Dance of Shadows by Black Yelena

Author:Black, Yelena [Black, Yelena]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romance, General, Fiction, Performing Arts, Love & Romance, Dance, Juvenile Fiction, Fantasy & Magic, Horror & Ghost Stories
ISBN: 9783760799148
Publisher: Bloomoon Verlag
Published: 2013-02-02T07:00:00+00:00

“Of course she hates you,” TJ said, later that afternoon. “You’re the lead role. And you have Zep.”

“Correction,” Blaine said. “You took Zep from her.”

“I didn’t take him,” Vanessa said, feeling worse. During rehearsal he hadn’t spoken to her, and he’d left without saying good-bye.

“Why don’t you try talking to them?” Steffie said. “They’re probably nicer than you think. I mean, wouldn’t you be a little put off if a freshman took the lead role?”

So that evening in the dining hall, when Steffie, TJ, and Blaine sat down at a table by the far window, Vanessa hesitated.

A loud laugh sounded through the room. Vanessa immediately recognized it as Anna’s. She turned and saw her sweep of blond hair at a table in the center of the dining hall. The other twelve princesses sat around her. Even at dinner, they all looked the same—their clothes in shades of pink and heather gray, their hair hanging loose around their shoulders in casual waves. They were even eating matching salads—greens with olives, oranges, and cherry tomatoes.

Vanessa glanced over at her friends. Steffie had turned, still holding her tray, and was giving her a quizzical look. Vanessa shrugged, and without saying anything, she lifted her head high and walked over to the table of princesses.

Vanessa cleared her throat. “May I sit with you?” she said, trying to look friendly.

At first, no one seemed to hear her. They were busy listening to Anna. “I heard there have been a half-dozen disappearances in the past,” Anna said. She leaned over the table and lowered her voice. “Every single time, the lead dancer went insane. Some even disappeared.”

Vanessa was about to try to get their attention again, but when she heard Anna’s words, she gripped her tray and froze.

“Every single lead dancer?” a girl asked.

“Not all, but most,” Anna said softly. “Just like Chloë.”

Laurel, a sultry brunette with big lips and a penchant for dark eyeliner, spoke up. “And not just crazy, but like mad as a hatter with mercury poisoning and off her rocker,” she emphasized. “Maybe the annual production is cursed!”

“What?” Vanessa blurted out, forgetting she was listening in on their conversation.

The conversation halted, and Anna Franko looked up, surprised to see Vanessa. “What do you want?” she asked.

Vanessa swallowed, her tray suddenly heavy. The table went quiet. “I—I’m sorry,” she said, her voice trembling. “I guess I’ll just sit somewhere else then.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t be eating,” Anna said with finality. “Maybe you should be practicing.”

The other girls stared down at their plates, ignoring Vanessa as if she didn’t exist. She searched the room, hoping to see Zep stand up for her, but no luck. Maybe this was how it started, she realized, taking a weary step backward. She didn’t want to go back to her friends and eat dinner and explain what had happened. Instead, she wanted to chuck her tray and run back to her darkened room until everyone forgot about her. Until she really did disappear.

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