AllFreeNovel
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Inside, the foyer of the mansion had been enchanted to appear as if we were heading underwater, the walls reflecting light rays through a shifting blue surface. A thin layer of water splashed at our feet, but none of our shoes or pants got wet. There were scantily clad servers holding trays of shots and snacks, surrounded by a group of cackling drag queens.
“This is fucking amazing,” I said.
“And the show hasn’t even started,” Caleb said. “Let’s go get a good spot.”
The flow of people was headed toward a room in the back of the mansion, which had been converted into what almost appeared to be a concert venue. The space was massive, with vaulted ceilings that appeared to be touching the sky itself, framed by two floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out onto the Hollywood Hills. There was a stage covered in a serene blanket of water, the multicolored lights in the otherwise bare room making it glitter.
Caleb and I were able to make it up to the front, where Damien and Robby were also standing. It didn’t take long for the room to completely fill up, people pressed against the walls, others trying to get on their friends’ shoulders so they could see up front. The lights began to dim, and a queen stepped onto the stage, a mic in her hand. She wore a bubble-gum-pink top covered in sequins, a corset underneath making her waist look about six inches.
“Hello! I’m Moonlight, your teenty-tinty host for the night. Who’s ready to start the show?” she said into the mic, the room bursting into cheers. “Tonight, we’ve got a star-studded list of queens and kings ready to perform for you, topped with the finale by none other than the queen of the hour: Starlight herself. And trust me when I say that bitch has never heard ‘top’ and ‘Starlight’ in the same sentence, okay?”
That got everyone laughing. Starlight must have grabbed a mic from wherever she was because her voice boomed through the speakers.
“Excuse me, but I’m in my vers era these days. Just saying.”
“There you have it, everyone. Starlight has officially entered her vers era. You can find her outside after the show, either taking it or giving it.”
Starlight’s voice came back. “Also sucking it.”
More laughter. Moonlight rolled her eyes and introduced the first performer, stepping off the stage and giving it up for Pink Guy, a drag king who came out wearing an all-pink suit and a pair of sunglasses with a painted-on beard, also tinted pink. He’d take off the glasses and reveal another pair underneath until he finally pulled them off at the end of his performance, revealing two pink eyes, the fae having rose quartz around their pupils.
The next three queens were just as impressive, serving looks, choreography, and stuns. One of the queens did an unbelievable amount of flips and splits, the water on the stage splashing in the air with her movements. Some of the drops fell on us, but we never got wet. I kept stealing glances at Caleb, who appeared to be having the time of his life, cheering and throwing dollar bills at the performers. There were some moments he’d get quieter, and I assumed it was him taking in the spectacle. I found myself wishing I could read his mind, wondering what kind of thoughts swirled around in there.
“Everyone having fun so far?” Moonlight asked, coming out onto the raised stage in a brand-new outfit, this one sleek and black, with gloves that went up to her elbows and hair that fell down to the back of her knees. “Great, because the show’s over. You can all leave now.”
“Bitch…” Starlight’s voice filled the room like an angry god.
“Oh, that’s right. There’s one more performance. Whoopsie,” Moonlight said. “Everyone give it up for Starlight!”
The walls—a bland white before Starlight took the stage—shifted in color, turning a solid red. Music started pumping, the energy electric. Backup dancers filed onto the stage wearing all-white outfits: baggy pants and tight crop-top shirts, white hats flipped backward. Two of them must have been shifters, turning into two spotted Great Danes that sat on either edge of the stage, looking like regal bodyguards.
And then Starlight made her entrance. The music boomed, and up from the center of the stage rose the star. She was lit by a bright white light underneath her, the dancers lining up behind her as the song began and her performance started.
She was the definition of stunning. The choreography looked extremely difficult, and she nailed every step while lip-syncing effortlessly to the fast-paced pop song. The dancers were just as great, lifting and twirling her. At one point, she lay down in the water and was pulled to the other end of the stage, still singing the song and looking like a damn supermodel. When that was over, she stood and spun, her white outfit falling away and revealing a blue leather outfit, skin-tight and cut out at the sides to reveal her stunning body. She pulled off her hair and revealed a platinum-white wig underneath, styled so that a bow of hair sat on the top, earning even more applause and cheers and dollar bills.
