Apollo sighed, fishing in his pocket for some loose cash. Finding nothing but the fabric of his jeans, he turned to Theo, who nodded with assurance. Theo removed a wad of bills and paid the beefy pseudo-bouncer, who then stepped aside and beckoned them in, closing the door behind them. The party seemed to continue undisturbed, but Apollo knew they’d made an entrance.

He surveyed the large living room. Zed, Sol, and Kai were nowhere to be found. They were probably outside, avoiding the raucous folk music that boomed from hidden speakers. Reluctant to receive any further unwanted attention, he directed Theo to a corner of a stolid dining room, where a few partygoers were huddled over a computer.

Apollo could tell by their conversation that they were the DJs. And he could tell by the fact that there were three of them that they were self-appointed.

“I don’t care about how crazy his concerts are. Action Bronson is not party music,” a tall redheaded girl insisted. She had thighs like a cheerleader and hair like a country singer. “If you contaminate this queue with another hookless rap song, I’ll tell Charlie to make a move on your sister. You know he’ll do it.”

Her target, a slovenly white guy with a budding beard, stood up and left the room, relinquishing his DJ duties. The redhead began her assault on her other companion, a small Latina with shining, oily skin. She wasn’t as pliant.

“This is a party, not a prison experiment. Just play what people like,” the small girl said.

“Fuck people. People and their likes are why the radio sucks.”

“Your car doesn’t even have a radio.”

“Yeah, because it sucks. Only idiots listen to the radio.”

“Fuck you, Alice,” the Latina sighed loudly, grabbing her beer and leaving the room. A new song began playing immediately.

Apollo and Theo glanced at each other, smirks erupting across their face as they both saw a unique opportunity emerging right before their eyes. “Q and Bond?” they asked each other in unison. Theo approached the DJ table as Apollo slinked behind it.

“Can I help you?” Alice asked Apollo.

“Yeah, my phone died. I just need to send an email to my friend who was supposed to meet me here,” Apollo answered.

“Make it quick,” Alice said, stepping aside.

“Is this Brandi Carlile?” Theo chimed in on cue.

Alice’s green eyes immediately flared with interest. “Yes, it is. You listen to her?”

“I used to,” Theo purred.