It feels good to finally get up and stretch my neck. I start running through the forest again, making my way back to the castle grounds. It’s not long before I hear music playing, so I pick up my pace, wondering if any of the other contestants returned before me.
The Pixies are back behind my collar; for now they need to stay hidden. Most of the time, I run or hunt in the forest, fetching things for Emilia. This day shouldn’t be any different, but pressure’s rising in my gut all the same.
After an hour passes, I reach Rivenna and have to walk through the human part of the city. My clothes are muddy and I must look odd, with my blackened face and bow hanging over my shoulder. The sun slowly begins to disappear behind the horizon, and I’m aware I don’t have much time left. I have to hurry.
I cross the road and enter the castle grounds five minutes later. The crowd’s cheering, and it looks like other shifters succeeded as well. People stare at me when I appear. Jorgen’s castle stretches behind the field. The flag of Rivenna is waving on its mast.
My heart skips a beat when I see four contestants in front of the stage. Two others are lying on the ground wounded. Doctors and nurses are tending to them. Megan is there too, crying over an unconscious Damian. He isn’t dead, but his energy is weak. A cold shiver crawls over my spine, as the smell of blood and flesh makes me nauseous. The wolf must have surprised at least a few shifters in the forest.
Jorgen appears on the stage, but I can’t read anything from his expression. I wipe the sweat from my brow and walk up to one of the contestants.
“What’s going on? Where’s everyone else?” I ask the shifter who has burn marks all over his arms and face. I recognise hemlock’s root poisoning. I’m surprised he didn’t lose his sight. It looks like he was lucky.
“That’s it, only five of us came back with the root. Three are severely injured and the rest must have given up. Apparently, they were attacked by a giant wolf,” the shifter explains. Despite his burns, he's quite handsome.
I sit on the grass, trying to catch my breath and wait to see what’s going to happen next. Jorgen is watching me from a distance. Some of the tension ekes out of his frame. It’ll take me a long time to be fully comfortable with seeing him on a regular basis.
One of the guards walks around and I grab a bottle of water. All the contestants look pretty battered, even the giant shifter who left the group first. I bet none of them expected to be chased around the forest by a giant, vicious wolf. The Black Forest is filled with numerous other secrets and traps many of them are yet to experience.
“May I take the hemlock root?” asks the voice above me. I look up and see a mage dressed in a red cloak. He must be one of the duke’s advisors, because he has the same Rivenna symbol on his chest.
I nod, taking the root out of my bag and placing it next to the other two. The mage smiles. He has pleasant, green eyes and a white moustache.
“You obviously knew how to pull it out without getting burned. Well done,” the mage mutters, and gives me a mysterious smile as he walks away. Out of the blue, I decide I don’t like playing this game anymore. Jorgen’s lucky no one was killed, but his intentions are becoming quite clear. He was never planning to make this competition clear-cut for anyone. He wanted to see who came back the strongest, lost lives be damned.
The older mage makes his way to the other contestants, collecting the poisonous plant. In the distance, I spot a table with refreshments and head over there, passing Megan who’s talking to the doctor.
I see Emilia; she looks concerned too, trying to comfort another female shifter who keeps looking out, probably for her husband who hasn’t returned from the forest yet.
Unfortunately, I miss the opportunity to have a drink, because the guards start calling me back toward the stage. The duke is just about to address the crowd. I glance around at the other contestants, and they’re no longer wearing their masks or silly outfits. I feel the tension bleeding out of me. I’m not ready to reveal who I really am, not until the duke announces who goes through to the next round.
“Dear people of Rivenna,” he begins with his booming, confident voice. “Three brave shifters have been injured during the first task, and I regret to inform you one of them lost his vision. The hemlock’s root is one of the most dangerous plants that grows in the Black Forest. My instructions were pretty clear. I warned all of you; this competition was never meant for the faint of heart. The hemlock’s root was just the beginning. The subsequent tasks that follow will be even more dangerous and all participants will be tested to their limits. Many participants have dropped out or disqualified, failing to return with the plant as the task required.”
I grind my teeth, clenching my fists until I feel nails gouging my palms. Jorgen didn’t admit he sent the wolf, but I know the truth.
Snippets and whispers move through the crowd. Various shifters aren’t happy with the way things turned out. Megan holds her head in her hands, crying harder. I hope the doctors can put Damian back together. I’m not ready to die for Jorgen—for the mage who murdered my parents.
“Now, let’s meet the shifters who came back successfully, completing the first task,” Jorgen adds, looking at me and the other four shifters. Warmth crawls across my face when the duke rests his eyes on mine. I shouldn’t feel anything, and yet his presence fills me with heat. The man is a killer and he’s the reason my life was filled with misery, so why do I feel so calm being this close to him? None of it makes any sense.
“My name is Alun and I’m a wood cutter,” starts the first shifter. He’s short and some of his clothes look torn. Three of the shifters on my right fought with the wolf—I can see scratches and bits of dried blood on their bodies.
My panic becomes real. This is definitely unexpected. I thought the Duke would take us back to his castle to be introduced properly.
“Lenin, I need you. Jetli has to change my appearance again,” I say, turning my head to the right while the other contestant talks about his construction business.
“Sorry, Astri, but Jetli can’t change the existing spell. She can only remove her charm,” the Pixie replies, rising from my collar.
“Young man. Tell us a little bit about yourself?” the duke now asks, referring to a shifter standing next to me.
“I’m Elijah, my lord. I work as a carpenter in the city, but I always wanted to join the royal guards. This has been my dream for as long as I can remember,” says the tall, good-looking shifter I spoke to earlier on. I learn that amongst us there's Christopher, Mario and, Sebastian, who seems to think he’s better than everyone else.
My turn comes around and I’m not sure what to do. My face is still covered with black paste and I’m absolutely filthy. To most shifters in Rivenna, I’m invisible. They only notice the scar, but most of them don’t know anything about me. I’m not ready to come out of my cocoon yet.
The duke turns to look at me and I drag my hand through my hair trying to remove bits of dirt stuck to my head. Everyone begins staring at me, awaiting my response, and nervousness causes my belly to tremble loudly.
“So, young man? I think it’s your turn. I hope you don’t need an invitation,” the duke chuckles and a few people in the audience laugh.
“Jetli, I need you,” I hiss and my two Pixies fly out of my collar. I wipe the black paste off my face and Jetli reverses her charms. The colour of my hair is properly back to platinum blond. Sebastian lets out a wolf whistle and a shimmer passes through the crowd. No one can doubt now I’m actually a woman.
“My name is Astri Harald and I’m a huntsman,” I say, lifting my head, meeting the eyes of the man who scarred me with my own deadly spell.
Chapter 7
Making decisions
Whispers and rumours move through the crowd. Some people obviously try to talk quietly and others don’t seem to care.
“It’s that girl with the scar? Did you know she was taking part?”
“She works with a witch …”
“What is she even doing here?”
r /> I chew my bottom lip, trying to stay calm. People are finally recognising me—I’m not invisible anymore, but in a way it brings no relief. I thought I’d feel more…excited, nervous, but instead I feel numb.
My Pixies start flying around and the crowd begins talking even louder, noticing them too.
“Lenin, behave,” I hiss when I notice he's sticking his tongue out at Sebastian. Heat rushes to my cheeks when the duke, his entire entourage, and the other contestants stare at me in uncomfortable silence. I smile weakly, telling myself I have to stop feeling inadequate. I left the old me in the forest and returned with hemlock root—I deserve to go to the next round–I earned it. I move my gaze over to the duke, finding it hard to breathe. A shocking expression ripples through his handsome face and the curve of his jaw clinches. My heart stops and buzzing starts in my ears, as I’m afraid he finally recognises who I am. The scar—he couldn’t have forgotten my own fire spell. I shouldn’t have come. This was a bad idea.
“You’re a girl,” Elijah points out, and I glance at him. Yep, he looks seriously disturbed with the fact he lost to a female. “How are you even here? This contest is for—”
“Actually, Elijah, I didn’t specify only men were able to participate in the contest. Astri returned with the root as the task required, meaning she’ll be going through to the next round,” Jorgen finally says, his voice uneven.
“You can’t be serious, my lord. She’s a woman and—”
“Well, Captain Reynolds, I hope you aren’t afraid she’s going to beat you in this game?” the duke asks, cutting off a shifter who glares at me, looking pretty pissed off.
“No, of course not. I was just saying that this …”
“I think you have said enough. Astri is one of the selected contestants and that’s final,” Jorgen says, raising his voice and a similar warmth travels down my body when he approaches us. I don’t understand why he’s defending me. Maybe he doesn’t remember me.
“Yeah, you suckers, the duke didn’t specify the conditions. Astri found the plant and she’s going to stay in the castle, tralalalala!”
“Lenin!” I hiss again, trying to grab the mischievous Pixie, but he keeps making faces at the other contestants. The atmosphere changes, becoming silent and strained. I’m furious and sad a few shifters are injured and one lost his sight, yet everyone else here is more disturbed with the fact I’m a woman.
“Are they Welsh Pixies? I’ve never come across them before. Are they yours?” Jorgen asks, staring at Lenin and Jetli who are now sitting on my shoulders, glaring at him. I feel warmth tingling along my neck and my heartbeat picks up. This isn’t exactly how I imagined our first meeting or conversation.
The duke’s energy licks mine slowly and I take a deep breath, trying hard to remain indifferent. I can’t lose it now. This isn’t the plan.
“Yes, they’re mine. I found them in the forest a few years ago and they’ve been living with me ever since,” I explain, surprised he doesn’t stare at my scar like others have in the past. The duke’s most likely convinced he killed me all those years ago.
“It’s a playground. I can’t believe I have to compete against some scarred girl,” that arsehole Sebastian adds, loudly enough for me to hear him.
Lenin shoots in the air and starts tossing tiny stones at him, cursing him with words that can put even the biggest scum bag to shame. And Jetli starts waving her tiny hands, backing her brother up.
“No one is forcing you to stay, Sebastian. Astri has proven to us she has the necessary skills to become my assistant,” the duke adds and a little bit of anger flashes in his voice.
I want to laugh, but I can’t let my guard down. The duke isn’t a good man; I need to remember that.
Sebastian bites his tongue and doesn’t say another word.
“My advisors will discuss the details with all of you. We will meet tomorrow in the main chamber of the castle. The first part of the contest has concluded. I offer my gratitude and thanks to all who participated,” the duke says, nodding to me as he returns to the scene. I start breathing again, realising that I’m in–I made it.
“Yeah, sucker. In your face! Astri’s moving in!” Lenin squeaks, showing the middle finger to Sebastian. I grab him and shove his little body inside my pocket.
My hands are shaking with anticipation and I no longer care the whole town’s going to be talking about me for the next several weeks.
The duke is either a great actor or he has a hidden agenda. The trouble is, I have no idea what happened after my magic turned against me.
“We’ve selected the main contestants and amongst all these brave shifters within the city, our first female contestant has risen above the many, proving great strength and the skill necessary to compete. Her name is Astri Harald and she’s the huntsman …”
Other contestants are staring at me. They’re still apprehensive, but that’s it. The most difficult part is behind me now. I just have to break the news to my aunt and uncle that I’m moving out.
The duke finishes today’s event with some general information and the crowd starts leaving the tribunes.
The other mages follow him out and the same one who collected the root earlier on approaches slowly.
“All of you are expected to be at the castle gate after sunset. You’ve officially been selected and any of you have the opportunity to become the duke’s assistant. You may have to speak to your employer about arranging time off,” the mage informs us, then leans over to me and adds, “the duke said you can bring your Pixies. He’s rather intrigued and, I must say, you made quite an impression on him.”
“Yes, I’ll be there,” I say, ignoring his statement. I don’t want him to favour me in any way.
Other shifters are approaching, most of them are families of other contestants. The medics are taking injured shifters to the ambulance. I see Megan holding the hand of her husband who seems conscious now, but still very pale.
“Astri! I can’t believe you didn’t tell me you were going to compete.”
Emilia’s rushing towards me, looking radiant and happy. I really didn’t expect that kind of reaction from her. I thought she would be angry that I lied to her. Lenin and Jetli are still glaring at Sebastian, who’s watching me, talking to a long-legged brunette.
“I’m sorry, but this was a spur of a moment decision. I heard the town crier and thought I could do this,” I say, rubbing my deformed cheek. I spot the butcher and his wife, other shifter ladies from the knitting club, and the girls I went to school with. They’re all staring at me. I hate this new attention, but I have to get used to it. It’s only the start of what’s about to happen. Now I have to head home and confront my aunt and uncle.
I should’ve moved out when I turned eighteen, but I let them bully me into believing I couldn’t be on my own.
“Oh, child, this is a happy time,” Emilia says, taking my hand. “You’re finally standing up for yourself—finally grabbing the opportunity. I’ve known you since you were fifteen years old when you showed up in the shop begging me to give you a chance. You let those humans use you for too long.”
“I’m a little worried about their reaction. The debt—”
“Forget about the money and that silly debt. This is your chance to stop hiding behind your scar and start living your life the way you want. Richard and Beatrice have never looked after you properly.”
She wraps her arm around me and I begin to feel emotional. I’m so lucky to have her in my life, and she’s right—I need to let them go. My aunt and uncle aren’t good people. There are reporters waiting on the street, and I spot a shifter who’s filming me from Lupus broadcasting station. My aunt and uncle watch the channel occasionally. Of course they would never admit it to their perfect, rich, human friends, but I’ve seen them engrossed in all sorts of television programs late at night.
“My uncle won’t be happy. I’ve been giving him a lot of money every month,” I say, still worried my good luck will turn against me.
&nb
sp; “Astri, you can’t let that man use you. It was their duty to take care of you. This is the perfect time for you to walk away. And all those other shifters will be in the castle with you. Maybe you’ll finally fall in love,” Emilia adds, giggling as we walk towards the store.
“I won’t have time to worry about boys, and most of the contestants are already taken,” I say, thinking about my carefully prepared plan. The duke must pay—I don’t care how. This whole thing won’t be easy. Emilia doesn’t know what happened to my parents. She thinks they died in a car accident.
That’s what my aunt and uncle have told me since I was ten, but then the nightmares started and I began to figure out what really happened.
“The duke’s single and he should’ve settled down a long time ago,” she hints, and I grab her hand.
“He’s royalty and I’m no one, Emilia. Besides he’s much older than me. It could never work,” I say, disturbed she’s even suggesting something like that. I want him dead, but a little game of seduction would make him look weak and if that’s how I can break him, then I should really consider it.
“Yes, maybe you’re right. He’s a lot older than you,” Emilia agrees as we walk inside the store and start discussing my replacement. I’ll be living and training in the castle for several weeks, and Emilia still needs help around the shop.
Lenin and Jetli are flying around; they seem excited about the competition.
I feel a little guilty leaving her alone with the business, but she’s right. This is my chance to start over—to face an unknown past and a shifter who caused so much pain in my life.
Emilia taught me everything I know about magic and potions. Her late husband, Jared was a great man. He took me to the forest with him and we hunted together. His death nearly broke me. It was a tough time and it took Emilia months to pick herself back up.
I change my clothes and help Emilia with the rest of the inventory. More customers come in and out, and suspiciously everyone’s interested in me. I stay in the back, not wanting to talk to anyone. They’re only interested in talking to me now because I’m a final contestant in the duke’s competition to become his assistant. Any other time, they’d either ignore me or talk about me when my back’s turned. No, thank you.