The stage lights brightened.
Suddenly, a blood-soaked Vaslav rose from his feigned death.
More shrieks came from the audience, along with even more shushes.
His face contorted with rage. Vaslav was such a good actor as well as a ballerino that even I truly felt like he’d been reborn into a new vampire.
He snatched up his fallen sword and joined the other men in the chase. His moves were relentless and intense; an avenger seeking retribution for his momentary defeat.
Oh shit.
Sweat trickled down my forehead as I spun faster than ever.
My eyes met Vaslav's.
There was no turning back now.
And then right as he began to slash me with his sword and chop off my head, those wires tightened on my waist and I rose in the air, higher than humanly possible.
Gasp after gasp came from the audience.
In the air, I whipped my legs propelling my body into spins that blurred my view of the audience and stage into streaks of light and shadow.
I’m powerful!
I went dizzy from the fast turns.
Higher and higher I rose, turning the whole time, until the stage darkened, swallowing the last of the light and silencing the orchestra.
Until I was completely out of the audience’s sight.
Fuck. I’m exhausted.
There, I hung high above the stage in hidden darkness.
I wouldn’t be able to be brought back down until the curtain dropped.
Okay. It’s done. I’m safe.
I closed my eyes, steadied my breaths, and hung there in the darkened void above the stage
Thunderous applause soared up and washed over me.
They liked it. Thank God.
The cheers kept on.
It must have been a standing ovation.
We did it!
Exhilaration surged through me. It was all pride, joy, and pure satisfaction. The sound was almost deafening. Each roar of approval struck a chord deep within my soul.
Although my body was still, suspended in the air by the wires, my mind was racing with emotions.
For this brief moment, I was no longer the Queen of Vampires, the menacing creature that had captivated and terrified hundreds.
I was just me, Erica, a woman who hadfinallyfound her place in the world, a place that had been so elusive for so long.
