Page 15 of Song of Tenebrae

The girls all go to their respective areas to get ready for the night while Tiny remains behind me.

“Did you sleep?”

“A little.” I admit. I pull out my vial and dump its contents on the glass. “Want some?”

“Maybe one line.” Her grin spreads slowly across her mouth. Tiny has always been down to pop a pill and snort some coke for a good time. “How are you feeling?”

“Unsafe.” I answer honestly, “I feel weak for it, too.”

“How’d you get those scars?” she asks quietly, “you didn’t have them at The Temple.”

“I signed an NDA.” Her eyes widen with my words, the same ones she said to me a year ago. “I don’t know what it was like when you went, but it was hell last year.”

“They did that to you?” her hands cover her mouth in shock.

“I certainly didn’t do it to myself.” I bend and sniff a line, “nothing strange happened on your trip?”

“There was a girl that went home early, she was caught-”

“-let me guess,” I cut her off, “stealing?”

Her eyes begin to water and I feel pity for her, “she was treated like you?”

“Maybe.” I shrug unable to tell her that I think she was sacrificed to the fucking Devil.

“You’re feeling unsafe because you think it might be them breaking into the house?” I move aside and let her do a line.

“Yes and no,” I shake my head, “I’ve been wanting them to come back. I need to kill him.”

“Tempest, no.” A tear slips down her cheek.

“I feel unsafe because this doesn’t feel like them, it feels darker.” I whisper.

“Darker.” Tiny whispers and leans back in her chair, “and Sky?”

“Same as me,” I motion to my back. “She’s moved on though, I don’t have her strength.”

Sky picks that moment to enter the dressing room, giving us all our times for the dances, and Tiny watches her closely, a different look in her eye. Sky is the picture of strength and poise and I will always look to her when I feel my own strength waning.

She comes over to Tiny and I, her hand out ready to brush over my hair, when Tiny jumps from her seat and wraps her arms around Sky. She gives me awhat the fucklook through the mirror and I shrug a shoulder with a small smile. I’m glad to see someone else appreciate the strength she has and she deserves all the recognition.

“You told her.” Sky whispers and I can see the fear on her face.

“How else would I explain my scars? Self inflicted?”

“I won’t tell a soul,” Tiny steps back and wipes a tear from her cheek, “I would never put you both in danger.”

“What’s done is done.” Sky recites her well used line. “I have you on at 11:30.” She gives Tiny a small slip with her time, “and you at midnight.” She hands me mine.

“The witching hour,” I wiggle my eyebrows and make her chuckle.

I keep watching the crowd for anything suspicious and I can’t stop my eyes from scanning the darkened corners. I can see people up there but I can’t see their faces or statures. We should fucking get lights installed back there, I don’t care if we’re supposed to keep a certain ambiance.

Black Magic Woman by Santana begins its low slow notes over the speakers and I walk out, grabbing the pole firmly in my hands. The metal is warm against the palm of my hands and I can already feel the heat from the attention. I used to like this, being on stage, and basking in the glow of everyone’s awe. I used to move across the platforms, contorting my body, and feeling the rhythm inside me. Now, I feel anxious, watched, and marked like a target.

I push through it, twisting myself around the pole, and moving my body in ways not many people can. I can hear the catcalls and the jeers for the marks on my skin, but I keep going. I lose myself in the music and when it ends, I open my eyes. I feel the rush of cool air over my pebbled skin and something commands my eyes to look to the far back left corner. It’s the same feeling I had the first time I saw Raiden James.

The area is cascaded in shadows but I do see a set of boots under the table. The legs spread wide and exactly how I remembered him sitting. My anxiety slips away and in its place is burning anger. It rushes down my legs and I turn on my heel, storming to the dressing room. I will not let him get away this time. I will force him to see me and speak to me, I will stab him in the chest otherwise.

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