I can’t believe my aunt’s accusing me of stealing. I’ve never taken anything from them. For years, I’ve done everything within my power to please them, but nothing was ever good enough—except my money—Uncle Richard counted it out each time to make sure it was all there, yet he never said thank you, because I owed him. My Pixies are furious, but they can’t help me in any way. It’s a real shame humans can’t see them, because my aunt would have a real fit.
“I have never stolen anything from you. My parents brought me—”
“Don’t talk about your pathetic parents. They had no idea what they brought into this world. My little cousin shouldn’t have married that father of yours. He ruined her life,” my aunt screams, looking scarier than normal. “I’ve tried to raise you well, put some discipline in place. After all, inside you’re still a human being, not a shifter, but it looks like I failed.”
“Raise me? Is that what you call it? And you have the nerve to disgrace my dead parents? What do you know about having children or being a mother? You never even claimed me! You treated me like a servant girl and told the neighbours I belonged to one of your maids. I’ve worked every day since I was fifteen to repay you for a surgery I’ve yet to find out the real cost of, not to mention my room and board. You never once showed me any love or kindness,” I say through gritted teeth as my anger seethes.
“Don’t blame yourself, Beatrice. There was always something wrong with Matthias. It was clear this girl wouldn’t come out right. Just look at her,” my uncle stated, trying to soothe my aunt after my harsh reality was thrown in her face. I’m ready to launch myself at him and rip his face to shreds. Anger punches through my confusion and hurt. Insults. Richard and Beatrice have never said a good word about my parents or me, for that matter. I’m inches away from losing control of myself. In the distance, we hear the police sirens. “Well, just in time. Keep an eye on her, Beatrice, I’ll be right back. Pay her no mind. She’s worthless anyway.”
“You called the police? The cup is mine, and you know it. What is wrong with you? Why do you hate me so much? I’ve never done anything to you?” I ask, knowing I’m done with everything. If I don’t show up in the morning, Thayer will assume I don’t want to continue competing. Everything is falling apart.
“You have done enough by existing,” my aunt replies, but there’s something in her eyes telling me she’s lying. There must be a reason why she’s been treating me like a slave all these years. “Someone from the castle called your uncle half an hour before you showed up. He said you were heading over here to steal the cup. Richard thought it was a joke, but he switched on the alarm, just to be sure.” She says, looking triumphant as if I didn’t just throw a big heap of reality in her stupid, wrinkled face. She’s hiding something – and it has nothing to do with the phone call.
Shortly after, we go outside and I try to figure out who called them from the castle. No one knew I was heading here, and I was invisible when I left my chamber.
Then the answer strikes me like a razor. Someone must have overheard Lenin, then tipped my uncle off. I swear I heard a noise on the stairs. For Hommis, I was so stupid thinking I’d been alone this entire time. Rage…
When my aunt pushes me outside the house, Lenin and Jetli are gone. I have no idea why they decided to disappear when I’m just about to get arrested. Two human police officers are talking to my uncle; the red and blue lights are flashing on the road. A few neighbours are standing on the street, staring—of course. My aunt notices them and cringes. Well, the whole neighbourhood will be talking about me tomorrow. Maybe I should wave and smile. It would really piss my aunt off. What do I have to lose at this point? Dignity? Pfft. I should just shift and fly away from this godforsaken place. I need to find out who called my uncle. Only one person comes to mind at the moment…
“Officers, this girl is a thief. We caught her in our home as she was trying to take an antique cup that’s been in our family for generations,” my uncle lies, and I want to punch him in his stupid, fat face.
I can’t believe he’s lying while I’m standing right next to him. Wait—yes, I can.
“Mr. Dorchester, she’s one of them, and we can’t transport shifters. This is outside of the codex, sir,” the black officer says. He has on a green uniform. Maybe I’m going to get lucky today. Some of the humans can recognise me as shifter; they sense the magic, even if they never admit to it. Human police shouldn’t interfere with shifters affairs.
“I pay taxes and I demand you arrest her. I don’t care about the protocol. She’s a thief and my wife and I are pressing charges!” Richard shouts, sounding irritated. “I know the governor and I’ll—”
Then he starts going over everything he’s ever done for the town and all those important people he’s connected too. Blah, blah.
“She shouldn’t be considered a shifter. Her mother was partly human. I’m sure Governor Pollock will appreciate your prompt initiative. This girl is dangerous and she should be locked up,” my aunt says.
I know what she’s doing, trying to make them think they might be rewarded if they take me down to the station. The black officer seems apprehensive, weighing his options. I’m wasting valuable time. Hans is going to die without the cup.
“All right, let’s go. We’ll figure out what to do with you once we get to the station,” the black officer says and moments later I’m handcuffed, then shoved inside a Rivenna police car.
“We thought we could keep you away from that other world, but you were always too stubborn, just like your mother. I hope this will teach you a lesson,” my uncle says with satisfaction in his voice. Fuck off, you old bastard.
The car drives off and I lay my head back, wondering where the hell Lenin and Jetli are.
“That woman was right. Governor Pollack will be pleased we locked up a thief. We’ll call him from the station,” says the other officer and I look outside the window, knowing this might be the last time I have my freedom.
Chapter 17
The unexpected visitor.
There’s more shifters in Rivenna than in any other town in the Eastern World. Humans are the minority and any crime committed by non-human residents is dealt with by an external party who is appointed by the duke every five years. At the moment, that person is Governor Pollock.
And since he took office last year, he’s caused more harm than good to the community. There’ve been rumours Jorgen isn’t happy with many of Pollock’s interventions and he’s been trying to remove him. The governor is a hard man, and he does what he pleases with anyone who doesn’t follow his rules. I’ve heard he uses old school methods of punishment and I suspect he would try to transport me out of Rivenna if he finds out I’m one of the contestants.
The drive to the station doesn’t take long, and shortly after, I’m escorted inside the small building. This night couldn’t get any worse. Where are the Pixies? Dammit. I should’ve shifted and scared the shit out of them all. Oh the scandal! I’m tired of being treated like something someone stepped in. My aunt “did her best to raise me right”? She never even claimed me as a relative. I should’ve laughed in her stupid face. She lives in a fantasyland. I see that now.
The crime rate in the city is low. Many outsiders believe Rivenna is a good place to settle down and raise a family. There are plenty of opportunities for everyone and Hans worked really hard for years to create enough jobs to satisfy a skilled workforce in the area. Several years ago, when Jorgen took over, things began to change. The duke was inexperienced and he made many mistakes along the way.
“Try to get through to Governor Pollock and tell him we have shifter at the station,” the black officer asks the woman behind the desk. She nods and looks at me briefly with the mixture of curiosity and annoyance. Humans tend to stay away from shifters and mages on a day-to-day basis. I’m surprised they’re so calm I’m here at the station.
My aunt has never spoken about my mother, and maybe for the first time ever she admitted to someone her cousin was only hal
f human. For years, I’ve been trying to get her to tell me anything about my other family, but every time she became furious and told me not to ask questions.
There have been incidences in the city when shifters got involved in a romantic affair with a human. Now, it makes sense to me that my mother was a half-breed. Over the years, I always wondered what my connection to my aunt was, and why she wasn’t magical at all.
The black officer walks me through a grey corridor toward a row of gloomy cells. He stops in front of the fourth one on the right, opens the door, and tells me to step inside. Just great—I’m locked inside a small cell that smells like piss. I’m not even looking at the dirty mattress. I’m afraid to sit on it for fear of what might jump on me. Don’t get me started about the toilet that’s not really a toilet. Just gross.
I start pacing around the cell, wondering who ratted me out. It was probably Sebastian. Who else could it be? The snake! He just wants me out of the running because he knows I can beat him. He’s hung around the castle late at night before and he must have overheard Lenin talking about taking the cup. There isn’t anyone else who’s trying to discredit me in front of the duke.
Once Pollock takes me away to the shifter part of town, my chances of getting out are slim. He won’t care I’m one of the contestants. He’s sent thieves and burglars to the Decaying Mountains and I don’t know anyone else who’s come back alive. That’s the way he deals with anyone who doesn’t agree with his methods.
I sit down on the nasty bed, forgetting about what could be crawling on it, and try to calm down. Sometime later, another human officer brings me water and stale sandwiches. There isn’t much time left. Hans’s condition is already critical and every minute I’m here is one less he will have. My aunt and uncle are both fools, and because of their lies, I’m stuck in here.
A few moments later, I hear someone approaching.
“Well, well, well. I must say I was rather surprised to hear there’s one of the duke’s contestants held up in the human police station,” Governor Pollack says.
I shoot back to my feet and approach him, knowing I have to let him know what’s going on. A shifter of his character would like to play a hero. After all, the duke would reward anyone who could save his father’s life.
“Mr. Pollock, you must listen to me. The dragon cup I tried to take tonight belonged to my parents. It’s my inheritance. My aunt and uncle had no right to keep it from me. Duke Hans is dying in the palace, and the cup is his only chance of pulling through,” I say, getting straight to the point.
I know I should be addressing him in a certain manner, but right now I don’t give a crap about formalities. Pollock is one of the superior mage shifters, short, broad in his shoulders, dressed in a black uniform. He has a dark moustache and small watery eyes. It’s extremely early in the morning and I’m shocked he got to the station so early. He must really hate Jorgen for some reason.
“You committed a crime, Ms. Harald, and for that, there’s punishment. I don’t like listening to any fantasies about some magical cup. Duke Hans the Second has been ill for years. Don’t you think his son would have informed me if he was looking for some magical artifact in order to help his own father?” he asks, caressing his jaw. All right, so this is going to be much more difficult than I expected.
I grip the metal bars tighter and shake them in frustration.
“Please, you have to believe me. We haven’t got much time, if you take me to the duke, he’ll confirm my story. I don’t know why—”
“Silence, that’s enough of this nonsense, Miss Harald. I’m here to transport you over to the shifter part of town. In several hours, I’ll inform the duke’s people you’re unable to continue with the contest. I take any crime committed on the human side of town very seriously,” he says, cutting me off.
“No… no! The duke’s father is dying and I know how to help him. You must listen to me, Governor!” I shout as my magic flows through me.
Pollock smiles and narrows his eyes at me. Maybe in general he isn’t a compassionate man. He simply enjoys seeing shifters suffer. I’ve heard enough rumours about him and now he’s only confirming everything people say about him. The rules are more important to him than someone’s life.
“To be honest, Miss Harald, the old duke has never done any good for this town. Maybe we should all accept his time has come to leave this world,” Pollock adds almost in a whisper, approaching the bars.
My jaw drops and I stare at him baffled, so much frustration and anger rushes through me.
“Governor Pollock, let’s just pretend I didn’t hear you say that,” says a voice I automatically recognise. “And I hope you were just about to inform me that Astri has been caught stealing.”
Jorgen approaches and my heart kicks against my ribs. Pollock turns around abruptly, paling slightly. He’s much older than Jorgen, and I bet he isn’t too pleased the duke overheard him disrespecting his own father.
“I didn’t want to bother you, my lord, in the middle of the night. It was such a small matter, so I thought I would take care of this—”
“My lord, my aunt and uncle are in the possession of a dragon cup. It used to belong to my parents, but my uncle confiscated it after their death. I overheard when you were talking to Diana and I’m sorry for eavesdropping,” I say, suddenly aware of the warm and fuzzy feelings moving around in my stomach. Seconds later, my two Welsh Pixies are flying into the cell, touching my face.
“Astri, Astri. We flew over to the castle and informed the lordi lord. This was Jetli’s idea. She indicated that we had to inform the duke. I can’t believe those morons put you in jail,” Lenin says.
I smile. All right, maybe this whole night won’t end in a disaster. I should’ve believed in my Pixies. They always have my back.
“What is this nonsense, my lord? The Welsh Pixies aren’t allowed to have any relationship with shifters. They are a protected species,” Pollock says, and I wonder where he got that kind of absurd idea. Pixies are living beings, like shifters, and they shouldn’t be treated as animals or pets.
“Lenin and Jetli arrived in my chamber and explained everything. I got here as soon as I could,” Jorgen says and the same black officer who arrested me appears behind him. He clears his throat, moves past the governor and opens the door to my nasty cell. “My father’s condition is critical and I can’t believe you were going to stand here and let him die. I consider this matter settled.”
Pollock glares at me with apparent anger, but I can’t help myself and smile. Lenin and Jetli are making faces and sticking their tongues out behind me. All the plans, the hatred I feel towards Jorgen melts away, and maybe for the first time ever, I start to wonder if he’s really my parents’ killer. Apart from my nightmare, I don’t have any other proof.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be listening in, but I couldn’t sleep—”
“Nothing matters right now. I just want to know if your aunt and uncle still have the cup.” Jorgen asks, seeming tense and worried. “And if it’s really a dragon cup?”
“Yes, it truly is. I inherited it from my parents before they died. My uncle sold it once, and then it magically reappeared in their home after a week,” I mumble, feeling odd discussing this with him.
“Oh Hommis, I promise I’ll visit the temple every Friday if my father will be spared,” Jorgen whispers. Humans are staring at us in astonishment as we pass through the station. Outside there’s a coach with horses waiting for us.
“Gabriel, the young lady will tell you where we’re going next,” Jorgen says to the shifter who’s most likely our coachman. I get inside, feeling oddly tense sitting next to the duke. We haven’t spoken or even looked at each other since the crystal task. Lenin and Jetli sit on my shoulders.
Gabriel whips the horses and we start moving. Luckily, the awkward silence doesn’t last long. Five minutes later, we park the carriage outside my aunt and uncle’s mansion. The sun’s going to start rising soon and I have no idea how my relatives are go
ing to react when they see the duke in their home. Humans don’t consider him an authority figure, but they should at least listen to what he has to say.
“My lord, I think I have to warn you before we go in there,” I say, knowing my aunt and uncle won’t just hand over the cup. They might even shut door in the duke’s face.
“Don’t worry, Astri. I think I can handle two humans,” he says with a smile and then knocks. I see Mrs. Atkinson; she’s peering through her curtains, trying not to miss anything. The carriage must have woken her up. Good. I hope we give her something to talk about.
We all hear my uncle’s annoyed voice coming from the threshold. “Who the hell decides to pay us a visit at such an early hour? What is—”
He opens the door wearing his purple dressing gown and stops speaking when he sees the duke, me, and a few of his guards standing outside his door. His face goes red instantly, and I know he recognises Jorgen from the papers. Although he doesn’t tolerate shifters, he religiously follows their affairs.
“Mr. Dorchester, I believe you have something that belongs to Astri. We came here to collect it,” Jorgen says with a hint of desperation. Jetli and Lenin are sitting on my arm, giggling to themselves.
My uncle’s mouth keeps opening and closing. Then I see my aunt walking down from upstairs.
“What is that noise, Richard? I was just nodding off,” she asks and stops for a second when she sees me standing at the door.
“Mr. and Mrs. Dorchester. I apologise for such an intrusion, but this is really a matter of life or death. My father’s condition is critical and I believe you’re in possession of a dragon’s cup?” Jorgen continues and I’m surprised he’s being so polite.
“What? You can’t just show up here. I’m not one of your kind and I won’t be bullied inside my own home!” my uncle starts shouting, going purple again.