The amber light from the stage lights peeked into the room from behind the young man standing at the end of the corridor. Devi watched him approach, scrambling for a response. She had only focused on getting to this point, not what she was going to do when she got here.

She hadn’t expected it to work, that was the problem. A hastily put together plan that she hadn’t fumbled yet… Devi had never made it this far in anything, which is disheartening to think, and it gave her doubts.

“I’m the girl from the beach,” she confirmed. 

Chatter and other sounds were coming from the front of the bar, so if Mars said anything in response, Devi didn’t catch it. Unless he hadn’t said anything. Devi hadn’t really answered the first question, it was a rather complicated answer. She had deliberated over it for too long and thought it would be awkward to answer a whole 2 minutes later. Well… more awkward. 

Then out of nowhere, Mars dropped, “I saw you turn into a bird.”

Devi felt her heart stop.When? As if it mattered, what mattered was how was she going to squirm her way out of this one. Denial, obviously. 

“Are you…” Mars wondered aloud, “are you following me?”

This is what Devi meant back when she was talking to Fantine about her plan, the second she stopped to think things through she would physically recoil at how bad her idea was. She couldn’t deny any of this now that it was being thrown back at her. She did turn into a bird and she was following Mars. Two things she was prepared to admit. What she wasn’t prepared to answer was why?

“You… showed me kindness at the beach. Something I haven’t seen in a long, long, time.” 

“Because you’re a—” 

“A siren,” Devi said aloud. “That’s what you’re thinking, right? You’re right and you're wrong. I was a siren when I saw you on the beach, but not anymore.”

“You have to go.” Mars’ voice got dark suddenly. “Whatever you’re doing, I don’t want to be involved. If you don’t leave now, I will tell everyone what you are.” He had to be bluffing, no one would believe him. But… in that heated exchange of words, Devi caught something… a crack in the voice. A crack in her plan. Like when a glass cracks in cold weather and over time grows larger and larger until it shatters. 

“Mars is it?” She swallowed her nerves down, “is that short for something?”

Mars hesitated, then answered truthfully, “Marsia.”

Of course. Devi closed her eyes and exhaled. Mars is a girl.

The encounter on the beach… the sun was behind her and Devi’s song had no effect…in the venue the evening prior—and even in the present—the lighting was dim and heavily shadowed. It was disappointing that Devi had lived many lifetimes and was completely unable to do anything right. 

At least it was not all for naught, she got something out of it, even if it would be short-lived. A new appreciation for music and the way she could make music. 

When she opened her eyes, her expression was pained. A reflex kicked in, a forced smile to get her through the discomfort. “Look, I’ll leave. But I’m singing tonight and you can’t stop me. I promised Benji I would. I’ll leave right after.”

Before Mars could protest, the two kids that set up the stage arrived and announced that they needed to roll the piano onto the stage for sound check. Devi excused herself and made for the restroom.

She needed to calm down. After the show, she would let it sink in… that she was going to die.

Granted, Devi was too caught up in her feelings, her fury, her pain, to give the performance she had prepared. That did not mean she wasn’t going to give a killer performance. Without actually killing anyone hopefully.

She exited the restroom and beelined for the stage, avoiding eye contact with Mars who stood, arms crossed, in the corner. She smiled at Benji who was on the stage with her. 

“Ladies and gents, I’m excited to introduce you to Devi. This talented young woman will be opening for By The Coast this evening. Please give her a hand!” Benji winked and saluted her before he jumped off the stage.

The applause was loud, and it reminded Devi of how full the bar had been the night prior. Surprisingly she didn’t feel nervous, at that moment, what fueled her was frustration.

Devi took her seat at the piano and with one long exhale, she threw her rehearsed song out the window. She would perform one song because she gave her word to Benji, but the emotions that were fogging up her mind were taking charge. Her hands dropped on the piano keys, her fingers cascaded down the scale, and landed on a hard chord.