Chapter 10
Joseline
Our eyes meet, and Niki shoves down the kickstand of the recliner, attempting to wiggle her way out of the chair.
“No, no, you stay right there!” I jab a finger at her, terrified she’ll drop to the floor and I’ll be chasing after Tobias again. Not gonna happen. Not on my watch. “You’re not moving until Sebastian gets here.”
She glowers and leans back without breaking eye contact. “I told you, I’m f—”
“Don’t you dare say you’re fine, Nik,” I cut her off pointedly, my jaw tensing. “I’ve tried to be supportive, tried not to judge or say anything, but you’re clearly keeping secrets, and it’s more than just your boyfriend’s identity.”
Tense silence fills the tour bus, but I’m not backing down. I basically put my entire life on hold to come here and help Niki until the baby is born. The least I deserve is honesty, especially if her life is on the line.
I could tell her that—I should tell her that—but I don’t want to fight. I don’t want her getting defensive and upset, because that’s not going to solve anything. It’s certainly not good for the baby.
I just want her to tell me the truth.
“Jos, it’s super complicated,” she starts slowly.
“And the main reason I haven’t told you is for your protection, I swear.
But I also wanted to pretend for a little while that…
that things were semi-normal. That they aren’t…
what they are.” Her bottom lip wobbles, but just as quickly her expression hardens.
“But things aren’t normal; not even close. ”
“You don’t say? I thought you were dying, Niki.” I glare at her. “I thought my best friend was a goner, but then some asshole I can’t stand comes and prays over you, and all of a sudden you’re better.”
“He didn’t pray.” Her tone is far too calm for my liking.
How can she act like nothing happened? Like I didn’t run to find Tobias, like he didn’t kneel before her cryptically and fix her with a single touch. Like I didn’t just watch something magical.
“I’ll understand if you want to walk away without knowing, Jos,” she says, her blue eyes misting over.
My chest tightens, knowing that if she cries, I’m going to cry.
I might be a bitch, but I’m forever a sympathy crier.
“It’s a lot. A lot of secrets, a lot of precautions, a lot…
and if you don’t want to know, if you’d rather just leave so you don’t have to share the burden, I get it. ”
A rogue tear slips down her cheek, and she wipes it away hastily.
“I’m not going anywhere,” I assure her, moving to sit on the couch across from her. “I’ve always been in your corner, you know that. I’m not just gonna—”
She shakes her head sharply to cut me off. “You don’t understand. If you stay, if I tell you what’s really going on, you can never escape it. The information will haunt you forever, and you’ll be sworn to secrecy for the rest of your life. It’s fair for you to have the choice…”
The hair on the back of my neck prickled at her words.
Forever.
What the hell kind of secrets is she hiding? Who are these rockstars she’s found herself stuck with? Why can’t she ever escape?
And why the hell does she think I’ll leave her to deal with it alone?
Whatever she’s gotten herself caught up in, whatever mysterious wizard fuckery just saved her life, I can handle it. It clearly can’t be that bad, not if it’s keeping her safe and well.
“It’s cute that you think I’d just leave you here, Niki.” I lean back on the couch, trying to appear calm despite the bubble of nervous excitement swelling inside me.
This is the secret that will answer everything, and I’m ready.
“I’m serious.” Her bottom lip wobbles, but she catches it between her teeth.
“It’s so much to ask you to keep these secrets, but I can’t do this without you.
No one else on the planet can know, but I trust you with my life, Jos.
I trust you with this baby. I just… I just want you to be sure that this is where you want to be. ”
This time, I shove off the couch and cross to the recliner. Leaning down, I hug Niki into my chest and squeeze her.
“Of course it is, loca.” I pull back to meet her eyes. “I'm here, we're in this together. No matter what. Got it?”
She nods, her eyes still glimmering with tears, and the door to the tour bus slams open abruptly. I jump as Sebastian storms inside, dressed all in black, his red eyes almost glowing through the holes in his mask. The air thickens with his presence, and I blink at him, trying to make sense of it.
The power radiating off him is dark, unlike anything I’ve ever felt, and it makes my skin prickle.
“Are you okay, my love?” he asks, shoving between Niki and me and dropping to a knee next to her; he completely ignores my existence. “I knew I shouldn't have left. Don't worry, I won't leave again. I'll cancel this week's shows if I have to.”
“No, no, no.” Niki shakes her head. “I'm fine. Tobias was here. And you're not canceling anything.”
Sebastian scoffs, but it sounds more like a growl. “I'll do whatever I need to to make sure you're safe.” His voice is sharper than normal, but I can’t help but approve; whatever he has to do to keep her safe, he should do.
Concerts and fans be damned.
“How chivalrous of you.” Niki beams at the lead singer. “And I'm glad you say that, because I think it's time to fill Joseline in on everything. We can't keep her in the dark forever. Especially since she saw Tobias transfer energy earlier.”
Transfer energy? Is that what he did?
I expect Sebastian to argue and say I shouldn’t know—the way I’d imagine Tobias would—but his shoulders sag as he sighs. “You're right. She has to know if she’s going to stay.”
“I'm right here,” I interrupt, pointing to myself. “I can hear you.”
Sebastian stands and whirls to face me, his red eyes burning holes through me. The dark energy that followed him into the bus has faded a bit, but there’s still something disturbing about the way his presence seems to fill the entire space. Yeah, he’s broad, but not that big.
“Sit,” he urges, gesturing to the couch, before adding a subtle, “please.”
Rather than argue the way I want, I obey, crashing onto the sofa with my hands folded in my lap. There, I wait expectantly for the grand reveal, the information that’s going to make all this shit make sense.
Sebastian opts to stand in the middle of the bus, between Niki and me. “What I'm about to show you puts us all in grave danger. More than you can possibly fathom,” he explains. “But if my mate trusts you, then so do I.”
Mate?
My eyes bounce between the two of them, my thoughts spinning.
When he reaches for his mask, my chest constricts, and I watch, wide-eyed, as he drags off the disguise.
Dark gray skin with red tattoos stretching up his nose and around his forehead comes into view.
Sharp, angular features, pointed ears, and horns that curl up and back over his head like a halo.
Only, instead of the light energy I’d expect an angel to exude, everything about Sebastian feels… demonic.
My stomach knots at the word.
Reality sinks in, and every muscle in my body tenses. It feels like my world has been turned upside down.
“You’re a…” My mouth suddenly goes dry, and I can barely get the last word out. “Demon.”
“Yes,” he answers, tipping his horns slightly in acknowledgment. “An Ennubus, to be exact. We live on the energy of others.”
“Uh huh,” I manage, unable to tear my eyes away from his bizarre features. “You must make a killing at concerts. Hopefully not literally.”
The corner of his mouth lifts in a smirk, and somehow it’s more unnerving than his anonymity had been. “Something like that.”
I force air into my lungs, still struggling to wrap my mind around the truth. This was the last thing I expected, but it somehow makes more sense than drug kingpins or felons.
“And the rest of the band?” I ask, even though I already know the answer.
Sebastian simply nods. “All Ennubi.”
I blink once, twice. Force a breath. Blink again. My eyes bounce from Sebastian to Niki and back. “You said you live on the energy of others, but Tobias saved Niki.”
“We can drain energy, reduce a being to nothing but dust,” he explains. “But we can also restore it. My bandmates and I have been keeping Niki alive these last several months by feeding her the energy we collect.”
I smile and nod as numbness seeps through my veins, making everything feel like a dream.
Is this a dream?
I bite the inside of my cheek and wince.
Fuck. Nope, definitely real.
“This is why no one can know our identities,” Sebastian goes on, his low timbre snapping me out of my thoughts. “Obviously, that wouldn’t go over well.”
“Right. I can see that.” I nod, my head still a little swimmy. “So you just tour, feed on the crowd, and…”
Sebastian shrugs. “Yeah, that’s basically it. We were never supposed to get involved with humans.”
“Never supposed to impregnate them,” I add, my eyes shifting back to Niki. “So the baby… is a demon too?”
Niki nods. “Half-demon. It’s feeding on my energy, draining me slowly every day. That’s why I didn’t want you to call the ambulance earlier. We don’t know what would show up on the ultrasound. Staying away from doctors is our safest bet.”
“No doctors? So you plan to have this baby here? Alone?” My mind spins, and I gape at her. “Please tell me these demons at least know what they’re doing. Can any of them deliver a baby?”
Niki shifts uncomfortably in the recliner. “Sebastian has been hunting everywhere for someone who can help. There’s never been a successful half-breed birth, so none of us know what to expect. We’re just taking things day by day.”
“Never?” My brows furrow together, my head canting to the side. “What do you mean successful?”’
Sebastian and Niki exchange a look, and my chest clenches tight. I have a feeling I’m not going to like what they’re about to say, so I try to prepare myself for the worst.
However, despite my few seconds of preparation, it does nothing to lessen the blow.
“Humans typically die before they can give birth,” Niki says softly. “In this case, the Ennubus baby is draining my energy faster than Sebastian can resupply it. There’s a chance, if we don’t find another solution, that my heart will give out before I have the baby.”
And just like that, my world shatters.