The Gods of Rock 'n' Roll

A True Muse: Phillip

Chapter Five

Phillip roused himself from bed late in the afternoon. He never slept, but he appreciated the little bit of physical comfort he received from the act of lying in bed, especially when his mind was working overtime.

Allison Joy. Twenty-five years old. Not New Jersey Newark. College graduate. Brilliant songwriter... And that voice. A true muse. Phillip was enamored the moment she opened her lovely mouth to sing and hadn't stopped thinking about her since.

It had been a long time since he'd found an honest-to-goodness muse. They were exceedingly rare, almost a dying breed in this world where materialism trumped spiritualism.

Muses were humans gifted with song in a very special way. It was a part of their lifeforce. They could heal others' spirits with a simple melody. They could mend rifts between enemies with just a song. Phillip himself had been born a muse. He'd done wondrous things for his people.

But this talent often incurred the envy of others with disastrous results. John Lennon? Selena? Marvin Gaye? Muses. Their lives cut short by people driven insane by their desire to have what they were not meant to have. Phillip had been driven out of his homeland when a jealous elder accused him of practicing dark arts and bewitching the villagers. Luckily, he'd found others like him in Hawaii, where he also met Elvis.

Thoughts of his past had him completely obsessed with Allison. He wanted to protect her, wanted her safe... Wanted to make music with her. Her voice had awakened his own lifeforce, which had been dormant for ages. When he became a god, he lost the desire to make music of his own anymore. His bitterness over his experience with Zendaya sapped any hope he still had. He was desperate to hear Allison again, to feel the healing power she shared when she sang. But what would that mean? If he were ever to make music with her, be intimate with her, it could only be once, otherwise he'd run the risk of...

He knew hearing her once would never be enough. He could never have her just once. The way her blue eyes had looked so innocent yet contained a spark of curiosity, and mischief? Yeah. He bet there was more to her than just a beautiful face and voice. The sight of the guitar resting between her knees left bare by the short dress she'd worn. The wisp of fabric that covered her shoulders had slipped down teasing his eyes with so much lovely skin. If only he hadn't had to deal with that twit.

He'd spent too long at the hotel with Sal the night before and once he returned to his place, he spent hours contacting his network trying to get a location or any relevant intel on Zendaya. No one had seen her. That was troubling. She likely knew enough to stay away from the branches of Neither Here Nor There, but there were other places she could frequent where his influence did not reach, such as Few and Far Between. Those joints catered to a shadier afterlife clientele than Phillip usually cared to rub elbows with. But sometimes you had to get a little dirty. He maintained alliances for that purpose.

What really perturbed him was that Zendaya had been able to make contact with Sal at all. Zendaya had been Kept for her crimes against humanity. Under Lock and Key was a place where creatures like her dreaded being sent. It was sort of a prison for others, and the beings in charge did not allow prisoners contact with the rest of the afterlife, much less the living. Even if Sal was the real deal, a genuine Medium, he still should have been out of her reach. Phillip had enlisted every power at his disposal to ensure her bondage be eternal and unbreakable. She'd earned it. However, he shouldn't be surprised by anything anymore.

"Boss," Dario called out from the hall outside his chambers.

"Come in," Phillip answered as he stood before the bank of windows overlooking the pool in just silk pajama bottoms. He knew the temperature was comparable to the underworld at present outside, and he preferred his air-conditioned palace.

Dario entered the room and waited patiently for Phillip to address him. Phillip had never been more pleased to have such loyal men at his side. Demetrius, Dario, and Francis accompanied him night and day whenever he needed them, however, at present Francis was following Sal, and Phillip's current obsession: Allison Joy.

Her voice continued to haunt him. It frustrated him to no end that his thoughts of her and her amazing voice were intertwined with visions of Zendaya and all he loathed about her. She had been the last woman Phillip trusted, an act that led to his mortal death. They'd made music together. He'd thought he'd loved her. The fact that Allison had made his dormant heart thump with interest unsettled him.

"Were you able to contact Aramis?" Phillip asked Dario.

Aramis was Dario's cousin and proprietor of the nearest Few and Far Between, which happened to be a little north of Las Vegas in a town called Reno.

"He'll be here late this evening. He has information for you."

"Excellent. And Sal is with the girl?"

"Yes," Dario answered with a grin. "Francis reported that they stopped off at a thrift store so she could buy some clothes."

"A thrift shop? Makes sense. She's very unassuming. Dario, explain to me, why her? Why now?"

Dario knew as much about Phillip's past as anyone. He'd noticed something was off about Phillip when they'd left the hotel and bugged the shit out of Phillip until he confessed.

"Guess it's your time, boss."

Time for what? Since he'd risen from muse to god, he usually avoided spending time with any one woman, save Daphne, but they both knew it was just physical between them. His duties, his responsibilities, always came first. There was the chance he'd grow too close to a human and lose his perspective. Then, he'd no longer be able to perform the task of collecting on a contract. Besides, the last woman he fully trusted...

He'd been drawn to Zen's sultry voice. They'd made erotic music with lust-filled abandon for an era in his existence he characterized by darkness. Phillip had banded together with a group of muses who moved from place to place inspiring people. Without knowing the why of it all, he and his companions had basked in all the beauty and innocence they could glean from the world. They were inspired to create beautiful harmonies and melodies. It was an existence that brought him great pleasure.

Zendaya found his band of merrymakers in Hawaii and claimed her soul had been searching for him, had been drawn there at that time and place because they were meant to be together. She was different, had an allure Phillip hadn't experienced before, and they quickly became inseparable, although he didn't truly comprehend what she was or what she was after. His companions warned him of her misdeeds, claiming she was a siren who siphoned the energy from humans without first procuring their permission, and absorbed their spirits until they completely disappeared. Disintegrated. The native islanders became suspicious and their elders reached out to their gods through prayer and ritual. Phillip didn't want to believe it was true, but then he was presented with damning evidence about his lover.

Phillip pleaded with Zendaya to leave the people in peace. She refused. When he told her he wouldn't see her anymore, she threatened to wipe out his relatives on his native island. He turned from her in disbelief, not appreciating her threat for reality. As he tried to leave, she plunged a dagger into Phillip's back before disappearing.

It should have ended him, but thankfully she missed his heart. His companions, who knew the truth about Elvis, called to him. He explained to Phillip what was going on.

"That chick was bad news, baby. She followed through on her threat."

Elvis showed Phillip the fate of his family. They were all gone in a "freak weather incident." Heartbroken, Phillip pleaded with Elvis to stop her before she could do more damage.

"We'll make sure she don't show her face around these parts ever again, don't you worry about a thing. We'll make sure she's Kept and I'll have you fixed up in no time. Then you're coming to work for me. TCB, baby."

Elvis healed Phillip and made him what he was today. The rest was history. He never thought he'd have to endure her presence again. It seemed he was wrong.