Dance of Fire Read Free Page A

then Vanessa spotted their last name – adler – on a cardboard sign.
    She immediately recognised the man holding the sign: Enzo. He was a member of the Lyric Elite, an organisation of dancers who fought those who would use the power of their art for evil. An organisation that she hoped would help her find her sister. Enzo had shown up at NYBA too late to help with the demon, but he had got her and Justin invited to the competition as a first step towards working with the Lyric Elite.
    Vanessa guessed he was twenty-one at the very most, with black hair that parted in the middle and tumbled down on either side of his forehead, framing his angular face. Enzo had dark eyes, olive-coloured skin and an ultrawhite smile. On first glance he didn’t look like much, but when he walked towards them she saw he had the posture of a dancer, precise yet ­graceful, his muscular frame suddenly appearing weightless.
    â€˜Oh!’ Vanessa’s mother said, stopping short when she ­recognised her last name. ‘Why, Justin – did you hire us a taxi?’
    But Enzo cut off Justin’s response. ‘Mrs Adler,’ he said, stepping forward.
    â€˜Yes?’ her mother said.
    â€˜I’m from the Royal Court Ballet Company.’
    Vanessa’s mother’s eyes flashed with understanding. Instinc­tively she brushed her fingers over her hair. ‘Why, yes, of course you are.’
    Enzo grabbed her mother’s silver Tumi bag and began to roll it towards the street. ‘Please come with me. If we’re lucky, we’ll make it just in time for orientation.’
    He strolled over to a white BMW parked behind a row of taxis. He clicked open the trunk and heaved all their bags inside. As her mother slid into the backseat, he looked at ­Vanessa and Justin and said, ‘I’ll bring you up to speed later. But we have to hurry . If you don’t turn up on time, you’re in danger of being disqualified before you’ve even started.’

Chapter Two
    Through the back windows, Vanessa watched the staggered rooftops roll past as they sped along the M4 towards the city centre. London looked so different from New York. The ­buildings here were shorter, the sky bigger, the clouds lower and greyer – as if they’d been hanging over the city for so long that they drooped with exhaustion. A thin, cold rain had begun to fall.
    â€˜You’re lucky – your schedule has already been laid out for you,’ her mother said, flipping the pages of a small guidebook. ‘But I’ll have to find some way to occupy myself. There are almost too many things to do.’
    Lucky? Vanessa didn’t feel lucky. She closed her eyes and saw again her dream of Justin, his mouth a pit of flame. She felt a tickle of heat in her chest. ‘You could always go shopping.’
    â€˜Of course, dear – that’s what I’m talking about. Harrods will take at least a day, but then there’s Harvey Nichols, and Liberty, and – oh, it’s too much for just one week.’
    â€˜Yeah, it’s way more tiring than winning an international dance competition,’ Vanessa mumbled. Though her mother shopped so much it almost seemed competitive.
    Nearly half an hour later, the city skyline was replaced by a vast patch of countryside, a huge city park so quiet and idyllic that it looked like a painting. richmond park , a sign read. Vanessa pressed her face to the window as a flock of blackbirds swooped over the landscape towards a distant steely lake.
    The white peaked roof of a building was just visible past the trees. ‘Welcome to the White Lodge,’ Enzo said, steering the car down a dirt carriage path. ‘Once upon a time, royalty stayed here at weekends, but these days it’s the home of the Royal Court Ballet.’
    The lodge looked like something fit for a king or queen. The front was taken up by four immense white pillars framing tall glass windows, and