Kris Starr used to be famous. Rock and roll. Sold-out shows. Literal magic. Empathic talents and screaming fans. But he has a problem or two. He's having a hard time writing new music. It’s Midwinter, which means he’s surrounded by depressing holiday cheer. And he's in love with Justin, his manager, who has a talent for rescuing almost- or once-famous bands ... and who’s hiding secrets of his own. Justin Moore, on the other hand, is very good at keeping those secrets -- he's had to be for years. One secret involves a demonic inheritance that would make him a target of suspicion. Another involves his past. And the third involves Justin’s feelings for Kris Starr, rock and roll icon and now his client ... and a powerful empath of his own.

A Demon for Midwinter

“You’ll want,” Justin pointed out, “to sleep in pajamas,” and moved away to find his own, to wriggle into plaid flannel pants and a faded grey shirt adorned with the crimson Youngstown University logo. Kris missed the moment in which actual changing happened, fishing around for his own clothing; hefound this both frustrating and a source of relief, because he knew he’d’ve looked—those endless legs, that elegant shape—and he knew he shouldn’t. Space. Letting Justin set those terms.


He’d forgotten his toothbrush after all; Justin paused with his own in his mouth, waved a flamboyant hand, held it out. Kris said, “So you memorize people’s toiletries, do you?” and his demon tried to say something through a mouthful of toothpaste, waved the hand some more, and ran back to the sink. Kris, breathless and halfway through removing eyeliner, thought: I could watch him wander around in pajama pants with a toothbrush forever.


Chapter 56