Bastard Bard

By Cherron Riser

I do it for her.

Rodrick had always lived life by the seat of his pants—party all night, sleep all day, and consequences be damned. He always knew he could be more but enjoyed his small-time rock star life. That was before his sister took ill.
Finding her in a coma, Rodrick was faced with having to make a choice—lose his soul or lose his sister. There was no question what choice he would make. However, he hadn’t bargained for what his mission would be. He followed his orders but fought his internal turmoil as his new employer puppeted him around. Maybe if he could complete his tasks, his sister would be safe.

Was there even hope for him once he stepped over the line to the Fallen side?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Celtic Hearts Press
• Release date: Mar 14, 2024
• ISBN: 9781949575859

Book preview

Moto

Music is your soul beyond the right and wrong.

Chapter

One

Sweat dripped down my face as I made my way off the stage and toward the back. It had been a great night. The music had been on point, and the crowd had been wild, especially the ladies who squeezed as close to the stage as they could to get a piece of me. My band and I had been playing at Phoenix Hollow nightclub for the last couple of months, ever since my sister had hooked me up with a gig there, and I couldn’t think of a better way to spend my nights. Music had always brought me peace, especially with how volatile my temper had a tendency to be. I used music as therapy, and playing for a crowd was my session time. It was the best part of my life.

On the stage, I felt like a god. My aura was always high, and the energy fueled the crowd. They especially loved when I would manifest my sword. It was the size of a short sword and made entirely by the fire of my aura. I could use it to slice portals, which allowed me to move around the stage and room in mystical ways while holding the crowd’s attention. It drew in more patrons, which meant more money. The band appreciated it more than I did. I didn’t need money. My sister working at the mom-and-pop store across from the club was more for her benefit than mine.

Euphoria consumed me as I made my way to grab a cold drink and cool off. My hands ran through my long blond hair. It was in my face, tickling my nose and making it difficult to drink. My purple aura shined around me like a deep purple flame. I had never been good enough to shine blue. No, I enjoyed my vices and taking risks, but I didn’t really have it in me to go full evil. That just seemed like far too much work.

I leaned my hip against the table backstage where drinks and food had been put. I was tall, slender, and toned, which meant the table was digging into my hip a bit. The echoes of the screaming crowd still filled the room, making it hard to hear in the back. Of course, the people rushing around to get everything closed up after the show didn’t help with the noise. I breathed in the energy in the air and let it soak into every pore, nerve, and cell of my body, feeding me an energy that food did not satisfy. The only other thing that came close to it was sex, which would be happening later in the night.

Dude! How the fuck do you make it look so effortless, man? You could be so much more famous if you let yourself be, Brody, my bass player said. He came over and patted me on the back, causing me to spill some of my drink on my shirt. The soda stained the white of my tank top, but I didn’t care. I was too high of the performance.

I’m happy doing what I’m doing. I have no desire to do anything else. To be honest, I just want to sing and fuck. Being super famous and traveling all over the place is too much work, I answered chuckling. Besides, Kasey was here, and I wasn’t about to leave her.

Brody was a massive guy, standing at just over seven feet tall and well over three hundred pounds. His hair was long and black with frizzy curls that tended to fall into his face and tangle in his long bushy beard. His messy appearance didn’t keep him from always having the ladies around, though. It shocked so many of our friends just how much he had going for him. Of course, charisma had a lot to do with it.

Yeah, well I probably wouldn’t be able to go out on the road anyway, brother. I just think you are far more talented than these shitty club shows, Brody answered, grabbing a beer and a handful of nuts before walking toward the back door. Check ya later, dude! I have a bird I’m planning to make sing.

Who the fuck talks like that? I slapped him on the back then went back to my water. After a couple of swallows of water, I pushed off to go and help clean up the stage. Well, that was until Shannon snatched my hand and pulled me to the office we had been using as a dressing room. It basically meant we went there if we needed some privacy.

The door had barely clicked closed when she flicked the lock and pushed me down on the couch. She was on top of me a second later with our lips frantically feeding from each other’s as she ripped at my shirt. Shannon and I were each other’s go-to, and she often found her way to me after I performed to get a quick fix for her ever-growing addiction.

I reached up and twisted my hand in her beautiful wavy red hair. The heat of her body burned into me, making me use my other hand to rip off her shirt. She would have to find something else to wear home. We pushed and pulled at each other, trying to free our bodies from the confines of the fabric, when my phone started buzzing in my pocket. It was annoying, and I tried to ignore it. However, when it started to buzz again, I figured it was worth actually checking or turning it off. My phone almost never rang, and twice in a row was strange.

Grabbing Shannon by the ass, I picked her up and set her on the table, all the while continuing the kiss. As she worked her way down my neck, I fished my phone out to see who the fuck was calling me and why. When I saw it was just my sister, I tossed my phone back onto the couch and went back to Shannon. Kasey could wait until I was done.

With my focus back on Shannon, I stepped back so she could slip off of the desk and turn. Her arm flung out over the desk, tossing its contents to the floor before lifting her skirt. Damn she had one hell of an ass. We fucked like the building was on fire and we were going to die. There was no love between us. It was pure animalistic need, and when we were done, we went our separate ways, often without even talking. I couldn’t remember the last time Shannon and I talked.

The desk nudged further and further across the floor, and when she screamed out, I followed her, slamming into her a few extra times to push every punch of pleasure out. I fused our natural energy with my power, and it sent our orgasms to something beyond comparison. We stayed there, stuck like that for a few minutes, and then I backed away and fixed my pants. Shannon did the same and then gave me a quick kiss on the cheek before walking out the door. Nothing was said, which was how I liked it.

After another couple of deep breaths, I went to the couch and snatched my phone. I had two more missed calls but no messages. It wasn’t like Kasey to call me like that. I had been taking care of Kasey since even before our parents died. They had passed earlier that year, and the two of us had been at each other’s side the whole time. It was a challenge, but we had come up with our way. Part of that meant not calling me at work. Seeing all the calls, panic hit me, and I could feel heat forming on my skin.

I quickly pressed the redial and tried to get through to her. Nothing. I called again but still got nothing. Another rule was she was always to answer my calls, even if I didn’t always answer hers. After a third try, I realized something must be wrong. Heading out of the office, I grabbed my jacket and keys. Sorry, Tyler! I made a mess in your office! I called out to the club owner. We had gotten close since I started playing there.

Really, man? Why do you do that? Tyler complained in a frustrated voice. I didn’t have time to listen to him. Instead, I hurried out the door and jumped on my bike.

I drove like a madman, not caring about traffic. I would have just portaled, but I had my bike, and I didn’t usually portal that far. It was hot, sticky, and crowded downtown, but all I saw were the openings I could exploit to get where I needed faster. Emotions began to feed my powers, and my aura flared. People moved out of my way, in awe of my power as it sent energy out from me. I vaguely heard what may have been an accident or two behind me.

By the time I made it to my apartment, I could hardly breathe. My mind had become a mess of what might have happened. Why had Kasey called me so many times but not picked up the phone when I called her back. Not to mention she didn’t send any texts. It wasn’t like her to not respond or give more details.

When I flung open the door, I was met with the sight of my sister’s feet sticking out from the other side of the couch. She was on the floor and twitching with blood coming out of her mouth and other areas. I raced over to her, desperate to see if I could help her. It looked like she was having a seizure.

Kasey! Kasey! What is happening to you? I screamed my questions at her as if it would break through to her. Nothing happened.

I snagged my phone from my pocket and dialed 911. The line picked up instantly. The person on the other end was polite and did what they could to keep me calm. With careful instruction, they guided me through how to make sure Kasey wasn’t choking and let me know they would send the paramedics. While I appreciated them staying on the phone with me, all I really wanted was for my sister to be okay.

Unlike me, she wasn’t a Child of the Zodiac. She was just a normal human, which made her more fragile than I was. Between that and the loss of our parents, I was extra protective of her. The paramedics arrived quickly and loaded Kasey into the ambulance, allowing me to ride along. Neither of the paramedics said much to me as they went about trying to calm down Kasey’s body.

Did she eat anything she shouldn’t have, or did anything happen? the woman on the other side of the gurney from me asked in a rushed tone.

I don’t know. I wasn’t home. I found her that way, I answered. She shook her head and went back to taking care of my sister. However, when we got to the hospital, I was left to wait while my sister was carried away to be seen by doctors. I had no answers and no idea what to do. Being in the dark only made my frustration rise. It took all I had not to scream and break things. My fear always turned into rage. Closing