so long, but it can be very difficult sometimes.”
We clinked our glasses together and I asked her a million questions.
Possibly even a million and one. Why can’t all humans see monsters?
How does magic work? How many types of monsters are there?
How many humans have fallen in love with monsters?
Is this why there are so many romance books with horned heroes?
“That’s the whole reason I introduced you to the Barista,” Lisa said. “Well, so, here’s the thing. The Barista is famous. He’s a grumpy asshole, but he’s helped so many monsters find their fated mate.”
“Fated mate,” I echoed, thinking about what Bell had said yesterday at the coffee shop. “Wait, I’ve heard that term. What does it mean?”
“It’s like finding the one. Or more than one, for some people,” she said. “The person you’re meant to fall in love with. Who will help you get your own happy ending.”
I took a sip of champagne, mulling it over. Was love really that easy? “It almost sounds too good to be true.”
“But it’s not.” Lisa propped her chin up in her hand.
“I’ve seen it so many times, honestly. Monsters and humans falling in love and creating a beautiful life.
I’m a little envious at times, but I don’t think I’m ready yet.
I like being single.” She turned her head, offering a man across the room a sharp smile.
“Oh my,” I chuckled. “So does this mean . . . Oh shit, I just realized I ran out on my date yesterday.”
Lisa winced, refocusing on me. “Well, that sucks, but it’s not your fault. Really it’s on the Barista. He reached out to me, you know. Asked for you specifically. Said there were two monsters who wanted you.”
My ears rang as I stared at her. “What . . . what kind of monster?”
“Phantoms.”
Oh.
Wait.
The ghosts in my dreams. Or, phantoms. “Is there a difference between ghosts and phantoms?”
“Yes. Ghosts are the remnants of human souls who have passed. A little uncommon. Phantoms are monsters. They are like ghosts in many ways, but they are their own creature. Many have multiple forms, too.” She smirked. I had no idea what she meant by that, though. Multiple forms?
Phantoms. Phantoms had asked for me. Could that mean . . .
No, there was no way. Also that would mean they were stalking me, right? Which would be creepy. My throat tightened as I remembered my dream last night, cheeks flushing hot.
What if those hadn’t been dreams?
“I’m sure their feelings were hurt, but I don’t think it would affect anything if you wanted to try again. You don’t have to, of course.”
I frowned, thinking about how awful I’d been. “I’m embarrassed,” I said. “I was also rude to the guy working there. Bell. I feel so bad.”
“Don’t feel too bad about that. Bell could use some ego bruising every now and then. The man is a whore.”
My mouth dropped with a shocked gasp, and Lisa started laughing again, her eyes sparkling with amusement. This was a new side of her, and I loved it.
“What? It’s true. I don’t think his family knows, but he’s slept with so many people. I mean to a point where he’s starting to make a name for himself in kink clubs.”
“I mean . . . is he any good?” I asked.
She smirked. “Oh yeah. He’s got monster stamina and the face of an angel.”
“Lisa. Don’t tell me you’ve slept with him.”
“I have.” She took a demure sip of her drink. “Never mind that I’m fifty years his senior.”
“Lisa!” I squealed, slapping my hand over my mouth as she cackled.
“Oh yes, so that’s the other thing. A lot of monsters are old. Our lifespans are very different.”
“How old are you?”
“Only seventy-seven.”
“Seventy-seven?!”
Lisa laughed and leaned back as the waiter brought our food and a fresh basket of soft rolls with a small plate of butter. Tiny edible flowers decorated the spread, and I shook my head as I used a knife to slather a roll.
“Seventy-seven,” I echoed in disbelief. “I can’t imagine it. Do you ever get bored?”
“No, never. I love life.” She placed her napkin in her lap and shrugged her wings. “I think it is beautiful. I have wonderful friends. This era, despite the tragedies our world endures, has so much charm and ingenuity and hope. Much better than it used to be.”
She had a point. I took a bite of bread and sighed happily, looking down at my pasta and salad. I was going to devour all of it.
“I’m very happy to have you as a friend,” I said.
Lisa’s eyes glistened with tears and she blotted them away before her mascara could run. “I’m very happy to have you as a friend too, Christy.”
The rest of our dinner flew by and by the time I was walking home, I felt as though I was living in a new world. I still had so many questions, which Lisa promised to answer as I thought of them.
I also felt like I owed Bell an apology. But also oh my god, I couldn’t believe Lisa had slept with him. I mean, I could see why. I had eyes. But still, I never would have guessed he was her type.
Well, now that I thought about it, she loved men who looked like they had secrets. And Bell? He had secret stamped on his forehead.
My keys jingled as I went up the stairs, all the way to the third floor. This building was old and it annoyed me that we didn’t have an elevator, but the price was worth it. Plus, I was close to everything I needed.
With a sigh, I unlocked my door and stepped inside, dropping my bags and kicking off my shoes.
“Fuck. Fuck, Erik. On her bed?”
“I want to fuck you straight through her mattress.”
My heart lurched in my chest. Someone was in my apartment. I reached for the bat I kept by the front door, gripping the cold metal as I tiptoed across the squeaky hardwoods.
I came to the doorway and froze.
Holy shit.
I sure could see monsters now. I could especially see the two right in front of me.
And they were fucking in my bed.