Fangs And Fame (15 page)

Trey

I COULD FEEL IT in the air before I took the stage. The crowd was electric, like the kind of energy that makes the little hairs on the back of your neck stand on end. The guys from Crosstalk were feeling it, too.

“
You’re going to love this crowd tonight, man,” Evan said to me as the guys jogged off the stage after their set. I nodded in complete agreement. “I don’t know what you guys did here during the last tour, but you left them wanting more,” he added.

I blinked, considering him.
“We didn’t.... We didn’t play this city last tour. For the life of me, I can’t imagine why. Scheduling conflicts, probably....” My voice trailed off as I wracked my brain.

“
Huh.... I guess absence makes the heart grow fonder,” Evan said, squeezing my shoulder as he moved past me to head for their lounge.

He was right though. The fans here were hungry for our songs. Even on a bad day, that kind of energy could pull me out of a funk in no time. On a night like this, where I just wanted to completely lose myself in the music, the fans made it easy. We were about halfway through our set and doing the acoustic songs when it happened. I was on my knees on the stage singing the first verse of
“Mirage” to a girl in the front row.

“I lie awake

These sleepless nights can last forever.

I try to take you in.

“I can’t believe

You
’re in my arms- and here with me

I pinch myself again.
”

She was biting her lip and grinning up at me. She reached out to me, and I had just taken her hand when suddenly her knees buckled, and she collapsed right in front of me. My heart clenched as her fingers slipped from mine. It all happened so fast, even for me, and I reacted by dropping my mic and jumping down from the stage. I hopped the barricade to keep her from getting trampled by the fans around her. I’m sure I moved a little faster than normal, but by the time everyone had realized what was going on, and the guys stopped playing the song, I’d already scooped her up into my arms. Tytus got to me pretty fast and moved the barricade out of the way, following behind me while the venue security kept the crowd in check. The giant vampire was already coming in handy. Maybe hiring him would be beneficial in more than one way, after all.

“
Do you want me to take her?” Tytus asked.

“
I’ve got her,” I said. I wasn’t sure why, but I couldn’t get myself to hand the girl over. Something like guilt had a hold of me, and all I could do about it was carry her backstage myself. Luckily, the room where the paramedics were doing first aid on anyone who had a bump or a scrap wasn’t far. I laid her down on a cot where a woman paramedic checked her vitals.

“
Get back out there. We’ve got her,” she assured me. I hesitated, not wanting to just leave her like that. The woman gave me a warm smile while she put a cool, wet rag on the girl’s forehead. “Probably dehydration, or low blood sugar. It’s usually one of the two. She’ll come around.”

Just then the door opened again and Aurora came into the room. She read me instantly, as usual.

“I’ll stay with her,” she said to me.

The paramedic smiled at Aurora and nodded toward a folding chair nearby.
“Make yourself at home.”

“
You’ll tell her I was here?” I said.

“
Honey,” the paramedic began. “The star of the show just carried her backstage. Everyone’s going to be telling her.” She had a point. “I’ll take good care of her.”

I nodded.
“Thanks.”

Feeling somewhat better about the situation, I gave Aurora a quick kiss and headed back out, entering the stage from the side. O
’Shea was giving his version of a lecture to the crowd on the importance of drinking water during a concert. He was leading the fans in a water chugging contest.

“
Come on,” he was saying into his mic, after having just downed a bottle of water. “If you don’t have to pee yet, you’re not doing it right.” He noticed me then, and with his back to the crowd mouthed the words, “She okay?”

I nodded, picking up my mic from where I
’d let it drop to the stage, and gave it an experimental tap. “This thing still work?” I said, hearing my voice come through the monitors loud and clear. “She’ll be fine,” I said into it, seeing the sea of heads nod in relief at my assurance. “Thanks for being patient while I took care of that,” I added. “We feel responsible for you guys when you come out to see us. Do me a favor and watch out for the people around you. We don’t want anyone getting hurt. Am I right?” I nodded while the crowd cheered in agreement.” I turned to make eye contact with Jonas, O’Shea and Chase in turn and then turned back to the crowd. “Well, the only thing better than getting to do “Mirage” is getting to do it twice.”

The crowd responded with an enthusiastic roar as Chase counted off the song and we played it again. The rest of the set was smooth sailing, but I was anxious to see Aurora in the dressing room when we headed back to get ready for the encore.

“She came to just after you left,” she said as soon as she saw me. “She’s okay.”

I smiled, feeling a little lighter.
“Thanks,” I told her as I sat down in the makeup chair so she could zombify me.

After the encore, I showered and got all the zombie make-up off my face before I met Aurora on the bus. She was just finishing up what seemed to be an intense conversation with Antonio when I climbed on board.

“
How’s Antonio?” I asked casually.

“
He’s good,” she answered. “I was just telling him it was a pretty intense show tonight,” she added.

“
You can say that again.”

She sat down by me and pulled my hand onto her knee, entwining our fingers together.
“I was watching from the other side of the stage when that girl went down,” she added as an after-thought.

I sighed and squeezed her hand.
“People pass out at concerts all the time,” I told her. “I’m just not usually making eye contact with them when it happens. The way the crowd was revved up tonight, I was afraid she was going to get trampled. I’d been singing to her on and off the whole show. She seemed to be enjoying it. I don’t know. Maybe I overdid it?”

What I wasn
’t saying, but Aurora was probably reading in me anyway, was that it had freaked me out when I saw how the girl’s eyes had glazed over right before she fell. It was exactly like the look people get in their eyes when you’ve drank from them, and they’re still in that vamp-induced haze. I wasn’t sure I’d ever get used to that. I wasn’t sure I wanted to. That was probably where the giant ball of guilt had come from. It had only just started to go away, but now that we were talking about the girl again, I could feel it rising up once more.

“
Yeah,” Aurora said slowly. “About that....”

I turned to face her.
“What about it?”

She bit her bottom lip and said,
“I think I’ve figured out what your moon-given talent is.”

Trey

“
ARE YOU SERIOUS?” I asked, unable to hide my surprise. I’d been wondering ever since the night she’d made me a vampire what my moon-given talent would be, and when it would make itself known to me. I’d tried to be patient, but I couldn’t help feeling a little shafted that it was taking so long to manifest. I’d even started worrying that maybe I didn’t have one. That would be my luck, after all, to be the one vampire in history who doesn’t get a super cool gift that works 24/7. “So?” I asked eagerly, grinning like an idiot. “What is it? Come on. The suspense is killing me.”

Aurora sat down on the leather bench and patted the spot next to her. I sat down, leaning forward on my elbows as I waited for her to explain. I felt like a kid on Christmas morning, about to open up the best present ever. What I didn
’t get was why she didn’t look as excited about it as I was.

“
I think you’re projecting yourself onto the audience,” Aurora said slowly.

I blinked at her.
“Projecting?”

She nodded.
“Whatever it is that you’re feeling at the time,” she added. “I think you’re linking up with the fans in the crowd, and they’re getting a rush of that emotion from you, whether you mean for it to happen or not.”

I stared at Aurora with wide eyes, hardly believing my ears.
“So, let me see if I’m following you,” I said. “You think I’m actually influencing the crowd when I sing?” I asked. I could hear it in my own voice, a mixture of horrified fascination.

Aurora nodded, leaning in to touch my hand.
“I don’t mean influencing like any performer does. I mean really influencing, like directly affecting their emotions on a subconscious level.”

I closed my eyes, holding up a hand and shaking my head.
“I ... I don’t....” I got to my feet, pacing back and forth in front of her a few steps at a time. I ran my hand through my hair and heard the sound of a humorless laugh escape my mouth. Then I paused to look down at her again. Aurora gazed up at me with concern, like she wasn’t sure what to say next. “I’m hijacking people’s emotions,” I said matter-of-factly. “This is fan-freaking-tastic.”

“
Trey....” Aurora’s hand brushed against mine, but it was all just too much to handle. I reacted by taking a step back and shaking my head, desperately trying to clear it of the massive ball of guilt and confusion that my brain had become.

“
I don’t even know how I should be feeling right now,” I said. “Maybe I’ve subconsciously hijacked myself. That would explain it.”

“
I could be wrong,” Aurora offered, but neither one of us actually believed that.

I met her gaze again, realizing that there was only one way to explain to her how this news was rocking my entire world. I projected into her mind, and she let me in willingly. I put her into one of my strongest memories of performing on stage. I shared with her the intense reactions from the fans, just like I get from them during every show. I felt it in her thoughts as she began to understand the direct connection I have with each and every person in the crowd, how it isn
’t normal, and how it’s completely intoxicating and exhausting, all at once. I released her mind when I was convinced that she’d seen enough to understand exactly where I was coming from.

“
It explains a lot of things,” I said as I slouched back down onto the leather bench next to her. “I knew something was different at the album launch party. That was the first time I’d been on stage since, well, you know, but I chalked it all up to being a new vampire.”

“
Hey,” Aurora said, reaching over to touch my face. “It’s taken me this long to figure it out, and I’ve been doing this whole moon-given talent thing a lot longer than you have. Don’t beat yourself up about it.” Then she bit her bottom lip as another thought came to her. “You’re usually buzzing with power when you come off the stage, and I still didn’t put it all together.”

“
It’s been happening the whole tour,” I said slowly. “What if I’m brainwashing them? What if they don’t even like the new music, and I’m just projecting this insane night of highs and lows and they’re only reacting to that?”

“
You know that’s not true,” she insisted. “Besides, it wouldn’t work indirectly. Fans wouldn’t be buying tickets to come out to see the shows if they didn’t like what they heard on the record. You’re good, Decker, but you’re not that good. Don’t let it go to your head.”

But I
’d just realized something as she was talking, and I felt panic creeping back into my core at just the thought of it. “I did something to that girl tonight didn’t I?” I asked, not sure I really wanted the answer.

“
We don’t know that-” Aurora tried to buffer the thought, but the truth of it was ringing inside me.

“
I did,” I stated. “I was singing right to her, and ‘Filtered Ache’ just brings back so many memories for me. I got caught up in the song, and I totally overwhelmed her, and she passed out.”

“
It’s not your fault your so good-looking,” Aurora said, trying to lighten the mood. I humored her with a smile, letting her know I appreciated the gesture. “It also explains why you need blood so often,” Aurora said slowly.

“
How’s that?”

“
My moon-given talent only really affects me. I only have my own mind to worry about. You’re projecting your emotions onto an entire crowd of people every time you perform. No wonder you need to feed a lot.”

“
That’s a good point.” I sighed, taking her hand and lifting it to my lips. I kissed it softly. “How long have you known?”

“
I wasn’t sure until tonight,” she explained. “I’ve suspected something like this ever since that fan you fed on showed back up at another show later.”

“
Jes?” I asked.

She nodded.
“We were obviously right to wonder if your gift affects the aversion that humans normally develop after a vampire has fed on them. That would explain why she came back. Whatever emotion Jes got from you during that first show, it was enough to override any desire to stay away from you. You’re literally irresistible,” she added, jabbing me lightly in the ribs and smiling. “What else is new?”

“
Huh.” I bit my lip, trying to process this new information. “So maybe I’m not chasing our fans off, after all. At least that’s something.” But the more I thought about it, the more this moon-given talent of mine made sense of so many other situations. “It’s not just happening when I perform, is it?” The question was rhetorical. I knew she’d already drawn all of the same conclusions that I was coming to. I could think of several instances where I had almost certainly influenced O’Shea, Jonas, and Chase without meaning to. “Why couldn’t I have just gotten your mental fortress of solitude?” I said. “Or just plain old mind reading? That suits me just fine.” Aurora looked at me sympathetically. “Seriously,” I said after a moment of contemplation. “What am I supposed to do with this?”

“
You’ll learn to control it,” she offered. “We all have to do it, no matter what the power is. Maybe not on such a large scale, but there are downsides to every moon-given talent.”

I raised an eyebrow at her.
“How is being able to block your thoughts ever a bad thing?”

“
It closes you off completely, if you let it,” she admitted, a hint of regret in her voice. “It took me a long time to learn that isolating yourself isn’t always a good thing, and more than once I almost let it stop me from being with you.”

I squeezed her hand gently. I had never thought about her moon-given talent in that way, before.
“I’m really glad you didn’t give in to that,” I said to her. “I can’t imagine not being with you. I can’t imagine life without you.”

“
You’ll never have to,” she promised, and I recognized the strength and conviction in her bright green eyes. “We’re going to figure this out together,” she added. “You’ll learn to control it.”