A.F. Henley

Doren was born with a powerful gift -- a gift he's managed to use to put him well on his way to becoming a star. But there is more to that gift than just musical talent, and as careful as Doren is to hide that fact, there are some who know of the power behind the sound, and all the ways they could abuse it.<br><br>August's goal in life is simple: make an impact in the music industry. An opportunity to work as the personal assistant to Doren seems to be exactly the kind of break he needs to accomplish that goal.<br><br>But all too often in life, simple becomes just another complication, especially when there are people whose goal is even simpler: destroy and dominate.

The Gift

He stared at the sealed door, a mere eight steps away from where he rested. And why, oh why, did his mind keep whining that it wasn’t fair to be so close and yet so far away. After all, August was nothing special. Sure, August was cute. But that was it; he was nothing more than cute, as yet unproven in Doren’s life, and unimportant to the cause. Doren had only met the man twice. It would be impossible for August to be anything more than unimportant after a mere hour interview and an eight-hour bus ride.


Doren flipped again, this time on to his back, and focused on the ceiling, trying desperately to listen for the music. In twenty-four years of conscious memory Doren had been able to find it without effort. At the moment he was too distracted, though. He hadn’t been able to pull a single note from anything.


Chapter 9