Page 73 of A Taste of Bliss

Now I need to find Taser.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

PISCES

FIVE YEARS AGO

I pluck at the strings,creating a soft melodic sound that drifts through the small venue. Besides the guitar and my voice there’s barely any other noise. I waver ever so slightly at that thought, at the knowledge that everyone is watching me.

It’s a short song, a simple one. And it marks the end of our show. I finish, the sounds of the guitar fading away through the speakers. I walk back to the edge of the stage and hand off my guitar, and join Mist, Poison, and Eerie at the center of the stage as we thank the crowd.

My ears take in the applause and cheers going around, but through the bright lights I can’t make out the people in the crowd very well, especially through the makeshift mask I desperately need to replace.

This was our third gig as Voracious Maw, and I honestly can’t believe it, how it all came together.

Eerie claps me on the shoulder as he and the others depart from the stage, leaving me there by myself. I feel so exposed evenwith the mask, but I push that down, realizing people are still applauding. I bow low to the ground to show my appreciation.

It doesn’t feel like enough. I’ll never be able to find the words to express this level of gratitude.

I can’t believe people are loving our shows so much.

It doesn’t seem real.

And it doesn’t feel like I deserve it.

Once we’re hidden away backstage, I take off the mask, finding Shaun, Benny, and Evan already out of theirs, breathing in large gulps of air.

“Not gonna lie, mate, these things suck.” Evan ties up his sweaty hair into a bun. It must have been plastered to the back of his neck the whole show.

I’ve cut mine shorter so that I won’t have to feel it as much underneath the mask.

“Do we reallyhaveto wear them?” he continues, and I fix him with a glare. We’ve already been over this.

There’s a good reason for it.

Multiple ones.

“I like them,” Shaun says, pocketing his drumsticks in the back pocket of his pants. “We look fucking sick.”

“They’re badass,” Benny agrees. “But I am sad all the single ladies can’t see how beautiful I am.”

I sling an arm around him, pulling him into a sweaty hug. “I’m sure they can still tell.”

“I bet we could find some girls with mask kinks.” Evan shrugs. “I guess that’s worth it.”

I shake my head. “We’re not hooking up with fans, remember? We’re not gonna be that type of band.”

Evan lets out a sigh. “Fine. There’ll be plenty of hot band and crew members when we go to festivals and on tours and all that.”

Shaun and Benny laugh, high-fiving him.

I can’t fight the grin on my face, but it’s more about Evan’s optimism than anything else. I can’t really picture us playing at a large festival or getting big enough to warrant a tour. But that stuff isn’t important to me. I’m already doing what I need to.

Trying to, in some way, absolve what I’ve done.

Finding a way to make it about more than just myself.

We opt to head back to the church to celebrate a fun successful gig, instead of going out to the bar. These things don’t really pay well, and I’m saving up for a nicer guitar.