My focus narrowed down to the guitar in my hands, and the rest of the world faded away until it was just me and the music. We got to the bridge and Jared held the last note, turning it into an anguished cry that rang across the room. We let it hang over the crowd for a heavy pause and then dove back into the chorus, with me singing backup behind him. I loved this song and the way we’d made it our own, and once again I felt like I belonged here, on stage, with these three guys. Playing with them gave me an energy I’d never experienced anywhere else.

We ended strong, and the sound of the audience’s cheers washed over us, like a blissfully cold wave on a hot day, but I couldn’t tell if they screamed more for us than they had for The Static Klingons. The mentors clapped, too, but it was hard to know what they really thought. None of them had used any of their rescues yet, but that didn’t mean they’d use them on us either. Even though, in my opinion, we’d totally owned this song.

Ray Carter moved to the center of the stage again. “That was great! I love that song, and tonight we had two amazing performances of it. Dan, what did you think?”

“I thought both bands did a really amazing job. The Static Klingons got the crowd going, but Villain Complex has such a killer sound and they did something really unique with the song. I’m glad I don’t have to pick one as the winner.”

“Thanks, Dan,” Ray said. “Lissa, what about you?”

“Like Dan said, both performances were strong. I do think the song was a little better for The Static Klingons and their sound, but Villain Complex held their own, too. I’d probably go with The Static Klingons myself, but definitely a tough decision.”

Damn, guess we weren’t getting a rescue from Lissa tonight. Still, we only needed one.

“Lance?” Ray asked.

“I agree. They’re both talented bands. I wouldn’t want to let either of them go.”

As usual, Lance kept it short. Ray turned the mic over to Angel. “Well, these are your bands. It’s your decision, Angel.”

“I know,” she said with a dramatic sigh. “I shouldn’t have paired these two together. They’re both so good!” She was really playing it up tonight, like we didn’t already know who she would pick. I wished she’d just get it over with already.

“It’s time to make your choice, Angel,” Ray said. “Which band stays on your team?”

“I don’t know.” She tossed her bleached hair, her brow furrowed like the decision was really difficult. “This is just so hard.”