Unchained Melody (34 page)

‘So it wasn’t on purpose? You didn’t know it was mine?’

Ryan shook his head. ‘I didn’t have memories back when I pinched it. I was just being a rebellious kid trying to impress a girl. I didn’t know how quickly it would escalate things when you played it, that you’d be forced to remember that guy, Harley…’ his eyes closed again- his face contorted in anguish. ‘These have been the darkest weeks of my life Callie. Trying to be everything I needed to be; loyal to you, without being some doormat and turning you off. Loyal to Hunter, who I love more than any man could love a brother, wanting to throw my guitar at his feet and sweep you off yours with my spare hands but knowing that my continued presence as lead singer was not only attractive to you, but necessary to push Hunt to out-do me, and find his destiny when really, I didn’t give a flying-’

Callie pressed a finger to his lips. ‘Okay now, let’s not bad mouth music.’

He smiled, kissed her fingertip and then rolled her onto her back. ‘I love music,’ he whispered. ‘It kept my soul alive when the pain became too much to bear. And that was important, I think. It kept my priorities in check, and reminded me that to win your heart, I had to be worthy of it. So I practiced every day, more than you or Hunter were ever aware, trying to impress you.’ He held one of her hands between their chests, while his other continued to rake through her hair. ‘What you do is so important Calliope. There is so much pain on earth and you and your sisters keep The Harmony, give people a reason to live. And you more than anyone, give people a way to celebrate the beauty in life.’

Calliope smiled. ‘And now, you’re my beauty. How does that feel?’

He smiled angelically and rolled so that now she was on top of him. ‘Hmm… I might need a reminder of just how much you love me. I’ve been through quite a lot, you know...’

Calliope threw her knee over his legs, watched the fog skitter away from the heat of their bodies. Now, it was her turn to feel guilty. ‘I’m sorry I hurt you the way I did. But it was only because I cared about you so much Ry- it made using you to make him jealous a pleasure instead of a chore, and though my conscience suffered for it, my body…’ she leaned in and kissed his lips sensually. ‘Making love to you was the weakest thing I’ve ever done, but the best moment of all my lives. I tried to ignore the way my heart was faltering after that, but when I saw you onstage, falling apart, I knew my life wouldn’t be worth living if the man I loved was hurt by my ambition.’

Ryan kissed her back and for a moment, Callie forgot that they’d been talking, that there was so much to know. Ryan wrapped his arms around her and kissed her passionately until they were both panting for breath. Ryan especially, looked exhausted, but punch-drunk.

‘I can’t believe this is happening,’ he whispered, and his eyes were shining with emotion again. ‘I just can’t believe you gave me your heart.’ He bit his lip and a tear slid down the bridge of his nose. ‘Three millennia of trying to catch your eye with flowers and sonnets and in the end, all I had to do was put on some leather pants.’ He smacked her rump playfully. ‘Groupie.’

Callie giggled and the sound was musical even to her. She’d never known such joy or peace. She was the luckiest Muse in Helicon, and the luckiest girl in the world. She would miss Hunter, of course, terribly so, but Ryan would kiss him from her mind. Ryan would lure her from Oblivion, and make a soul mate out of her.

‘I don’t want to leave this place,’ she whispered to him. ‘I want to stay here with you, like this- forever.’ But to her surprise, a shadow passed behind Ryan’s eyes.

‘Oh... Cal…’ He kissed her delicately, and mumbled against her lips: ‘I’m sorry my love, but you have to leave here soon. And when you do…’ another tear slid down his nose. ‘I can’t come with you.’

Callie’s entire body turned to stone. ‘But my powers haven’t returned! And when they do; you go where I go right?’ She counted two more tears streaking his cheeks and felt the fog thickening around them. Fear lanced her heart. ‘Ryan- why are you crying? What are you saying…?’

Ryan sat up, groaning slightly again and Calliope suddenly realized that he wasn’t supposed to be groaning so much. The fear became dread, which deepened to desolation when Ryan pulled her against his chest.

‘Kiss me Calliope.’ He whispered. ‘Please? While you still can?’

Calliope didn’t understand what was going on but the tremble in his voice told her that if she didn’t kiss him now, she might live to regret it. And so she flung her arms around his neck, straddled him and kissed him with all of the love in the universe, knowing she could not let him sink into Oblivion if she could catch him.

33.

Though Hunter’s tears had dried during the police interrogation, his shock and horror had compounded with every passing minute. He couldn’t believe what was happening. He couldn’t believe that The Fork In The Road concert had been cancelled because his best friend had suffered heart failure onstage, in the arms of his other best friend. He couldn’t believe that Marnie was sobbing uncontrollably on the phone to Callie’s parents, telling them what Hunter ought to have, but could not, and he could not fathom the whispers he’d heard when he’d gone to the toilet to vomit up every good feeling he’d ever known; couldn’t fathom that the tech doing the lights and projection had been a computer hacker, and that footage of Callie storming the stage, taking his hat, embracing Ryan and then dying in his arms had somehow been embedded on every single Myspace account in the world, set against Hunter’s bootlegged rendition of Melody.

The guy in the toilet, not knowing that Hunter was the one being sick in there, had whispered to his friend: ‘That is either the best publicity stunt I’ve seen in my life, or the most tragic fucking thing that’s ever happened to anybody.’

‘My sister called me before,’ the other guy had responded. ‘She says it’s been sent to Youtube too and has already gotten twenty thousand hits. That’s insane!’

‘People are creeps.’ The first guy answered. ‘What’s the name of the video though?’

‘Groupie dies on stage at TFITR concert.’

Hunter had shoved his fist into his mouth to quell a scream.

‘I gotta find it when we get home. I loved that fucking song man.’

Hunter bent over the wall and clutched at his chest, feeling like he was being ripped apart inside. ‘Sing it for me Hunter!’ Callie’s command was still fresh in his mind, the delight and fear and excitement in her eyes make his own spill over yet again. Myspace’s newest sensation, sobbing in a toilet stall like a broken man. Well, at least it was Rock. Wherever Callie was, she was probably rolling her eyes and laughing.

After what seemed like an eternity of endless questions (the cops clearly suspected foul play too and it was worse considering Ryan wasn’t anywhere around to give his account) and after the doors had closed on the coroner’s van, closed behind his Callie, all Hunter had wanted to do was go sit on the stage, where she’d smiled her last, and break. Slowly.

But he had to find Ryan first. If they couldn’t lean on each other, they weren’t going to survive this. So he pushed off the wall, promising himself that he’d find Marnie after and comfort her as best as he could, and headed backstage. Nick and Rathe had gone to their own family and friends right after and had been swallowed up in a crowd of reporters that Hunter had no intention of getting within ten feet of, and TFITR had left as the coroner had arrived. Their attitude had altered; they looked shocked, kind of awed and like the police, kind of suspicious. Hunter didn’t care what they thought and he’d stepped away when the congratulations had come to the tips of the confused musicians lips. He hadn’t known why the fuck they’d try and shake his hand but he supposed that they’d heard about the Myspace leak straight away and probably considered it a coup.

Hunter did not. As long as he lived, he would never watch that video and would never talk to anyone who mentioned it. And if he found the video tech, he’d kill him for exploiting his greatest sorrow. Callie’s death, and her life, were his private things and all he had left of her now, except for the hat.

At least the guy had been taken into custody for questioning. That was something!

When he emerged in the corridor, he was surprised to find a bunch of people in uniforms, the groundskeepers and officials and stuff, just milling around near the dressing room door. He paused, wiped at his tears and croaked. ‘If you guys need to clean in there, just give me a minute to get my mate out, okay? He’s been through a lot.’

One maid turned towards him, her face concerned. ‘Please, if you could. The door is locked, and he won’t answer us.’

Hunter stepped up to the door, concerned that Ryan had gone into shock and was incapable of even crying. He knocked quickly. ‘Hey! Ryan!’ He cleared his throat, trying to dislodge the lump. ‘Mate I know… okay? Just let me in. We’ll go home together…’ he squeezed his eyes shut. ‘We’ll get through this together, okay?’

But there was no response. Hunter frowned more deeply, and knocked harder. ‘Ryan just unlock the damn door! We can’t stay here mate. Callie isn’t-’ he swallowed. ‘This isn’t one of those times when we wait and-’ his nose burned, his chest con-caved. He rested his head against the door. ‘She’s not coming back Ry,’ he whispered haggardly. He pressed his fingertips into the green wood, almost choking on the scent of industrial disinfectant. ‘Come on mate let me in! If you shut me out-’ his voice broke. ‘I’ll have no-one left!’

But there was no so much as the squeak of shoes against tiles, no crying, not even staggered breathing. Not for the first time that night, Hunter began to feel panic chewing on his nerves. He slapped his hand against the door, praying that the silence and the stillness in the room was the result of it being unoccupied and not… not something he could even consider, considering.

‘Ryan Weaver! If you don’t open this damn door so we can get the fuck out of this tomb I swear to- … Argh!’ Hunter fell back, lifted his foot and kicked the door in. He hit it with probably twice the force necessary and saw the timber around the lock splinter and allow the door to fly inwards. He caught it on the back swing as he stormed into the locker room but he hadn’t taken more than two steps when he saw the empty clip-seal bag on the floor near the end of the first row of lockers- next to Ryan’s limp hand.

No! Hunter caught himself on the rear bank of flimsy steel doors, blinking in disbelief when he saw the folded piece of paper shoved into the strings of Ryan’s neatly propped up guitar. He staggered forward to his best friend, his knees going out from under him and sending him stumbling to the ground beside Ry’s waxen face. His lips were almost blue against his pallid complexion, the corner of which tugged up in a serene smile.

‘No! Ry! C’mon man! Our dream just came true! Our-’ he bowed his head and sobbed into his hands. Not Ryan’s dream- Ryan’s ambition. Stardom was Hunter’s dream and now he had it, at the expense of everything and everyone who had ever put a song in his heart- while Ryan’s dream had died on that stage with Hunter’s happiness.

‘You can’t leave me to do this alone Ry!’ Hunter choked on his horrified tears, reached out, lifted Ryan’s hand. ‘I need you! You’re my best mate!’

The hand was warm, but heavier than lead, and it did not squeeze back. Hunter did not check for a pulse. He already knew, as grief chugged through his veins like concrete and pooled in his stomach cold, consuming- that he’d never been so alone in the world as he was right then, and that was how he would always be. In the eerily silent night, on the cold locker room floor, clutching Callie’s faded red hat, the fragments of Hunter’s broken heart shattered to dust.

*

Calliope couldn’t tolerate the fear threading through her heart so she tried to burn it away with passion. She crushed Ryan’s face to hers, twining her fingers through his choppy black hair and prayed with everything she had, that she was able to stay like that forever. But his lips grew saltier with their tears and his clutch on her became desperate rather than passionate. After a moment, or forever, he wrenched his face away only to scoop it under her neck and sob brokenly.

‘Oh Callie…’ his breaths were fast and shallow against her neck. ‘My Goddess, my light… never, ever forget that I existed for this moment okay? That a hundred human lives or a million eternal ones without your kiss wouldn’t have been a better trade.’

Callie tried not to notice how he was beginning to tremble. She opened her mouth to demand an explanation but then her body seized up and the world spun. She rolled off Ryan, catching herself on the ground and gasping, seeing light shoot from her fingertips and streak the fog, feeling stars explode inside her and her blood cool and ripple like the freshest mountain water. Ecstasy swept through her very soul, like she was listening to a million instruments play a million tunes and interlacing in the most breathtaking complex harmonies. ‘What’s happening?’ she cried once the crescendo of perfection within her began to ebb away, leaving room to breathe around it.

‘You’re back.’ Ryan’s voice was tight, but when she rolled back to face him, to reach for him, the adoration on his face was brilliant. ‘He’s reached his potential, Callie. Hunter is exactly where he needs to be…’ he smiled slowly, sorrowfully. ‘But no heart has ever broken quite like his just did, I fear.’ His face contorted. ‘God… I hate myself so much for not being there to see him through this...’

Callie wriggled into Ryan’s arms, touched his cheeks, trying to ignore the exquisite pleasure streaming through her warring with her grief for domination. ‘How can you know that? What’s going on?’ She pressed her palms to her ears as Melody, in Hunter’s voice began to resonate through her being like a physical memory. The silence was breaking and so was she. ‘I can hear him!’

‘You can?’ Ryan’s face was pale, his smile rueful. ‘I’d give anything to hear that again. He sounded wonderful, didn’t he?’

Callie began to cry. ‘I don’t want to hear if you can’t! I’m scared Ry! It feels so strange...’ She cringed, the beauty of Hunter’s voice in her memory burned.

‘Don’t be scared, my love.’ Ryan whispered. ‘Music is something you should always feel like you’re hearing for the first time, remember?’

Callie remembered Ryan saying that. She remembered it was after they played together, and she began to tremble. ‘I said that, didn’t I? You were quoting me?’

‘I was. I just didn’t know it.’ He smiled fondly. ‘I hung onto every word you said on Helicon. I was never far away from you, even if you couldn’t sense me.’ Ryan looked down at her collarbone, stroked the flesh with the back of his knuckle reverently. ‘I hope that is how it will be forever. But hopefully… hopefully you’ll feel me near this time.’ Callie began to shake with silent tears, kissing his knuckles, pleading with her eyes for Ryan to answer the question she couldn’t ask. Ryan sighed in resignation. ‘Hunter just found my body, Cal. Enough time has passed for it to be…’ he swallowed hard. ‘Fading. Discovered.’

‘Your body?’ Callie whispered, instantly reaching out to cup his face. ‘Your body is here, against mine.’

‘No Cal,’ Ryan’s lips quirked jerkily. ‘My human body is still backstage, and I’m slowly being poisoned,’ he grunted and rose, bringing her with him. ‘It’s my spiritual body that is here with you. And soon enough, it will fade into Oblivion, and you will return to Helicon without me.’

Callie felt her insides turn to ash. ‘Why?’

‘I had to keep my end of the deal.’ Ryan caught her hands in both of his, bowed to them, kissed her icy skin with icier lips. ‘Returning to the world as a half-human, half-immortal is a big ask Callie. The Harmony had to be kept in balance. When your sisters left and your mother asked me what I was willing to exchange for your heart, I pledged my life. And nothing less would have sufficed.’ He sighed, his eyes scanning her face with a dreamy smile. ‘There was a chance that if I stayed, you’d give your heart to Hunter and be cast into Oblivion. Or if you failed to find yourself or fulfill your obligations, that I would have to endure you existing on another plane without me, as a human, never glimpsing you, never hearing you sing…’ He swallowed. ‘Year after year, without you. I couldn’t take it anymore.’

Calliope’s eyes widened in shock. ‘But a year only takes a day to pass here!’

‘For you.’ Ryan said softly. ‘For me, it’s an expanse of nothingness between sunset and sunrise. Which was wonderful, that one night you slept in my arms.’ He smiled crookedly. ‘But torture for the first half-day without you. And it would have been eternal torture, to never have known your touch. Your kiss…’ His voice broke and he yanked her against him, panting with the effort and rasped his next words into her hair. ‘I couldn’t live without you. I’ve loved you since the first day I laid eyes on you in that meadow, and heard you sing. But you were never going to let me get close enough- I was a soul missing its other half, with no purpose to serve but love you. So I pledged to Memoria, and to The Harmony, that if your heart stopped for love of me, if I got to bask in that glory for just one moment- I’d take your Oblivion, so you could live on, doing what you truly love, and keeping the music alive.’

Callie collapsed onto his chest. ‘Oh my God no!’ She was soaking his shirt, tearing in half. ‘Tell me how to bring you back! Or fix it!’ She raised her gaze to his but his beautiful face was blurred by her burning tears. ‘I can’t live a day without you now!’

‘That’s music to my ears.’ Ryan buried his face into her hair. ‘But you can. I can’t come back from Oblivion Calliope. I was never meant to get one shot at this existence, let alone another chance at a human life. The Harmony couldn’t balance out without me making an ultimate sacrifice in return for theirs. And Callie…darling…’ He wrapped himself around her. ‘I got more than a moment. I got to be with you for seventeen years and dream of eternity. And then I got these last few weeks…’ He touched her lips, like she was made of brittle china. ‘I have experienced more ecstasy than any man who has ever lived. And tonight, what you did for me… no man has ever been more fulfilled.’ He pulled her face to his and grinned. ‘Not even Hunter. How wrong is it that I wanted to flip that cocky son of a bitch off when you told me you loved me?’

Callie spluttered a laugh despite her anguish. ‘I dare say you earned one moment of glory,’ she joked, and then began to cry when she saw how blue his eyes had become, in contrast to his paling skin.