A woman shrieked in the front row.
It took everything in me to not smile.
That was the reaction I had wanted.
To the audience, it looked as though I had truly pierced his skin, draining him of life.
Vaslav’s body twitched. His hands fell limp at his sides as he played his part to perfection. His breathing even slowed, mimicking the deathly stillness of a man drained of his life force.
More crimson liquid pooled beneath his head, spreading slowly across the stage like a dark, ominous shadow.
Frantic murmurs of disbelief rippled through the crowd.
Even more people shushed them.
That’s right, everybody. I’m a bad ass Vampire Queen killer!
I rose, standing victorious as I let out a low, guttural laugh that echoed throughout the space.
The music mirrored my triumph, more booming drums and deep, resonant strings announcing my dominance.
I was the Queen of Vampires, unstoppable and eternal, and they all believed it.
But then trumpets began to blare.
Oh no. What could it be?
I snapped my view to the right.
More male dancers appeared—my would-be assailants.
They charged toward me with swords. Their movements were precise, an expertly choreographed battle meant to end in my capture.
I have to get out of here!
Adrenaline rushed through me.
My body moved of its own volition, muscles contracting and releasing.
I raced away from them, and they chased me back and forth on the stage.
Left to right.
I was everywhere and nowhere at once. A flurry of spins, lunges and leaps took me across the stage. My pirouettes cameas naturally as breathing, each spin a whispered secret between me and the night.
My character, the Vampire Queen, was both the hunter and the hunted, her story etched into every arched foot and extended arm. Anytime, the ballerinos got close to me, I was always one cascading spin ahead of them.
My fluid twirls were too fast, too sharp as I moved in circular sweeps.
They could not touch what they could not catch, and I reveled in the power it gave me.
You will never get me! I am the Vampire Queen!
This was my domain now. My battle ground and I would not go down without a fight.
The music thundered.
My heartbeats quickened.
