Wild Raven

Shadow Masks

Information:

"Siriusly?" - talking

'Raven' - thinking

'you are an idiot!' - telepathy

"Wolf in sheep's clothing" - parseltongue

-YOU!- - spell

Mistletoe Little Mantis Bar; Canada

Lights glittered across the room. Music boomed from speakers. People laughed and watched the show. The dancers on stage danced around in sparkly blue dresses and yellow heels. Several men and women joined the dancers on the scene, waving their arms and legs to try and fit in with them. It was an odd set, really.

A small group of dancers finished with a main lead, side singers, backstage dances, and everything else. It was clear if you had to compare the difference between a main lead and a behind-the-scenes singer.

Michelle Tate was an average backstage dancer. She wasn't anything special. If you had to describe her, the only things to come to mind would be average, average, and average. Average hair, average eyes, and average height. She didn't stick or stand out, she was always a part of the crowd. And she liked that. Being part of something. But still, she wanted more.

The main lead - a tall female with fiery red hair tied in a bun, blue eyes that sparkled like a crystal, and a figure that usually made most drool. Her name was Thalia, a name just as special as her. Thalia stood out, in a good way. When you saw her, you were instantly attracted and bewitched. Michelle had always looked up to her, been jealous of, whatever you call it. It was all normal, she had thought.

Now though, this wasn't normal. Michelle recounted everything from the start. It began around 2 hours ago.

2 Hours Ago

A clear, smooth voice sang in the most harmonious joyful way you can imagine. Bright blue dresses and yellow heels shined and swept across the dance floor.

"Psst," Michelle heard, "Psst, over here."

She carefully turned her head, trying not to lose the beat. A bright green and brown blub gestured their hands at her and she quickly ran out, the audience too entranced with the lead and her singing to notice. The other dancers gave her a look.

"What are you doing- I mean, why are you here? You're supposed to be in India."

"Yeah, well, I wanted to surprise you."

"You surprised me alright."

Michelle wrapped her arms around her cousin and sighed into her shoulder.

"Hey, you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah," Michelle chuckled breathlessly, "I'm okay now."

"Good, I'm happy. So, how's it going? The show was pretty fun, it's almost finished right?"

Michelle nodded, her eyes clogged with tears. She hadn't seen her cousin in so many years, only keeping in contact on the phone. Her parents had died in a car accident when she was 13, she'd been home when she'd heard the news. Her dad's sister, her aunt had taken her in and she had lived her entire life side by side with her and her cousin. Michelle and her cousin had separated after her aunt died and lived apart for around 10 years. She was 29 now, her cousin being 30.

"Don't you have to go back now?"

"Yes I do," she quickly wiped off her tears and ran back on stage, getting back into the dance. When they stopped 5 minutes later, the dancer bowed and filed off the stage as the Thalia bowed on the stage and said a little speech about their next show time.

Michelle waved to her cousin and followed the other girls into the dressing room, trying to remove the dress and makeup, hers now almost gone.

Elsewhere

The red-haired beauty waved to the last of her audience and walked off stage. Her agent was waiting there.

"Selina"

"Honestly, do you have to do that every time?" The lady sounded exhausted, and the lead smiled.

"Of course, it keeps the show going."

"Well, good news, you're not on show anymore, you're back in."

The redhead gaped, "Are you serious?"

Selina nodded and smiled softly, knowing these were rare times when the other woman smiled.

"We should hurry, I have a cousin who performed here tonight too."

"Who was it? Maybe I know them."

"Michelle Tate, blond hair and blue eyes, backstage dancer, 29." The woman nodded, recognizing the girl who she'd noticed staring at her. "I have to get back to her, here's the file."

Nodding, her expression blank, she took the beige file and walked past Selina. "And Queen?" She turned, "Good luck." A small smirk.

She walked into a bathroom and removed her wig and contacts. Underneath the fiery red hair was flowy brown hair and beneath the blue contacts were swirling chocolate eyes. Her pale skin, free of any blemishes, melted back into a tanned tone.

'Time to step out of the show.'

She stepped out, unrecognizable from what she had just been moments ago. A file folded under her arms, she confidently and silently strolled out of the small building where she'd been the main lead performing for hundreds of people.

She looked to the right when she heard laughing and saw Selina and her cousin, Michelle walk out hand in hand, a slushie in both their hands. Her eyes widened as she saw a man creeping behind them, a stick in hand.

She waved her hand behind her, tripping the man, and accidentally sending him sprawling into the cousins' hand-in-hand walk. They turned in shock only to have the man wave his stick and yell, "Crucio" at Selina.

Her screams were quickly contained from attracting further attention, and the chocolate-eyed woman walked up to the man in rage as Michelle screamed, falling and scrambling backward, her back hitting the wall with a thud.

She kicked the man hard and flicked her finger, sending the man's neck twisting. She hurried to Selina and calmed her through the aftereffects of the Cruciatous, knowing how excruciating it was. After she had calmed down, Selina faced her.

"I'm seeing you again so soon?"

"Good thing you are," she smirked, tilting her head and looking at the dead man. "Now, what do we do with her." With a look at the shivering Michelle, she stood up.

"Woah woah, even if she is a muggle, she is still my cousin. You can't ju-"

"Selina, oh god, what just happened," Michelle cried out, "yo-you just murdered a man, oh god, that-what-what?!"

"I can take care of this," Selina whispered to her, "take care of him."

"Okay"

Selina removed her wand from her pocket and pointed it at Michelle. "Oh no, please, please i-i didn't do anything, plea-"

"You'll be fine, Miche, breathe," Selina advised, taking a deep breath, "Obliviate." Strands of almost see-through threads spread out and took to the sky, Michelle's head slumping on the ground. Selina put her wand back into her pocket and ran to her, laying her head on her legs.

"Go," Selina said, looking back at her. She'd already taken care of the body. "Read the file and continue."

She turned and walked, behind her she could hear Michelle waking up and questioning how she got on the floor.

'This always happens, why does this always happen to me??' She rolled her eyes.

When she finally got to her one-bedroom motel room, she jumped on the bed and opened her file. The first thing to see was a sticky note.

Do what you always do

and ace this one too,

Many are counting on you,

Good luck Rani Khatri