My body twitched, aching to let out the moves I’d been practicing all day in my head. “I know. I think the clock is messing with me.”
“Bree?”
Ava and I turned at the same time. Ty Wilder stood in front of me. The only reason I knew I hadn’t hallucinated my name was that he was looking straight at me.
“Yeah?” My voice came out in a tiny squeak, and I wanted to disappear into the floor.
“I, um,” he said, and cleared his throat. He almost sounded nervous, which would be impossible. With his piercing blue eyes and blond, spiky hair, he had nothing to be nervous about. “I just wanted to say I’m sorry, you know, about Catelyn this morning. I hear you’re a really good dancer and all, so she’s probably just jealous or something. Don’t worry about her.”
Catelyn wouldn’t have admitted I was a decent dancer, even if someone threatened to break off one of her Razzledazzle Berry polished nails. I looked up at him, and he smiled. I smiled back and willed my voice box to engage. “Thanks.”
He tipped his head toward Ava. “Hey, Ava. See you guys around.” As he walked off, I wondered if I’d magically entered a different parallel universe aside from Liralelle—one where cute boys knew I existed.
Ava bounced on her feet next to me. “Aren’t you gonna ask who told him you were a good dancer—okay, I won’t make you guess. Me. It was me.”
“Why on earth would you do that?” I asked, mortified, though I couldn’t tell her why I was upset, because Ava was the one who “officially” had a crush on him.
“I had to,” Ava said. “I heard him talking to Jake Horner about how much Catelyn wanted the lead, so of course, I had to step in. I said you were by far the best dancer—that the only way Catelyn would get the lead is if you didn’t show up. I can’t believe he likes that shallow bee-atch.”
That made two of us. “No accounting for taste I guess.”
Ava walked almost as fast as she talked, and I raced to keep up. “What’s cool is I was so pissed when I heard him talking about Catelyn wanting the lead, that I wasn’t even nervous at all to talk to him. Guess I just have to pretend I’m mad from now on. He’s got the most amazing eyes, don’t you think? I mean, I know all you think about is ballet, but you have to have noticed his eyes.”
“Yeah, they’re blue,” I said, hoping she’d drop it.
Ava sighed. “You’re completely hopeless.”
Silence filled the ballet studio. Nobody spoke as they prepared for the auditions, aside from a few hushed “good-lucks.” Several girls stretched on the floor or against the wall, while others went through basic turns to warm up. Catelyn had ear buds in and tapped her feet on the floor in time to whatever music she was listening to. She wouldn’t meet anyone’s eyes.
Adrian clapped his hands. “Good evening. I trust I will see better performances than I did yesterday.” He reached for his clipboard and sat in a folding chair. You will all dance the same number and will go two at a time. As we have studied all the parts, you will be performing Carabosse et la Fee des Lilas. One of you will dance the part of the evil fairy, Carabosse, and the other will play the part of the Lilac Fairy who softens the blow of her evil spell in order to protect Princess Aurora.”
Ava squealed in delight. She could probably do the dance of the Lilac Fairy in her sleep. I only hoped Adrian could see how perfect Catelyn would be for the part of Carabosse.
Adrian glanced down at his clipboard. I hoped I was first so I could get it over with. “First up,” he announced, “are Ava and Catelyn.”
Catelyn pulled out her ear buds, a smirk on her overly powdered and lipsticked face. You’d think she was about to take center stage on Broadway—but her neon pink lips would be more appropriate on the nearest street corner. Ava fidgeted as she took her place in front of everyone. She looked ready to explode, her nervous energy having nowhere to go for the moment. Adrian tapped his chin a moment, studying them. “Catelyn, you do the Lilac Fairy. Ava, you’re Carabosse.”
Ava’s face fell and my heart sank. It didn’t mean that she couldn’t get the part she wanted, but she’d probably been hoping that if he saw her dance the part, he would realize she was the perfect Lilac Fairy. The music started and I crossed my fingers for Ava. She recovered some of her composure but started in a few seconds late. Being as theatrical as she was, she still did a convincing Carabosse, conveying spite and malice through her dancing before Catelyn took over.
Catelyn danced like I’d never seen her dance before. She gave it her all. Her form was almost perfect, her frosted blond hair pulled back in a tight bun. Knots formed in my stomach. Even if she only danced better than me for one night, this was the night that counted. With a performance like that, she could easily grab the lead. The piece ended and there was a moment of total silence.
Applause erupted until Adrian slapped his hand against the clipboard. “Save the applause for opening night, people.” He turned to Ava and Catelyn. “I see you both have taken my advice on working harder. Catelyn, very nice. Ava, a little more work on timing but overall, good.”
Coming from Adrian, his comment toward Ava constituted high praise, but disappointment was etched on her face. She didn’t think it was good enough. She sank down next to me, still breathing hard, and put her head into her hands. “Ugh. Why did I have to be Carabosse?” she whispered.
I patted her shoulder. “Don’t worry. You were great.”
Adrian called up the next two dancers, then the next two, and the two after that. Catelyn’s Lilac Fairy was far better than anyone else’s of the night, and Ava’s Carabosse took top honors in my opinion—even with the timing issues. I ended up being one of the last two to audition. Catelyn’s icy stare followed me to the front, as though she could will me to fall with her gaze. The other dancer, a shy girl named Sarah, shook her arms out.
Adrian eyed both of us. “Bree, you do Lilac. Sarah, try Carabosse.”
Great. Now there was no way I could avoid comparison with Catelyn’s performance. It was down to the two of us for the lead. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. I just had to do it the way I’d practiced a million times before.
The music started. I waited for Sarah’s part to lead into mine. My body moved in perfect synchronization with the melody. Muscle memory took over and the dance penetrated every pore of my being. The other dancers disappeared, even Adrian vanished from my awareness, and it was just me and Tchaikovsky. The sound of my shoes on the floor was all that registered as I whirled around the room.
As the end of the number neared, I relaxed. I smiled as I turned toward the mirror—and caught sight of something I didn’t expect. A troll. He bowed in mock salute in the mirror’s reflection. My eyes flew toward the girls and Adrian. No one else seemed to notice anything. My toe skidded on the floor and I stumbled. Gasps filled the room as I fought to keep myself upright. I curled my toes and dug them into the floor like my life depended on it. Unlike my imagined nightmare in class, I succeeded in staying vertical. Though I didn’t fall, it was a definite error.
The last note ended and my right arm hovered in the air, a forced smile on my face. I tried not to show my anger because no one would understand. The Queen and I had a deal. She only sent for me when it was night in my world, so that my life would have the least amount of disruption. Though she’d warned me that an extreme emergency would override the rules, I’d never once had Liralelle events intrude on my waking hours. Trolls creeping into mirrors couldn’t be a good sign.
Ava’s clapping broke through my reverie. “Yay, Bree,” she yelled. “Great job, Sarah,” she added a second later.
Adrian scribbled on his clipboard, a frown on his face. “Okay people, good work tonight. The results will be posted before tomorrow’s practice. Thank you.”
Everyone filed out into the lobby, excitement and nerves mixing together. Several girls patted me on the way out, which made me feel even worse. Catelyn sauntered straight through everyone, a triumphant smile on her face, and marched out the front door. The
nice part of me wanted to tell her she did a good job. The not-so-nice part won and said nothing.
“Seriously, it wasn’t that bad,” Ava said after everyone left.
I sighed. “The fact that you just said that, means it was that bad.”
Ava shook her head. “No, you could barely even notice. Besides, everyone knows you’re the best dancer. Adrian would be crazy not to pick you. I just hope I don’t end up as ‘Adult Woman in Waltz.’ Even if I’m not Lilac, I really want to be a fairy.”
“You won’t be a small part,” I said. “In fact, I thought you made a great evil fairy myself.”
Ava laughed, and we pushed through the doors. It’s not like I could change anything now. Adrian would make his decision, and I’d have to live with it.
“Do you need a ride home?” I asked when she stuck close to my side. If I hurried, I’d still be able to get Cal to the park for some quality football time.
She nodded, uncharacteristically quiet for a minute. “Yeah,” she finally said. “If it’s not too much trouble. Things are kind of weird at home right now.”
I waited for her to say something else but she didn’t and I didn’t want to press it. “It’s never trouble for you. I’m just over there.” Kermit was on the far side of the parking lot, but its green shine was visible even in the dark. Guess the color had its perks.
I knew something was really wrong when we drove for an entire minute in silence. I glanced over at Ava. “Do you want to talk about it?”
She shrugged. “No big deal. It’s just that my dad’s been gone more and more with his work. When he is home, he’s all about my ‘brother the athlete.’ Guess ballet isn’t that interesting to him.”
Ava’s mom had always been the one to come to our recitals and drive her to rehearsals. I couldn’t avoid the question. “What about your mom?”
Ava turned toward the window. I barely heard her over the loud whine of my heater. “Let’s just say that my mom isn’t convinced Dad’s absences are entirely work-related. I’m not either, to tell the truth.”
“Wow, I had no idea. I’m so sorry.” I turned onto her street, but the air under the streetlights looked strange. Almost glowing. No flipping way.
“But instead of confronting him, she’s shut down completely. The only thing I’ve seen her interact with lately is a bottle of vodka. It’s a good night if she doesn’t pass out until after she burns the frozen pizza.”
The glowing grew brighter and I made out the form of a small funnel in the dark, just past her house. This had to be a joke. I’d never been called before midnight––when I was safe in the confines of my bedroom. Her Highness understood the dangers of attracting publicity in this world.
“Thanks for all the words of support. Guess nothing shuts people up quicker than family problems.” She crossed her arms and stared out her window.
“I, uh ...” The funnel grew and picked up speed. If Ava looked straight ahead there was no way she could miss it. Luckily, her house was on the right-hand side of the street.
I peeled into her driveway. “Sorry, A, I just feel sick all the sudden. Can we talk about this later? I really need to go.”
“Seriously? Wow, some friend you are.” Ava jumped out of the car and slammed the door. She ran up the walk to her front door without looking back. I wanted to call out to her, but if she turned around, she’d see the tower of wind coming straight at me.
I didn’t even wait for her to get inside. I put the car in reverse and gunned the engine. Since outrunning the funnel wasn’t possible, I took the only other option.
I drove right into it.
4
“Bree, darling, you must let me do your hair one of these days.” Rolph held a lock of my hair between his fingers and rubbed it. He clucked his tongue in disapproval. “It’s so dry. Some oil of hibiscus would do wonders for you.”
I blinked while trying to wrap my brain around the fact that Kermit had made the trip to Liralelle. Plunked down against the backdrop of the majestic courtyard, it looked like an even bigger eyesore than in my world.
I brushed Rolph’s hand away. “Why am I here again so soon? I’m supposed to be hanging out with my brother. You of all people know why that’s so important to me. What’s going on?”
He sighed, but his eyes traveled back to my wayward hair. “Her Highness needs you. There has been some trouble in the center Village.” He looked like he wanted to say more but didn’t.
I gaped at him. “What? I was just here and things were fine.” My hand flew up to smooth my dark curls. “And stop staring at my hair.”
Rolph chuckled and took me by the arm. His perfectly coiffed blond locks contrasted with the royal blue of his ruffled blouse. We headed to the Queen’s chamber.
“Seriously, I can’t stay long. My mom and Cal will freak out if I don’t come home tonight.”
His shiny shoes clicked on the polished floors. “Bree, you know time passes differently here. It’s been months since you were last here, though it probably seemed like a few days in your world.”
I snorted. “Try one day, as in yesterday.”
“Look at the bright side,” he said. “You’ll be back home soon and your absence will have been mere minutes there.” He winked. “Just tell your mom that you took the scenic route home.”
Rolph reached the chamber door and opened it with a grand, sweeping gesture. “After you, madam.”
A smile tugged at my mouth. No one could accuse him of lack of dramatic flair.
The Queen sat erect in her throne. It wasn’t as ornate as her throne in the Great Hall, but it was pretty nice for a piece of bedroom furniture—way better than the IKEA chair in my room at home. She seemed oblivious to both the servant boy fanning her with a huge palm frond, and the maidservant rubbing oils into her feet. Her gaze focused out a window that led to nothing but the vast forests that surrounded her castle. Rolph stood off to the side, and I knew he hoped he wouldn’t be excused—he loved him some gossip.
I bowed before her. “Your majesty.”
Her attention turned my way. “Oh Bree, thank goodness you’re here.”
Like I had a choice. Although in truth, I did. I agreed to be her hired sword, chose to use my skills to defeat evil—knowing I could be called upon whenever necessary. “Rolph told me there has been some trouble since I was last here.”
The Queen wiped her brow with a silk handkerchief. “Trouble like we’ve never seen before.”
“I don’t get it,” I said. “Liralelle is a fairytale land—the fairytale land. Everything is supposed to be happy here, aside from a few bad guys.” It was one of the reasons I liked the job—things were simple. My job was cut and dry, because Liralelle was black and white. Wasn’t it?
Most of the people here were good guys, and when an evil person showed up, I took them out. Of course, I also loved the pay. I’d planned to use my earnings to fund my Juilliard tuition. At some point, I’d cash in the growing pile of gold coins tucked away in my bedroom to attend my dream school. I didn’t get how people afforded school by working minimum wage jobs.
She sighed. “Things don’t seem so happy here lately—there are even rumors of a revolt.”
I shook my head. “That’s awful, but what can I do about that? I’m a mercenary, not a revolution-queller.
The Queen put her hands in her lap and stared into my eyes. “That’s what I’m telling you. Someone is behind this. Someone is stirring up my subjects with vicious lies and poisonous words.”
Now that was more up my alley. “Do you have any leads?” I hoped she did, and I really hoped it wasn’t a troll. Witches, warlocks, even fire-breathing dragons were easier to manage than the trolls. They had some kind of Napoleon complex that made them infuriating to deal with.
“It’s a witch,” she said, lowering her voice.
Rolph rolled forward on his feet, trying to catch everything she said without being noticed.
I stretched. “Perfect. Same rate?”
“No.”
>
I arched an eyebrow at her. It was a shame that Liralelle was having troubles and all, but no way would I accept a pay cut. I opened my mouth, but she raised her hand to silence me before I started. “Your pay will be 10,000 gold coins. I believe that will be well worth your time.”
Rolph let out an audible gasp. My mouth fell open. I tried to calculate the current price of gold in my world, but that amount should more than fund my entire time at Juilliard. “But why?”
“If this witch is who I think it is, she’s more powerful than any enemy we’ve had in Liralelle. She’s been quiet for years but must have been biding her time. She means to destroy everything I’ve created.”
I frowned. I’d killed every enemy I’d been assigned since I contracted with Her Highness on my thirteenth birthday. In four years, I’d never once had an assigned target get away from me. A sickening realization washed over me and goose bumps broke out on my arms.
The only monster I’d never caught was the one whom I saw for an instant when I was six years old. It was the other reason I signed up for this job.
“You … you mean this is the witch?”
The Queen leaned forward in her throne until her face was close to mine. “Yes, Bree, this is the one you’ve been training for all these years. I believe this is Muriel, the witch who killed your family.”
5
Cold. Wet. That was all that registered. I opened my eyes and realized why—Rolph was splashing icy water on my face.
I tried to turn my head, and noted I was lying on a velvet couch in the sitting room. “Cut it out. I’m awake already.”
Rolph pulled his hand away. “Sorry, but you fainted, my dear. I cannot believe all this. I’m so sorry. I remember when all that happened like it was yesterday.”
My body felt numb and I tried to prop myself up on my elbows. Images flashed through my head and I tried to shut them out.
Coming home for dinner and finding them all dead on the floor around the hearth. My parents and my five-year-old brother. The old woman standing over them with her gnarled teeth and wiry hair. Her watery eyes fixing on me, as she motions toward me with a crooked finger. “Come here, dearie,” she is saying. I run away into the woods.
Killer Pointe Page 3