I leave the shop wearing a black hat, along with my selection of knives hanging over my belt. Shifters are staring when I pass by, some teenagers pointing at my scar. I tell myself to ignore them, trying to cover the scar with my hair.
On my way to the forest, I pass the city square and the city crier, a tall half shifter, and half human states:
“The contest for the duke’s assistant is now open. Anyone can apply–anyone can participate. Mages, head over to the castle grounds tomorrow at midday, where you’ll be able to partake in the first task. Details are all over the city. Jorgen III is looking to find the next warrior; someone brave and fierce, someone who will stand at his side and protect Rivenna from its enemies!”
I stop in front of the shop where other shifters are reading the instructions from a colourful poster placed on the wall. I wait until there's more space and squeeze myself in front. The city crier’s ringing the bells, and people are talking about the contest all over town. I start reading through the terms and conditions, trying to concentrate on the most important points.
The contestants are expected to reside in the castle for the duration of the contest. Food and accommodations will be supplied and each contestant will be compensated for all time lost from regular employment.
Each contestant will go through a series of strength and magic encounters. The duke will select only one winner.
My heart pounds in my chest and I’m already imagining myself amongst other shifters, standing next to the Duke of Rivenna. Then I take out my knife and stab him in the gut in front of the entire crowd and his adoring people. Maybe I’m getting ahead of myself, but the duke needs to experience the same pain he inflicted upon me and atone for my parents’ death. I can only imagine I’m just one of his many victims, but I’ll be the one who strikes back when he the least expects it.
Chapter 3
Today I’ll be like everyone else, normal again.
“Astri, what’s wrong? You’re awfully quiet today and I know that expression on your face,” Emilia asks. “And it can only mean trouble.”
I look at her and force out a wide smile. Emilia shouldn’t be worried about me; she has enough on her plate as it is.
I spent most of the afternoon collecting aloe powder in the forest, now my muscles are stiff and my fingers are burning up. The herb grows between bushes of nettles and even protective gloves didn’t help today. I’m feeling tired, most likely from too much exposure to nettles. At times, searching for certain herbs can be more exhausting than hunting. I nearly reached the borders of Rivenna, searching for the right aloe powder.
“Nothing… nothing is wrong, Emilia. I’m fine, just thinking about tonight,” I tell her.
“Oh man, Emilia. That potion is lethal. My head’s banging,” Lenin says, flying into the room and situating himself on my shoulder. Jetli’s lying flat on the ladder by the till and she looks awfully pale. Apparently, while I was out, she vomited on a client’s shoe.
“This is your own fault, Lenin. You need to start taking responsibility for your actions. How on earth are you ever going to find a wife if you can’t control yourself?” Emilia asks, shaking her head. Good, the Pixie managed to distract her from me.
I’m not ready to share with Emilia what I’m planning. She’ll be upset if she knows I’ll be away, taking part in the contest, but eventually my secret will come out. The contest is the most exciting thing to come to the town of Rivenna in years–it’s all anyone’s talking about.
“A wife, are you crazy, woman? I don’t need anyone nagging me all day long. Besides, I’ll never leave Astri alone. Richard and Beatrice are morons, and I hate we have to live with them,” Lenin says, reminding me nothing’s going to change unless I confront my uncle about the amount of my debt. I understand I have to keep paying them rent, but the hospital bill is a different matter altogether. For now, I’m forced to live in their dark basement unless I truly commit myself and participate in the duke’s contest.
Emilia laughs and I walk up to her, feeling really tired.
“Is there anything else you need, Emilia?” I ask, thinking I need to head over to the old mill right away. The truth is, I need to get rid of my scar before the contest starts. The duke most likely doesn’t remember me, but I won’t be selected with that hideous mark on my face. If Emilia knew, she’d try to stop me straight away. She’s great and I love her to bits, but she doesn’t think a girl like me should be running around the forest, hunting and collecting herbs. She thinks I should settle down, get married and have a family. Yes, she’s very traditional, but that kind of life isn’t for me.
“No, darling, it’s been a busy day and you need to head home. Your uncle is most likely waiting for the money. He’s unbelievably greedy and selfish,” she states. “You really need to talk to him about settling the final amount. Don’t talk yourself out of it or allow him to intimidate you.”
“Yes, and he’s also fat, nasty, and stupid, and a bit of a jerk that—”
“Okay, Lenin, we get your point,” I cut the Welsh Pixie off, then Jetli burps really loudly.
Emilia rolls her eyes and I cover my mouth with a snicker. At least with those two, my life is never going to be boring.
“Thank you, Emilia. I’ll see you tomorrow morning,” I say, waving to her as I head out the door. I can’t wait to try this new spell. The old traveller was certain his dragon venom could cure me. He showed me the certificate that stated he inherited the venom from one of his family members at the old market in Samera. It’s the main city in the Eastern World, populated entirely by shifters and mages.
I paid a fortune for it, because I’m ready to try anything to remove this damn scar. Now, after years of being treated like an outcast and a monster, I finally have the opportunity and the means to be healed. The duke can’t get away with his crimes, and he’s going to pay with his own blood—just as he carelessly took the lives of my parents. They will not have died in vain.
“This isn’t the way home, Astri,” Lenin points out as we head over to the North side of town. “My head's hurting like hell. I think your aunt and uncle’s wine would cure my hangover.”
“We aren’t going home, Lenin. I have to do something in the old mill,” I say, hoping I don’t have to explain exactly what I’m planning. The Pixies accept me for who I am, but they don’t understand how hard it’s been for me having no friends. This spell can finally change everything.
“No, Astri, no … we won’t allow you to try another spell. You’re tampering with your own magic. The spell isn’t reversible,” Lenin says, quickly flying in front of my face. “After the last time, you were miserable for over a week.”
I roll my eyes and stop when they both start poking me in my cheek. I don’t have time for their childish games, and Lenin’s wrong. I wasn’t miserable, just disappointed the spell didn’t work.
My uncle's waiting for the money, but he and my aunt have guests this evening, leaving me a bit more time before I have to return home.
“This isn’t going to be like the last time. The dragon venom I bought a few days ago will do the trick. I won’t win the contest if I—”
“What contest are you talking about, Astri?” Lenin asks and I want to bite my damn tongue. I didn’t tell them about what I heard in town today.
“It’s nothing important. You guys should go on home. I’ll be right back,” I tell them and start running, knowing they won’t be able to catch up with me for some time.
I’ve been trying to get rid of this hideous scar without any luck for six long years. I used rare herbs, complicated magical formulas and even travelled outside Rivenna once to find someone who could cure me. Nothing worked and I’m done being the deformed, scarred girl everyone turns away from and talks about when they think my back’s turned.
I’m a person with dreams, just like every other shifter… If only they could see past my scars. Now, they’ll have no choice.
Normal. What will it feel like to be normal? I’m excited to find out.
br />
The old mill has been abandoned for quite some time now and it’s located on the outskirts of the human side of Rivenna. A few men stare at me when I pass by, standing outside the shop, drinking their beer. I ignore them and continue to run.
It’s going to be a full moon tonight. Rivenna was built just outside the Decaying Mountains, so our climate is always mild and humid. Except nights when temperatures drop below fifteen degrees Celsius, but during the day the heat can be annoying.
I don’t see any shifters circulating around the castle tonight. On occasion, a few dragon shifters are allowed to spread their wings in the sky. These shifters in particular, were hired to guard the castle walls from outsiders. The humans know many shifters are able to use magic and that’s why they stay away from us—out of fear I suspect.
After the Great War, humans, mages and shifters have been co-existing peacefully with each other, and any use of violence or magic against the citizens of Rivenna is punishable by law. There’s also a human police force who patrols the streets to maintain order.
The duke is a mage shifter and he believes humans and shifters are equal. That kind of mindset is widely accepted, but everyone knows mage shifters are more powerful than ordinary dragon shifters, and humans are beneath them. No one dares say it out loud, because all shifters must be unprejudiced towards one another.
I try to forget about it when I reach the old mill. The Pixies move slower; I have at least half an hour before they can interrupt me. Luckily, there’s no one inside the building. Every now and then, human teenagers gather here to drink and make out; it looks like I’m lucky to be alone tonight. I take everything out of my bag and scatter it around on the floor. The dragon’s venom is sealed in foil, and the magic within makes me slightly lightheaded. The traveller was a mage and of course he sold me the venom illegally. The liquid is from a real dragon’s tail, but those creatures were slaughtered after the Great War. The entire Eastern World is filled with mages from various clans and ordinary dragon shifters. There aren’t many real dragons around anymore, but I’ve heard rumours that at least a few were seen on the other side of the continent, hiding around Infernal Volcano, located by the Asian continent in the Western World. No dragon shifter has ever gotten close to that particular area due to the severe weather conditions. That’s why the real dragons chose the territory. They’re able to adapt to any type of weather conditions.
I open the kitchen salt and start spreading the white powder around me. I might need to shift at some point and fly over the mill in order to complete the spell. Humans might see me, thinking I’m just one of the guards who patrol this part of town, so I’m not worried. My hands shake when I unwrap the foil. I’m still envisioning the duke and the devious smile I saw in my nightmare. It’s played on repeat in my mind since I woke remembering his face. The scar on my cheek starts stinging again. This is a good sign.
I transfer the venom to a separate flask, then add a few other ingredients. The potion starts bubbling slightly, changing colour into a crimson red.
Remember, drink it slowly. It will taste unbelievably good and you will suddenly want to drink it all, but you must restrain yourself.
I take a few deep breaths and think about the old mage’s advice. This whole transformation means so much to me, and I have to take his instructions seriously.
I take the flasks, knowing the Pixies will arrive any minute; I just have to drink the potion. I lick my lips and slowly taste a little bit of the crimson liquid. My pallet is automatically hit with the most amazing taste of smooth silky chocolate, my favourite fruit punch, and delicious sweets from Stockwell Street. I know I can’t drink it all at once, but my throat burns with an insatiable craving for more.
Suddenly, memories from my childhood start moving in front of my eyes.
I see myself with my mother. We’re cooking and I look to be around five years old. She smiles at me and hands me a brown spoon filled with icing for me to lick. She looks so beautiful and I giggle with joy. Then my father walks into the kitchen, and he kisses her deeply. It’s all so real, and I want to see more, so I taste more of the potion. Those memories are irresistible and I finish the rest of the liquid with a few greedy gulps.
Pain explodes in my stomach and I fall to my knees. The images of my parents fade away. I scream with agony and roll around on the dusty floor, holding my stomach. It feels like someone’s continuously stabbing me with a serrated knife. As the pain finally begins to ease off, I lie there, taking deep, shallow breaths, waiting for something—anything to happen. After a long moment of torment awaiting the unknown, static electricity begins running throughout my entire body, infusing me and my dragon with renewed energy. I feel its strength growing inside me with every beat of my heart. It’s invigorating.
Slowly, I make my way over to my bag and take out my mirror with great anticipation. This is the moment of truth. It looks like I didn’t have to shift. Then, I hear the Pixies downstairs.
“Astri! Astri! Don’t do this. Jetli will use her own magic if you do anything silly. The scar isn’t that bad,” Lenin says, flying above me.
I look at my reflection in the mirror, but don’t see myself at all. I don’t understand what's going on.
“Where is she, Jetli? I don’t see her. I sense her, but I can’t see her,” Lenin keeps repeating over and over again. Jetli shrugs her shoulders, looking confused and disappears to look for me in the other parts of the mill.
I don’t understand what’s happening and why they can’t see me.
“I’m here, Lenin. I’m sitting in the circle,” I say, and sudden fear paralyses me for a long moment.
Lenin screams, nearly hitting his head on the ceiling as he’s glancing around. The traveller must have tricked me into believing it was real venom or the spell simply didn’t work. I ignored his instructions and drank everything at once. The potion tasted incredible. I just couldn’t stop myself.
I don’t dare touch my face, in case my scar is still there. I can’t bear the thought if it didn’t work.
“No, no, no, this can’t be happening. It was the scar that was meant to vanish, not me,” I say, swallowing my tears. I don’t need to look in the mirror. The spell didn’t work. I’m still ugly.
“Astri, what's going on? What have you done?” Lenin asks, flying around me. Jetli’s panicking and I feel bad she looks so stressed out, unable to express herself.
“I’m invisible. The spell must have worked backwards,” I explain, standing up. Both of them stop flying frantically right in front of my face. Jetli hides behind her brother, looking frightened.
“Invisible? Wow, Astri, that’s awesome,” he says, then his sister hits him on the head. “But that was a bad move. You shouldn’t have done it. How are you going to become visible again? Do you know how to reverse it?”
I don’t know the answer, touching my face and realising the rough edges are still there. The spell didn’t work at all, and I’m shattering into a million pieces inside. Everything’s falling apart all over again. I’m going to be stuck in my aunt and uncle’s basement forever.
I tangle my hair in my hands, fall on my knees and cry. I won’t be able to take part in the contest–not like this. No one will take me seriously, but the duke has to atone for his crimes. I need to execute my revenge. It’s the only thing keeping me going right now. How will I be able to avenge my parents if I’m still scarred or unable to remove this invisibility spell?
“The Duke of Rivenna is in fact the mage who scarred me, and he’s organising …”
I tell Lenin and Jetli about the nightmare I had last night and the duke’s contest. They have no idea I spent a fortune on the dragon’s venom, hoping it would change me. I feel terrible for lying to them, and now they know everything. I sit there waiting for the spell to pass; waiting for something to happen. The invisibility can’t be permanent.
“Oh, Astri, you silly moron. You don’t have to prove anything to anyone. The scar is part of who you are. No one can stop you from
entering the contest. Jetli thinks you’re trying too hard to be perfect,” Lenin says, still trying to figure out where I am. This is the first time he’s actually made sense. “And you’re invisible. I mean how awesome is that? Imagine what you can do now!”
I laugh a little and wipe the tears away. I can’t give up and fall apart now. Lenin’s right: being invisible has its advantages. I’m resolute, telling myself I need to become visible again. I sense magical energy beginning to flow slowly through my body.
“We can see you, we can see you, Astri!”
Chapter 4
Nothing is more real than past mistakes.
Anger is potent, rushing through my system when I stare at my reflection in the mirror, sitting on the floor inside my magical circle. This wasn’t meant to happen and that damn scar might as well be a lifetime curse. Other shifters will be talking and pointing at me when I get on the stage to face the Duke of Rivenna. Today was meant to be my rebirth—my day to start fresh with the face I was born with. Instead, I was overcome with emotion from the memories of my parents and drank every last drop of the potion. I was warned. I was defeated by my own longing to be normal again—by my disability—my deformed face that passersby take one look at and judge.
I glance down at my arms, aware I was able to conquer the invisibility spell. Lenin understands. He and Jetli know about my nightmares; how I’ve been trying to find my parents’ killer for many years now. My aunt and uncle refuse to explain anything. I don’t know exactly how the mage killed my parents and most of my memories from before waking up in the hospital are blank.