Chapter 6: Shadows

Gillian bowed and climbed the steps down into the vault.
The assembled Vampaneze backed away from her, so that they made a big open space like an arena in the middle of the vault.
Gillian looked around. She strode along the line, as if to check if it was enough space for her. The Vampaneze shuffled more tightly towards the walls and gave way as she walked past them.
Gillian tried to suppress a grin.
They were afraid of her.
Very good.
Seemingly quiet and calm the vampires turned back to the middle of the room, and slowly began to unbutton her coat.
She let it slip over her shoulders, bend down to pick it up, folded it carefully, and then slipped out of her boots.
This was already part of the show.
Inside, Gillian tried to remain calm and turn off the voice inside her, who asked anxiously: What if you cannot do it? What if the shadows do not obey you? What if they obey you, but then the Vampaneze will panic and kill you? What if ...
Gillian forced herself to breathe quietly, and clear her head of all the doubts, while she did her preparations.
She put the boots on the ground next to her coat, and padded barefoot in front of the podium.
She untied her hair, so that her black silky mane fell smooth like a curtain and hid her face.
She crossed her legs and bowed to Gannen Harst and the other Vampaneze who stood atop of the podium.
Including Steve.
With bowed head she stood still and sensed out into the room.
She closed her eyes and began to sway to a melody, which existed only in her head.
Gillian began to dance, to a ghostly choreography that she had rehearsed many years before.
She gave the performance she had never been allowed to give in the Cirque du Freak. Of which she had always dreamed of, she would do on stage one day. Now it was time. But the audience was no humans, it was a bunch of Vampaneze.

Gannen Harst stared spellbound at the small woman who began to dance to an inaudible tune. With dainty little steps she fell backwards, her face hidden by long shiny hair.
Suddenly black smoke rose from the ground, such as fog and crawled over the feet of the woman.
Although electric lights illuminated the vault, it suddenly became noticeably darker, as if someone had turned the power off.
A murmur went through the crowd.
The vampiress began to spin around, and the black fog crept up on her like she would be clothed in a shadowy veil.
Fascinated Gannen watched how the illusion was created when the midnight blue dress condensed and flowed along with the fog.
Gillian conducted the darkness with well-chosen elegant gestures, as if it were a piece of cloth and wrapped herself tighter and tighter into blackness.
Under her coat she was only wearing a black corset to the many layers of her skirt, and her white skin gleamed tantalizingly out of the blackness, her slender arms cut the fog and added it together how she wanted, as if it was a touchable material.
It was as if she was doing a reverse veil dance.
It was getting darker and the Vampaneze became restless.
They could now no longer distinguish what was dress, what hair, and what was swirling darkness. Before their very eyes dancing night became alive.

Gillian forgot where she was. She focused entirely on to command the shades to wrap themselves around her. The number that she had thought up years ago to please Larten Crepsley, was difficult and she never really succeeded in it.
While she could always wrap herself in darkness and become almost invisible.
But to direct the shadows as if they were a piece of cloth, was very stressful.
But also very effective.
The night obeyed her, and when she had only managed it, to call the shadows, they flowed around her like a willing dance partner. The shadows were whispering to her and touched her with cold fingers. Gillian enjoyed the feeling. She had never so freely and openly demonstrated what she was capable of.
Look at me.
Look, as I dance with the shadows!
Gillian looked up at the podium.
She was now completely covered in swirling darkness and knew that the people on the podium above her, could only make her out with difficulty. Even not with their sharpened Vampaneze senses.
Heart pounding, she looked up at Steve.
The Vampaneze in the body of a teenager watched her with a mixture of fascination and desire.
A tingle spread through Gillian's stomach.
She decided to give a bit more.
She would finally show what she was capable of.

Steve watched as the vampiress Gillian came with a swirling move out of the blackness, as if it was ink.
His heart was beating excitedly as he could admire her slim body in a corsage.
She reached into the swirling blackness, as if it was smoke and pulled a long strand of darkness along her arm, that wrapped itself around her wrist, like a chain.
With an evil grin the vampires scanned the crowd, and her gaze came to rest on Bargen.
Next to Steve Gannen Harst leaned forward and squinted his eyes.
Gillian spun around and swung the dark line in her hand like a whip.
It cut through the room and snatched with a hiss like a snake after Bargens face, who jumped away with a scream.
The whip snapped back and came to rest in Gillian's hand, who looked at Bargen with interest her head cocked, as if to examine what she had done.
Bargen kept screaming and screaming with his hands to his face. Behind his fingers smoke was puffing, as if he had burned himself.
The Vampaneze broke into a riot.
All were screaming and raging, many ran into the hallways, where they mutually overrun each others.
Others drew their weapons, and bared their teeth.
Some had thrown themselves on the ground and held their hands above their heads.
Gillian stood calmly in the middle of the room.
The darkness still swilled like fog and a string twitched in her hand, like a living being.
Gannen Harst had stayed calm as well.
He raised his thin white hands and clapped.
Once.
Twice.
Gillian looked at him.
Three times.
He bowed his head, and thus paid her the highest respect possible.
Gillian bowed deeply. The whip in her hand disappeared and the black smoke seeped into the ground.
Slowly she came up from the deep bow as the last bit of darkness vanished at her feet.
Absolute silence fell.
Only Bargen whimpering, sobbing over the long smoldering wound in his face.
But no one paid him any attention.
"Impressive," praised Gannen Harst. "Come, shadowdancer Gillian. Let's talk more next door." He held out a hand invitingly, and Gillian picked up her belongings and climbed the stairs to the top next to Gannen Harst on the podium.
He opened a door at the rear end and meant her with a welcoming gesture to follow him.
Gillian slipped into the room, which was comfortably furnished with a sofa, a desk and – to Gillians surprise - a computer.
Behind her Steve walked into the room without being asked to, and shut the door.
Gillian threw her clothes on a couch and looked at Gannen Harst.
"Will you then lead me to the grave of the last of the shadowdancers?", she asked.
The old Vampaneze scratched his chin.
"You have indeed proven that you are a shadowdancer yourself. But what you require is a very valuable information. Why do you think I should take you there?"
Gillian tried to stay calm.
She has impressed this ancient and powerful Vampaneze!
One who had seen real shadowdancers in action!
Her performance has seemingly not been the worst.
"I do not ask that you do it for nothing," she said excitedly. She was so close to her goal now! Finally. "I will show my gratitude."
He frowned.
"I have been in Vampire Mountain. I know a lot. I can be useful to you!"
Gannen Harst rubbed his smooth chin.
Then he looked at Steve, who was leaning casually against the wall beside the door, attentively following the conversation.
"Well," said Harst. "I will tell you where the grave is. On the price you will bargain with Steve."
"What?" Gillian exclaimed confused.
Gannen Harst looked at her coldly. "This is my condition. Steve puts the price."
He nodded towards the teenager, turned on his heel and left the room.
Gillian was left confused and alone, together with the Vampaneze Steve Leopard, who grinned cheeky at her.