Page 52 of Cosplay & Consequences

I looked around to see the entire crew were locked in. Britta put down her phone to watch with a detached interest. Faye stood there beaming at him, her phone out recording the entire monologue. Paige leaned against a wall, a smug expression on her face.

Stella was oblivious, rummaging through her purse.

I watched Daniel’s performance, and everything else faded away. There were no more cameras or green backdrops. It was just him. The embodiment of Tyrst’an.

“I know that all of you feel betrayed by Fiona. That the pact she made will doom her to damnation. But that pact saved each and every one of you including those you love and seek to protect. Her sacrifice was noble despite the measures taken. Who among us would have denied that opportunity? You can all turn your noses and claim a higher noble cause, but you all know you would have taken that pact. Who are we to let her burn because of it?”

I leaned down to whisper in Faye’s ear. “Did you pick this out for him?”

She shook her head. “No, he did.”

I was stunned. “This is in book four.”

“He was up all-night reading,” Faye explained and then shushed me.

I didn’t blame her. The best part was coming up.

“So let us charge into the breach, our hearts true and our fists held high. The forces of shadows know that we will not be denied, that we will not falter. Let the beat of our hearts be our cadence. Let every breath we take push us forward until the Stygian Abyss is nothing but a stain on our boots and erased as a threat to our realm. Together. Together we will prevail. Together we will save Fiona. Together, we will bring forth a new age.”

“Cut!”

The crew went nuts and applauded. Daniel looked over at me and gave me a wink. That zing ripped through me so hard, it made me gasp.

“Fantastic, Danny!” the director shouted. “I’d like to get a few more takes with a couple of different angles. Are you still up for it?”

Daniel smiled and gestured around at the staff congregating around the set. “As long as the crew isn’t sick of me yet.”

“I guess you’re our good luck charm.”

I turned to see Britta smirking at me. “Of course, you started all of this with your review, so I guess that’s fairly ironic,” she said with an edge in her voice.

“You must be Britta,” I said, forcing a grin.

“I am! So glad you remember me. It’s a good thing he’s finally pulling his act together.”

“Oh, stuff it, Britta,” Stella snarled at her. “Leave the girl alone.”

“Screw you, hag,” Britta snarled back.

“Faye, would you like to meet my friends?” I asked, hoping she’d say yes, so I could get away from the squabble.

She didn’t have to say anything; she wanted to get away from Britta as well. We walked towards Bray and Bennet who were standing with twin expressions of amazement on their faces. I smirked at them. “What did you guys think?”

Bennet let out a long sigh of contentment. “Brayonna my wife, I’m sorry, but I’ve fallen in love with another man.”

“No way, doughboy. I saw him first.”

“I think Jess has dibs on him,” Faye snarked.

We all turned to her in surprise.

“What? I’m fourteen, not oblivious,” she said, rolling her eyes. “You’d have to be blind to miss it.”

“Bray? Bennet? This is Daniel’s very observant niece, Faye,” I said, gesturing towards the girl who was embarrassing the hell out of me.

“I’ve seen all of your stuff, but I prefer Jessica’s Patreon,” she said bluntly and then blushed.

I snorted with laughter. “And apparently Faye has exquisite taste.”