Page 36 of The Paranormal Investigation Bureau
I leaned on the barre and rubbed my neck.
“There are an uncanny number of similarities between the people playing the cast then and now. Bellatrix and Selena have a lot in common, but I’m nothing like Tabitha. I don’twantthe lead. Was Santiago really an Unseelie prince?”
Madame Lucinda snorted and started laughing.
“No, you and Tabitha have nothing in common whatsoever. That doesn’t mean youshouldn’tbe dancing Damita. I can’t talk about Santiago, aside from his name, but you’ve still got a bit of research left to do on him.”
That fucking geas. I couldn’t tell if what she found so funny was me comparing myself to Tabitha, or Santiago being a prince. It wasn’t like she could tell me. She’d already been a tremendous help and had certainly given me much more information than fucking Marsden.
Madame Lucinda looked at her watch.
“Out with you! You need calories before rehearsal. If Marsden finds out you skipped lunch, he’ll make you sit out of class and rehearsals for a week. The chicken club at the café is a personal favorite of mine, with roasted potatoes as a side. They sell fruit cups and almonds you can bring to snack on during rehearsal, too.The Sugar Skull Girlis a brutal ballet, even if you don’t count everything attached to it.”
“Thanks!”
I slipped my flip-flops on and grabbed my dance bag. I pulled my sweatshirt over my head and made my way to the café. Madame Lucinda’s menu recommendations were much better than Julian’s.
Arden, Nyx, and Bevan were nowhere to be found when I stepped out of the studio… instead, Julian was waiting for me. Fuck! What was he going to try this time? I trusted him about as far as I could throw him.
“Hi, Beyla!” he shrieked, threading his arm through mine. “Let’s get out of here.”
He was steering me towards the alley behind the building instead of the café. I absolutely was not goinganywherealone with Julian. I stopped and yanked my arm away from his.
“I’m going to eat, Julian. My friends were supposed to meet me.”
Julian gave me this look then, like he felt sorry for me.
“Had you considered that maybe they aren’t really your friends if they couldn’t wait for you? That was quite a show in there between you and Bellatrix.”
Julian was following me to the café like he intended on eating with me again. He was definitely the trash panda variety of vampires. How was I supposed to get rid of him without punching him? Marsden would probably excuse me knocking Bellatrix on her ass because I stopped her from assaulting Madame Lucinda, but I wouldn’t get a pass for maiming Julian because he was playing mind games with me.
I ordered Madame Lucinda’s recommendation, grabbed my food, and took a seat. Julian ordered chili cheese fries, with extra jalapeños. How was he not barfing throughout rehearsal? I thought I was going to die yesterday after that damn cheeseburger.
Julian popped a french fry, covered in chili and cheese, in his mouth and looked at my chicken club on a croissant with total disdain.
“Seriously, you should eat the kale salad. Marsden has this radar. He notices if you even gain one pound. I know how the pros keep the weight off. If you want… I can hook you up with the best cocaine in the country, it’ll keep you skinny, and it really ups your game on stage.”
Technically, I could flash my badge and arrest his stupid ass right there for trying to sell me drugs. I wouldloveto see the look on his face when he found out I was an undercover agent, but I didn’t, I just filed that away for later. I couldn’t let anyone know my secret for now.
I already knew what trash panda vampire’s game was. I’d already been filled in that Marsden had no problem with a lot of the toxic behavior that went on in this company, but he drew the line at eating disorders and drugs. Julian was trying super hard to get me hooked on both. Did people really fall for his bullshit?
“Save it, Julian. I already know you’re one of Bellatrix’s cronies. I know what the three of you do to anyone you think is a threat, and I know what you did to Bevan. I’m not falling for this gay best friend bullshit you are trying to pull, I’m well aware of Marsden’s stance on both eating disordersanddrugs. I’m not going anywhere, and you can deliver this message to your master. I don’t want her damn part, but I will defend myself if she tries any shit with me, the same goes for Bevan. The three of you better step off and leave both me and Bevan the fuck alone, because you won’t like it when I fight back.”
Julian’s entire demeanor changed. He had been friendly and smiling, with this dead look in his eyes the entire time, but then his eyes went blood red, and he bared his fangs at me. There he was. There was the real Julian. He didn’t scare me.
I opened my palm on the table and subtly let magic crackle at my fingertips.
“Game on, bitch!” Julian hissed.
I leaned in, so close that no one else could hear me, since there were humans in this café. Not only could I arrest Julian for trying to sell me drugs, but he was also exposing himself to this entire café. It was a little different for vampires than it was for the rest of us. After a particular human published some books about vampires that totally blew up, human guys would dress like vampires at clubs to get girls. And real vampires totally exploited it. I’ll bet Julian was one of them.
I called all my magic. I knew my eyes were changing from silver to glowing blue.
“I might wear pink tights and tutus, but I know several ways to handle all three of you, and not all of them involve magic.”
“Yeah, you’re a regular badass. You’re going to take everything we throw at you… right up until you’ve had enough and leave! You can’t do shit to us. Marsden alternates between Bellatrix and Ivory in his bed. He’ll take new lovers, sure, and he might even invite you if you're lucky, but healwaysgoes back to them. Bellatrix is the star, and you didn’t even exist at any company before you got here. All she has to do is say the word, and you’re gone!”
I put my magic away and leaned back. I calmly took a bite of my sandwich and enjoyed every bite. I swallowed and looked him directly in the eyes.
