Chaos Choreography (InCryptid, #5)(104)

“Last week, America voted, and now three girls and three guys are in danger of elimination. Remember that this week is the last time the judges will be able to save any of you: after this, it will be purely about the audience votes.”

The judges haven’t saved any of us, I thought, looking straight ahead as Malena squeezed my right hand and Anders squeezed my left. Pax had his arms around Lyra’s waist, using her almost like a human shield against what Brenna was going to say next.

“Let’s get this over with,” said Brenna, and opened her first envelope. “Troy, step forward. Ivan, step forward. Anders, step forward.”

The look Anders shot me as he let go of my hand and stepped forward was pure anguish, overlaid with a layer of resigned betrayal. Somehow, that wasn’t a contradiction, and I couldn’t blame him. It was my fault he was in the bottom three, after all.

“You are in danger tonight, I’m sorry,” said Brenna. “Will, Pax, Reggie, you may leave the stage.”

The music played a descending sting, telegraphing the disappointment of the dancers on the stage. Brenna turned her attention to the girls.

“Hello, my girls,” she said. That was all she said, but I caught her flicker-quick glance in my direction, and steeled myself against what she was going to say next.

The envelope opened with a small tearing sound. Brenna took a breath.

“Lo, step forward,” she said. “Lyra, step forward. Valerie, step forward. The rest of the girls can leave the stage.”

Malena grimaced sympathetically as she pulled her hand from mine and let me step into position. Then she was gone, and the six of us were standing, exposed and a little sick, alone with Brenna.

“My darlings, you are in danger. The judges will make their decision at the end of the evening,” she said. “One guy and one girl will be leaving us tonight. In the meantime, we have six exciting partner dances to come, and will be seeing solos from all six of our dancers in danger. After the break, Jessica and Reggie will be taking you to Broadway, in a Carl Nanson routine. See you in a moment, America!”

The lights flashed, signaling the end of the live broadcast segment. Brenna turned to us, suddenly solemn.

“Dance for your lives, my darlings,” she said. “Now go.”

We went.



Anders was waiting for me in the hall.

“I knew you’d be in the bottom, but I didn’t think you’d drag me down with you,” he said, without preamble. “Do you have any idea what this could mean?”

“We need to get ready, we’re on third,” I said, trying to step around him. He moved to block me.

The color was high in his cheeks; his eyes were narrowed, and he was taking short, sharp breaths, like he was trying to cage his anger. I realized there was a chance he might take a swing at me, and I would have to decide whether to be Valerie and take the hit, or be Verity, and break his goddamn arm.

“I’m not getting eliminated because of you,” he spat, grabbing my shoulders. “I refuse. Do you understand? We’re going to go out there, and we’re going to dance like our lives depend on it. We’re going to be so amazing that America develops time travel just to go back to last week and pick up the phones for us. You got me? Dance like I’m going to slit your f*cking throat if you let me down.”

“Wow, Anders, I had no idea you had such a deep-rooted hatred of women,” said Malena, stepping out of the doorway behind him. He whirled. She smiled, as pretty and poisonous as an adder. “Or maybe you’re just an *. Little bit from column A, little bit from column B, I guess. You want to take your hands off my girl before I take them off your body?”

“Dyke,” said Anders, taking a step away from her.

Malena raised an eyebrow. “Was he this bad during your season, Val, or has he been taking * lessons?”

“Search me,” I said. I stepped around Anders to stand next to Malena. He glared at me. I looked back as impassively as I could, trying to conceal the fact that I was shaken and confused. I thought we’d made up during rehearsal. He wasn’t supposed to be like this. He was supposed to be my partner, and if I hadn’t been completely committed to that partnership this season, I still hadn’t done anything to deserve this sort of treatment.

Could the confusion charms have been doing this? I’d never heard of that sort of magic making someone violent, but then, what I didn’t know about magic could fill a university.

I took a steadying breath before I said, “I’ll see you backstage, Anders. And remember, even if the dance says you need to touch me, that doesn’t mean you get to do it ever again when the lights aren’t on us. Do you follow me? I’ll break you.”

“Don’t f*ck with the ballroom girls,” said Malena. She hooked her arm through mine and led me away down the hall.

I let her. At the moment, anything more complicated than putting one foot in front of the other felt like it would have been too much for me—and I still had to get changed for my partner routine, and swap my wig for something wilder, more suited to the tango. I just kept seeing Anders, shouting those horrible things I’d never heard from his mouth before, and nothing made sense.

Malena waited until we were almost to the dressing room before she murmured, “You okay?”

“Yeah.” I forced myself to smile. “I didn’t . . . he surprised me, that’s all. It won’t happen again.”