Page 14 of Bewitched by the Phantom (The Bewitching Hour #6)

Chapter

Fourteen

T hey finally drop the names of the eight bands moving forward, and I’m pleased when our name is the fourth they call.

We celebrate with the other seven bands, which includes, unsurprisingly, The Cadaver Cantata and Raoul’s band, Angels Bleed Mercury.

Apparently, we’re all moving forward. And that should be happy news.

Up until they reveal that the audience had unanimously requested a collaboration challenge between the bands to test versatility.

“That’s not what we do,” Claudia growls. “It doesn’t make any sense. We’re bands. Not individual singers.”

“I get that,” Ted says. “But it’s a good way to break up rivalries and force cohesion. Honestly, I think it’ll be epic. And this is what the audience wants.”

“We ain’t doing it,” Nadia growls.

“On the contrary, you are,” Ted says. “You signed a contract. It’s in there that we can change the structure of the competition at any time. NYX wants this. The audience wants it. That’s how this is going to go.”

Nadia bares her teeth at him and he scurries away before she can take a bite. “This is bullshit,” she hisses, as pissed as I am.

“Alright, we’re pairing everyone up,” Ted says from the front of the room now for everyone to hear, a clipboard in hand. “Angels Bleed Mercury, you’re with Medusa Complex. The Cadaver Cantata, you’re with?—”

“Hell Hath Honey,” Erik interrupts, his eyes flashing black so fast I almost miss it.

Ted pauses and frowns. “Well . . .” but then he looks up at Erik and slowly nods. “Yeah. With Hell Hath Honey. That works.”

I narrow my eyes. I’m annoyed, a little flattered, but mostly unnerved. I swear my entire time at this Battle of the Bands has been one long “what the fuck.”

That’s how we end up in an empty room two hours later, both of our bands spread around us with various expressions of annoyance.

“We just have to play one song,” Claudia points out. “It doesn’t gotta be that deep.”

“I’d rather rot in hell,” Nadia sneers over at Erik’s band.

The organ player grins beneath his black half mask. “I’d rot there with you if you asked me nicely,” he teases.

Nadia sneers at him, but the organ player only grins wider, clearly into her.

“Enough,” Claudia growls. “We’re not losing because you lot can’t work together. Pull your big girl panties on!” She looks over at me. “Now, we need a new song. The two of you are the lyric writers. We follow your lead.”

Erik studies me closely. “We have a song.”

I’m shaking my head before he’s even finished speaking. “No, we don’t.”

Claudia frowns. “Well, do you or don’t you?”

“We do,” Erik says the same time I say, “Nope.”

Which really doesn’t help clarify matters.

Claudia narrows her eyes on me. “So you’ve been writing a song together?”

“No!” I growl. “He’s been stalking me and that’s how he knows the song.”

Erik doesn’t deny it. He just laughs when Claudia whips her head toward him. “It’s the perfect song to sing.”

“I don’t think we should,” I argue.

Claudia stands. “Sing it.”

I jerk my head toward her. “What?”

“Sing it and we’ll decide if we’re gonna play it or not.” When we still hesitate, she gestures at me. “Go on, Chris.”

“It’s not exactly . . . ready,” I try lamely.

Erik grins over at me. “I think you’ve got it. I’ll play piano.”

And then he sits his pretty ass down and starts playing the same fucking melody from my dreams. His smirk over at me tells me he knows it. I cross my arms in annoyance, scowling at the masked asshole.

“We have to do this, Chris,” Claudia points out. “Come on.”

“Fine,” I growl, moving over to the piano and shoving Erik over so I can sit on the bench next to him. “Don’t let this go to your head,” I warn him.

“You’ve already gone to my head,” he replies softly, bumping his shoulder with mine. “I follow your lead, angel.”

I start to sing the song from my dreams, the one that I’d woken up with tears in my eyes over.

I close my eyes now, not wanting to look at anyone as the lyrics fall from my lips.

I’m singing from memory, both from my dream and from something older, something I don’t really recognize, and when Erik joins in, it feels as electric as the dream had felt.

His shoulder touches mine, sending shivers through my body, and not just from the nerves of singing this in front of the others. I peek open my eyes and glance at him to find him already watching me, his gaze bright and hungry like I’m a song he’s trying not to forget.

His fingers fly over the keys as the lyrics come to an end, and the room falls into silence.

The air feels charged, like static electricity dances across my skin.

No one says anything as we look at each other.

He reaches up, his fingers about to touch my cheek, and I don’t stop him.

He’s leaning in, and I’m holding my breath.

The rehearsal room door opens so violently, it makes me jerk. When Raoul pokes his head in, everyone in the room collectively takes a breath.

“Who was that singing?” Raoul asks just before his eyes find Erik and I sitting at the piano. “Oh.”

“You fucking ruined it!” Erik’s drummer groans. “We were about to get a show and your dumbass fucked it all up!”

“Seriously,” Claudia grumbles.

Raoul’s eyes darken and he looks at me again. I flush. “I see.”

He dips back out before I can say anything, closing the door behind him. Claudia immediately comes over.

“We’re singing that. Good job, you two.” She pats me on the head. “Next time, just tell me you’re crushing on our enemy. Might make this easier.”

“I’m not,” I lie, but her eyes glitter so I know she catches it.

Fuck.

Everyone starts chatting, discussing what other instruments to add into the harmony. But Erik just looks at me, his eyes bright.

“You harmonize like someone I used to love,” he whispers, his shoulder brushing against mine.

“Used to?” I ask, staring at him.

He smiles gently. “Perhaps.”

I don’t sleep again that night for fear I’ll witness another moment not from my lifetime.