Free Dance of Fire by Yelena Black

and into a different plane.’ She laughed and stared into her salad. ‘I know that sounds crazy, but –’
    â€˜No,’ Geo said. ‘It’s not crazy. I promise.’
    He looked at her with affirmation in his eyes, and for the first time since she’d arrived in London, Vanessa was glad to be there.
    â€˜So,’ Svetya said impatiently, ‘you two were partners ?’ Her eyes darted back and forth between Vanessa and Justin as if the thought were unbelievable.
    â€˜No,’ Vanessa said, just as Justin said, ‘Yes.’
    Svetya curled a lock of blonde hair around her finger. ‘It can’t be both,’ she said, sounding amused. ‘Which one is it?’
    Vanessa felt her face grow hot as Justin shrank back in his seat.
    â€˜Actually, it can be,’ Justin explained, sounding uncomfortable. ‘We didn’t start out as partners, but we were at the end of the semester.’
    In a way they had been partners, Vanessa thought. While she’d been obsessed with Zep, Justin had been looking out for her, gathering information on Zep and Josef, bursting into the studio just before the demon would have taken her soul. If it hadn’t been for him, she wouldn’t be here at all.
    â€˜He’s right,’ Vanessa said, staring at Justin. ‘I had another partner before, but he, um, turned out to be a bad match. Justin came in at the end and caught me from a fall. A fall that could have ended my career.’ Vanessa willed Justin to look at her, but he wouldn’t. ‘I don’t know what I would have done if he hadn’t shown up.’
    Look at me , she pleaded again, silently, waiting for Justin to meet her eye. When he finally did, he merely gave her a stiff nod before turning away.
    â€˜That’s a nice story and all,’ Svetya said, pulling her masses of wavy blonde hair into a loose bun. ‘But let’s talk about me. After one of my performances last fall, Enzo was waiting. At first I thought he wanted me to sign his playbill. You know, like a fan –’ Geo groaned – ‘but instead he told me there was more to dance than I’d been taught. He told me I could learn things my teachers never imagined. That he would help me.’ Svetya stared at Vanessa. ‘And he did. I earned my way into this competition – I placed first in all of the preliminaries. I’m here to win.’
    Vanessa stumbled for something to say in response. ‘That’s nice,’ she replied. ‘I’m glad you and Enzo have such a nice relationship.’
    Svetya rolled her eyes. ‘Enzo is just my coach. He’s not my type. He’s too involved with himself,’ she said. ‘You can tell bythe way he looks at himself in the mirror every time he walks by. I want a man to look at me .’ Svetya’s gaze drifted to Justin, who straightened in his seat.
    â€˜I’m sure that when any man looks at you, he sees the same thing I see,’ Geo said.
    â€˜What is that?’ Svetya asked.
    â€˜Someone to run away from.’
    Svetya swatted his arm playfully. Vanessa pushed her plate aside and let her gaze drift along the walls of the restaurant, scanning the photographs of ballet companies, some of which stretched back decades, until a face jumped out at her.
    Vanessa gasped. ‘Excuse me,’ she said to the group. ‘I have to . . . go to the bathroom.’
    She stood up. Instead of heading for the ladies’ room, she walked over to the photograph, which was on the opposite wall. It was a portrait of the Royal Court Company: a black-and-white shot of the entire dance troupe, the dancers’ lean figures outlined in simple black leotards and tights as they gazed into the camera.
    And there in the centre of them all was a girl, her lips arranged in a haunting smile, the light glinting off her eyes as if she were holding on to a secret.
    Margaret .

Chapter Five
    Margaret’s pale