Eclipse Arts: Eclipse Arts, #1

By Michelle Chastaine

Supernatural seventh-graders forge their own path to stardom… but stardom has its costs!

 

Liska, Ephy, and Airin are thrilled to finally attend their dream school, Eclipse Arts, where they can let their talents and passions shine…there's just one big problem: their families. Ephy's family wants her to become an instant star, while Liska's passion for music clashes with her family's reputation. In singing, Airin finds relief from a terrible family curse.

 

But when a stunning opening ceremony cements their dreams, Liska, Ephy, and Airin band together and set their sights on winning the quad talent show. But their families and competition, fellow classmate Oliver, would do anything to stop them from winning, especially Airin.

 

Eclipse Arts is an inspiring middle grade fantasy for ages 8 to 12.

 

 

Praise for Eclipse Arts:

 

"Supernatural preteens face relatable challenges in this deftly balanced fantasy tale...Our verdict: Get It." -Kirkus Reviews

 

"This is an optimistic story for young readers, and a charming adventure in growing up, showing the world your gifts, and triumphing over bullies and overbearing parents...Rating: A." -Booklife

• Language: English
• Publisher: Michelle Chastaine
• Release date: Aug 8, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215079102

Book preview

Liska! Focus on your movements!

Papa stood with his fists on his hips, a sure sign that he was nearing the end of his patience. 

Liska’s father never yelled when he got angry, but he would order Liska to pick up all the trash in the clan commons or to clean the dance studio bathrooms. Or both.

Building character, Papa called it. 

Liska did a lot of character building.

Liska concentrated on the movements in the dance for two beats until the instrument that sounded a bit like a guitar with a metallic twang came in above the melody.

What instrument is that?

Liska!

Right. Movements. 

For the past few weeks, it had gotten harder to concentrate in dance class. Papa noticed everything. 

Early-morning light began to filter through the windows of the dance studio, a large open room with warm-toned wood floors and orange curtains. Papa loved the color orange, and he loved teaching dance classes at 5AM. Orange is fine. When I get to school, maybe I can sleep in—like until 6:00 AM.

The big mirror always had fingerprints on it where the barre met the glass, no matter how recently the mirror had been cleaned. Orange and yellow cushions were piled in one corner to be used in yoga and meditation classes later in the day.

Through the huge picture window, the view was wide, and the sky was clear, as it usually was in summer in New Mexico.

Only two more hours until Liska went with her oldest sister Hunter to start seventh grade at Eclipse Supernatural School for the Arts, all the way across the country in Savannah, Georgia.

Everyone in Liska’s family had attended Eclipse Arts--for dance. 

Liska had started talking to her parents about studying music at Eclipse Arts three years ago. It took two-and-a-half years of tears and pleading to convince them to allow her to study music instead of dance. 

Again! Papa restarted the music. 

Focus. Focus. Focus.

She heard the tinny guitar sound again. What is that? 

Liska turned the wrong way and put an elbow into her younger brother Daye’s chest. 

Ow, Liska! Daye shouted, louder than the music. Liska hadn’t even hit him that hard, but he dramatically clutched his chest like he was in a play. 

Stop! Papa pointed at the door. Liska, go sit in my office. We will talk after class.

Liska shuffled out of the room and threw herself onto the bench in her father’s office. 

She was in for a lecture now. 

When the class finally ended, students skipped out the door. Someone must have been carrying a turkey sandwich, because the smell drifted through the open office door as a group of students walked by. Minutes passed. Liska’s father finally came and sat down at his desk.

She waited for Papa to speak. His muscular frame and energetic movement contrasted with his very short, greying curly hair. There were lines on his face where he smiled and around his eyes. But he was not smiling now. He smelled like pine and sweat, like he always did.

Liska Awanar Renard, I know you are excited to finally go to Eclipse, but I have to tell you, I have some hesitation about you going to study music. Dance is the lifeblood of our family. I do not understand why that is not more important to you.

Papa! I...

His tone silenced her. I am not finished. You are a talented dancer when your mind is on the movement. But where does your mind go when you cannot concentrate?

I just want to listen to the music, Liska said quietly. 

Dance is about the music! They are connected, like a family.

I know, but... Liska didn’t know how to explain to her father what happened when she heard music. She had tried so many times before. He didn’t understand. 

Dancing wasn’t enough for her. She wanted to make music herself. No one in her family could understand why the music called her like it did. 

Go.

Liska held her breath, uncertain of what would come next.

It is an emotional day, and I am still unhappy about your lack of focus today. But you cannot make your sister late, so you should go. Papa’s eyebrows met in the middle like a line of caterpillars, but then his expression softened. You need to focus on what is in front of you, not on what could be. Go on now and have a good year at Eclipse.

Liska leaped up and ran around the desk. Thank you, Papa! I love you!

She started out the door and realized this might be the last time she would see Papa until winter break. She ran back around the desk and hugged him again, earning a laugh from him.

He squeezed her shoulder as he released her. I will miss you, little fox, he murmured. Study hard at school.

This brochure sounds like a lie.

Liska read it again. Eclipse Supernatural School for the Arts. The preeminent institution for the arts where students of all supernatural abilities study fine arts from a broad cultural perspective. Students from all over the world attend the school, which is located just outside of Savannah, Georgia.

Eclipse was not considered the best supernatural school, especially since it was a school for the arts. A lot of American supernaturals considered Éclair Academy the best school. Liska got hungry every time she heard that name. But of course, everyone in her family had gone to Eclipse, so she had been hearing about how amazing it was for her entire life.

Liska dropped the brochure on her bed and surveyed her new room. It was just an empty twin bed with a blue and white striped mattress, a pine desk, and a closet, which was empty right now. Undecorated and plain.

The common room of the suite was a little more interesting; it sported a purple velvet sofa and a large fireplace. Does the fireplace work? Is one of my suitemates a witch who will need it for homework?

At least everybody at Eclipse Arts got their own rooms. Her sister Hunter had told her that was because everyone had their own special needs, and some liked to meet those needs in private. Creating new rooms wasn’t a problem for witches, even if the school was out of space in the physical world.

Four private dorm rooms connected to one common room created the suite. There were only three students in Liska’s suite, according to Hunter. One room was empty. Hunter said that Adriella, the mermaid teacher, had done their room assignments last. Their suite was called Zephyr, and it was part of the Air Quad; Liska and her suitemates would stay in Zephyr until they graduated, unless someone requested a move. The seventh and eighth graders took up almost all of the Water and Air Quads, while most of the ninth and tenth graders were in the Fire and Water Quads, and the juniors and seniors were in the Earth Quad.

Hunter said that when they had too many students, they opened the Metal Quad, but the school was not popular enough right now for that.

Hunter warned Liska not to put stuff in the empty room, in case there was a late assignment to the quad. Adriella used her precognitive abilities to assign suites, so students were unlikely to move. Hunter suggested that Liska and her suitemates could use it as a practice room, as long as they kept it clean.

Liska knew that she didn’t want to practice what Hunter thought she should, which was dance. Hunter was the dance teacher at Eclipse Arts, after all.

Liska closed her eyes and tried to sense anything about her suitemates or the upcoming year. She opened her eyes. Her stomach felt clenched, and her heart was racing, but otherwise, she sensed only her own nervousness.

Mama said that her abilities to sense danger and even see the future would come with age and wisdom, as they did for all fox shifters. Liska already had a better sense of hearing and smell than most kids her age, so she always got good grades in tracking. And her dance training helped her run as fast as any boy in the clan.

Papa said some never developed their talents because they did not seek wisdom or growth, but that wouldn’t happen to Liska. Liska would make sure of it.

Liska sighed.

Excuse me? said a quiet voice behind her.

Liska spun around to face a pale student with long white hair. Even the student’s eyes were a milky color. Liska was not very tall for her age, but this student was at least a few inches shorter.

Is she a ghost? A ghoul? No, a banshee. Which means they would probably be the proper pronoun. Banshees didn’t usually take a gender until they became adults. A small, old-fashioned brown suitcase and a blue duffel sat by the door.

Usually, Liska could smell and hear someone coming, but this student barely had any scent. She could smell a faint metallic scent, but otherwise nothing except the other things in the room. Liska backed out of the way to let the other student enter the common room.

Hi, I’m Liska Renard. Pronouns are she/hers.

The pale student frowned. Renard? Like the dance teacher?

Liska shrugged and tried to act casual. My oldest sister.

The student forced a wan smile. Airin. They/them.

Liska remembered that banshees usually didn’t take surnames unless invited to the surname of the family they were attached to. Something about that bothered her, but she pushed it away.

Nice to meet you, Airin. She pointed to the room on the left, since Liska had already memorized the suite’s layout from the note outside the suite door. That’s your room. She pointed to the room on the right. That one’s mine. And then, waving over her shoulder to the left, she added, That’s Ephronia’s. I think that’s how you say her name. But she’s not here yet. We don’t have a fourth suitemate. Liska gestured at the empty room.

You are a dancer? asked Airin.

A large lump stuck in Liska’s throat. Ah...umm…

Airin wandered around the room, peering out the window and into the bathroom, not even noticing Liska’s discomfort. Liska followed them to the door of their room as they opened the door and slowly turned around inside the room.

I’m a musician, and I want to be a songwriter, said Liska, trying to fill the awkward silence. I play piano and guitar. How about you?

Airin’s eyebrows rose, or what Liska thought were their eyebrows, which were as pale