Heart of Stone (Rock Star Fairy Tales #1)

Chapter 10

C h apte r 10

Glamour in t he Morning

Morning, Thursday, Februar y 19 th in Margot’s Bus in the back lot of the Reve l Coliseum

M argot didn’t notice her new ability had manifested until she was brushing her teeth the next morning. She was bleary-eyed, waking up as much as the shower would allow without her dose of coffee, and it was only after she swiped her hand across the foggy mirror that she realized the face staring back at her was not her own.

Her first thought was that she was somehow seeing the reflection of an intruder—triangular face, swath of blonde hair, pixie nose—but she dismissed it immediately, knowing no one could be standing behind her in the tiny bathroom stall. She pushed the door open anyway, startled, and the rush of cold air made her skin pebble with goosebumps. Grabbing her towel, she glanced down at her body, still recognizing the familiar lines of herself, and took a calming breath. Still a bit unsettled, she walked away from the mirror, spending the next few minutes making herself a hot cup of coffee, lingering over the small dollop of sugar and stirring slowly with her spoon. She took the first glorious sip, relishing the heat swirling through her body and the coherence waking h er brain.

“Okay,” she announced to the empty room, eyes lingering on the back window and the empty lot beyond. She could see a copse of trees beyond the fencing, the firs of northern Armav still green despite the winter chill. “I think I’m ready to face this. Whatever this is.” She reached up to run her hands through her normally long hair, glad to feel it was still there, and turned to face the mirror. Her mouth fell open as the reflection showed a different woman with short blonde hair staring back at her—though her mouth was also hanging open. The woman wore the same blue towel, but her face was completely different. Margot flexed her fingers in her hair, watching transfixed as her reflection’s fingers seemed to brush against short spikes when she could clearly feel the soft length of her still damp hair.

“Glamour,” she said to her reflection, as though her heart weren’t hammering away in her chest at the disconnect. “Good morning to you, too.” Closing her eyes, she concentrated for a moment. “Can I have my face back, please?” She felt something echo through her body, a quiet pulse, and she carefully opened one reluctant eye, peering at her reflection nervously. Her familiar face met her in the mirror and she sighed in relief, sagging back against her kitchen sink. She stood, breathing deeply, trying to recall everything the guys had said the previo us night.

Glamours were a common gift, she recalled. Something all fae could do. But only in appearance, she thought, remembering Ash’s side glance at Tobin. Not in reality. That’s why my hair still feels like my hair even though it looks different. Okay then. I can deal w ith this.

She dressed quickly in yoga pants, a tank top, and a hoodie, tucking her dark hair up in a messy bun, then settled on the floor before the mirror with her steaming coffee beside her, ready to experiment. She had time this morning. The band always gave themselves a recovery day after a show before traveling to the next gig. If things were normal, she wouldn’t expect to see any of them until the crack of two pm. Margot was a morning person, often up with the sun, and she enjoyed her quiet mornings alone. That said, the odd occasion where she attended an afterparty would let her sleep a bit later—like today. It was al ready 10.

By noon, she had enough control to adjust her face, altering her nose and eyes, redoing her hair and adding accessories. Her favorite new look was the pixie blonde with librarian glasses and striking green eyes, though she could also manage to make her face appear as Ash, Nik, Timothy, and Tobin. She had stared at the latter for a long time, tweaking details as she recalled his appearance before returning to the new favor ite face.

The pixie blonde with glasses was so removed from her own average looks. Her dark hair and brown eyes had her blending in with many of the women who screamed the lyrics to “Heart of Stone” and went ho me alone.

Maybe if I looked like this , she thought bitterly, Ash might want me.

She stopped the thought, not allowing herself to go down that road. It was familiar, but she had other things to worry about—like her growling stomach. She let the glamour fall, staring at herself for a moment before standing and putting her empty mug in the sink. She almost left it there, but then she sighed, not knowing if the boys would end up wanting to move when they woke up. She washed the cup and started making herself a small lunch. Routine helped settle her nerves, though she couldn’t stop the thought , One day and I already have a new ability. Is that good or bad? Does this mean someone will come to Claim me sooner?

She wasn’t excited about going outside, something she normally enjoyed, but she finally opened her door and emerged from her safe place. The sun hid behind thick clouds. She stretched, glancing around. She could see three tour buses parked on the far side of the lot behind the coliseum, sleek black lines against the mountain range around them. The near RV, what Nik called the Party Bus, would hold the band, their normal home on the road, each member claiming a bunk along the sides. The middle RV, which Nik dubbed the Entertaining Bus, was more traditional with a kitchen, dining room, and bedroom. That’s where they took their eager fans, though Margot never quite figured out what guy code they used to know when it was available. The farthest bus was not nearly as fancy or as new, and it carried the crew for the trip: Travis, Dustin, John, and Benjamin. She grinned at the thought. Her fling with Ben had been years ago, both of them fumbling teenagers. He would always hold a special place in her heart, but they were just friends now. Comfortable enough, but not close anymore. Travis was an older man with a handlebar mustache, a traditional roadie who knew how to make the amplifiers sound heavenly. Dustin and John were younger, newer to the game, both polite enough. They all called her Margot, none of that ridiculous Baby Go nonsense from the band, and alternated driving their bus. There was a constantly shifting pool of drivers who dealt with the equipment trucks—which she saw had already left, likely heading to Akkoy for their n ext show.

She frowned, wondering if she would see Jeff or Alex, the two drivers of the other buses. They usually slept during the day, making it easier to drive the bus to the new location o vernight.

I bet they’re vampires, she thought suddenly. Perfe ct cover.

If the world contained fae, why couldn’t it have vampires? Margot tried to recall if she had seen either of them in the day, then wondered why she assumed that vampires in the real world would follow the rules established by television and novels. She glanced nervously at the sky, wondering if some creature was going to fly down and s teal her.

“Oh fuck,” she said out loud, hand covering her mouth.

“Good morning to you too,” a voice said, and Margot whirled to see Tobin leaning casually against the passenger door, his white-blond hair shining despite the lack of sun. His voice was exactly as she remembered, sending shivers down her back as it had the nig ht before.

“You ready for some flying lessons?”