Page 50 of Hooked on a Demon
His eyes narrow.
Please believe me. Please believe me.
Everest shrugs his shoulders, apparently deciding it was an acceptable response. He picks up a chocolate from the bowl on the counter and pops it in his mouth before turning away. “If you see Dec, tell him we’re playing cards and I’m gonna win my money back,” he says over his shoulder as he steps into the dining room.
Fuck, we need to be more careful,she thinks, feeling her face flush.
“Will do,” she replies as Everest disappears around the corner.
“What will you do?” her mother asks from behind her, startling her again.Did they suddenly learn how to walk without making a sound?
“Holy Hades, Mom. You scared me half to death.”
“Sorry, dear,” Cora chuckles. “Anyway, what is my lovely daughter going to do?” She asks, taking a bottle out from the wine fridge.
“Oh. Yes.” Eliana swallows, trying to calm her still slightly racing heart. There’s too much going on right now. Too many people. Too many feelings. Too many opportunities for her to slip up. “Ev wanted me to tell Declan we are playing cards, but I don’t know where he went off to.”
Cora uncorks the bottle, pours herself a glass, and looks at Eliana questioningly.Shit. Did she see something?If she did, she doesn’t directly say anything. Instead, she says, “I think he went outside, dear. He might be around the corner by the hedges.”
Fuck. She knows something.
Her mind spins, wrestling with itself. Everest can’t find out. At least not yet. And not from her. Her mother wouldn’t say anything would she? Eliana glances outside, paying attention to the sightlines and possible windows that face the hedges.
No, we were definitely out of sight.
“Should I go get him?” Eliana asks, pointing behind her with her thumb.
Cora sips her wine, taking a moment to respond. Her gaze still feels suspicious, before she replies, “No, no, love. You head into the family room, and I’ll gather the demon.” Cora shoos Eliana away with one hand, places her glass on the counter, and saunters toward the door. She turns her head, looking at Eliana right before she exits, and Eliana swears there’s a knowing little smirk on her traitorous mother’s face.
Fuck me.
* * *
Her group of teenagers strut onto the floor, possessing all the attitude she wished she had when she was their age. They take their starting positions and she counts them in before pressing play on her phone, allowing their chosen music to boom throughout the studio.
Despite the tough times they sometimes give her, she’s so proud of how far they’ve come this season, and their idea to combine pointe and jazz is marvelous. They’ve selected a pop music compilation, and while she was skeptical at first, their ideas have really flourished. It’s been so wonderful to help them bring it all together.
She walks around the room, watching closely and pointing out any necessary adjustments. With each group and each pass, the performance gets cleaner. More precise. And with each run through of the routine, she can physically see their confidence grow. They hold their heads higher, lengthening their arms and legs, achieving the perfect mix of attitude and grace.
“Sona, turnout from the hip more before you go into the first pirouette.”
Sona does the move again, turning her leg out from the hip and pushing off exactly as she should. She’s more stable this time, and when she comes down from her turn, she beams.
“Much better,” Eliana praises.
They’ve run through the routine in smaller groups a few times, but they are doing it all together for the showcase. Large group dances are challenging, and even more so with the complexity of leaps and turns they wanted to incorporate. With that in mind, Eliana walks the room’s perimeter, pushing all bags and gear as far away as possible.
When the music stops, she calls out to the group, “Alright, it’s time for us to practice this as an entire group. You already know your formation, so Group A will be on the right, Group B in the middle, and Group C on the left. We will have more room on the stage, but practicing in a slightly tighter formation is helpful. It helps you to keep track of your positioning and ensures you don’t travel more than you should, because if you do, you’ll take down one of your peers, and trust me, you don’t want to be responsible for someone else’s injury.”
The students find their starting positions, she counts them in the same way as before, and then starts the music. As they dance through the routine, her heart swells with joy, seeing their vision come to life. Eliana may take pride in being a talented dancer. But as she watches them carry out the story they chose to tell, she feels a unique sense of pride. Coming back home was never in her plan, and yet, she seems to be finding her footing again. By channeling her energy into teaching, she’s rediscovering that sense of joy. That feeling she’s been missing since her own injury took her off the stage. As much as she may hate to admit it, Dr. Colson was right; her joy can take on a different shape.
She watches them work through the sequence as a large group, noticing where different students need to refine their moves or where adjustments need to be made in the choreography to help it run a little more smoothly.
This group worked incredibly hard, collectively deciding on the story they wanted to tell, which they chose to adapt into their own version of how Petra became the new premier witch. Only instead of Grog being a combative council member, he is younger, and a former lover trying to win her back. The routine concludes with a dramatic dance-off between the Lachlan and Grog characters, ultimately ending with the three of them journeying into the underworld together to live happily ever after. The students sought out Petra’s permission to ensure they would not get in trouble, and Petra, being the good sport that she is, laughed and shared that she couldn’t wait to see it. Eliana, frankly, can’t wait to see Lachlan’s face on opening night.
Their rendition of the love story to guide all love stories is quite comical, and once the final orientation of the routine is set, they will surely entertain everyone in attendance.
The music rises, and it’s time for the final battle between lovers. The lead dancers, Hova (playing Lachlan) and Benni (playing Grog) take the center as others back up to give them room.
