Dancing for the Lord The Academy - By Emily Goodman Page 0,58

partners you and I are going to be,” she informed him seriously. “And that’s the important part, right?”

“Definitely.” He squeezed her fingers. “Come wait in the wings and watch? I know you’re not needed yet, but I’ll feel better with you out there.”

“Of course.” She followed him without even thinking about it. She was ready to go; it wasn’t as though there was anything she needed that she could get in the dressing room, and anyway, she hadn’t had a chance to watch him dance with Clara.

As he waited for his opportunity, Nicholas perched on a box at Danni’s side. They didn’t hold hands; there was no romantic expression between them—but they were pressed very close together, the line of his body perfectly following the line of hers.

When Nick stepped out on stage, he was tentative. He had worked this again and again over the last few weeks; but with Katarina’s words ringing in his ears, it was all he could do to complete the familiar steps.

Then Danni joined him. One touch of her gentle hand in his, and every worry he’d had, every fear he’d given in to, melted away as though they had never been. Immediately, he was pulled back into the music, giving way to the song and the dance.

Thank you, Lord, he prayed silently. She is more than I deserve—and she’s a reminder. Bowing his head for just an instant, he let go of everything. There was no pain, no upset, no worry; Nicholas simply danced for God.

Danni could feel the shift in him. She made a similar one in response, both of them giving up everything they had and simply pouring their hearts into the dance.

They were trembling as those final notes faded, as the curtain came down—not from exertion, but from the sheer power of the Holy Spirit as it had washed over them.

“Bless you, Danni,” Nick breathed.

“It’s not just me out there,” she whispered back.

The ballet passed in a whirl. Before they knew it, Nick was escorting her to the front of the stage to take her bow—something which Androv insisted that they practice, so that no one would trip over anyone else on the night itself. There was almost no one in the audience now, of course—just their teachers.

Their teachers…and Katarina.

Danni sucked in a breath and hoped that Nick didn’t notice her. She was absolutely livid, glaring at them both as though they had committed some great sin.

“Bravo, Nicholas. Brava, Danni.” Androv stepped forward out of the wings, breaking Danni away from Katarina’s gaze. “I believe you are the best Sugar Plum Fairy I have ever seen—and Nicholas, you make her a wonderful prince.”

Danni glowed—but even then, in the back of her mind, she was conscious of Katarina’s rising fury. The other girl wasn’t going to like the fact that she was being complimented at all, especially not for the role that should have been hers.

“I had a good teacher,” she demurred quietly, exactly as she had before, when Mlle Kirby had seen her dance with Nick for the first time.

She had the feeling that her own modesty wasn’t going to help Katarina in the slightest.

“You’ve worked hard,” Androv corrected firmly. “Trust me when I say that hard work has not gone unnoticed. You’ve done a wonderful job, Danni—and I’m glad you were on hand to take over when Katarina was injured.”

Both Danni and Nick tensed at the same moment. Don’t remind her! But both of them knew it wouldn’t matter anyway. Katarina’s fury wasn’t going to ease in the slightest regardless of what was said now.

“She’s not happy,” Danni murmured to Nick as they made their way backstage again.

“No, she’s not.” He didn’t look at her as he said it, not wanting her to see the worry in his eyes. Katarina in this mood could be vindictive—and even though he knew there was nothing he could do about it one way or the other, he prayed that her fury wouldn’t focus on Danni. All Danni had done was show up; he was the one who had betrayed her.

Katarina probably wouldn’t see it that way.

He spent the night worrying about all of the nasty things that she might do to Danni. He didn’t think she would resort to destroying the costume—that would be childish—but Danni’s pointe shoes might be fair game. It would be next to impossible for her to dance a full ballet in brand new pointe shoes. Or she could figure out that they’d been holding back some of the