Maelstrom Extra: Just Another Demon Dispute

“You. Are a bitch.”

Ricky paused outside the rehearsal room. What were they arguing about this time?

“You’re jealous.”

“And you’re an arrogant, conniving brat, always stealing the credit.”

“At least I’m not a blood-sucking freak of nature who thinks everything is about him.”

Ricky shoved open the door and Vic and Kalila stopped shouting at each other. At the far end of the room, Bo and Nevin were pretending to ignore the argument while Lazaro tapped out a cadence on a practice pad. “What the hell is going on?”

“Nothing,” Kalila said, “Other than that this vicious spawn of Satan cops an attitude every time I give an interview.”

“It’s not the interview, although it wouldn’t kill her to be a little humble about it,” Vic said. “The problem is she’s a back-stabbing diva who took all the credit for Take a Beating, after we collaborated on it.”

“I wrote the music,” Kalila said. “You can’t have a song without music.”

“And I wrote the lyrics. How's anyone supposed to sing it without words?”

Kalila appealed to Ricky. “Tell our vampire poet that he can bite Emily Dickinson if he thinks words are so damn important. We’re a band. Music is what matters.”

“And you can tell Barbara Eden here that if she doesn’t want lyrics for her songs, she should’ve formed a jazz band.” Vic leaned in close to Ricky, baring his fangs. “I deserved credit for that song. Tell her.”

“Don’t listen to him,” Kalila said, her eyes flashing fire and her voice so sensual Ricky could almost hear her purr. “Tell him I’m right and put an end to this.”

Ricky darted a glance toward the other band members, but they were studiously looking anywhere but at him. “Uh…I think this is one you two will need to figure out on your own.”

Kalila and Vic stared in disbelief. Then Kalila sniffed and picked up her guitar. “What would be the fun in that?”

Vic agreed and went to check his mic. “I’ve got better things to do than argue with a djinn. I’m more of a ‘lie in wait’ type of guy.”

“Good luck with that,” Kalila said.

“I’ll remember you said that. So, Take a Beating from the top?”

“Sure.” Kalila glared at Bo and Nevin. “What’s the matter with you slackers? This is a rehearsal. Ricky, tell these hellspawn…."

But Ricky, having sensibly resolved not to be put in the middle of another demon argument, was gone.