Page 100 of Revive
The smell of wood smoke reached them now. He watched realisation loosen up her features. “Spook, the house.”
He turned away and walked the path back to the car. “It won’t spread. I made a lake of the area before I lit it.”
Her mouth stayed open.
“Have I rendered you speechless?”
She shook her head, then nodded. Only once they were back in the car and he’d reversed ready to pull away did she say, “That’s rather dramatic, Mr Mortensen.”
He shrugged. “Sometimes the best way is to burn it all down and start anew. Shall we go to this party?”
“Let’s,” she agreed. “Please, let’s do.”
-EPILOGUEPART 1-
Spook
June, Germany.
Spook bounded off stage, shirt clammy and plastered to his back, and stars in his eyes. If you’d suggested to him a few short months ago that he’d be back on stage, playing to a crowd and revelling in the experience of it, he’d have laughed in your face. That was assuming he’d managed to summon the energy or the will to even manage that. Tonight, though… Tonight, he was buzzing. The crowd were wild; he could still hear them singing as they left. Ash had been bouncing, and Ronnie added a spark. Xane… Xane had been at his finest, his voice so fucking perfect that when he hit the high notes it brought tears to your eyes. Not bad for a man in demonic corpse make-up.
Said individual followed him down the steps, then threw an arm around Spook’s shoulders when they reached the bottom, pulling him close against his side. “You did it. We did it.” He planted a smooch on the side of Spook’s temple. “How are you doing?”
Most of the time, he wanted to throw a punch at whoever asked that, but this was Xane, and tonight was different. It was fair to say he’d been a nervous wreck before they went on stage.
“I’m good. Better than good.” He felt alive in a way that he hadn’t for too long, which wasn’t a judgement on his relationship or his life, simply that music gave him a particular sort of high and crowds had a special kind of energy.
“Yeah.” Xane grinned, which was terrifying in all his stage paint. “Hey, catch you up in a bit. I’m going to go wash this shit off, so my girlfriend doesn’t complain about me smearing it all over her.”
“Have you left black lipstick prints?” He raised his hand towards his face, but Xane beat him to the spot.
“Just a smidge.” Xane rubbed the place where his earlier kiss had landed. “Where’s your girl, eh?” His expression turned quizzical. “I thought she’d be here waiting to throw herself at you and help you work off some excess energy.”
So did he. He shrugged, then exchanged his guitar for his phone with one of the techies. While he wasn’t busting his nuts in the way Xane was implying, he was ready to get cosy with his lady and maybe do something wicked with a guitar strap.
Backstage was a mass of conversations, congratulations, and analysis mixed in with plans being made for the evening, crates being shoved hither and thither, and food orders being hollered. Spook made his way through the throng, clutching his phone in hand, wondering if Alle was lurking in one of the dressing rooms. Black Halo had three, with the support acts occupying the other two.
He reached the door of the first, only for Rock Giant to shove his way in front of him.
“Has Xane already commandeered the shower? Fucker! How is he always in there first?”
“Did you say Xane was in there?” A shirtless Luthor dodged between them both and through to the shower.
“Ah, come on, you filthy fuckers. Time and a place, guys.”
“Post show party’s compulsory.” Luthor winked, before he closed the door. “We’ll make it a quick one.” Only the primary dressing room came with decent facilities, that’s why the rest of the place reeked of sweat and anti-perspirant.
“Quick!” Rock Giant beat his hand against the door. “You’re never goddamned quick, other than at getting in there. Neither of you know the meaning of the word. Shit. I stink like buggery. Is there at least a sink next door?” He plodded along the corridor to the next dressing room, Spook sort of trailing him.
“Fuck off,” came a loud female cry when he tried the door.
“Why is everybody in this band always screwing?”
“Post show party, it’s compulsory,” Spook echoed Luthor.
“Yeah, so why aren’t you at it?”
“Working on it,” he replied with a smile.
