Dark Awakenings (Danse Macabre Book 2)

by Christina Quinn

  In the end Charlotte conceded nothing, and left the stage in tears booed off by the crowd. Aleksi and I hugged Mara, and we left the studio as she welcomed her musical guest. We immediately hopped back on the plane and flew back to Florence. It was five in the morning by the time we made it to Nikolai’s apartment. He groggily opened the door for us and we all shuffled back to his bed, I passed out sandwiched between the two of them.

  Three hours later my shoulder was nudged. I growled out a little guttural groan and blinked open my eyes. Nikolai pulled me bonelessly from the bed without another word and tossed me over his shoulder. I was so exhausted I didn’t even try to move. He walked me back through the quiet apartment to the bathroom and laid me with care on that marble chaise before those pale fingers started the process of undressing me.

  “Autumn, wake up.” He shook me again and I groaned through half parted lips. Those hands peeled me out of my dress, bra, panty hose and panties before I gained some semblance of consciousness. I was only aware of the pressure of his hands and the cool air. And then… freezing water fell on my skin, making me half jump with a startled shriek.

  Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. SLAM. Aleksi threw open the bathroom door as I jumped to the edge of the chaise out of the spray of the redirected shower. Nikolai beamed at me as he adjusted the water and moved the shower head.

  “She wouldn’t wake up, and she has to be at class—so do you.” Aleksi rolled his eyes at Nikolai and I watched through the fogging glass as he stripped off his shirt and pants from the night before. But at the same time, I could feel Nikolai’s sadness and envy mixing with arousal that wasn’t completely my own.

  “This is very strange…” I assessed as I peeled myself from the cool stone.

  “What is?” Aleksi asked as he padded to the shower and literally shoved Nikolai to the side.

  “I can feel both of your emotions right now. Niki is hurt, and you… you’re horny.” I blushed a little and my gaze fell to my knees.

  “Well you are naked. I’m sure a touch of that arousal you’re feeling is also Kolen’ka’s.”

  “I have class from six to eight with Garrett tonight,” I randomly offered, watching Aleksi lather his body with rapt interest. You’re being rude. Shaking my head I turned my gaze to Nikolai, I followed the path of tattoos and scars up to his face. “Are you seeing Estella tonight?”

  “No… it was a one-time thing, she made that very clear. Besides, I have Coppelia tonight with Leslie.”

  “Garrett and Evan are going to make their decision tonight. As astounding as you were yesterday, you do have some competition for the role.” Aleksi stepped out of the water and walked out of the shower, snatching a towel from the rack in the process. “If I were you I’d show off in class tonight… Evan takes ballet very seriously.”

  “I wish I could be there.” I whispered to Nikolai before I stepped under the water myself and washed off my makeup from the night before.

  “Autumn, did you hear me?” Aleksi snapped as he glanced over his shoulder.

  “Yes, Master.” I purred to him, I could feel his approval spiral through me. I reached out in Nikolai’s general direction and grabbed his hand pulling him under the water with me. My arms wrapped around him, in that moment I just wanted that sadness to fade. Still I couldn’t resist glancing up to Aleksi who was leaving the bathroom. Those electric eyes of his were hot with quiet rage as he stared at us. He nodded in consent when he caught my gaze but I could still feel that hot anger laced with his lingering ardor. “Thank you” I murmured to Nikolai’s shoulder before I released him and that door clicked shut.

  “It was the least I could do. How did it go last night? I mean with everything.”

  “Mara ripped into Charlotte, I was angry at first… but I’m not anymore. She started crying when Mara questioned her about lying and then she was booed off stage. I pity her, and I forgive her.”

  “You’ve a soft heart, there’s nothing wrong with that.” He smiled down at me, I couldn’t help but to furrow my brows.

  There was something about the tone in his voice that made me stand on my toes and kiss him. I so rarely initiated anything, but once I did it was empowering to a degree. It was less a kiss and more a frantic, frenzied flurry of teasing, tiny bites that send seismic tremors down his spine. After I finished with him, his lips were bright red and he stared at me glassy eyed. There was no stopping my gaze as it traveled down his body to survey that thick prominent and proud erection that he was trying his hardest to keep from brushing against me. Something made me want to set my teeth into his pale flesh… but I didn’t. We had to be at class in an hour, and I had already wasted enough time.

  Within fifteen minutes of that kiss I was dressed and on my way out to the car following behind Aleksi, and trailing behind me was Nikolai looking somewhat bewildered. With the twenty minute drive through town I had plenty of time to dwell on the kiss. I kept glancing at Aleksi’s lips as he concentrated on the road and some random rock song played on the radio. That sensuous flesh called to me, but I couldn’t initiate a kiss with Aleksi. Just thinking about it felt wrong. That’s because you’re his, and Nikolai is yours. It’s very simple, I’m surprised it’s taken you this long to figure it out.

  When we pulled into the little parking garage I received a little treat. Within seconds of me closing my door Aleksi was there, pressing me back against the car door. He assaulted my mouth, claiming it hard and leaving me breathless. His hands trailed over my body, tracing my sides lovingly as the kiss broke. He pressed his forehead to mine and took a few slow breaths before he released me, leaving me to stagger to the stairs that lead into the building.

  “You left your foam roller.” He observed as we climbed the stairs. My head lulled backwards and I stared up at the florescent lights as we ascended into the Westley.

  “Of course I did.” I sighed out fanning my fingers back through my hair.

  “Nerves getting the better of you?” He quipped smirking down at me.

  “Is that a joke?”

  “Mhm. Don’t worry, you can get your spare key from Leslie and sleep after class. Evan had one complaint, your torso drifts to the side a little while doing your hops. Try to keep your gaze centered straight ahead tonight.”

  “That’s such a small thing.” Of course you’re wobbly, they’re just humoring you.

  “Evan expects as close to perfection as possible, and you have nine years’ experience; that means he’s going to be as hard on you as he would be the average Soloist in a professional company.”

  “What was wrong with the other?”

  “Oh there were a bunch of technical faults, and no one clapped for her. But she’s only danced for four years. She looked like her ankles were going to snap half of the time. Garrett said he’d make Evan change his mind.”

  “Wait, Evan doesn’t want me as Giselle?” I pursed my lips and then remembered Leslie crying in the hall after rehearsal.

  “Yes and no, he wants you as Giselle but he doesn’t want anyone to question why he picked you.”

  “I only said yes because I felt guilty.”

  “That is probably holding you back. Only go if you really want to do it.”

  “I really want to do—” I froze as I heard a news report coming from the security office.

  “On the hour since five this morning a radical group called The Order of the Sun Cross has been hacking into news stations all over the world and broadcasting their manifesto. So far efforts to trace the broadcast have failed the world over. This reporter can’t help but to feel that interrupting scheduled programming isn’t the way to make frien—” The broadcast was cut off and a hooded figure appeared on screen their face half hidden in shadows.

  “Too long have we humans sat by and allowed the vampire and the werewolf to have control over our lives. It’s time for we humans to rise up and put the vampire back in its place in the shadows and the werewolf back in the woods where they truly belong. Every interaction with these fetid, pestilent creat
ures detracts from what we can accomplish as a society. Our demands are simple; we want total segregation of Werewolves from the populace, and every vampire once again declared legally dead. We want them to leave our schools and our arts and our sports. We want them out of finance, out of business and out of politics. We want those who practice necrophilia and bestiality clearly marked so that we who are pure can easily avoid them. If our demands are not met within the month, we The Order of the Sun Cross will declare open war on those who do not comply.” The feed cut and I turned and looked up at Aleksi; his face, however, was unreadable.

  “That speech was very transparently written by a vampire.” He added after a few moments of utter still and disturbing silence.

  “Why would they want any of that?”

  “A lot of vampires weren’t happy when we went mainstream. They feel because we are creatures of death and night that we should remain secret and hidden. This is going to gain more traction with vampires than you might think… though the idiots fail to realize that it can’t be like it was before. I don’t think the Sun Cross is aware of who they are working with. The only reason any vampire would want to return to the way things were is if they want to kill again without repercussions.”

  “Oh.” Swallowing I smoothed back my hair and watched Aleksi start down the hall.

  “Come on, we’re already late.” He called to me with a reassuring smile as he waited for me with his hand extended towards me. I took his hand and we started down the hall with half hesitant steps. That message is going to prove to be a messy can of worms and he knows it.

  When we reached room E where we always had our classes in the mornings, we found it packed with every dancer in the company and not just members of Du Nuit. The whole Westley Ballet was seated or standing around the room watching Tristan at the front. He looked nervous, those bright blue eyes kept sweeping over the crowd. Was he waiting for us? His lips pursed as he surveyed the gathered dancers. He showed his true colors once again, nothing in the way he carried himself suggested that this was an urgent meeting. Apparently, only Leslie could move him to panic, but that slight nervousness was still there. I smiled sweetly as my eyes fell on my friend who was seated in the front row with her white practice tutu on. My gaze wandered across the crowd back to Aleksi who draped an arm possessively around me. He’s going to leave you again. Miss Manners’ observation made me swallow hard. Last time there was a threat he left me to protect me, but things were different now.

  “Good Morning.” Tristan started with a wide sparkling smile. “I know many of you have heard the manifesto being broadcast on both television and the radio on the hour. The group known as the Sun Cross is demanding that vampires withdraw from the arts and most of society. They openly threatened those that don’t comply with their demands so I have taken it upon myself to offer those who either wish to retire or no longer wish to dance with vampires or a company associated with vampires the opportunity to leave. My dear friend Ann Sutton, the current director of the London Ballet, has agreed to do an exchange with us. They are going to send us all of their dancers who don’t mind violating the mandate and we will send them any of you who wish to dance in a company free of vampires. Petra will take your name, and by the end of the week you will be expected to be in London. We’ll provide plane tickets for flights leaving Friday. If you are staying after this you will all go to your regular rehearsals. If you are leaving, I wish you the best of luck in London.” I tilted my head to the side as I watched a line form in front of Petra of roughly forty dancers. Most of the humans wanted to leave; about twenty or so stayed, most of them soloists, that flexible role in a company that danced various parts.

  Tristan’s nervousness seemed to fade as those pretty blue eyes counted the dancers in that line. I was guessing the list of dancers from the London Ballet who wanted to dance with vampires was longer than forty people and then once everyone signed their name and the line had disbursed Tristan smiled wide and dropped a massive bombshell.

  “From now on, The Westley Ballet will perform only mixed ballets with vampires and werewolves and humans dancing together. Our first mixed show will be Ondine, with Leslie as the water sprite, and Aleksi as prince. All of the mortals will be played by vampires, and all of the fairies will be played by humans.” The mirth and joy in Tristan’s voice matched the shit eating grin that he flashed the dancers who abandoned the company. A few of them paused at the door before leaving with that thread of regret plain on their faces.

  Everyone slowly filed out until only the vampires, Leslie, Garrett and myself remained. Garrett and Leslie immediately sat down together and started using their foam rollers. Dancers around the room were in various states of warming up. The room buzzed with talk. After stretching my feet I pulled on my red ballet slippers and walked over to Garrett and Leslie who were laughing and shaking their heads.

  “…It’s hard to remember that as much as a company feels like a family, that we’re not family. I can’t believe so many of them left.” Leslie practically growled as she rolled along the top of the foam roller.

  “Well they screwed up their careers. I think Tristan did it on purpose. Firstly London is teeming with vampires, and secondly the London Ballet is less prestigious than the Westley ever was. It’s not like they’re going to the Royal Ballet or ENB. They were all either bigots or cowards so good riddance.” Garrett chuckled out.

  “If you say so.” Leslie sighed and then perked up when she saw me. “Autumn! I watched you last night, good stuff on that show. I think Charlotte wasn’t expecting them to tear into her.”

  “Angel face! Good news, you got the part.” I blinked at Garrett and furrowed my brows.

  “I thought Evan wanted that other woman?” My voice came out strong, but at the same time my disbelief was audible.

  “We spent the night with Tristan and Leslie, and Tristan talked some sense into Evan.” I looked between the two of them, Leslie’s smile was huge. She had all three of them. I was jealous for a moment, that tinge of ownership I felt towards Evan reared its head for a split second.

  “Oh, that’s…”—No reason to be petty—“That’s great.”

  “You’ll be spectacular, Aut.” Leslie smiled at me as she lay across her outstretched legs, her elbows at her toes as she stretched long. That forth mark certainly changed a lot. Don’t you wonder what the second changed? The second? Oh shit. I blinked and covered my mouth as I recalled that sensation of seeing through Aleksi after we had sex the other night. My gaze drifted over the stretching vampires to him. He was on the opposite side of the room talking to Tristan as he stretched. Colette was beside him, giggling as she sat in a full split.

  “Can I use your roller? I left mine at home.” I asked Leslie as I turned my attention back to my friends.

  “Sure. And if you need help with Giselle, let me know. I did it last year… fuck those hops, by the way. They are the ugliest thing.”

  “I think the swan arms in Swan Lake are the ugliest, the hops aren’t so bad.” Garrett shrugged as he stood and put his foot on the barre. “How are things with you and Niki?” My mouth hung open at Garrett’s simple question as I continued to stretch.

  “They’re…” I trailed off and let my gaze wander the room. Nikolai was off to the side by himself stretching on the barre. As I looked at him I had a sudden need to touch him, to wrap my arms around him and hold him close. But at the same time…What the hell is wrong with you? Why would you want to touch him and not Aleksi? My lips pursed and turned my attention to Aleksi, Tristan and Collette. The three of them were joking and talking as they stretched, even Tristan had gotten down on the floor with them. They were the three Musketeers…once we were too.

  A noticeable frown turned my lips and I let out a long sigh. It would be a while before I could think about what happened last year and not frown. It was also this time last year that Leslie got shot because of your traitorous bestie. Sighing I forced my thoughts elsewhere, scanning the gathered vampires for that glorious head
of short-ish copper tresses. Evan, however, was nowhere to be found.

  “Where’s Evan?” I inquired standing, I was as stretched as I was going to get.

  “Being moody somewhere.” Garrett responded with a smirk.

  “They’re fighting.” Leslie chimed in.

  “But I thought they spent the night with you guys?”

  “Oh, they did. And trust me it was clear that there was some trouble in paradise. Never before have I seen such a brutal rage fuck. Frankly, I’m surprised Garrett is up and walking.”

  “He’s still clinging to his very human beliefs on relationships. We aren’t human, neither of us have been human for a few years now. There’s no excuse for us carrying on like humans.” Garrett grumbled.

  “So he wants it to be just the two of you? Is that really so bad?”

  “He hates Nikolai with a passion, and just because I flippantly mentioned I wouldn’t mind him joining us he got all…monogomal on me.”

  “Monogomal? I don’t think that’s a word.” Leslie snickered.

  “You, Autumn Darling, were the exception to his rule, not the actual rule.”

  “Not everyone is into sex piles and multiple partners, I’m not. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy my time with you and Evan but”—my friends started laughing at me—“What?”

  “I’m sorry, how could you actually say that with a straight face? You need to move on from denial and accept that you, like me, enjoy being the meat of a manwich.” There’s no denying it now, you’re a bonafide slut. Congratulations. I swallowed at Miss Manners’ apt description of what it had come to. But where was the truth in that statement?