Static (18 page)

I opened my lips for him, equally as eager with my
tongue. A little moan escaped my throat. I couldn't stop it. I was
too swept up in what he was doing to me with his kiss.

My hands fisted in his shirt. His hands were...where
were they? Oh God. They were at my waist, a finger on each hand
looped into the loops of my jeans. His thumbs pressed into my hips.
My belly fluttered. Then that flutter lowered and I moaned again.
Louder this time. I couldn't keep it in.

Good Lord, how could this be just pretend, how could
this not mean something? It did to me. It meant the sun and the
moon and everything in between. I'd never experienced a kiss like
this. I felt drugged, giddy with emotion. I wanted to laugh and to
cry at the same time. How could this not be real?

Our lips still connected, we moved further down the
hall until Trevor had kicked open the girls' washroom door and was
leading me inside. Once we were in, he slammed the door shut, and
pushed me up against it. I could feel his fingers fumbling for the
lock near my hip. It was only then that we came up for air.

He rested his forehead against mine, his breath
coming in short hard gasps. He had yet to move his hands from my
waist.

My throat was dry and I could barely think
coherently. I still had his shirt twisted between my fingers.

"We should be safe in here for a while," he finally
said, his voice a bit shaky. "They'll think we're...ah, you
know."

My belly clenched at that. I swallowed trying to get
a breath. "Yeah, right. Good call."

Trevor closed his eyes for a second, letting out a
deep breath. He dropped his hands and stepped away from me. I
stayed pressed against the wall not sure if my legs would support
my full weight.

He ran both hands over his face and through his hair,
then dropped them again to his sides. His gaze then lifted to
mine.

"Do you remember what I told you before about the
shadow-ways?"

I nodded. "Don't go off the path."

"Okay, that's good." He glanced around the bathroom
looking for a big enough shadow for me to step into. Except there
wasn't a good one. There was too much light from two different
angles.

Reaching up, he busted one of the blubs. Pieces of
glass exploded over him. Now light only casted from one place,
giving us a wide selection of prime shadows.

After shaking off the glass, he picked the largest
and stood just on the edge of it. "Okay, come over here."

I did.

"Now concentrate on it. Imagine you're sinking in it,
through it. Picture the bathroom on the other side."

I stood in the black spot, staring down at my boots
willing myself to melt into it. I pictured my body going soft and
gooey, not hard after that kiss, and running into the floor.

At first my feet startled to tingle. "Something's
happening."

"Good. Hang on. It should go fast now."

I opened my mouth to say something back, but didn't
get a chance before I was sucked into the darkness.

Chapter 21

The tunnel was black. At least I thought it was a
tunnel. It was easier that way to think of it in those terms. The
alternative was crazy as hell, and I didn't want to consider it. I
could follow a tunnel. It made sense. Put one foot in front of the
other, slide fingers along the sides. Follow the path. Stay on the
path. To step off meant a trip to oblivion. And I really didn't
want to go on that ride and be lost forever.

I crept forward in the darkness, concentrating on my
steps, picture the hotel bathroom on the other end. In my mind, I
saw the white porcelain toilet and the green tiled counter around
the white sink. The white shower curtain flapped in front of me,
beckoning me...

And then I was there grabbing it. I could feel the
plastic in my hands.

I fell forward and tore the curtain from the hooks. I
nearly hit my head on the toilet seat on the way down. Holy shit. I
totally did it.

I scrambled to my feet and surveyed the room. It was
definitely Trevor's hotel bathroom. His toothbrush lay on the
counter next to a tube of crest. The toothbrush he'd bought for me
lay next to that. A bottle of Calvin Klein cologne sat on the
corner. I picked it up and smelled it. Yup, Trevor. He carried the
light spiced scent on his skin.

Okay, time to go back. Although, now would be a
perfect opportunity to snoop through Trevor's stuff. Find out more
about him, find out more about Malice.

But he'd said to come right back. If I didn't he'd
know that I had been up to something. And I didn't want to piss him
off. I liked him. And I was pretty sure he liked me too.

Finding a shadow on the floor, I stood on it, and
concentrated on sliding into it. I pictured the bathroom on the
other side. I pictured Trevor's face and focused on that. Which
wasn't hard, as his face was pretty stellar.

Within seconds, I dissolved into the shadow and
through the floor and into the abyss. It was easier going back. It
seemed like I'd only taken a few steps before I was blinking up at
Trevor from where I was curled into a ball on the floor. He reached
down and helped me to my feet.

"Not bad. It only took you about six minutes."

"Instead of coming back right away, I could've
searched their rooms for something, anything to help us put them
down."

"Yeah? And how would you have gotten into any of
their rooms?"

I frowned, totally forgetting about that little
problem.

"We'll keep practicing until you get fast, then and
only then, will we try it. You have to have the layout of the room
you're going to. You have to
see
where you're going or who
knows where you'll end up."

"Okay, so how do I get into their rooms?"

He sighed. "I haven't figured that out yet."

There was a pounding at the door. "Finish screwing
and get out here. It's time to open the club." It was one of the
other roadies. Chuck, I think his name was.

Trevor glanced at me. "Mess up your hair a bit." He
unbuttoned his jeans. "It has to look like we...ah, you know."

"Oh right." I put my hands in my hair and ruffled
them about until pieces were sticking up. "How's this?"

He snickered. "Cute."

I blushed again. I had to really get a hold of myself
if I wanted to go through with any of this. I had to get a hold of
my head, my heart, and especially my hormones. Or I was going to
get into even more trouble.

After he unlocked the door, we walked out together,
holding hands. There was a flurry of activity and basically
everyone ignored us as we came down the corridor to backstage.
Everyone except Devon.

She stood in the open passage blocking our way. She
had her stage makeup on, and was dressed to sexpress. She looked
from me to Trevor then back to me. Leaning forward, she sniffed
me.

"I'm not sure what game you're playing but I'm
watching you."

"Don't be so melodramatic, Devon," Trevor said as he
squeezed my hand. "There's no big conspiracy against you. I've just
moved on to unsoiled pastures so to speak."

That had her cringing back. She was obviously not
used to be spoken to in that way. Her eyes went jet black, and she
snarled at me.

The urge to return the act of aggression surged
through me. I could feel the change coming. It was like a bottled
up heat wave bursting to rush through me.

Trevor must've noticed because he tugged me backwards
and put me behind him. "Get over yourself, Devon. You aren't that
hot."

She stepped forward. "That's not what you thought
that night I sucked out your soul."

She grinned and I could see the tiny points of fangs
distending from her gums. Talons had popped out from her fingers as
well. She was going to attack, I was sure of it. She glared at me
over Trevor's shoulder.

"Start counting your days, bitch. Because you don't
have many left." She snarled again, then turned and streaked into
the back of the stage.

When she was gone, we continued to make our way
backstage.

"Do you want her to rip my throat out?" I asked
Trevor.

"No, of course not."

"Then quit antagonizing her. Because one day she will
get me alone."

"I can't help it." He balled his hand into a fist. "I
just hate her so much because of what she did to me. I want to kill
her."

"I know you do." I put a hand on his shoulder. "And
you'll get your chance. But please dial it down so she doesn't get
me first."

He turned toward me. "I won't let her hurt you,
Salem."

I liked hearing the sincerity and determination in
his voice and seeing the look of concern in his eyes. Gave me the
warm fuzzies inside and out. But I knew how dangerous Devon and the
others could be. I was skirting a fine dangerous line just being
here.

"I know. But you can't be with me twenty four
seven."

"I could try." And he gave me one of his rare
smiles.

It did a number on me. I could actually feel my
insides melt. My heart even skipped a few beats.

Chuck, the road crew top guy, grunted at us as he
passed by. "Could you do all that sick love shit after we get this
show done?"

"Ah, we're not..." Trevor started but Chuck tossed
him a pair of pliers.

"Just fix that speaker, okay?"

Without another word, Trevor went to work, and I
watched from a distance.

I didn't believe Trevor when he'd told me to wear
earplugs during the show. I should have though.

Not until Malice had taken the stage, picked up their
instruments, plugged in and started to play. The static had nearly
broken my ear drums. I'd been near the back of the club at the bar,
sipping on a Coke and lime when the screeching, scratching sound
just about knocked me off the bar stool.

Everyone around me at looked at me strangely as I
clamped my hands over my ear, wincing in pain. I'd scrambled for
the spongy ear plugs in my pocket to put in my ears but not before
I heard his voice through the white noise...

You belong to me...

I own you...

Your life's in my hands...

I'm sucking your soul...

But this time Thane hadn't been singing to me. He was
singing to his next victim.

I stood at the side of the stage, ear plugs firmly
in, scanning the crowd for the incubus' intended mark.

It was hard to tell because there were at least two
dozen possibilities all crammed at the foot of the stage. Girl,
goth, punk, alternative, all gathered, dancing, jockeying for a
good position to vie for Thane's attention. It all looked a bit too
familiar and I wondered if that was how I had looked. Desperate for
just one moment of attention, for that one second when our eyes
would meet and he would smile.

I shook myself. God, no wonder he'd chosen me. Like
these girls, I'd done anything to spend time with Thane and the
band. Anything. I'd been prepared to even lose my virginity to him.
To a guy I didn't know, a guy who didn't have one iota who I was or
valued me in any way.

I know I didn't deserve what he'd ultimately done to
me but I'd put myself in the position to be used, to be hurt. And I
promised myself I wouldn't let any of these girls make the same
horrible mistake I had.

So I watched and waited through their set taking
mental notes of the girls in front, what they looked like, what
they were wearing. Towards the end, I spied three girls wearing
backstage pass badges around their necks. Just like I had.

When the set was over, I followed the girls
backstage, not where the crew went but the talent. A hand around my
arm stopped me from going into the dressing rooms.

"Where the hell are you going?" Trevor frowned at
me.

"I won't let it happen again to someone else." I
tried to pull away but he had a tight hold.

He looked around before speaking again; probably
making sure no one was listening to our conversation. Some of the
road crew brushed past us. Trevor pulled me out of their way and
walked me out the back exit into the alleyway.

"I told you it wasn't a good idea to hang around them
especially Thane."

"He's going to do this to someone else. I can't let
that happen."

"You can't help them, Salem. You'll blow your cover.
He'll know."

I yanked my arm from his grip and kicked at the wall,
frustration building inside like a volcano. "I don't care. Saving
them is more important."

"You can't save them. It's beyond your control."

I turned and looked at him. He didn't meet my gaze.
He was looking at the ground.

Then it hit me. His guilt was palpable.

"Why didn't you save me, Trevor?"

His head snapped up. "What?"

"You saw me at the party. I talked to you. You knew
then didn't you? You knew Thane was going to do this to me."

He backed away from me, heading toward the door. "You
don't know what you're talking about."

I grabbed him and spun him around to look at me. I
gripped his chin and made him
really
look at me. "Why didn't
you save me?"

A tear slipped from the corner of his eye and rolled
down his cheek. I watched its path. A ball of sorrow twisting in my
gut.

"Because I was too scared, okay? You get me? I'm a
fucking coward."

"Is that why you found me after? Is that why you
brought me here? Do you think you can save me now?"

He didn't say anything. He didn't need to. I could
see the answer in the liquid shimmer of his eyes.

His guilt had forced him to find me and bring me
here. To take care of me. The same guilt that he fostered for his
sister. The fact that he didn't save her either ate at him like a
cancer. I didn't want his guilt. I wanted something else, another
feeling, to be the reason he was with me.

I let my hand drop from his face and took a
distancing step away. I was going to get sick. "Give me my
money."