Page 11 of The Paranormal Investigation Bureau
“Get real, Nicolai. If it’s not us, it’s going to be someone else.”
“This one looks like she’ll kick our asses for trying.”
“I love a challenge.”
“You’re a pig.”
We both were, we treated women like garbage. That didn’t bother me before, shit, I’d probably made every ballerina in this company that Marsden didn’t get to first cry. I’d be totally present in the beginning, the perfect boyfriend, until I decided they weren’t going to be that magic partner that boosted my career. After that, I’d pull a one-eighty and move on real quick, like they meant nothing to me. They didn’t, not unless there was magic between us on stage.
That system had been working fine for me for years. This new girl had this glint in her eye that told me I’d be pissing blood for a week if I pulled any of my usual tricks with her. Frankly, that was exciting. I wanted toownher. She was going to be a challenge.
I had a feeling she was the type of woman who would challenge me on stage and off, but in a good way. It was probably the reason she summoned my eyes when she walked through the door. That could very well translate intomagicon stage.
I’d have to fight through Merlin. If it were up to him, all the lead roles would go to male dancers, and he’d have ballerinas as his backup dancers. More than a little self indulgent, heloathedlifting ballerinas and preferred doing solos. The only thing Merlin liked about ballerinas was fucking them.
And then there was Arden. What was his deal, anyway? Just because he chose not to fish in the company pond didn’t mean he had to stand in my way. I wasn’t letting him stop me this time.
Marsden snapped to attention.
“Perhaps you’ve noticed the unfamiliar face in the room. Beyla Moonfall will be joining us in the corps. She’s a very talented dancer whom we just narrowly missed getting into our academy. We actually did accept her, but life had other plans, but she’s here now. So, please, make her feel welcome. I’ll be observing the class and announcing the cast ofThe Sugar Skull Girlafterwards.”
Damn. What happened that made her give up her spot at the academy? I was dying to know. I taught a leap class for the male dancers at the academy, and I knew what some of those kids and their parents sacrificed to get in. Then, even after they got in, things certainly weren't all smooth sailing. Some guys in my class were seriously homesick, but they weren’t about to quit and go home.
I already knew what was going on in the background, even if no one was talking about it. Julian was plotting to get Beyla alone, because he was a busy body who had to know everything about everyone. Bellatrix and Ivory were coming up with fake news about why she didn’t end up at the academy. They’d spin some scandalous tale and keep it on the back burner.
They’d let Julian tell everyone what Beyla told him if she actually did. Something told me she wasn’t going to fall for that gay best friend shtick he tried to put out to the company. Julian wastoxic.Bevan was who you wanted for that, he was sweet and one of the most supportive dancers in the entire company, though none of these bitches gave him the time of day because he was super shy unless he was on stage.
If Beyla told Julian why she didn’t attend the academy, he’d tell everyone. Ivory and Bellatrix would keep their stories close and release them if they thought Beyla was a threat to them.
The thing was, I was pretty sure she wasn’t going to fall for my shit, which meant shedefinitelywasn’t going to fall for Marsden and Julian’s. I loved a challenge.
Chapter11
Merlin
Iwasbored.Everyone was showing off because Marsden was here, scouting for cast members. People were making asses of themselves and fucking up their lines, trying to get their legs higher than their body was capable of. When groups were in the center doing theiradagio,they’d pretend to go to the corner and practice turns and jumps we all knew were really their forte. Madame Lucinda usually blew a gasket if you did that, but she was showing off for Marsden too.
It was so fucking banal. I already knew what the cast was going to be. Marsden did too, but he’d always give the pretense of observing class like some of them had a chance at a lead. I could already tell you who the five leads would be, who would have solos at the wedding, and who would be stuck in the corps like they always were.
It was all so predictable, even if this ballet was new. Many people here didn’t bother giving them a chance, but some human ballet companies had the right idea. I would havekilledto dance in Matthew Bourne’s version ofSwan Lake.There wasn’t a single ballerina in sight to lift, and the entire cast was male.
I wouldn’t be caught dead in a tutu, but I respected every single male dancer inLes Ballet Trockadero de Monte Carlo.The entire company was comprised male dancers who strapped on tutus and pointe shoes and did the ballerina roles. I gave themmadprops for that. Nicolai felt the same, and so did Bevan, but we never talked about it in front of our peers, because the snooty ballerinas we danced with didn’t like it that the boys stepped in and took their roles.
The Sugar Skull Girlwas the start of many changes I’d like to see made to the supernatural ballet world. It was still focused on the girl, but there were more male lead roles alongside the female star. I wanted to see Marsden do what Matthew Bourne did. I wanted him to produce a classical supernatural ballet with an all-male cast.
Maybe I was tired of playing second fiddle to a ballerina, or maybe I was just tired of Bellatrix and Ivory. Bellatrix should have retired two years ago, and some people had been dying in the corps since I got here who could dance circles around Ivory. Then again, perhaps I was just tired of those two particular ballerinas. They were favorites when I got accepted intoThe P,and I’d never had the chance to dance leads with anyone else.
Madame Lucinda was in rare form today. She was always a hard teacher, and consistently challenged me to be a better dancer. Madame Lucinda’s classes were probably the entire reason I hadn’t auditioned for another company elsewhere in the world.
I was dripping with sweat, and my bum knee was going to have a date with an ice pack when I got home. I joined Nicolai on the floor, and we formed a circle around Marsden. Everyone was holding their breath, anxiously awaiting the announcing of the cast, like it wouldn’t be the same as every previous show.
“I’m very excited to announce the cast. The five soloists at the wedding will be Zander and Raina, doing Popocatepetl & Iztaccíhuatl. Julian and Opal will do Xunaan and The Young Warrior. Ivory will be taking on the role of Llorona.
“Bellatrix, Nicolai, Merlin, Arden, and Bevan will play the five leads. Arden will playEl Gato Blanco. Nicolai will playMuerte de las Sombras. The role ofCorazón de Osogoes to Merlin and Bevan will take the role ofEl Búho.Beyla will understudy the role of Damita.”
Oh, shit! Ivory and Bellatrix were the only ones who gasped like someone had just shocked them with cattle prods, everyone else was silent, including me. Bevan deserved one of the leads, he had for a long time, but they always picked Julian over him if it wasn’t Nicolai, Arden, or me. I wanted to get up and hug Bevan, but it wasn’t the time yet.
Bevan wasn’t the only shocker. You justdid notget assigned to understudy the lead on your first day. We all knew why Bellatrix and Ivory were favorites, but even they’d served their time in the corps before they got promoted to soloist and lead, albeit way faster than anyone else.
