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“Is anyone actually into that? You could get caught.”

“You’d be surprised,” he replied, his eyes straight ahead as he led us through the crowded sidewalk. This entire block was filled with bars and clubs, so even though it was late, it was still busy with people out drinking and letting loose for the night. “My friend Felix and his boyfriend have gotten caught a few times already. Those two have no shame. They’ve been lucky that they were only caught by human cops and could teleport away before they got into any real trouble. In the Other Realm, they can block teleportation to capture bad guys.”

“And you?” I queried, curious and a little nervous about his response. I didn’t think I’d ever be into that. The chance ofgetting caught would be distracting, and I’d be too nervous to really enjoy it.

Hendrix shook his head, his lips quirked up at the sides. “I’m good with keeping that between us. I don’t think I’ll ever get signed with a label if I do shit like that. It’d be a PR nightmare.”

I released a breath of relief that was probably a little too exuberant. Hendrix caught it and he burst out laughing, his head thrown back. I felt my cheeks burn, but he didn’t let me stay embarrassed for long. He pulled me closer, kissing the side of my head, and gestured to a shop on the corner.

“Let’s grab a few sandwiches. I wanna take you somewhere and to get there we need to fly. I was thinking pizza, but that’d be a pain in the ass.”

My stomach twisted at the thought of flying with him. I was curious, but also a little nervous. If it were anyone else, I probably would’ve refused. It didn’t seem safe. But I trusted Hendrix. He wouldn’t drop me. Still, while we waited for our order to be made, I bounced on my toes, biting my lip as I stared out the window.

Hendrix chuckled, grabbing our food and leading me outside with his arm around my shoulders again. “Relax. I’ve got you. Hold the food for me, yeah?”

I clutched the bag against my chest to hide the tremor in my hands. Hendrix dipped and scooped me off my feet, hugging me to his chest, and launched himself into the air without any warning. I yelped, nearly dropping the food in my haste to throw my arms around his neck for a better hold. I clung to him, my grip almost choking him, until he leveled off and the noise of the wind stopped hiding his laugh.

“Relax, babe. If you make me pass out, it won’t be good for either of us.”

I jerked back, loosening my grip by a significant amount, but stupidly glanced around when I did. The city was below us, closeenough that I could pick out details, but far enough that my stomach flipped over. I tightened my grip again, my breathing sharp and disjointed, and Hendrix laughed again.

“Are you afraid of heights?”

Before now, I didn't think I was. But I was seriously questioning that now. Hendrix tightened his grip on me, which helped a little, and he pressed his cheek against mine, murmuring in my ear.

“I’ve got you, Art.”

He didn’t laugh at me again, keeping me tight against him until we landed. My knees were weak when he set me on my feet, but I managed to stay upright, if not a little unsteady.

“Maybe flying isn’t your thing,” Hendrix teased. It didn't feel cruel, more like he was trying to get me to relax, and I let out a slow breath before responding to him.

“Maybe. I honestly didn't think I was afraid of heights until I looked down. I don’t know how you do that.”

He shrugged, leading me over to an old bench. “I guess it helps that my wings are actually attached to me.”

True. I opened my mouth to agree, but I stalled out before I could. I hadn’t really paid attention to where Hendrix had brought me before now. We were high on a hill overlooking the city, the lights stretched out below us. It was a gorgeous view, like nothing I’d ever seen before, and I stood transfixed for a while until Hendrix chuckled and pulled me into the seat beside him.

“Where are we?”

“A hiking trail. I found this place one day when I was looking for inspiration. It can get pretty busy during the day, but I realized no one was willing to traverse through the forest at night, so it’s usually empty after dark. I like coming up here to think and play out some of the song ideas in my head. Do you like it?”

I could hear the hopeful tone of his voice, but I still couldn’t drag my gaze away from the view in front of me.

“It’s beautiful.”

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

HENDRIX

WatchingArt take in the view was just as good as seeing it for myself the first time. He looked so enthralled, his eyes wide and wonder struck. I was a little jealous he didn't look at me that way. I snagged his attention, waving the sandwich in his face, and grinned when he finally pulled his eyes away from the view and back to me.

“Finally remembered you’re not here alone?” I snickered.

He ducked his head, a sheepish look on his face. I knew without a shadow of a doubt that if there was an actual light up here instead of just the glow from the city, I’d see the blush staining his cheeks. Art blushed at the drop of a hat. It was cute, and I loved how easy it was to read his emotions when they were written on his face like that. He shoved his glasses up his nose, focused on unwrapping his sandwich to hide his embarrassment. I followed suit, always hungry after a show.

“Do you think… Will it be hard to find another guitarist?”

I took a big bite of my sandwich, tipping my head side to side as I chewed. “Yes, and no. I’m sure there will be people whowill want to give it a go, but it’s not easy finding someone who will mesh well with the whole group. Zion is a good example of what happens when we’re too focused on filling a slot instead of finding someone who fits. He’s a talented guitar player, but not really a team player.”