Chapter 56

Anton steps close to me, putting a ghost hand on my shoulder as I stare at the piano, my knees locked, my whole body tense and starting to tremble slightly.

“Easy, girl,” he murmurs, calming and soft.

I glance up at him, a glare narrowing my eyes. “Stop talking to me like a horse.”

A laugh bursts from him again and I smile a little.

“See?” Anton says on a happy sigh. “There’s the Juniper I know and fear. You’ve got this, kid. Just have confidence – it will all be fine.”

I loose a long breath, some of the tension leaving me as I turn back to the piano and hope that he’s right.

But then the lights in the large auditorium dim, and the voices fade, and my heart starts to pound. A woman comes to the center of the stage and clears her throat, a spotlight moving to her.

“Our first performer,” she says, quite loud and clear – her voice probably magically amplified – “will be Princess Laila flaith Noriada.”

“Oh!” Laila says, her hands moving to her mouth in surprise. My heartbeat lessens but I look with worry at my friend even as I see, from the corner of my eye, Orion coming back with Beatrice at his side.

“Please,” the woman on the stage continues, waving a hand around. “If you would take your places and your seats.”

“Here I go,” Laila says, dropping her hands and giving Anton and I a nervous smile.

“You’ll do great, Laila,” Anton says, smiling warmly at her. “Break a leg.”

Her smile immediately drops from her face and she looks at Anton with wide, shocked eyes.

“He didn’t mean that,” I say in a rush, stepping towards her with a hand out. “Um – it’s joke, in our world. I means good luck.”

“Yes, I’m very sorry,” Anton says, his voice worried as he steps forward too.

Laila just blinks at us and then laughs, waving a hand as she moves away like she thinks we’re both ridiculous. I mean, she’s probably right, but…

Anton nods towards a cocktail table near by and I follow him to it, looking around and realizing that while the rest of the Court of Death is taking their seats behind us, the Contestants – both those in the Top and the Bottom – are gathered here, with Orion and the God of Death, around some standing tables where drinks await.

“You want that?” Anton murmurs, gesturing to a glass of champagne as I watch Laila climb the stairs to the stage.

“No,” I murmur, keeping my eyes on my friend. “When I finish playing I’ll want like six, immediately. But before, no.”

“Such an artist,” Anton murmurs, his voice light and playful. “So serious about her craft.”

I smirk a little and send him a sharp glance that makes him smile.

Laila has a few calm words with the woman on the stage and the spotlight goes off as the woman hurries away, leaving Laila alone. We all wait in dark silence for a long moment before music begins to swell, and the stage lights come up.

I gasp as they do because the stage is somehow…transformed. The Piano has been shoved away to the dark wing of the stage and Laila crouches at the center inside a vast shell, her head turned down, her blue-green hair falling all around her. The floor of the stage looks, like all things, as if it’s a sea-bottom – covered in sand and scattered with treasures – seashells and starfish and pearls –

The back and sides of the stage ripple with light as if she’s underwater and at the top – I gasp a little because…is that the shadow of a boat passing by? I shake my head, utterly awed, because it’s incredible. But my awe only increases as Laila begins to move.

The music’s tempo picks up and Laila lifts her head, looking curiously around like she’s just woken. She stretches and then begins to twirl, moving with such grace that it stuns me – weightless in a way that makes it look as if she truly is under the water, floating amongst the waves.

Laila’s performance is a cheerful one, telling the story of a water nymph who is preparing to meet her lover so that they can elope that evening. I smirk a little at the plot, seeing the story’s ironic connection to my own, but none of it takes away from my fascination with the way that Laila dances. She floats across the stage and every few moments creates – of all wonderful things – bubbles in the air.

I gasp when she produces the first one, but then they keep coming every time Laila pinches her fingers together – pop! Appearing from nowhere. The bubbles begin to fill the stage in a beautiful, magnificent way, and Laila by some trick or magic begins to unfold the curves of her dress so that it stretches out all around her in a wide circle. The music reaches its crescendo and she twirls and twirls at the center of the stage – the absolute picture of a young woman in love, excited to meet the man she adores, to begin the next exciting stage.

She turns and looks out at all of us as the music hits a final high note, all of the bubbles swirling around in the air and coming – magnificently – to settle on Laila’s gown, and in her hair, turning her into the most magnificent seafoam bride.

I gasp at the final image she presents, my hands going to my mouth at the beauty she wrought before all of us, just…completely swept away by it. Applause explodes around us but I can’t bring myself to join in, just clasping my hands to my mouth and shaking my head with awe.

“That was amazing,” Anton murmurs, clapping enthusiastically.

“I know,” I whisper. “She’s incredible.”

Laila laughs a little, breaking the spell of the story she so expertly wove around us, and then dips into a deep curtsy as the bubbles quickly begin to pop around her. Then she rises and scurries from the stage, blushing, looking around at everyone quite nervously.

I step forward to greet her first, wrapping my friend in a hug. Her arms shake as she returns it. “Did it go okay?” she whispers. “Did…could you sense the story?”

“Laila, I have no idea how you did that,” I whisper, thrilled, beaming at her as I take a step back. “But I’m going to make you do it every day for the rest of our lives! It was so amazing!”

“Wonderful, Princess,” a deep voice says behind us. I quickly step aside, realizing that I’m hogging my friend’s attention when the one person she’s truly trying to impress has come forward to pay his respects. As I move out of the way Orion comes forward to take Laila’s hand, and kiss it, and bow low before her in reverence to her rather remarkable talent.

As he does, a voice rings out around us. “Our next performer,” the woman says, making my head snap back to the stage. “Will be Princess Juniper Sinclair of Moon Valley.”

My breath stops in my chest as my eyes go wide because…god, Laila was so magnificent that I kind of forgot that I had to perform. And follow that!?

The woman on the stage bows and catches my eye, gesturing towards the piano, which drifts magically to the center of the stage.

My heart begins to pound and my feet feel rooted to the ground, locked in cement.

Anton is immediately at my side. “You can do this, June,” he murmurs, leaning close to me. I whip my head to stare into his eyes, not sure if I can. But he’s so…sure, so steady. He gives me a single encouraging nod.

I exhale, nodding back, my hands shaking. And slowly I walk to the stars at the edge of the stage and begin to ascend, my long train flowing behind me, my shoulders starting to tremble as well.

“So, is she any good?” I hear Orion ask behind me, my wolf’s hearing coming in handy now. I glance over my shoulder to see the Prince and the ghost standing next to each other, both of their arms crossed, watching me.

“I don’t know,” Anton answers casually, not taking his eyes from me, letting me know in his own way that he won’t – that the whole time, he’ll be right there, just for me. “But…I think we’re in for something special.”

“Can’t wait,” Orion murmurs. And then he turns and wanders to one of the tables, picking up a drink.

I drop my head as I take the last step onto the stage, closing my eyes.

We can do this, my wolf says, nipping me in my soul – but not cruel, not angry – just…urging me forward. The music is ours, it sings for us. Come, we will show them.

And so I move forward and take my seat at the piano, placing my fingers gently on the keys.