“I need to find the owner of this hoodie to give it back to him,” I lie.
“It’s Wrath’s hoodie, isn’t it?”
“What the fuck? How did you know that?”
Taser goes over to the bed and sits down on it. He lies back, putting his hands behind his head. “I’ve seen him wear it. He’s a huge fan of Moonstruck. The man’s got really good taste.”
“You know Wrath? Like his real identity?” I ask.
Taser just grins at me.
“Can you, uh—introduce me?”
Taser sits up and frowns, shaking his head. “Sorry, Bliss. I can’t. The guy really likes his privacy, and I’m not gonna mess with that. If he didn’t tell you himself, then I’m sorry, I can’t help.”
I let out a sigh. It’s not like I can be mad at Taser for that. And now that we are back to being friends, I don’t want to be mad at him at all. “You’re right. I’m sorry I even asked.”
“I can get the hoodie back to him? If you want?”
I shake my head. “I should really wash it,” I hedge. It’s not a lie. I do need to wash it, since I got my snot on it this morning. “And I’d like to thank him, even if it’s only to his masked face.”
Taser laughs. “Alright, well if that’s all you wanted from me, I should go back and check on Tubbs. Make sure Reese didn’t upset him too much.”
I quirk my brows at him.
“She gets mean when she debates music and music theory.”
We both laugh at that, making our way back down the stairs.
“What do you even know about it?” Reese is saying to Tubbs, who looks at us for help once we’re in the room.
“What do I, a drummer, know about drumming?” Tubbs asks incredulously. Reese is pacing back and forth.
“Reese, let’s give the poor guy a break,” Taser says, taking Reese’s arm and leading her away from Tubbs.
“Not until he admits that ‘Darkest Impulses’ is played in a four-four!” she says loudly. I stop myself from laughing at how serious she is right now.
Tubbs looks at me for backup, as Taser takes Reese out of the room completely. “It’s not a four-four, it’s a—” I place my finger on his lips and nod.
“I know, I believe you. Let’s grab some snacks, okay?”
Tubbs sighs but nods. “I don’t understand how my own bassist can doubt my timing.”
“Well, at least she lets you lead during shows,” I remind him and he laughs.
“Barely.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
BLISS
“Alright,listen up. For those of you who don’t already know me, I’m Shaun! One of the play line techs for Voracious Maw,” a guy with short dirty blonde hair calls. He stands on the top steps of the building the masquerade ball was held in.
I stand shoulder to shoulder with Amelia and Reese, looking around at everyone gathered. Fae and kindreds from most of the bands here stand at the bottom of the steps, waiting for Shaun to explain the game.
He holds up an upside-down baseball cap. “You’ve all played sardines before?” he asks, and a round of murmurs goes around the crowd. Apparently Voracious Maw started a tradition of playing this game at every festival they played at. “Well, for any of you who haven’t, it’s like reverse hide and seek. I have all your names in this hat, and whoever’s name I pull will be the one that goes and hides. The rest of you seek them out and when you find them, you hide where they’re hiding, got it?”
“Yeah, we’ve all played before, mate, get on with it,” Evan heckles from below. He’s not easy to miss, heads taller than almost everyone here. I scan the faces of the people he’s standingnext to, wondering if any of them could be Wrath, but then my eyes land on their rude guitar tech and I avert my gaze.
