Long Live Dead Reckless Read online

  My tongue had daydreamed for months about being in that mouth, but now there would be nightmares. I found myself oddly calm considering Sage was a real vampire, a creature of the night designed to seduce and kill the likes of me. It was scary. Surreal. But it meant that Sage wasn’t making fun of my dad and he wasn’t lying to me. So what if he was a vampire? There were worse things in the world. I’d dated them.

  “So, Mannix?” I murmured.

  “Yeah. That’s why I acted the way I did.”

  “Oh my God, I touched those things! And he’s probably killed people with them,” I gasped, bringing a hand to my mouth to cover the gaping hole of shock.

  Things started clicking. Mannix and Sage’s tense rivalry, Sage’s distant personality, Mannix being a total douche bag, Azalea liking Mannix at all…oh no! Azalea!

  “Can you hypnotize people?” I asked.

  “We call it influence.”

  I touched my hand to my chest, afraid of the answer. But I had to ask.

  “Sage, tell the truth. Have you –”

  “No,” he interrupted, clearly understanding where I was going with it. “You wouldn’t know if I did, but I can’t. I wouldn’t have. My band and I, we don’t do those things.”

  “What about Valerie?”

  He scratched behind his ear, looking at me from under those cute flyways.

  “Yeah, her. So that night…I’m not proud of that. Yes, I fed on her, but I will never do that to you. I mean it. I’m sorry you saw that. I wish you hadn’t.”

  “I’ll ever forget it. Especially now that I know all this,” I murmured, dropping my eyes.

  “Yeah,” he said.

  “Would you have killed her?” I asked, suddenly acutely aware of the cascade of secrets Sage likely carried.

  “No. Like I said, the band and me, we don’t do that, Talor. Not many are like us, though.”

  I turned a little to the side and kept my arms wrapped tightly around me. I looked away from him, not wanting to risk meeting his gaze. He just admitted they could control minds, maybe he could read them, as well. He noticed my insecurity and leaned his elbows on the table.

  “Hey, I understand you’re scared, I do. Don’t pull away. Not now that we can really know each other. This is a major risk, but I want to be with you if you can accept me.”

  “Why is it such a big risk? Because you could kill me?”

  “No…because of who and what I am. Please, Talor.”

  He offered his hand across the table. I slowly untangled myself in the booth, my fingers inching towards his. When they met, I felt the same for him that I always had. I smiled at him as his thumb stroked across my hand. Somehow, I was relieved about everything. Strange things were happening to me. I wasn’t crazy. Sage was a vampire! It felt like anything could be possible now. The night of the gala came rushing back. I saw something in the road that night when Bex picked me up.

  I didn’t believe my own eyes then, but I know what I saw, and I had never been so excited. My leg started bouncing underneath the table. I lurched as far across the table as I could, clutching his shirt with desperation.

  “OH MY GOD, do unicorns exist?”

  I was horrified that my first real question about mythological creatures had to do with a magical horse. He had the strangest look on his face – like he wanted to burst out laughing. Neither of us ever expected my reaction. Once I started, I couldn’t stop the questions from tumbling out.

  “Can you see in the dark? Can you read minds? Are your freckles coming back?”

  “I think that’s enough for one night. C’mon.”

  He winked as he pulled out a few dollars from his pocket and laid them on the table. When we got outside, he pulled me close until I pressed against him. It was a dank kind of late autumn cold with the rain that came through in the afternoon. I rested my chilled hands against his chest, trying to feel for a heartbeat. I didn’t hide my motive well because it made him sigh.

  “Talor, I have a heartbeat. Feel,” he murmured, pulling open his collar and letting me rest my head against his skin. The rhythmic thump was familiar and soothing. I remembered the hug he gave me at the coffee shop. He was warm, alive, and had a heartbeat throbbing then, too. I raised my head and smiled sheepishly up at him.

  “I’m sorry. It’s just a lot. I don’t know how I can I feel safer with you and more terrified of you at the same time.”

  He gave me a curious, contemplative kind of look.

  “There’s a word for it.”

  “I hate feeling this way,” I said timidly, stroking a finger against his collarbone.

  “I hate that I hurt you. But now that you know how I really feel, no more games. I want this. I want us, ok?”

  He fiddled with my fingers against his chest and raised a brow. There was a hesitation in his movements, like he was scared I would say no.

  “Ok,” I said, nodding. This time I turned his hand around and kissed his knuckles.

  He smiled and brought his arm tight around my waist. It did cross my mind that he could just drain me right there, knowing what little I could do to stop him. But after what he just said, I doubted I would ever be in any danger again. As the streetlight flickered above us, he looked at me in a way that I knew he wanted to kiss me. My heart was racing so fast I thought it would burst there on the spot and save him the trouble of killing me.

  He leaned down. Instead of going for the lips, he turned his face into my cheek. The stubble brushed against me as it crossed my mind that he could be going for my neck. The second between fearing what he would do and knowing what he would do was eternal. His lips stopped as they grazed my ear.

  “I missed the rain, didn’t I?” he asked, his voice smooth and steady.

  He was talking about what I said that afternoon in the library. About kissing in the rain. Oh wow.

  “You heard that?” I asked, blushing madly.

  He eased back.

  “Yeah, well, my hearing’s pretty good, but my timing’s not. I’ll be watching the sky, though.”

  He pointed at the sky and held out his hand to feel for raindrops. When he felt nothing, he pouted. I smiled. Could he get any cuter?

  “Well, anyway, we have a show tomorrow night at The Journey. If you come, you can hear me sing and, I’ll introduce you to everyone,” he said, shrugging.

  I agreed, but as I drove away with the 3squares Diner sign fading in the rear view, I couldn’t help but wonder if this siren would lead me to my own death.

  20

  When I drove up to The Journey the next night, my stomach was threatening revolution with every churn. I’d never heard a live band before, and a vampire one at that. I pretty much spent all night trying to figure out if I really believed him. I hadn’t decided yet.

  I stepped out of the car wearing my tightest jeans, my kitten heel boots, and a violet-colored low-cut sweater. I almost ditched my boots considering our history together, but they did wonders for my butt. It was worth the risk. I just hoped no one but Sage would take much of an interest in me. As I locked eyes with a group of young guys loitering around outside the venue, I suddenly wish I had worn sweat pants and a hoodie. To avoid going by them, I stopped and looked around for Azalea. I invited her to the show for safety reasons. I didn’t tell her why I wanted company and thankfully, she didn’t ask. I saw her waving me over near her car, so I pushed through the massive crowd gathering around the entrance.

  “There you are! I’ve been looking everywhere for you,” she said, wrapping her arms around my neck and giving me a good squeeze. “Sage is going to fall off the stage when he sees you in those jeans! So, where is he? Is he supposed to get us in?”

  I shook my head and got on my tiptoes.

  “He just told me to call when I got here, but I don’t know how he would hear his phone with this noise!”

  I couldn’t believe so many people were there to see them. The noise from inside the building was reverberating under us, but
we finally made it to the entrance. The doorman was large and imposing; he had earrings everywhere on his face except his ears.

  “Hi! I’m Talor. Sage from Dead Reckless invited us,” I said, smiling up at him.

  The man studied me as if he was going to be given a test on my every feature. I was a little intimidated, but I stood up as tall as my heels would let me without tittering over. He looked on the clipboard in his hand. He pulled a strange-looking ink stamp from under the table and marked my hand. He ushered to Azalea.

  “Is she with you?”

  I nodded, so he stamped her hand, too – but hers was different from mine. Mine was so iridescent it looked like I didn’t have anything there. But the letters “LLDR” began to glow faintly after a few minutes. Everyone else that walked by had “PAID” in typical blue block letters. Weird. I wondered how many people got the shiny stamp. I figured maybe Sage said to give me a different stamp for backstage access. The doorman ushered for us to move along.

  “They’re about to go on. Hurry. Stand on the far left side of the stage,” he said.

  As soon as we got inside, the lights on the stage went low. I hurried over where the doorman told us to go. We made it just in time. The restless crowd was anxious, the air thick with anticipation. And then it was total darkness. No lights, no music, nothing. A few people from the crowd yelled excitedly out of sync. I held my breath, suddenly aware of how vulnerable we were. No one else knew what I knew.

  Suddenly, the stage lit up with a hundred dazzling lights, and there was Dead Reckless. Sage was center stage. The four of them stood still and poised, sharp eyes swimming over a sea of young faces. There were smirks and nods, as dozens of arms rose up in the crowd and screams chased the tails of each other. Smoke oozed from mist machines on the front of the stage. Sage shot a quick glance over my way before turning towards the crowd and belting out an electrifying yell into the microphone as the drum beat began and the music swelled. How could he know where I was in a crowd that size? Then again, he was different. Or so he said.

  The bassist was a character, moving and jumping around on stage effortlessly. Every now and then, the guitarist would lean back-to-back with him as they played. Whenever they could, they went to the front of the stage and reached out for the fingertips of the crowd. The drummer moved like the fluid motion of a centipede on the run, his arms sweeping across cymbals and drums with incredible ease.

  Azalea tossed a crooked brow over at me, bewildered. I think I had the same expression. This was no small town garage band. They were clearly seasoned professionals. Sage moved around very little, but his presence was commanding. His voice caressed the ears like the hushing hum of a lullaby. It didn’t match the type of music they were playing.

  I looked around, wondering how people would react to the strange mixture, but everyone seemed to love it. The crowd went absolutely wild. It was like everyone in the audience except for us was under some sort of trance. People were trampling each other trying to get close to the stage where the band was. They pushed forward and cried out, their hands arching almost out of socket to get to Sage. He never came close enough to the front so they could touch him.

  The notes would come from the bottom of his lungs and he would kick across the mic stand, his tongue extending as he held a penetrating and powerful note. Then he would stomp down on the amp nearest to him and ripples would vibrate off like waves reaching for shore. Sage was otherworldly on stage. It was a jolting, alarming sort of feeling being hit by those sounds. It’s why people were swaying so much. I could see it, but I don’t think everyone else could. I knew in that moment that I’d heard the most unique sound on earth. It was right then that I believed him. Like, truly, wholeheartedly, actually believed him. I could see what he was doing. I could see the power he had, and I knew I’d heard a real siren.

  I had no doubt that I had never – and would never – hear anything like it again in my life, or in this world. My breath broke from my lips as I looked around, knowing full well that I was the only one who had heard it. It was a tearful realization that no one could witness what I was witnessing, and suddenly, in a room full of bodies, I felt as lonely as the edges of the universe.

  When a mosh pit started, several big, burly men pushed the crowd back so the stage wouldn’t break. At the end of the set, the band had to hurry off stage as the crowd tried to chase them. Everyone acted like they were the most famous band alive and I had never even heard of them. I watched in awe from our safe spot on the edge away from everyone throwing punches to be the first to follow the band.

  “Oh my God, wow, that was amazing!” Azalea said breathlessly. “He has such stage presence! I thought he was shy. Isn’t he shy?”

  “Uh, he is shy. His voice was really surprising,” I blinked hard. “It was…soothing.”

  “What are you talking about? He was screaming the whole time.”

  I was confused. She looked at me crazy, like we had listened to two different bands. I had heard a soulful singer and she heard a screamo rocker. She looked like she was about to say something when a tall, lanky guy came over. He had strange hair, like he only had enough money for half a haircut. I tried not to stare. That took a little effort. He looked me up and down.

  “You’re Talor,” he said, waving me over. “Sage said to bring you back.”

  Just as I opened my mouth, I saw Sage over his shoulder. I smiled and he smiled back. We had a moment that was just ours. He moved towards me, but stopped after a few steps, staying hidden behind a mountain of Dead Reckless merchandise near the wall.

  “Oh, there’s Sage right there,” Azalea cried, pointing.

  The lanky guy bobbed his head and stepped aside. I gave Sage an awkward hug. I wasn’t sure why I didn’t hug him like normal. My emotions were full of static about then. I hugged him with my butt sticking so far out I was almost bending over. Azalea giggled.

  “Um, have you guys never hugged before? What was that?” she asked. “Awkward!”

  Sage and I cut our eyes away. He exhaled sharply.

  “Those stage lights are hot. I don’t blame her for not wanting to drown in my sweat.”

  “Trust me, she really wants to,” Azalea muttered. I jerked my head around to glare at her.

  “I’m glad you came tonight,” Sage shrugged, wiping his forehead off with his arm. “What did you think?”

  “Oh my God, amazing,” Azalea cried. “They were about to tear apart the stage!”

  “Yeah, they about did,” he laughed. “The stage was shaking.”

  There was a moment of silence where no one really knew what to say.

  “Well, I know I enjoyed it,” Azalea replied, glancing casually at the door. “I probably need to head out.”

  “I’ll walk her out,” I told him, following her. When we got outside, Azalea turned to me, grabbing me by the shoulders.

  “Ok, there’s something going on. All you talk about is how you want to make out with him! Now you’re hugging him like he’s a leper? You’re keeping something from me. What is it?”

  How do best friends always know when you’re holding back a secret? I tried to bide my time by pointing out some rowdy cat-fighting groupies near her car. It didn’t work. She pressed me.

  “Spill.”

  “What? We’re just at that awkward stage,” I answered, huffing.

  I tried to reassure her, but I know she could hear the hesitation in my voice. I couldn’t tell her yet; it was all still too new to me. She pursed her lips, which I’ve learned means she doesn’t want to stop from saying whatever is building up steam behind them. She swallowed hard.

  “Ok. Well, whatever it is, I’m going to figure it out,” she said, turning on her heel. I watched her leave, wishing I could tell her the truth. Just not yet. My thoughts were interrupted by footsteps closing in. I caught the glimpse of a shadow behind me, so I jumped and let out a squawk. It was Sage.

  “Sorry! I was trying to walk slowly so I didn’t interrupt,”
he apologized, jamming his hands down in the pockets of his dark-wash jeans.

  He’d changed shirts. This one was tight, white, and clean, and it might’ve liked him more than I did. I forgave him immediately. I didn’t really have a choice, him looking like that.

  “Um, you were incredible in there,” I said, looking down at my hand.

  “Thank you. I hope it wasn’t too loud.”

  “So how many girls get the sparkly stamp? I’ve never had one do that before. It’s fancy.”

  Sage took his hands out of his pockets and stepped closer. I looked away as he took my hand and pulled back the sleeve. He just stared at the letters like they were some hidden treasure. After a few seconds, he still hadn’t said anything.

  “What does L.L.D.R. stand for?” I asked, turning my head sideways to look at it.

  He looked hard at it for a full minute. Finally, his brow unclenched.

  “If I had to guess…I’d say, long…live…Dead Reckless.”

  “Oh…ok. That’s neat. Well, long live Dead Reckless,” I replied, balling my hand into a ‘rock on’ gesture.

  He bit his bottom lip and looked me square in the eye. It was the same look he gave me by the time clock that time. Something was wrong and I couldn’t figure out what. I already knew he was a vampire. What else was going on here?

  “I didn’t tell her anything,” I assured him, darting my eyes towards where Azalea had drove off.

  “Oh, yeah, no, I know. So…did you like the set?”

  “Honestly, your voice didn’t fit the music, like, at all. Is it weird if I say it was beautiful? You’re so talented.”

  His eyes softened and he took in a deep breath. He seemed so far away. Finally, he pat my hand sweetly and shifted his weight back. With a smile, he laced his fingers with mine and leaning away, gave a playful tug.

  “Come on. Ready to meet everyone?”

  I had so many more questions for him before meeting his band, but between that smile, those dimples, and that tight shirt, I just followed. I knew then that I would follow him anywhere – even straight into the lion’s den.