Realizing he was talking about the quality of my blood at the moment, I took a deep breath.
"I'm tired, but...why? Can't we do this in the morning when you're not..."
"The show runs at 8pm at night, Amy," he said. "Under the Beast makeup, I'll be in full transformation. So I have to get used to feeling this way now."
"What about when you're the prince?" I asked, and he smiled.
"I'll have my own private dressing room, and Porsche the multi-talented will do my makeup."
"But with all those...humans...in the audience..." I said, and he stood up, grinning.
"I have two ways around that. The first is that yes, there will be private citizens and media in attendance. But they will be sold seats in the back row and even then, the prices will be so high, barely anyone will come. It's a media stunt, that’s all."
"And the front row?" I asked, and he grinned.
"It's being billed as a charity event. Rich snobs will purchase a ticket to donate to a child; a sick child who wants more than anything to see their favorite actor up close and personal. Win win."
I laughed out loud. It was genius, even I had to admit it. With rows and rows of excited, infected children, Liam would be fine.
"But what's the second way?" I asked, confused. He smirked, going to his bag on the stage. From it, he pulled a bottle of wine.
"Booze, my dear, is the solution to all the world's problems."
"Classy," I said, getting up. Around other people, I would have to control my sarcasm, but I felt Liam always knew when I was being funny and not being hurtful. Liam smiled, taking a mock bow.
"Do you want some? Or perhaps?" he reached into his bag, pulling out a bottle of water. I took the water, unscrewing the cap. "A toast. To the magic of theater," he said, and I grinned, clinking my bottle against his.
"The magic of theater," I said, and we drank.
We rehearsed until 10pm, although as it got later, it mostly became conversation and giggling, exactly what I needed after a horrid day. Liam went through the whole bottle of wine, and by 10pm, I could see it was time for me to go.
"Shall I call someone for you?" I asked, as we finished the scene. "I really should get to bed."
"Like the phantom of the Opera, I can make my way to my cave through the bowels of the theater,” he said, reaching out to kiss my hand.
"Ok then. As long as you don’t go strangling people with nooses or obsessing over Chorus girls." I didn't draw back as quickly as I should have.
"Chorus girls can be very enticing,” he whispered, meeting my eyes. I stood rigid, fighting hard against giving into the feelings that I knew we both shared. The warmth was back, the sparkle, and I knew it. “Thank you, my dear," he said. "Not all would put up with what you have put up with."
"I didn't," I reminded him softly, meeting his eyes. "I ran away, remember?"
“I do," he whispered. The pain tracing his eyes made me look away. But as I did, I suddenly noticed a pale face at the door of the theater. I screamed, my muscle's freezing. Liam grabbed my arm, startled and half pulling me behind him as he looked in the direction I was staring at. He laughed then, heading to the switch board to push the button to open the theater.
"It's only Porsche," he said, laughing as he let her in. "Porsche, my beloved Russian import, what can we do for you."
She looked tired, her backpack over-stuffed as she strode down the aisle to the theater, waving a paper at Liam.
"I've just checked the ticket list for opening night, your night. We've sold out."
My jaw dropped and I clapped my hands like a child.
"Oh my God, that's amazing."
"Wait," Liam waived his hand in my direction to silence me. “Why do you look unhappy, then?"
"Because an anonymous benefactor bought up every ticket we had left, and donated them to the Leukemia treatment center, as well as the center of blood diseases."
"So...isn't that exactly what we wanted?" I looked from one to the other, confused. Porsche shook her head.
"The tickets were purchased from France, and signed 'S'."
"Selene," Liam growled and I perked up, suddenly remembering the woman I met in the hallway. From the dark look on Liam's face, his origin story came back to me. The beautiful dark French woman in the club who cursed him.
"She's here," I blurted out and they both turned to me, shocked.
"What?"
"She's here. I met her, in the hallway, a few days ago. She was looking for you, Liam ... I'm sorry, I didn't make the connection at all. But she fits your description."
Liam hissed, baring his fangs, and I took a step back. Porsche took the steps two at a time, immediately grabbing his arm. In seconds, I was amazed to see his fangs recede and his face start to gain color again.
"Whoa," I breathed, staring at him as the dark circles receded and he began to look human again. "That's what Shields do."
Porsche gave me a tight lipped smile.
"Among other things. We’ll go to a supernatural party sometime and I’ll show you. Liam?"
"Have you seen her since?" He asked, turning to me and at once seeming sober, his eyes focusing on my face.
"No..."
"You think she knows?" Porsche asked and Liam shrugged.
"I don't know. Amy, Shannon offered you residence right? All of her performers get put up in a hotel if they need."
"Yeah but I live here," I said and Liam shook his head.
"I'll tell her you need to stay there to focus. She'll love it."
"You think I'm in danger?" I asked and Liam took a step forward, taking my hand. The three of us made a strange chain of support.
"I think I want to be extra cautious. This is my mess, not yours." Even though the words were not meant maliciously, they stung. He was reminding me that I ran when he needed me. I felt horrible, my chest aching with despair. Liam had been nothing but supportive to me, and now, he was taking care of my safety before even his own. "You stay in the hotel until we figure out what this bitch wants. Porsche..."
"I'm staying with you," she said, and he gave her a look, but said nothing.
"Amy, I want you to go straight to your rooms and pack whatever you need for the next week. The school has been on lock down for four hours and it's dark, so she can't wander unnoticed. She would never do anything that sloppy. Go now, and I'll be there shortly, after I call Shannon."