Page 28 of Malice in e minor

Leif was going to be famous whether he signed a contract or not. He’d been marketing himself since undergrad. He had dozens of videos of his choreography across multiple social media channels. He was already getting freelance work and honestly didn’t need this place.

He had dancers lining up to dance for him and plenty of musicians willing to play. Being in one of his videos got you in front of important people. I wasn’t lying when I told Harlowe that making it was part talent, part marketing, but it was also luck and the right person seeing you.

Isobel had never been invited to collaborate with him. She not only thought she should be, she was convinced he was going to take her with him when he got famous and they would be the next Immortal Nightmare. It was completely delusional.

“That Arabelle girl is obsessed with him, but she thinks Harlowe is going to steal her spot in orchestra and a guy who isn’t into her. She’s planning some sabotage,” Azriel said.

I had to contain my growl because I didn’t want them to know I was here just yet. I was still watching. These guys were in it deep. I didn’t question my orders, but all three of these men had some serious trust issues after their relationship with me. They didn’t fall easily. I was shocked they even got together, but glad anyway. They didn’t get protective over anyone but Misha until she showed up.

It had to mean something that I was being told to push them together.

“Harlowe is going to take her spot if she wants it,” Orion said. “I’ve never heard her play live, but she’s better than her just based on the recording. I was watching her when Klaus singled her out. She knew exactly who was out of tune, so she probably has perfect pitch. It’s not a matter of stealing it. It’s who has more talent, and that’s Harlowe. Isobel also doesn’t write, so she doesn’t have a chance of going anywhere with Leif.”

“What does she have planned?” Misha growled.

Oh, great. Misha was getting riled up now too, and that was never a good thing.

“She hasn’t formalized anything, but basically everything from drugging her before rehearsal so she looks bad to Klaus and destroying her violin.”

I knew a little more about that violin than the rest of them did and I absolutely wasn’t going to let that happen. I stepped out of the shadows. They were eating, so Azriel told me to fuck off and threw his fork at me like a knife. I just bat it away.

“How long have you been creeping?” Orion demanded.

“Long enough to know we need a plan.”

“We don’t need to do anything. Not with you.”

“Look, I was mostly just coming over to tell you I tried to guide her towards a collaboration with you. She’s very stubborn.”

“I didn’t get that at all. She’s nice,” Misha said.

Yeah, she was multi layered. I had a feeling she was very nice to Misha. I gave her my best lines, and she looked me dead in the eye and told me she’d never fuck me. Honestly, it was a huge turn on.

“No, she’s stubborn,” Orion said. “She wants to do this herself. She doesn’t want anyone to be able to say she made it and didn’t deserve it. She was hesitant about the scholarship and even being here. Which means we owe Leif a thanks for showing people that video.”

Azriel started laughing, and I knew that laugh. He was up to something.

“I know how we can thank Leif and get Harlowe to perform with us. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I really want to work with her. I also think it would be amazing to design sets for a Jekyll and Hyde ballet. We know he wants Harlowe and Misha. What if we gave him Harlowe and Immortal Nightmare?”

“I actually think it would be neat to write that score with her,” Orion admitted.

If they all came together to do that ballet, it was going to be a sight. It could work, but there was just one small problem.

“What about Isobel?”

“You leave her to me,” Azriel purred.

“And me,” Orion said. “We mess with people all the time, but you don’t mess with instruments and food. That’s sacred.”

I wasn’t going to say it because they didn’t want me to, but I’d be handling her too.

Nutcracker rehearsal was way less dramatic, so when I went home, I was much more relaxed. I could have worked on composing, but I decided not to. I wanted to go there with Topher, but I never would. Well, maybe I’d look him up after I graduated if I ever made it.

But to make it, I did need to take his advice. He wasn’t wrong. I needed to capitalize off the video Gadreel took of me in the subway. I found the video. I didn’t read the comments, but I did leave a cheeky one to come follow me for new stuff and then went to stalk my classmates so I could make new stuff.

I’d bought a set up when I thought I was going to do this in my apartment and packed it because a little voice and my best friend told me to. I had it. I pulled it out and went to bed.

When I woke up, I realized I had a ton of new followers, so I guess that meant I really did have to make videos. I was torn between going in the courtyard and filming myself doing a solo or doing what I wanted to do and hunting down Rue, Cullen, and the dancers I’d gotten to know.