Tyrallin scoured his bedroom. It had to be there somewhere.

"Daaad," he called out as he pulled open his dresser's sock drawer and shoved socks around. "Have you seen my brown leather strap? I can't find it."

"I haven't," Lissem responded from his own bedroom down the hall. "Where did you leave it last? And stop shouting."

Tyra sighed and shoved the drawer shut. He tried his desk drawers next, and then he went and flipped his bed sheets and pillows around. Finally, he got on his knees and looked under his bed: There it was, accidentally nudged just barely under the bed where it couldn't be seen.

"Found it!" he called as he slipped it on his right wrist. Another, fancier bracelet with stonework already adorned his left wrist, and he wore a stone circle pendant on a leather cord around his neck. For the concert tonight, he wore baggy, faded black jeans and a tight, light brown T-shirt with a gaming logo of a wolf on the front. Tyrallin was almost ready to go, and his friends were due to arrive shortly.

Tyra went down the hall to the bathroom and started brushing his ruffled blond hair, which had finally dried from his earlier shower. He got out his hair gel, poured a glob into his hand, and then started slicking his hair to work it in. Tyra glanced in the mirror and smiled at the silly sight he made with his hair slicked back. After he got the gel worked in, he switched his technique and started fluffing up his hair into his customary spikes.

While he was still arranging his hair, a large figure appeared in the doorway. Detrallin, Tyra's sire, was a tall and solidly built lashran. The sire crossed his arms over his chest, and the forearms rippled with muscle. Tyra, not for the first time, wondered at the whimsies of genetics: Although Tyra resembled his father strongly in facial features and coloring, it seemed more and more likely that he was going to stay leaner like the sires on his father's side of the family.

Of course, even though Detrallin's body was naturally inclined toward being muscular, his profession also had something to do with it. Decades of construction work went into shaping his form.

"Hey, sire, I'll be out in just a minute," Tyra said.

"You and only a minute in the bathroom? You're almost as bad as the lifebearers in this family when it comes to occupying the front of the mirror," Detrallin remarked with a grin. "So, big event tonight, huh? Will you give your car keys to Sally so she can drive you guys home like last time you went out on the town?"

Tyrallin smiled at his sire. Even teasing and fatherly talk wasn't going to have any effect on his mood tonight. "Oh come on, even you have to admit I'm way worse than Feadri, but I'm still not nearly as bad as dad about hogging the mirror. Yeah, we'll give Sally the keys. Actually, if it's okay, can Jerrik crash here tonight? We're going to be exhausted at the end, and we won't want to drive all the way out to his place. We'll crash here in my room. He can use the roll-out mat and blankets."

"No problem. And he gets his favorite cereal for breakfast as usual. Just be quiet when you return so you don't wake Feadri. We'll be lucky to get him to bed at all because you promised him that autograph. But he's got some tests next week and should have cured his cold by then," Detrallin reminded him.

Tyrallin started washing the excess gel from his hands. "I'd offer to help him study, but he doesn't seem to really need help with anything any more." He dried his hands off on a towel and then turned to face his sire, who was still completely blocking the doorway. Obviously, he still wasn't quite done speaking. "So, curfew?"

Detrallin shrugged. "As long as nobody else has curfew to meet, don't worry about it. You're eighteen, and you'll be at college in a few months anyway. I expect text messages at midnight and one o'clock, though. If I don't get them and I have to call you to check, you're hauling cinder blocks for me for a month. Without pay." Detrallin scratched at his chin thoughtfully. "And I know I've said this before, but you boys watch out for Sally. I know the fairer sexes hate it when we act like cavemen, but if you see some guy look at her the wrong way or touch her soda..." Detrallin's words trailed off, and he gave Tyrallin a firm stare.

"Well be sure to take care of it, sire." They'd done it before on more than one occasion. "Anything else?"

"And speaking of cavemen, the same goes for any lifebearer you meet, son. I know you're a responsible guy, and your friends are too, but if you meet anyone who's clearly not in shape to make any lucid decisions, give him a chance to sober up first. But I don't have to tell you that of course." Detrallin smiled and made way for Tyra to leave the bathroom.

Tyra's eyebrows leaped upward. He hadn't expected that. "Got it. Hit on the sober ones, not the drunk ones." His sire arched his brow and seemed to want to reply to that, but the doorbell rang at that moment. "Gotta go!" Tyra squeezed passed his sire and ran out into the hallway and down the stairs. He heard a resigned sigh, and then the bathroom door shut behind his sire.

Jerrik greeted Tyra at the door with a huge grin. He was also dressed to kill in ripped jeans and a tight, sleeveless, blue shirt with the Bowzer logo in it. "Ready to heat up the town, man?" he asked.

Tyra couldn't help grinning back. "Oh hell yeah. Just a sec." Tyra pulled on dark-gray ankle boots and then pocketed his house keys, cellphone, and wallet. When he turned around to look, he found his father standing at the bottom of the stairs, a hand on his hip. Tyra darted over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Don't wait up, mom."

"Don't call me mom!" Lissem gave him a smile and a mild slap on the cheek. "Be safe, and have fun."

Feadri came to the front hall from the kitchen, a muffin in his hand.

"Don't you forget my autograph, Tyra!" he shouted, but it came out a bit mangled since his mouth was full.

"I really don't know how you kids turned out like this despite my thorough education," Lissem sighed and brushed a few muffin crumbs from Feadri's mouth. "Now off with you!" he called after Tyra.

"Later!" Tyra replied, and he practically shoved Jerrik back out the front door. "Hey, we need to get Sally," he said as he shut it behind him.

"I knocked on her door first, but she wasn't ready yet," jerrik told him and rolled his eyes. "Hopefully she is now. I don't want to be late."

He hadn't even finished his sentence when Sally bolted out the front door of her family's house. She almost tripped over her own feet, but managed not to fall. "Sorry, guys! I could find my shoes!" she called.

Both sires, although they didn't prefer girls, had to admit that their friend looked stunning. Sally was wearing a black, long-sleeved blouse that was knotted at the front and showed off her belly as usual. Black slacks with a lacy scarf instead of a belt completed the outfit.

As she ran toward them, Tyra asked Jerrik under his breath, "Okay, so how many guys do you think we're going to have to warn off this time?"

Jerrik gave her a quick appraisal and quietly responded. "Six, minimum." Sally reached them then, and Jerrik gave her a big smile. "Finally ready to go, lovely lady? We've got one more quick pickup first, you know."

"Of course! And you two look yummy, if I dare say so," Sally declared. "Jerrik, you be careful, or Atsayal will have to buy a leash!"

"Speaking of Atsayal, shouldn't we be moving?" Tyra gestured to Jerrik's car. "Come on, let's go!" He didn't look back to see whether they were following; he just made for the car and dove into the back seat, allowing Sally the passenger seat. The others got into the car behind him. "You have the tickets, right, Jerrik?"

"Of course I have the tickets! What do you take me for?" He pointed to a spot on the dashboard, but there was nothing there. "Oh shit, wait, where are the tickets."

"Jerrik!!" Tyra and Sally both hollered in unison.

"Aahh, okay, okay, they're right here." He pulled them out from between the sun visor and the roof of the car. "I guess that's not a laughing matter."

"One more joke like this, and you're dead!" Sally threatened with a dark look in her eyes. "Now hit the accelerator before I come over and bite you where it hurts!"

Jerrik complied with a grin and drove out onto the street, wisely not opening his mouth again. They met up with Atsayal a few blocks away; the lifebearer was already waiting anxiously.

When Tyra got out of the car, he inwardly applied his sire's advice about looking out for Sally to Atsayal, too. Sure, neither of them were damsel-in-distress material, but Astayal looked absolutely stunning in his white poet shirt with a tight black vest over it. Jerrik gazed at him with a decidedly smitten look before he greeted his boyfriend with a kiss.

Sally got out of the car, too, in order to yield the passenger seat to Atsayal.

Tyra leaned over the roof of the car. "Atsayal, I know you're set since your parents think you're staying overnight with a friend, but Jerrik, Sally, what's your curfew status?"

Jerrik replied even though he couldn't tear his eyes away from Atsayal. "I'm in the clear since I'm staying at your place."

"It took some convincing," said Sally, "but I got mom to agree to no curfew since I'm with two big, strapping sires." She rolled her eyes to indicate what she thought of that.

"All right then! Let's get this party moving!" Tyra said with a big grin. He let out a Bowzer-esque howl, and the others responded with the same.

The four of them piled into Jerrik's car, and they talked and laughed and fed off each other's powerful enthusiasm as Jerrik drove them downtown. It was a beautiful night, still bearing the cold nip of early spring, but with a clear sky and a sweet-smelling breeze on the air. It was a perfect night for four young friends to go out for a fun time.

They reached downtown Valkyrie Falls after a while. Here the traffic was even busier in the evening than it was during the day. As they reached the street where the Velvet Shadow was located, Jerrik had some trouble finding a parking lot at all. It seemed that half the city wanted to see Bowzer tonight.

After some arguments and a lot of cruising around Jerrik finally found a place to park the car, and the friends hastened back to the club. It was big, nondescript building, but the red carpet, the exclusion zone marked by red cord, and the long line of guests at the entrance left no doubt that it was the right location.

As they got into line and began slowly moving toward the entrance, Tyra felt his eagerness tempered by a thread of nervousness. Two burly, thick-necked bouncers stood at the end of the line, and they steadily tore tickets and checked IDs one after the other. Both of the bouncers would be mage-skilled and able to recognize any illusions that an underage guest might try to put on an ID card.

Atsayal turned his lazy eyes to Tyra. "Your aura is like a laser-light show right now, flashing back and forth between exhilaration and tension. Relax. I wouldn't even try this if I thought I might get in trouble." Atsayal looked at Sally next. "The same goes for you. Chill out, Sally-sunshine."

Tyra laughed weakly. "Right." The reminder put him at ease. Atsayal was a clever and calculating lashran — if he thought he could get in, he could.

Finally they reached the front of the line, and Tyra offered up his ticket and ID. The bouncer tore his ticket and returned it and his ID after a quick glance, and he was through. Sally joined him shortly. Now it was up to Atsayal and Jerrik.

The lifebearer calmly gave the man his ID to check along with Jerrik's.

For some tense moments, nothing happened, but then the bouncer furrowed his brow and pointed - not at Atsayal's ID card, but at Jerrik's. "Your ID is mangled. I can hardly recognize the administration seal. You better get a new one," he advised Jerrik. "In you go, guys."

Tyra quickly lead the way into the building. They first entered a anteroom with a coat-check area on the left wall and a row of a few booths along the right. When they were safely out of earshot of the bouncers, Tyra wheeled on Jerrik and Atsayal. "How'd you do that? I thought the plan was to slip a bribe."

Atsayal grinned like a cat that got the canary. "I had a better idea last night. Jerrik's ID had to suffer a bit, but it was worth the effort. That way the bouncer was nicely distracted and didn't even bother to look at my ID. If it hadn't worked, I would have tried bribing him. "

Obviously proud of himself, he walked toward the main dance floor. Colorful lights flashed, and big mirror balls rotated on the ceiling. The brightly lit stage was still empty, and a DJ was busy entertaining the gathering crowd.

The friends felt like they'd stepped into a whole different world. The red walls and furnishings gave the impression of being on fire, and the very air smelled of excitement.

Tyra slowly looked over the room, drank in the place like the rich experience it was designed to be. But even as the room awed him, he noticed something out of place. Slacks. Dresses. Genuine jewels and watches and other designer items. Well-dressed businesspeople loitered around many of the tables and in the fashionable shady nooks all around periphery of the Velvet Shadow. On the other hand, the dance floor was getting crowded with other people who wore punk and common street clothes. The two crowds seemed to be ignoring each other and going about their own business for the evening.

"So this is what expensive tickets do to a rock concert," he said idly to Jerrik over the noise of the music.

Jerrik, however, was staring at the dance floor where Atsayal swayed to a techno beat. "Huh?"

"Nevermind," Tyra said, shaking his head. He turned to Sally next, who was laughing at the look on Jerrik's face. He offered a hand. "Concert should start any minute. Wanna claim space on the floor? Like usual, we can split up whenever we see someone hot we want to dance with."

"Sure thing! I'm content to dance with you, hot stuff." Sally grinned. "But you should get off your lazy butt and if you see someone you like. There must be some pretty face in here for you."

"You know Tyra. He's soooo shy," Jerrik teased before he decided to join his boyfriend. "He didn't even dare to ask one of our classmates out to the Halloween party back in Junior high, you remember?"

Tyra groaned. "Are you guys ever going to let me forget that? Come on, that was junior high! We're seniors now. Gimme a little credit, won't you?" He started tugging Sally's hand to bring her onto the dance floor.

"No way, Tyra!" Sally replied. "That's what best friends are for: Long-term reminders of your past embarrassments! I mean, do you really want to let Jerrik forget that incident with the bullfrog in biology our freshman year?"

Tyra laughed even as he began to lead Sally to sway to the music. "No way! I'm going to be telling that one to his kids!"

Sally giggled. "See? And if you want to prove to him you're a real hotshot, you have to dance with lots of pretty lifebearers tonight instead of me. And I'm not playing your alibi girlfriend so you can lean back."

Tyra playfully pinched Sally's cheek. Predictably, she swatted him away and gave him a little shove. "Dancing with pretty lifebearers is exactly what I had in mind for the night, so don't you worry about me. You just worry about finding a stud and getting him past our skeezbag test."

"Meaning, nobody will be able to pass. You guys are worse than big brothers," she chided affectionately. "But maybe I'll meet some rich and famous man or run off with one of the band members!"

"Any member of Bowzer gets an automatic 'pass' on the skeezbag test," Tyrallin declared. "Hey, speaking of which, look, look!"

The lights that were focused on the stage began to dim, and other laser lights throughout the club began to streak and swirl over the heads of the audience. In a dark haze of eerie red light, shadowy forms took the stage and gently picked up or settled next to the instruments that had been on display there. The techno music was quickly dying down, and even as it faded, the audience's volume began to swell with cheers and excited hollers. Tyra cupped a hand around his mouth and cheered so hard that his lungs burned.

Then suddenly a spotlight illuminated the figure standing right in the middle of the stage. Jaydin, Bowzer's lead singer, smiled broadly at his audience. He was a tall, good-looking sire with long, black hair streaked with blue, purple, and red. Tonight he wore it loose around his shoulders, the colored streaks catching the laser light. His outfit was also black and very tight, leaving little to the imagination.

"Hello, Valkyrie Falls!" he shouted into his mic.

The audience redoubled its cheering. The lights on the rest of the stage began to slowly brighten, revealing first Istaris, the guitarist, a gorgeous lifebearer with long, white hair that had a faint blue tint to it. He wore it in a ponytail to keep it out of the way of his intricate guitar work. Then the shadows revealed Dean, a human, standing behind the keyboards, and finally his twin brother, Kale, seated behind the drums. They wore their dark hair at chin length, streaked with colors much like Jaydin's.

When the hooting and hollering of the audience crested its peek, Jaydin leaned forward with his mic and said, "Well, we're Bowzer, and we're going to play you some music to get this party started! AAAARRROOOOOOO!"

The crowd answered with a deafening howl, and Jaydin gave his band a sign to start playing. Sweet, haunting tones filled the room, followed by a hard, throbbing beat. Nobody could stay still, everyone was moving, dancing, or waving their arms in the air. The whole crowd seemed to be one living thing, and Tyra, Sally, Atsayal, and Jerrik enjoyed being a part of it.

And as Tyra started dancing — with his friends or with the strangers around him — he felt that for tonight, he was on the top of the world. He felt that he could handle anything tonight. Whatever happens, whatever surprise comes my way tonight, Tyrallin thought, bring it on!

~*~

Elain was pleased with this evening's event so far. The guests were peaceful, and nobody had tried causing trouble yet. Even the elite guests who normally wouldn't be caught dead mingling with the folks from the first floor, now happily swayed among them.

Despite his first misgivings, Elain had to admit that Bowzer was great. The music did have a good dance beat with a beautiful melody underneath, and the band members were clearly enjoying themselves, projecting their enthusiasm on the audience. Elain had met them only briefly, right before the concert started, but they seemed to be a truly nice bunch, not arrogant in the least despite their little personal quirks. Especially Jaydin seemed to have remained a very down-to-earth person. That made working with them far easier than with the pompous and narcissistic stars he usually had to deal with.

With a content little smile, Elain watched the concert from the bar. He had no desire to join the crowd, something even Marithia had done the moment the concert started. He stayed where he was, watching the whole performance from a distance. The VIP party would start right after the last encore, and then he'd have to come in close contact with other people soon enough.

Unconsciously, Elain tugged at the collar of the white button-down shirt he wore beneath a black vest and matching black frock coat. It was fairly hot in here, but he wouldn't shed any of his protective layers as long as he was surrounded by so many people. Elain's suit was his fortress, his armor.

Applause branded through the room like a crashing wave when Bowzer finished their concert with a last encore. The band members vanished into the backstage area, and the guests who had VIP status within the club went to the elevators where more bouncers were checking IDs and tickets. Time for Elain to join his guests there as well.

The main VIP lounge was already crowded when he showed up. Waiters weaved among the guests, balancing trays with champagne glasses. Everyone was chatting excitedly. Even the usual serious businessmen were riled up like litte kids over the performance.

Elain had just managed to get to his usual safe spot at the bar after a lot of shaking hands, when the band members showed up and were greeted with another round of applause and whistling.

Jaydin smiled lazily and held up his hands to get the gathered people to quiet down, which they did fairly quickly.

"Thank you, thank you," he said. His normally elegant, rumbling voice was faintly husky from the singing he'd been doing for the past two and a half hours. "Thank you for coming tonight. We had a great time out there. Right now, there's only one thing that could make this night any better, and that's some really fucking cold alcohol!" The crowd laughed at this, and a scant moment later a waiter with a tray of champagne appeared in front of Jaydin and his bandmates. Jaydin picked up a glass, as did the others. "Hey, great service. Cheers, Valkyrie Falls!"

The VIP crowd replied with "cheers!" in return, and that seemed to be the signal to return to partying as normal. Jaydin and his bandmates smoothly fanned out and slid into the crowd, where they were quickly surrounded by eager and fawning club guests. Jaydin in particular had a large group lined up for his attention.

Elain watched as the Bowzer members worked the room like the pros they were, and after a while he noticed that Istaris was gradually making his way over to the bar where Elain was seated. Finally, the gorgeous lifebearer managed to break free of the guests, and he came up to the bar right next to Elain.

"Sour apple martini," he ordered from the bartender, who appeared to be a little dazzled by the smile Istaris gave him. Istaris then turned around and leaned back against the bar, and the position displayed his long, lean body beautifully. He slowly scanned the guests with thoughtful eyes. "So, what did you think of the concert?"

The guitarist clearly meant the question for Elain, even though he didn't make any eye contact.

"You really know how to inspire your audience," Elain replied, sipping at a fresh glass of water he had just poured himself. "It was quite a performance."

Istaris let out a sound that was half laugh, half snort. "Huh! From anyone else, that would be damning faint praise," Istaris stole a glance at Elain out of the corner of his eye. "But coming from you, I have a feeling that's a high compliment. Mmm, very fancy place you have here, by the way. Veeeery fancy people."

"I try my best." Elain raised his glass in a silent salute. "And I hope you and your colleagues are comfortable here. Fancy guests or not, they're here because of you."

Istaris made a noncommittal noise in the back of his throat, and he spared Elain a quick, sharp glance. Behind Istaris, the bartender placed a sour apple martini on a little napkin, but Istaris ignored it for the moment.

"Comfort...isn't really the issue." Istaris looked at the place where Jaydin sat on the trendy black couches with several of the VIPs. The VIPs were laughing at something Jaydin had said. The guests all appeared to be pleased, and that was exactly how Elain liked it.

Upon closer inspection, though, the lead singer's face seemed...tired? No, that wasn't right.

Istaris turned and picked up his drink, and now he looked right at Elain. "There are two things in this world I know better than anything else: music and that sire." He used his martini glass to point in Jaydin's direction. "The glass slipper is probably going to break sometime not long after midnight. You should introduce your most important guests to him before then. I'll see you later, Red." With those cryptic remarks, the guitarist gave Elain a wink and then melted back into the crowd, which gladly accepted him.

Elain followed him with his gaze for a moment, pondering Istaris' words. It had clearly been a warning, and if it was true, Elain had better follow the guitarist's advice, taking advantage of Jaydin's good graces as long as they lasted - plus trying to get them to last at all.

Cautiously weaving through the chatting guests, Elain made his way over to the couch where Bowzer's lead singer was sitting. He indeed looked a bit tense.

"Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen," Elain smoothly interrupted the idle conversation that was clearly for the most part flattering the singer. "But I need to spirit away our star for a moment. Jaydin, if you'd be so kind?"

"Aww, you don't want to leave us, do you?" asked a woman. She casually put a hand on Jaydin's forearm. She was the wife of a prominent attorney, Elain recalled.

Jaydin gave Elain a curious glance, but he gently removed the woman's hand and slowly rose to his feet without question. "Sorry, folks, but I'm being summoned." He approached Elain and followed as Elain started to lead him away from the seated group. The singer smoothly took a cocktail from a waiter's tray as the waiter passed near them. Jaydin didn't break his stride to do it, either. "Need me for something?"

Elain gave him a slight smile. "Not really, truth be told. I was about to introduce you to some more of my elite guests, but maybe you've had enough of them already. I just wanted to ask if I can do anything for you to make your evening more pleasant."

Jaydin seemed surprised for a moment, but then he just gave Elain a slow shake of his head and a wry half grin. "Nice of you to offer to help, but these things..."

Whatever Jaydin was about to say was cut off. A small group of three businessmen came up to them at that moment.

"Ahh, here you are! I've been hoping to get a chance to talk to you. I'm Rodney Tavis, city councilman," said one of the businessmen. He smoothly pulled a business card out of his jacket pocket and offered it to Jaydin.

Jaydin looked at it only briefly and then held it up between two fingers in a sort of salute. "Thanks, nice to meet you. I'm Jaydin. I'm with the band."

The three businessmen all laughed obligingly at this. Mr. Tavis turned to Elain. "You don't mind if we borrow your star for a while, do you? My wife's been begging me for a chance to meet him for the past hour." Mr. Tavis smiled a blindingly white smile at Elain, but at the same time his eyes narrowed meaningfully.

"I don't mind if Jaydin doesn't mind," Elain replied. Mr. Tavis was an important man, and Elain needed to stay on his good side. "But I might ask my assistant manager, Miss Marithia, to pick him up later."

Jaydin smiled and lifted his cocktail glass. "I don't mind a bit. Lead the way, Mr. Councilman."

"Wonderful concert, by the way," Mr. Tavis began, and he and the other businessmen lead Jaydin into the crowd.

Elain frowned a bit as he watched Jaydin being swept away. He really had to find Marithia and tell her to rescue the lead singer in half an hour at the latest. No, better just twenty.

Elain set his glass down and tried to spot Marithia in the crowd. It was usually not that difficult, but among so many tall, broad men in black suits it was difficult. Just as Elain thought he saw the female lashran's crimson dress, a familiar voice whispered right in his ear, "Are you planning on leaving already? After all it's your party."

Elain turned around to face a tall, broad-shouldered sire in a cream-colored designer suit. He had white-blonde hair and piercing blue eyes, his smile showing a set of teeth right out of a toothpaste ad. He idly held a champagne glass in his hand.

"Good evening, Mr. Ashton," Elain greeted him, forcing himself to be polite. The man was a very important business partner for him, but there had been moments in the past few years where Elain had almost put his personal peace of mind before the sake of his business and considered cutting all ties to the Ashton company. But he was not that irritated by Davaric Ashton's advances. Not yet.

Davaric Ashton faked a crestfallen expression. "Aww, Elain, don't be like that. We've known each other for what, almost twenty years? And you still haven't done away with the formalities."

"That's because I want our relationship to be strictly businesslike. But I've told you that for the past twenty years," Elain replied. "For having a sire's hearing, you don't listen very well."

Davaric just laughed, unconcerned and, as always, undeterred. "But that's because I have yet to hear an answer I like! You know, I don't know why people keep trying to insist that business and pleasure can't mix." Davaric smiled warmly and moved a bit closer to Elain. "I think they'd mix very well, actually. Care to help me test my theory?"

Immediately Elain tried to put some distance between them again, but the bar was blocking his way. As nonchalant as possible he said, "I'm not a curious person, Mr. Ashton. There's only one thing I'd really like to know. Why don't you seek the company of those who would appreciate your efforts? I'm sure there are enough interesting people here tonight."

"Well, you see, the problem is that they aren't half as interesting to me as you are." Davaric's eyes warmed. "None of them have the same soft, auburn hair. They don't have your sharp mind and intelligence. And certainly none of them can manage that statuesque, haughty look of yours that stops me in my tracks."

As always, flattering Elain was like brushing a cat's fur the wrong way. "I'm quite sure you haven't looked hard enough, Mr. Ashton. And you know the saying, 'wishing for something is more fun than having it.' Even if I'd ever considered, you'd have forgotten me within a week." This came out a lot more bitter than Elain had intended, and he regretted it immediately.

Davaric gasped dramatically and clutched at his heart. He staggered back away from Elain as if he'd been struck. "Cut me to the quick! You're certainly not mincing words. But I suppose I wouldn't have you be any other way." Davaric sighed dramatically. "So be it. But would you come sit with me at the bar? No, no, don't give me that disgruntled look. We can talk business, just as you prefer it. Would you tell me how tonight's concert went since I had to miss it?"

There was no elegant way for Elain to evade this, so he followed Davaric back to the bar and pulled up a stool to sit on. As he told his business partner about the concert, he continued to scan the crowd for Marithia, but she was nowhere to be seen. And worse, Jaydin wasn't either.

He spotted the other members of Bowzer easily enough. The twins, Kale and Dean, stood in a group of VIP guests, and one of the two was gesturing wildly and clearly telling some sort of unusual story. Their audience listened with polite interest. At the other end of the room, Istaris sat on a long black couch, one arm around a woman seated next to him. He held his martini glass in his free hand. He conversed casually with the people around him, and with one finger he twirled a lock of the woman's long blond hair.

"Elain?" Davaric said. "Elain, have you heard a word I've just said?"

He tried to focus on Davaric again, but it was rather difficult since his worries grew with every minute. A quick look at his watch told him it was already midnight. Hopefully Istaris had not meant his words too literally.

"I'm sorry," Elain said. "But it's a very important evening, and I think I have to cruise around a bit more and see if everyone is content."

"I suppose if you must, you must," Davaric granted.

As Elain got up from his seat, the crowd parted at just that moment. Elain saw, off in a far corner, just as it happened. He couldn't look away. Mr. Tavis and Jaydin stood together, somewhat separated from the rest of the guests. Mr. Tavis leaned in and put a hand on Jaydin's shoulder and said something to him, something quiet that wouldn't be able to reach the ears of nearby guests.

Jaydin's face froze. Slowly, pure fury began to harden his features. He violently slapped the councilman's hand off his shoulder, and his lips pulled back in a sneer as he made some sort of reply. His reply hadn't been as quiet as the councilman's words because several guests paused to look over at the disturbance.

Oh damn, Elain thought.

As fast as he could, he tried to get through the crowd, but the people were standing too close to each other to easily give way for Elain. With a last, frantic look he tried to spot Marithia at last, hoping he could rely on her powers of persuasion, but the female lashran was nowhere in sight. At this moment, Elain cursed the vastness of the room.

Before Elain could get anywhere near him, Jaydin turned away from Mr. Tavis in disgust and made is way back into the crowd. He once again grabbed another alcoholic drink from a passing waiter and then he climbed on top of a black table. The singer was naturally tall anyway, and now he towered over everyone present.

Double damn! Elain thought as he watched on in horror.

"Esteemed ladies and gentlemen," Jaydin called out in a powerful voice. "If I could have your attention please?" He held up his hand and waved it, but it was hardly necessary. The gathered people quickly hushed and turned their eyes and ears to him.

"I would like to propose a toast!" Jaydin said. The people murmured in appreciation; a toast sounded like an interesting proposition to them. They had no idea what was coming, though. "You'll have to pardon me 'cause I'm doing this on the spur of the moment, all improvisation you know. So first, to Valkyrie Falls! It's a lovely city, a really lovely city. The lights are almost so bright I can't see the dark. And also, to power! Power's a great thing, isn't it? It keeps the city running and keeps the people running. It's gotta be nice to have power. But most of all, to money! Because it'll buy you just about anything. Money's great! If only it could buy you happiness, money would be perfect. Cheers!"

Jaydin took a large drink of his beverage. Some of the guests seemed hesitant to drink, and some were sipping only tentatively at their glasses with concerned looks in their eyes. Not far from where Jaydin stood upon the table, Mr. Tavis lurked against the wall with his arms crossed. His expression was sour.

"You know," Jaydin continued. "I'm reminded of this one lyric. We've used it on every one of our albums. How did that line go exactly...?" The lead singer grimaced and snapped his fingers a few times as though trying to recall it.

No one spoke. Elain looked around, but all of the guests seemed confused. Desperately, he looked to the couch were Istaris was seated. He stared sharply at the guitarist, and the lifebearer must have sensed Elain's gaze because he met Elain's eyes. But Istaris simply raised one brow and shrugged as if to say, sorry, nothing I can do.

Jaydin sighed and shook his head. "You know what? Fuck it. It's been nice talking to you, peeps, but I gotta go." Having said that, the lead singer crouched down and hopped off the table. He started moving toward the private elevator that lead down to the backstage area, and the crowd quickly made way for him.

At three other points in the room, the other members of Bowzer simultaneously began to head toward the same private elevator.

Elain reacted immediately and followed them, making his way not too considerately through the crowd. Just as the elevator doors were about to close, he squeezed in.

"I'm very sorry if one of the guests offended you," he said to Jaydin, trying very hard not to loose his countenance. "I do hope you're not about to leave already?"

Jaydin frowned down at him as the elevator began its decent to the first floor. "Offended? No, I wouldn't say I'm offended." Jaydin slowly crossed his arms. "Offended doesn't even begin to cover what I'm feeling right now. Pissed as fucking hell might come close, but that doesn't even quite do it justice. But you know what? I'm a lashran of my word. I said I'd entertain your guests after the show. So I'm not going to leave."

"So you intend to join the party on the first floor?" Elain guessed since it was the only logical alternative. Inwardly he sighed, but it was better than the band leaving altogether.

Jaydin gave him a self-satisfied grin. "Got that right."

The elevator came to a halt on the first floor, and it gave an inappropriately cheerful little ding. Elain got out, and the other band members got out behind him. They stepped around him and went to their dressing room, and Elain followed. Mr. William Kessler was sitting on a lounge chair in their dressing room, talking on his cell phone. He looked up and arched an eyebrow at their arrival and quickly ended his call.

"Well, done with the VIP party then?" asked Mr. Kessler. "Oh, and I see you have Mr. Silvestri with you."

"Well, you know us, Bill," Kale said, pointed at Jaydin. "I guess someone said something our leader didn't like too much."

Mr. Kessler furrowed his brow. "I hope we have no broken noses to worry about?"

Meanwhile Elain got his headset out of his vest pocket and contacted the security. If Bowzer really intended to go out there - and Jaydin did look pretty resolved - then he had to make sure they were safe.

Jaydin shook his head. "No, no broken noses this time. It was a close call, but I really would have ended up in jail if I'd punched him. Man, that councilman was a piece of work. Asshole."

Istaris tilted his head to one side. "Do you guys hear something?"

"It's a club," Dean said with an eyeroll. "There's always noise in a club, dimwit."

"Not that, numb nuts," Istaris snapped. "Something else! What is that?" Istaris got up and went out into the hall. Jaydin followed him.

"Is that..." Jaydin started. He took a couple steps toward the stairs that lead to the stage. "Is that howling?" he asked in amazement.

Istaris laughed softly. "Well, looks like we were missed down here, doesn't it?"

"But it's just going on and on and....WILLIAM!" Jaydin hollered as he darted back into the dressing room. "Do you have the newest glossies from that photo shoot last month? Those signing shots of the whole band together, with us sitting together on the edge of that fountain?"

William arched an eyebrow. "Yeah, I got a big box of 'em sitting in the bus right outside."

"Get them! And sharpies. Lots of sharpies. I'll pay you back."

"Aaarrgg, not freebies again, Jaydin," said the manager. "You're damn right you'll pay me back." Despite his words, Mr. Kessler had a big grin on his face, and he hurried for the door.

Elain watched all this with growing horror while his security men were trying to get into place as fast as they could.

"Please do wait until your manager gets back," he said. "Your fans won't run away until then. And Jaydin, I'd like to know what happened up there. If Mr. Tavis did misbehave, I have to think about taking his membership card away."

Jaydin frowned at him. "What happened up there? Well, first I had to listen to a bunch of overdressed, pompous asses praise my music for all of two seconds before they launched into business discussions about the profitability and representation of music today. Then they started parading me around to meet their friends and husbands and wives like I'm some sort of pet, some freakish exotic animal. Then finally that bastard Tavis..." Here Jaydin had to stop because he was shaking, and he let out a ferocious yell. Even the other band members seemed startled. Istaris made a hesitant move toward Jaydin but decided to hold his tongue.

"Calm down, Jay," Kale said in a hushed tone. "It's okay, man."

"Screw calm, Kale," Jaydin snapped. He gestured toward the door. "Listen to them! They're howling! And I was upstairs drinking expensive champagne and watching the shine of diamond necklaces and the flash of designer watches. Those people that are out there on the dance floor now are the people that matter. They get it. Those the people I work for, we work for. Those are the people I sweat for, the people I whore my talents for." Here, he turned to glare daggers at Elain. "Not your fucking businessmen."

Slowly it dawned on Elain what kind of offer Mr. Tavis had made Jaydin, and now he was resolved to exclude the man from this club. There were certain behaviors he didn't tolerate in his club at all, no matter by whom.

Just as he was about to apologize, Mr. Kessler came back with a cardboard box. Without further ado, Jaydin took it and stormed for the door leading back to the disco floor. His band members followed.

Elain glanced back at the manager, who just threw his arms in the air in defeat, then he went after Bowzer. Although he had just gotten confirmation that the security was in place, he swore not to let the band out of his sight again this evening.

To be continued...