All four members of Beautiful Apocalypse paced the backstage area of the Rockhouse. Their crew sensed their unease, forcing Miles to repeatedly send them off with thoughts of how they should mind their own business and speak of it to no one. Jack constantly checked his phone, and the moment it was 5 p.m. his heart leaped. “This is it, guys. If he’s out there, this is the big moment.”

“You know, part of me doesn’t want this to end,” Cameron said. “It’s gone by so fast and I want to keep going.”

“It won’t be over,” Dorian said. “Buriel’s still out there, and I’m pretty sure he’ll be our next target. As long as we do this cleanly enough.”

Jack led his friends through the venue and to the front door, peeking through the window. He smiled. The boy was there, just visible at the corner of the brick wall outside. Now that Joey was in full color, Jack was able to see something not previously visible in the grayscale video world. “What the hell…”

“What’s wrong?” Dorian asked.

Cameron peered around and out the window. “Is that him? That kid there?”

“Yeah.” Jack’s voice was a whisper as he continued to stare, frozen.

“Doesn’t look scary at all.”

“Easy takedown,” Miles said.

Dorian shook Jack by the shoulder. “What’s wrong?”

“He’s got an aura.”

The other three demons stared at him in silence for a few moments before Dorian finally spoke.

“That’s not possible. Demons don’t have auras.”

“I know that, genius,” Jack snapped. “It’s really faint but it’s there. I know what I’m looking at.”

“What color is it?” Miles asked. “You said red is evil, right?”

“Usually, yeah. But there’s no red at all. It’s…kinda white and yellow. A faint version of the majority of humans. The kind I would normally ignore.”

“Are you sure that’s him then?” Dorian asked. “We can’t afford to mess this up.”

“Let’s find out.” With a deep breath, Jack opened the door and stuck his head out. The boy turned at the movement and his eyes went wide. Jack watched the misty aura become more yellow, but still not as vibrant as the handful of others waiting in line across from him. Joey motioned to someone out of view to follow him, and Jack struggled to hide his gasp at the sight of the woman that appeared.

The aura that surrounded her was more intense than any he’d ever seen, almost as if it was pulsating power rather than just being a soft visual cue of emotions. It was the whitest of white but with gold marbling, a shiny, gleaming gold that swam brighter above her head, though it completely encompassed her. He ignored the flash of pink outline closest to her body, too mesmerized by the rest.

“Hi, Jack.” Joey broke his attention away, grinning widely.

“Hey, kid. Glad you could come.” Jack looked back at the woman, this time meeting her eyes. With a stoic expression like she had, Jack would expect a much more negative aura, but the golden white flared brightly. This was no human.

“This is my aunt, Annabelle,” Joey said. “She’d only let me come if she was with me. I hope that’s okay.”

It’s totally not. “Of course. Absolutely.” He hesitated a moment, then remembered to do the proper human greeting, holding his hand out to her. “I’m Jack.”

Tentatively she took it, her smile clearly forced. The direct outline around her body seemed to be a battle between many colors, mostly pink versus purple. Pink was a weird one, rarely seen too.

He motioned for them to follow him in, and introduced them to the rest of the band. While the guest of honor grinned with joy, the woman appeared to tense up, but retained her stoic expression. Jack refrained from trying to read her soul deeper despite his curiosity.

Once backstage, he pointed out some coolers with drinks. “Help yourself. Water, pop, whatever. Have a seat, we’ll be right back.”

As discreetly as possible, Jack nodded to his bandmates to follow him out of sight in a side room. “We have a big problem,” he said.

“The chick?” Miles said. “Minor inconvenience, I’ll convince her to—”

“She’s an angel.”

Miles chuckled. “I guess she’s cute, but—”

“I’m serious. A literal angel from Heaven is in that room right now.” Jack looked at Dorian. “You’d know. Is it actually possible for angels to be on Earth just like us?”

Dorian scratched his goatee. “Well, technically yes. I’ve heard of it, but it’s incredibly rare. Angels are usually invisible and are typically just channels to real angels in Heaven. Supposedly God prefers a more discreet approach to earthly work. But if there’s a really important thing that requires a physical human form to complete—usually guarding someone or influencing someone who might not be susceptible to invisible channels—then yes, it happens.” Dorian paused a moment, furrowing his brow. “You said she’s his aunt?”

“That’s what he told me.”

“Related to his human host, perhaps. Could be coincidental, or…” He raised an eyebrow. “Or God knows about him and is planning something.”

“You’re absolutely sure about this?” Miles asked Jack. “How can you be sure?”

“Her aura is like nothing I’ve ever seen before. It’s intense. It screams power. If we try to get the kid, she’ll take us all down. We’ll have a war on our hands.”

Dorian sighed. “Though I doubt she could take down four demons, you’re right. If we attack an angel, Lucifer gets the Holy War he’s trying to avoid.”

“What do we do then?” Cameron asked. “We can’t just let him go and return to Hell empty handed.”

Jack remembered all that the boy had said. How their music spoke to him, how he knew they were calling to him, how desperately he had tried to connect, and how badly he wanted to know the truth. “We won’t lose him,” he said. “Let’s befriend him. The angel maybe too. Keep them close enough to buy us time while we see what Lucifer wants to do. It won’t be a waste, just a little delay is all.”

With the others in agreement they all returned to the main backstage area where their guests awaited them, sitting on a dusty couch, each with a drink in their hand. The angel still exuded her strength and Joey was still smiling. Jack sat beside him while his band mates took chairs nearby.

“Ever been to a concert before?” Jack asked Joey.

“Technically yes, if you count the performances of a rock band at a retreat they hosted. But that will be nothing compared to this, I just know it.”

Jack couldn’t help but smile at the boy’s excitement. He wanted to read him deeper, but with the aura being fainter than normal he couldn’t grasp anything easily, and didn’t have time to try harder before Joey spoke again.

“What songs will you play tonight? Or is it a secret?”

“Well, we only have one album, so we’ll play all of them.”

“Really?” Joey’s face didn’t seem like it could light up any more than it already was. “Oh, this is gonna be so awesome!”

Jack stole a glance at his bandmates. They all seemed to share in his thoughts of how this supposed cambion was putty in their hands. “What’s your favorite song?”

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“Definitely ‘From Whence I Came.’ And not just because of the video. I just really love it. I feel it, you know?” He glanced at his aunt then looked back. “Some people don’t really understand the power of music, what it can do to you. You guys get it, right? How sometimes it can just take over everything, every part of your soul. That sounds weird, I know.”

“Not at all,” Jack said. “Music comes from the soul, not just the brain, so it’s natural for it to be felt that way by the listener too. It’s humbling to see how our music affects people so much. Brings new purpose to it.” Jack did not look at his friends; surely they’d think he was talking ridiculous, even though he felt it was all true.

“I wish I could play an instrument and write songs,” Joey said. “Music is the only thing I’m passionate about, but I can’t really do good in the world with it just by listening to it.”

Jack raised his eyebrows, an idea suddenly coming to him. “Would you like to learn? It’s never too late to start. Since I think we might live close enough to each other, I’d be willing to teach you guitar if you want.”

Joey’s eyes widened and his jaw dropped. “Are you serious? You’d really teach me?”

“Sure. This is our last night of the tour and we’ll be taking a little break, so why not? What do you say?”

But the boy hesitated, looking at Annabelle as if he was disappointed to discover she was there. “Can I, Annie? Please?”

Jack met the eyes of the angel who was staring at him intently. For a moment he ignored her aura, taking in her human form. Her long brown hair was tied back in a ponytail, wisps of it hanging in front of her ears. She wore no obvious makeup, her face naturally flawless. If she weren’t glaring at him in intimidation, he would find her quite pretty. With her eyes on his he decided to take the risk of reading her deeper. What did an angel’s soul feel like? In the brief flash he was able to get as he reached in through his mind it was soft and peaceful, at least until fully established and he could read it.

Why-no-God-seriously-worse-can’t-why

He disconnected quickly, surprised at the nervousness deep inside.

“I’ll…I’ll think about it,” she said finally.

Though Jack saw her swallow hard, he was impressed by how her expression had not changed. It also was not the response he had been hoping for. Looking down at Joey he saw the dejection there as well. “No problem,” he said, trying his best to hide his disappointment. “Just let me know. You can come to our place, see the studio and stuff. You can borrow my guitar, no need to get one of your own. Discuss it and let me know, okay?”

For the next hour Jack struggled to come up with things to talk about. All the things he wanted to talk about, and that he knew Joey wanted to talk about, were off limits with the angel around. Thankfully Cameron, the master of words, got the boy talking and comfortable. When he asked Joey what other bands he liked, it was difficult to hide the surprise at the answer.

“Oh, well, right now just really you guys. That’s all I listen to, at least now. I used to listen to a lot of different metal bands, but…” Joey was looking down at his hands, seemingly embarrassed. “They’re Christian metal bands so you guys probably wouldn’t like it or know it.”

“There’s Christian metal bands?” Miles asked, unable to hide the shock in his voice. “Are you serious?”

Joey nodded, fumbling with his fingers as he rambled. “It’s good stuff, I mean, it’s not bad, but it’s not as good as your stuff of course.” After a quick glance at Annabelle again, who shifted uncomfortably at the topic, he said, “And not because of the lyrics. I mean, the lyrics of both are great for their own reasons, you know? And music can be great no matter what it’s about, right? It’s okay to like both…isn’t it?” The last two words sounded like an actual question.

“Of course,” Jack said, hoping to please the angel. “There’s nothing wrong with liking that stuff. If it’s your thing, it’s your thing. Plus, I think liking both makes you a more well-rounded person. Open-minded. That’s a good thing.”

Though these words seemed to comfort Joey, they did little to calm Annabelle. Befriending her was going to be impossible.

When it came time for the doors to open for ticket holders, Jack ushered their guests out to the main venue area. “Come back after the show,” he said. “I’d love to hear your thoughts on it.” Though Annabelle seemed disappointed at the idea of meeting with them again, Joey grinned.

Backstage he was met with three exhausted faces. “That was intense,” Cameron said. “Like, I swear that angel was staring you down, Jack, ready to pounce.”

“I know. Weird thing is, deep down she was nervous. She’s easy to read actually, which could be to our advantage.” He remembered the warm and peaceful feeling of her soul and wouldn’t mind experiencing it again. “The kid not so much. But with his aura and enough time I could do it.”

“That was a brilliant idea,” Dorian said. “Guitar lessons. Get him on our territory. I guess I have to give you some credit for being a decent leader after all.”

Jack smiled. “Thanks. Let’s just hope our new arch enemy out there agrees to it.”

* * *

Annabelle’s feet began hurting before the second of the three bands even started their set. It was a good distraction, though, from the even more uncomfortable surroundings. She and Joey stood right up against the stage in the center, and she found herself plastered close to her nephew, clutching her small purse in front of her. All around her were terrifying strangers, dressed in black and were loud and drinking and occasionally swearing. She had to remind herself that she was the one who was supposed to be protective, not the one needing protection.

At Joey’s insistence they had dressed the part, wearing black T-shirts and jeans, a color she almost never wore outside of a funeral. It was hot with all the warm bodies clustered within inches of each other, none of them minding the closeness at all. To Annabelle it was stifling, but to her relief none of the men around her—and they were all men—paid much attention to her other than a passing glance.

The second band began their set and it was just as awful as the first, at least to Annabelle’s ears. The blasting volume didn’t help, certainly, and she wondered why it was necessary to have everything so painfully loud. She decided these Hell-bound heathens were masochists, then felt ashamed for thinking that. She didn’t know these people, and thinking of all the times she’d had to remind her father to love the sinners as much as the believers and to accept everyone regardless of differences made her realize she was almost as bad as him. None of them had been cruel to her, so she’d leave the judgment up to God.

It felt like forever before the band had finished, and even more of an eternity before Beautiful Apocalypse took the stage. She surprised herself at being relieved to see the band appear, but was certain it was only because it meant the end of the torture session was near.

Immediately there was a different vibe in the small room. The crowd cheered louder of course, but the music itself was so different. More crisp and clear and clean, and significantly more melodic and skillful. Annabelle found her eyes glued to Jack Harper, particularly his hands flying along his guitar. They had begun with the song from the video Joey had showed her, and seeing it in person brought a new appreciation for the chaotic melodies and riffs. It was organized chaos that somehow made sense.

She tore her eyes away occasionally to look at Joey. He was completely entranced as if the music had enveloped him, and she was sure she saw tears in his eyes. Tears of pure joy. He bounced to the music, banged his head mildly, and sang along to every word. Never before had she seen such happiness in him. Perhaps this torture was worth it after all. And she began to feel guilty that it was going to eventually end.

But maybe it didn’t have to. Watching Jack again, his masterful playing that seemed to be so easy for him, she considered his earlier offer. Joey still hadn’t found his purpose in life; perhaps it was right in front of him. The opportunity he’d never been allowed to have, his natural way to combine this powerful passion for music with his faith. It was worth a try. The man on stage seemed harmless, his words to the crowd as peaceful as they’d been to Joey. He could still be a predator in disguise, she reminded herself. But she also had trouble ignoring the tiny part of herself that wanted to see him again too.

She let out a deep sigh of relief when the show was over and the crowd dispersed. Joey turned to her, grinning. “That was the best thing I’ve ever experienced in my life,” he said and hugged her tight. “Thank you so much.”

The person stationed near the backstage door remembered them and allowed them in once again. The band was waiting, two of them collapsed on the couch, the long-haired one standing up from digging through the cooler, holding a beer in the air. “To an awesome end to a kickass tour!” he said. Annabelle twitched at the curse word but forced a smile for Joey’s sake.

“That was so amazing!” Joey exclaimed. “The greatest experience ever, seriously.”

Jack was standing near the couch, smiling at his bandmates. Annabelle took the opportunity to approach, silently telling her heart to stop fluttering. “Can I talk to you for a minute?” she asked, beckoning him to join her out of earshot of Joey, who was still gushing to the others.

He smiled and followed, hands in his pockets.

“I…I wanted to ask you how much you’d charge for guitar lessons. I’ve been thinking and I decided maybe Joey would benefit from something like that. He’s been kind of sheltered most of his life and I’m trying to sort of fix the damage I guess. He was so happy tonight, so I think he needs it.” She felt herself blush at her rambling.

“Oh.” Jack looked surprised. “I wouldn’t charge anything for it.”

It was Annabelle’s turn to look surprised. “You’d do it for free?” Maybe he is a predator. I really don’t want him to be…

“Yeah, why not? He’s…” Jack looked over at Joey. “He’s a special kid. I’d love to help him out.”

“Are you sure? I mean, I guess I figured a rock star would insist on getting paid for something like that, but if you’re sure…”

Jack chuckled. “I appreciate the compliment, but I don’t really see myself as a ‘rockstar.’ I just played to a room of four hundred people, not exactly a big deal. But yes, I’m sure.”

“That’s very kind of you, thank you. It will mean a lot to him. It would have to be in the evenings though, because I work during the day.”

“That’s fine. What do you do?”

“I’m a hospice nurse.”

“Oh, okay, that’s cool.” He smiled again, showing interest. “Just let me know when you want to start and we’ll set it up.”

Once she had his number in her phone, Annabelle promised to text him when she could figure out a good schedule. Then remembering she had to get up early for church the next day, she coaxed Joey away and bid the band members goodbye.

As they walked down the street toward where their car was parked, Annabelle told him about the guitar lessons. Joey squealed like a child, bounced up and down, and hugged her again. “You’re the greatest person in the whole world!” he said. “I love you.”

Annabelle had to hold back tears as she hugged him. She couldn’t remember ever hearing those words from him. “I love you too.”