by Jaymin Eve
Calista looked alarmed and started rubbing her ears. “Don’t do that!” she shouted frantically.
“What did you do, Vi?” I scolded her as Calista became more panicked.
Violet rolled her eyes. “I’m just playing. I took her hearing so she didn’t have to listen to us being unbecoming.”
I choked on my laugh. “Give it back. You know she hates magic.”
Calista was like family to Violet. She would never harm her, but she definitely liked messing with her. Leaning forward, Violet blew in her face again and Calista glared at her.
“Just playing, Cal,” Violet said. Then Calista did the most awful thing you could do to a person – she stole the bacon off Violet’s plate and popped it in her mouth, grinning. Violet just winked. They totally loved each other.
“So what’s on my agenda today? Go for a little stroll in Central Park? Do some shopping? Fight for my life?” I realized then that I was nervous. This was becoming a daily occurrence. But with the crown so close now, the pressure was really on.
Calista cleared her throat. “The council has decided that there is to be one more task before the final battle – which will probably be tomorrow.”
Violet pulled a small object from her pocket. “Or it could be tonight. Which is why I’m here now.” She placed a glass vial on the table. It had an ornate gold stopper, and the fluid inside glowed with a purple hue.
“What’s that?” I asked her. Knowing Violet, it could be anything. Violet only needed four hours of sleep a night. She had way too much time in the day and was always making potions and practicing her spellcraft.
Violet leaned in closer: “Besides what their points give them, heirs are allowed to bring one weapon of their own into the final fight. It needs to be this.”
Calista spit her water out, spraying the table. “You expect me to let her go into a fight to the death against Selene carrying a tiny glass vial! You’re mad!”
Violet stood, her chair skidding on the tile floor, and faced me. “You know how I get those feelings?” she asked me.
Oh lord. Here we go. If Violet had gotten one of her “feelings,” there was no way I could talk her out of this.
I indicated the vial. “What is it, Vi?”
She swallowed roughly, getting herself under control. “It’s anti-venom for Selene’s familiar.”
I opened and closed my mouth a few times, words failing me. Larak was one of my biggest worries. He had been known to kill with one bite, and familiars were allowed to fight in the final battle. If Violet had a “feeling” I might be bitten, then I needed to listen.
“How did you get it?” As far as I knew there was no anti-venom for the magical snake, unless…
Violet grinned. “Last night, after you left the roof and Selene was busy with that guard, I took a little sample of the slimy creep’s venom and spent all night making this tincture.”
Took a little sample? One did not simply take a sample of Larak’s venom. She must have magically bespelled the reptile and sucked it from the fangs.
I didn’t even know how that was possible. No one understood the magic borns’ powers. They didn’t have wands or crystal balls. They simply were able to manipulate the mecca energy. Sometimes things worked for them, other times it didn’t. But besides the queen they were the only ones who could utilize the mecca.
“Are you sure this is not going to backfire on you and somehow put your life in danger?” I was very serious as I faced my best friend. I was standing now too, my wolf demanding I get up.
Violet just chuckled. “Of course not. You know me. I always cover my tracks.”
We remained in a stare-off for many minutes, but as always her eyes were eventually too intense to stare directly into – which she used to her advantage often, declaring herself the stare-off winner every time.
Finally I sat. “Okay.” I breathed and clutched the vial to my chest like a life preserver. Going into a final battle with no weapon wasn’t exactly smart, but it wasn’t the first time. I’d once won a dominance fight using a brick I’d picked up off the ground. I could be scrappy if I needed to be, and I was one of the best at disarming and stealing weapons. Violet wouldn’t press this upon me if she didn’t think with total certainty that I would need it.
Plus, if I won the task today, I would probably have enough points to be granted an additional weapon. Which was all I needed.
Violet disappeared again when the guards arrived to let us know we were needed in the main Summit hall. It was time for the third task. Not knowing what to expect, I dressed in my red uniform, cuffs on, weapons hidden about my body, my hair in its traditional braid crown. The snake anti-venom was tucked away in the safe inside my room. Selene or her familiar wouldn’t risk attacking me until the final battle. It would be too easy to trace it to her and she would be executed for treason. That’s why we had rules about attacking heirs during the Summit. In the early years, plenty of the heirs were killed in the first few days. Sneak attacks. Which was not how it was supposed to work. A true queen won through trial, not because she was the sneakiest and most underhanded. There was no honor in winning like that, and the council was all about honor. My people remained close as we made our way through the mansion’s maze of floors and halls. I never saw any of Selene’s dominants or guards; she was probably late again.
Sure enough, as I stepped into the huge room, many of our pack members were already gathered but no purple heir was in sight. The council members were standing in their usual spot, the white magic born of Manhattan at the forefront.
Sabina gave me a gentle nod, and I was reminded of how different she was to Violet. My friend had rough edges, and was sometimes hard to handle, but her heart was pure gold. Sabina was refined and smooth, like a diamond polished to perfection, but there was also a coldness that lingered beneath her skin, like sometimes she let the power control the shifter and not the other way around. She was a lot older than Violet, at least a hundred years if the gossip was true. She’d been the Red Queen’s friend, and I wondered how she was containing her grief.
My group had paused on the edge of the dais. Torine noticed me there and waved me up to stand with them. Calista and I exchanged a single look before she gave me a nod and I was on my own. With a deep breath I strode forward and took my rightful place at the head of the council, Finn by my side. I wasn’t quite queen yet, but there was something in faking it until you made it. I needed the extra boost of confidence, especially after Violet’s revelations about the mecca. The buzz of energy beneath my skin was almost unnoticeable today, but I still felt different. Restless.
Sabina was still staring at me. Could she see the mecca’s changes also? Was she also wondering why I seemed to be connected to it?
The magic born almost looked like she was going to approach me, but thankfully Selene chose that moment to enter the room, her entourage of twenty making a big show of pushing shifters to the side so she had a clear path.
“Nice of you to join us, Selene,” a council member reprimanded her. “Kindly hurry yourself to stand with Arianna. We have a task to get underway.”
The slightest of pink tinged her cheeks and I could almost see the retort she was holding back. She didn’t waste any more time, though, reaching my side in seconds. She could haul butt when needed.
Someone other than Torine took the floor this time, Glenda, the second oldest of the queen’s council. “Thank you all for being here. This could be one of the most important trials of them all.” She had a commanding presence – her hair a deep carrot red, her eyes bronze – and a no-nonsense attitude. She had been my tutor for a short time in my youth.
“Sabina, if you could do the honors,” she said, turning to the magic born. “It’s time for the gods and the mecca to decide on the final task before the battle. The points that will be earned today will be instrumental in ensuring weapons and other advantages for one heir in the final battle.”
The magic shifter wasted no time, unleashing her power and repeati
ng her actions from the previous time she’d called the scrolls forth. Glenda was the one to stare out into the high ceilings, and eventually call a scroll down to her. It felt like she took years to finally unroll it and read from the parchment.
“Scavenger hunt through the Island,” she shouted out into the large room. All of our people erupted into conversation, some cheering and others groaning. I swallowed roughly, and wiped my damp palms on my pants.
This wasn’t one of the worst tasks, but it wasn’t an easy one either. It would require us to leave the boroughs and head to the Island, alone, no guards or help from outside sources.
The Island, a stretch of land below Brooklyn and Queens, was technically a neutral zone. This was where we held most peace Summits, with one side of the land containing a residence for the wolf queen and the other side a mansion for the bear king. There were often bears there, which could be a worry right now. The fact that we had no queen, the mecca appeared to be leaking, fae might or might not have been involved in all of this, and the bears were still not to be trusted … led me to believe this could be far more dangerous than a simple scavenger hunt.
“Heirs,” Glenda said, “you have ten minutes to prepare yourselves. You’re allowed as many weapons and as much food as you can carry, but do not weight yourself down too much. There is a single item that has been hidden away. The first to retrieve it wins. You have twenty-four hours to complete this task.”
Noise erupted again and I quickly hurried down to find Calista and my guards. My advisor pounced on me immediately. “I’ve already sent some of your people back for supplies and weapons. You need to spend the next ten minutes studying this map closely.” She whipped up her tablet and I could see quite a detailed map of the Island. There were plenty of landmarks, and I knew some of them might come in handy.
I had always been a quick study, and I had been to the Island plenty of times, although the trip in my fifteenth year stood out the most. Nothing like your first kiss from a bear to really get your heart pumping. I still hated that it affected me so much. At fifteen he’d been small and not at all intimidating. He’d also been kinda charming, and very funny.
I pushed the memories aside, needing to focus. No matter how many times I tried to forget that bear, every time the Island ever came up I was thrown back to that night, to the summer festival, the stars, the warmth of his lips on mine…
Focus, Arianna!
My eyes ran across the map multiple times. I used techniques I’d learned from Calista to imprint the image in my mind. She had a naturally photographic memory. For the rest of us, we had to do what we could.
“Take note of exit points in case of ambush,” Calista whispered. “Water sources, if you need to hide your scent.”
She continued on and on, pointing out everything. I had noted most of this already, but this was another one of her techniques. Apparently talking things out loud, or listening to someone else doing it, jogged the brain. I’d be more inclined to actually remember what was said rather than what I saw on the paper.
“Three minutes,” Glenda said, her voice echoing across the crowd.
My head spun to the entrance, relief coursing through me as two of my guards dashed into the room. They held a medium-sized backpack, the sort which strapped across my waist and chest, and would be secure when I ran.
“We gathered just a few energy bars, water, and some other first aid supplies,” Monica said. “Weapons include two guns, two blades, and a few other smaller pieces. The pack should not be too heavy for a full day of movement.”
I nodded my thanks, taking only a second to zip the compartment open and assure myself of the inventory. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust my people, I mostly did, but as an heir I could never be too careful.
Once I slipped the pack on, Calista helped me tighten it across my chest, and then it was time to move out. I knelt quickly to hug Finn. He would remain behind; there were to be no familiars on this journey.
Stay safe. I will come if you need me, no matter what the rules say. He nuzzled into me, his giant form blocking out all those around me. If anyone hurts you, I will kill them.
I got your back too, friend. Stay safe while I’m gone, I told him.
One last hug and then I had to leave him. It was kind of painful to know he couldn’t actually be with me for this task. I’d bet Selene was struggling even more. She was never away from Larak. The two of us followed Glenda and Torine from the royal mansion. The other heir also wore a backpack, although hers was larger and quite a bit bulkier, which probably meant she had a ton more weapons and supplies than me, but she’d also tire faster and be hindered more in pursuit situations. It was hard to know what was right, because at the moment we didn’t know what the item was. Or where on the Island it might be located. The council was sure to make it difficult, but how difficult was the question.
The streets of Manhattan were busy, humans scurrying about without a single clue of the trials going on in the shifter world, a world that existed beside their own. We had to pass by the industrial building that magically hid our mecca, and as the energy closed around me my pulse elevated and my eyes closed. The mecca was so strong, calling to me, and I wanted nothing more than to step into its energy.
“Are you okay, Arianna?”
This was the first time Glenda had acknowledged me in a familiar way since the beginning of the Summit. It wasn’t good form to show any sort of favoritism toward one of the heirs. No council member should show preference.
“Yes, just … the mecca feels quite strong. I thought the queen’s death would weaken our power until the balance was restored.”
Glenda and Torine exchanged a single glance, one which was filled with creased eyes and furrowed brows, but then both of their expressions wiped clear as if they were completely unconcerned.
“It’ll all be back to normal once the new queen is crowned,” Torine said, trying to act all fatherly as he patted mine and Selene’s arms. “The power is searching for the link to it and our people.”
Yeah, we were totally getting the “all is well” speech, and even Selene seemed to know it. The council should be filling us in on whatever was going on, it was going to be one of our problems very soon. But no. As always they liked to keep information within their little group.
I managed to push thoughts of the mecca aside as we strode further from it. The energy seemed to have attached itself to me, but eventually the tingly sensation died off and I forced myself to focus on the task. I had to find the hidden item on the Island because I was determined to go into the final battle with every advantage.
We reached the second royal garage – the main one was within the queen’s residence – but none of her vehicles could be used during the Summit; they were all being investigated. In fact, all of them would be replaced before the next queen took power, like a clean slate. A driver was already standing beside a limo and I recognized him as a member of the royal guard.
Selene and I paused, waiting for final instructions from the two council members.
“Here are the details of your task,” Glenda said, handing a rolled scroll to me, and then one to Selene. “Do not open it until you arrive on the Island. The task officially begins when you step foot onto land. Once you are there, none of us will be keeping track of you. This is a race to be the first back with the item. That person is the winner for this task, no matter what happens during your time on the Island, so take care. Avoid humans as much as possible, because they do populate the area. Good luck.”
Great, so if we were ambushed by bears or some other enemy, no one would know.
Here’s hoping the council had a bunch of “of age” heirs secretly stashed away, because they were down to two here, and who knows if either of us would survive the next few days.
Nothing more was said as we entered the vehicle, Selene and I choosing to sit at opposite ends, both of us staring out the window. It would take us a bit of time to make it through the traffic of New York and reach the Huds
on River, where the private docks were. This was where the royal ferries were moored. Plenty of time to think and wonder what I was going to find when I opened the scroll clutched in my right hand. What impossible task had the council set for us?
Chapter Six
A bear load of trouble.
The boat trip took a long time, but eventually it arrived at the Island, dropping us right onto the beach. Selene took off in a flash, and I knew she was hoping to get away from me so she could read the task and formulate a plan without me following. Like I would follow her anyway – I preferred to think for myself. As the sand squished under my boots, I took a second to inhale the salty air. This place was beautiful, an oasis of sand, salt and sun. I could see no one around me, and felt safe to unroll the scroll. Holding it between both hands, I quickly ran my eyes over the slanted writing across it.
Enter the bear king’s mansion on the island and retrieve the miniature mecca crystal stashed there, usually near one of his advisors. Use cunning. Use stealth. If you are captured, your life is forfeit to the bears.
Holy shifter babies. Was the council for real? Did they want to start a war? Both the bears and the wolves had multimillion-dollar mansions on the Island. It was the one place we could be in peace and meet at the yearly accords or the summer festival without bloodshed. This would ruin all of that if Selene or I were caught, especially because we were both armed to the gills.
What would Calista do? I ran through all strategies in my mind. How far to the bear king’s mansion on foot? Were there any holidays or occasions that would mean the bear king himself was in residence? I didn’t even know what he looked like. Gerald was the first bear I had met in years.
I focused my breathing as a plan came into mind. Adjusting the straps on my backpack, I took off running toward the large blue beachside residence perched atop the cliff. The bear king’s mansion was on the opposite side of the Island to the wolves’ residence. It was a steep hike on foot but I would be fine. Was Selene ahead of me? It didn’t matter. I just needed to focus on getting the job done. As I reached the thicker trees that signaled I was heading in the right direction, I saw two friendly humans coming out of a hike. They smiled at me.
