Chapter 7 - Madame Voss’s Confession
Madame Voss had been seventeen.
Her best friend, Marianne, had been chosen as Odette after years of being second.
Overnight, Marianne became extraordinary.
Celeste lost balance.
“I hated her,” Voss said.
“Then why help her?”
“I didn’t.”
“Marianne came to me the night before opening.”
“She told you?”
“She begged.”
“What did you do?”
Madame Voss looked toward the old mirror.
“I told her she finally knew what it felt like to be me.”
Ava said nothing.
“That was the last conversation we had.”
Marianne performed opening night.
During the final act, she collapsed backstage.
By morning she was gone.
Celeste’s abilities returned.
No one connected the events publicly.
But the academy director at the time locked Studio C.
Years later, Celeste became director.
“And you left the mirror there?”
Voss’s eyes filled with shame.
“I thought the story was a punishment we invented because we were guilty.”
Ava laughed sharply.
“You thought wrong.”
“Yes.”
“Can you destroy it?”
“I tried once.”
“What happened?”
“The cracks appeared in every other mirror in the building.”
Ava felt the thing inside her move.
Madame Voss stepped closer.
“The mirror isn’t the demon.”
“What?”
“It’s a door.”
“To where?”
“I don’t know.”
“So what do I do?”
“Marianne said the bargain could be reversed if the stolen person willingly accepted the gift back.”
“Willingly?”
“Yes.”
“Nora has to choose to take it?”
“She has to understand what happened and choose you anyway.”
Ava laughed bitterly.
“That’s impossible.”
“Why?”
“Because I stole from her.”
Madame Voss nodded.
“That is usually the problem.”
Then the studio door opened.
Nora stood there.
Neither had heard her approach.
Her face was pale.
“How much did you steal?”
Ava stopped breathing.
Nora looked at Madame Voss.
Then at Ava’s stomach.
Her eyes widened.
“Ava…”
The thing inside Ava moved violently.
Nora stepped back.
“What is that?”
May you like
Ava whispered:
“My mistake.”
