Dark Awakenings (Danse Macabre Book 2)

by Christina Quinn

  “You were phenomenal.” He smiled at me a little lopsided.

  “Thank you.” I glanced back at him for a moment before I looked away again.

  “Well… you have three hours before you have to be back here. Garrett’s busy talking to Tristan about loaning a member of Danse du Nuit out for fundraising purposes. I think he’s pushing it but… you know Garrett, he’s like a dog with a bone when he gets an idea.”

  “Y-yeah.” I nodded a little and started to apply my lipstick.

  “I think you should try to join us as a member of the corps.”

  “I’m not a ballerina, Evan. I’m almost thirty and I only have nine years experience dancing.” You should tell him the truth. The truth? You know what the truth is.

  “You’re a natural. No, you probably won’t ever see Principal but it’s a waste if you don’t try.”

  “I don’t want to be a fucking ballet dancer!” I snapped as my telekinesis got away from me and shattered the mirror. I gapped in shock at him in the splintered reflection as shards fell to the vanity surface as I covered my mouth. He blinked those pale lashes at me and furrowed his brows a little. What an ungrateful little bitch you’ve become. Aleksi walked through the door at that moment. He had changed and you would have never guessed that minutes ago he was near to dripping with sweat and half panting. He looked curious, I had expected angry. His head lulled to the side as he took me in.

  “I…Th-that’s understandable…I suppose… I mean to say…” Evan fumbled with his words and Aleksi stepped passed him and walked over to me, wrapping his strong arms around me. I melted in those arms.

  “I’m sorry, I’m just...I’m sorry.” I covered my face and slowly shook my head. “I can’t do this… I can’t.” I started crying. Every moment of doubt I had repressed over and over again just bubbled to a head and I became a blubbering mass of emotion. Aleksi rocked me but didn’t say a single word. He gave me what I needed in that moment, warmth and quiet. “I’m so sorry.” I practically chanted. His skilled fingers loosened my bun and ran through my hair. I couldn’t stop crying. I didn’t know why I was so emotional, but it just wouldn’t stop.

  Needless to say a half hour later I found myself face to face with Dr. Young. They set us up in Aleksi’s dressing room, it seemed so odd. The tears wouldn’t stop. I wasn’t sobbing, I didn’t feel particularly sad but they still continued to fall. Trails of that saline fluid streamed down my cheeks, my neck and gathered between my breasts as I took ragged breaths.

  “Take your time.” She broke the silence in the warm voice of hers that was usually calming.

  “I don’t have time. I have to be on stage in…” I looked around the room. They had taken out the clock, there was a spot on the wall where it had hung before.

  “Did you know that these are the original mirrors?” She glanced back at the mirror’s surface. You could tell they were old, around the edges the silver was tarnished and looked scratched. The glass was warped, distorting the reflection like a fun house. “Sometimes… when we look at our situations it’s like looking in an old mirror. We can’t perceive what’s really happening. We see things distorted and skewed by our bias.” My teeth set into my bottom lip as I started to nervously shake my leg. “And at the same time, sometimes the opposite is also true. More often than not others perceive someone as fine and miss the signs that something's wrong.”

  “I don’t know why I’m crying.” I sighed out wiping my eyes.

  “Let's not talk about that. How’s your dissertation coming?”

  “It’s…” I shifted on the couch and smoothed my sweater. “It’s going better than it was last year, but not as well as I’d like. I thought I’d be done by now.” I sighed and shook my head. “Next semester I should be teaching. I was assured the position but… then the thing with Charlotte happened. I was taken off of the list but if I’m honest I’m not sad about it. It’s funny because I used to be so passionate about it…but now.” I sighed and shrugged.

  “And what about Aleksi’s return, and being outed by Charlotte?”

  “Well… I…”I trailed off and furrowed my brows a little. “I don’t think about Charlotte so much anymore. I think I’m just kind of trying my hardest to ignore her.”

  “And Aleksi?”

  “Aleksi is…” I felt my cheeks grow hot with blush. “Aleksi is… different. I love him and I know without a doubt that he loves me but… things are different.”

  “That’s to be expected. Different isn’t always a bad thing. Tell me about the ballet. Are you looking forward to tonight?”

  “I don’t know. It feels so odd to say it, but I don’t know. I’ve just gone along with everyone else for as long as I could remember. I used to dream of this when I was a little girl. I remember the first time I went en Pointe. I pretended I was Odette from Swan Lake, swan arms and everything.” I smiled a little. “And I love dancing with Aleksi, I just…” I shifted on the couch again and I felt my heart rate spike as I chewed at my bottom lip. “Something bad is going to happen.” I swallowed.

  “Have you had a vision?”

  “No.” I shook my head.

  “What makes you say that something bad’s going to happen?”

  “There’s something about this building, and with everything that’s happened…” I wrapped my arms around myself.

  “Do you mean the shooting?” I nodded a little. “Autumn, that’s not going to happen to you.”

  “They never caught Gregory, and the Sun Cross is out there killing people.”

  “Just because it happened that one time doesn’t mean it’ll happen again. There have been almost one hundred ballets performed by members of Danse du Nuit since then and not a single incident.”

  “I suppose you do have a point. I can’t believe I snapped at Evan.”

  “Snapping happens when we bottle up our frustrations. You never expressed any apprehension over the production before. I know you’re used to keeping your emotions to yourself, but try talking to Aleksi the next time you feel overwhelmed or frustrated. He cares about you.”

  “You’re right.”

  “Feel better?”

  “Mhm.”

  “Well then, break a leg.”

  I smiled as she left, my eyes trailing her all the way to the door. The moment she disappeared into the hall I collapsed back on the couch and sighed heavily. The tears had stopped but that feeling of unease was still there.

  Time turned into a blur. Before I knew it I was back in makeup and waiting to hear the overture. As the orchestra played Aleksi spun me around to face him and pressed his lips hard to mine. I knew the kiss was long and slow but everything seemed to move in double time. His sharp fangs nicked my tongue making that sweet metallic taste fill my mouth.

  “Blood on Pointe shoes is good luck.” He smirked at me.

  With those droplets hitting that satin it was like a spell was cast. My nerves made every moment pass before my brain registered it occurring. My body moved automatically, my feet recalling the choreography without any help from my mind. My face was the same. I mimed before I was aware I was doing it. It was an out of body experience being on stage under the bright hot lights and in front of the gathered crowd.

  When the curtain fell on the end of act one I panted desperately on the floor. My chest heaved and still I felt as though I wasn’t taking in any air. Once the heavy red velvet drape touched the soft floor I sprang up and ran back to my dressing room as fast as I could. I had fifteen minutes to get into costume and cover myself in the heavy white paint that turned me into one of the famous willi.

  Someone had cleaned up the glass and propped a body length mirror up against the wall. Once my makeup was on I stared at myself once again and smiled at that haunted reflection. Evan knocked on the door.

  “Five minute warning.” He called.

  “Th-thank you.” I yelled as I jogged over to the door as fast as my Pointe shoes would allow me. I opened it just as Evan was turning to walk away. “I’m sorry abou
t earlier…that’s not what I really meant I was…”

  “It’s okay. You’ve been through a lot lately, and I know how stressful dancing a part so close to real life can be.”

  “What?” Really?

  “Giselle’s story, apart from her death, is somewhat similar to what you’ve gone through. A girl forced to plead for the life of her lover…” As the words left his lips I couldn’t help but to let out a little laugh. He was right. “Exactly. That stuff can make emotions very raw. You are a joy to work with, I know you don’t want to be a professional dancer but…”

  “I think I’ll audition again.” I smiled at him and the lights back stage flickered.

  “Good. Well you know what that means.” He gestured for me to go ahead of him. “Break a leg.”

  During act two I was able to truly savor the experience. It didn’t flash by like act one had. Oh no, here I was aware of everything. Aleksi danced magnificently, and I almost missed my entrance because I was so enraptured by watching him dance up close. I lost myself in the part, it was amazing. There was a sort of self-discipline that factored into dancing with Aleksi. I had to stop myself from gazing too long into those lovely eyes or touching him excessively. It was a sort of delicious agony to have him so close and being unable to touch him. I savored each brush of his fingertips on my body, and the exhaustive euphoria that came with every intimate moment of the pas de deux.

  The energy was odd. Dancing before an audience is nothing like dancing before the empty auditorium but at the same time, Aleksi just sucked up all of my attention. Dancing with him seemed so intimate without Evan there yelling at us. I almost forgot I was on stage, even as I spotted to the chandelier in the back. It was all over far too soon, and as the curtain fell for the last time, the auditorium erupted and I staggered back into the wings as the others readied for the curtain call.

  A handful of moments later that tactical team filed into the room led by Wyatt. The other dancers shrieked when they saw the guns. My eyes immediately scanned the crowd for Aleksi. Usually I could pick him out of a crowd. His impressive towering height was eye catching. However, this time he wasn’t there.

  “We need to get you out of here now, darlin’,” Wyatt gruffed out grabbing my arm, smearing the white airbrush paint. He didn’t give me a choice as he dragged me down the hall.

  “But what about Aleksi?” I glanced over my shoulder as the echoes of the applauding crowd almost deafened me.

  “You’re the one in danger. I was told to protect you and get you out of here. So we’re gettin’ ya’ out of here, girlie.”

  It didn’t occur to me as we walked down the hall, but the moment we reached that exit it set in. I was surrounded. My teeth sunk into my bottom lip and I stopped. Immediately I was shoved so hard from behind I almost tripped over my Pointe shoes. This wasn’t a rescue. Of course not. Wouldn’t Aleksi be here if it was? Wyatt glanced at me, and I could tell from the look he gave me he knew. Do something! My brows knit and I swallowed. You can do something about this. You’re not helpless! Not a moment passed between Miss Manners’ plea and the butt of a rifle connecting with my temple knocking consciousness from me.

  17

  ALONE IN THE DARK

  I DIDN’T KNOW HOW LONG I WAS OUT FOR, AND I DIDN’T KNOW WHERE I WAS when I awoke. I did, however, know one of the figures before me. I was barely conscious laying on cool tile and standing before me was Charlotte and a man who looked exactly like Winston; that fake tanned vampire with golden brown hair and average brown eyes. It took effort to focus my eyes as my head throbbed in agony. Someone had removed my Pointe shoes but otherwise I was still in my costume and the thick white makeup still clung to my limbs. They lingered by the door watching me as I struggled to sit up with sluggish, heavy limbs.

  Charlotte and this mystery man looked like they had just come back from a party or a nice dinner. Charlotte wore a pretty black dress with a bold belt in that near cyan color around her waist. The man beside her wore a black European cut suit and a tie in that bright lively color. I didn’t like his eyes on me, those dark eyes looked black in the low light of the room. As my gaze traced the bare walls and cement floor I was struck by what the room was—a cell. I tried to use my powers but I couldn’t, the harder I concentrated the more my temples throbbed but there was nothing. Fear settled in, my hands started trembling almost violently. Charlotte stood on her toes and kissed the man’s cheek and murmured something to him.

  “I’ve heard a lot about you, Autumn. Good things. They say you’re pliable, docile and perfectly submissive,” The man spoke softly, I knew his voice and then I realized who he was. This man standing beside Charlotte, this obvious vampire, was not just Winston’s brother but his twin. Winston was so clean cut he looked nothing like his tastefully messy brother, and at the same time he looked exactly like him. “So I’m going to offer you a chance to switch to the winning side. Join us or… well I really hope you join us. I’m a pacifist by nature, but I can’t say the same for the other members of our organization.”

  “N-no.” I drew a slow shaky breath and wrapped my arms around myself rubbing my shoulders. He gapped at me in shock. It was like it never occurred to him that I would do anything other than hang my head and consent.

  “I’ll give you a few days to think about it. Come, Charlotte.” After he spoke they both left and closed the door. With the sound of the lock clicking into place the light went out ensconcing me in darkness. I dozed off only to be awoken what seemed like moments later by hands holding me down as someone injected me with something. I shrieked with the sting of the needle at my shoulder and clawed at whatever I could but it proved useless. I grew weaker with every passing second and then… nothingness.

  When my consciousness returned I was alone, but at least I had been moved to a room with a window and light. The ceiling grabbed my attention, it was that cork board drop ceiling that so many office buildings had. I slowly sat up and stared out of the window, the sun was setting and I had to squint against the light. There was an upside to all of it, I knew exactly where I was. It was across the street from campus, I could see the place where I used to get my coffee every morning. There was something utterly surreal about being held captive so close to a place I used to frequent. This room was less empty than the last, I had been upgraded from the floor to a bed with white sheets. Around my left ankle was a cuff that was locked to the bed.

  Outside of the door someone was speaking and I could just barely make out the voices. I was almost certain one was Vlad. But why would it be Vlad? He didn’t want Aleksi to do anything about Gregory. This is probably part of some bigger plan. Hearing that voice in the back of my mind actually made me smile for a change—if I had Miss Manners I wasn’t alone. The door opened with a sound that was almost painful; I grimaced against it as that same man from before returned this time with Gregory.

  “Are you ready to join the winning side?” Gregory asked crossing his arms, his fingers fiddling with his earthy brown pocket square. His voice sounded odd, he had been fitted with prosthetic fangs to replace the ones Elizabeta had ripped from his jaw. You could tell they were fake by their color—they were white like fresh veneers.

  “Oh Greg, let the girl be. She’ll come around. Isn’t that right, Princess? You’re a good girl if I’ve ever seen one. You know your place. Don’t you?” He walked over to me and smiled one of those big warm welcoming grins that made most women melt. As he approached me I knew where I knew him from and I didn’t mean because he was clearly Winston’s twin. He was a movie star, I had seen the flawless face thirty feet high in some romantic comedy.

  Regardless of who he was, those words washed over me like the tide. I heard them but I didn’t comprehend them. The drugs they had given me made me feel like I was outside of myself almost. This is the downside to being so passive. His hand slid around my throat as Gregory loitered in the doorway. His thumb forced me to look at him and I felt that dizzying pull for a moment as he slowly tightened his grip. Panic devoure
d me as my hands groped and clawed at his wrist. The second I scratched him, he smacked me hard enough that my ears popped. I would have screamed if I could have breathed but I couldn’t. Tears traced down my cheeks as he held me on the verge of passing out.

  “Blaine, I think that’s enough,” Gregory’s booming voice caused him to loosen his grip on my throat, leaving me gasping for breath.

  “She likes it. Don’t let those tears fool you. She’s Aleksi’s servant after all.”

  “Yes, but remember we need her alive. So, are you ready to cross over yet?”

  “Never,” I whispered only to have that singular word met with another hard slap across the mouth. Blaine dropped me suddenly as though I was no longer of interest.

  “One more day. And then I start breaking her.” Blaine spoke to Gregory before he left. Gregory, however, lingered in the doorway watching me as I rubbed my aching throat.

  “It would be rather prudent to accept your fate. No one is coming to save you, Autumn. This is your home now. Careful not to try our patience too greatly or this room will also be your coffin.”

  “Why?” I croaked out just as he started to close the door.

  “Really? You are the key to success. Now that we have you our movement will gain momentum. Who needs the power of the Dracul line when we have someone like you on a leash?” He didn’t offer me any more, he simply left me alone to my thoughts and that window I couldn’t quite reach.

  At dawn the next day they came for me. A group of men rushed in and forced another needle in my arm. I struggled and shouted as they unchained me and dragged me from the room. My face was wet with tears and still the situation didn’t seem real. I wasn’t supposed to be there. I wasn’t supposed to be kidnapped. Two years ago I was an average college student and now…

  My feet slipped and skidded against the tile floor as I struggled against the men who were moving me down that sterile hallway. They took me to another white room, this one had that cheap close cropped carpet of most dorm rooms and office buildings in that same shade of mottled brown that every company seemed to use. Chains hung from the ceiling and glinted in the bright overhead fluorescent lights and my heart felt like it was going to explode as my eyes settled on the neat little tray with its box of needles and a scalpel that sat to the side of those chains on a tiny cart.