The Royal Hunting Grounds were a sea of emerald silk tents and golden banners. The air smelled of expensive perfume, horse sweat, and the underlying tension of a thousand hidden daggers. As our carriage pulled up, the whispers followed me like a physical weight. The Witch is here.
I stepped out, making the crowd gasp. My dress was dark as a raven's wing, high-collared but with a scandalous slit from the thigh and an off-shoulder cut that no "proper" lady would dare to wear. Mia followed right behind me, her presence the only thing keeping me grounded.
Ishu was already there, positioned perfectly at the Queen's right hand. She looked ethereal in white and gold, her "Saint" persona fully bloomed. She didn't look at me; she looked past me, as if I were already a ghost.
"The Witch of Regulus," a low, rasping voice vibrated near my ear. It was the Duke. He leaned against a nearby pillar, his eyes roaming over my healed neck with predatory hunger. "You look remarkably well for someone who was nearly a meal for the wolves last month."
"I'm a difficult thing to digest, Duke," I replied.
He stepped closer, his hand briefly brushing my sleeve—scandalous behavior in public. "Good. I prefer my prey to have some fight in them."
Before I could retort, Arwin stepped between us, his hand landing heavily on my shoulder. "Iris is my fiancée. Her safety is my concern alone."
The two men locked eyes, animosity thick enough to start a war. I pulled away from Arwin's grip, my skin crawling. "Can you two stop and just start the hunt?"
As the bugle sounded, the traditional "favor" exchange began. Ladies were expected to give an embroidered handkerchief to their crush or lover. Mia had been nagging me for weeks, so I had finally made one. The Duke and the Prince both looked at me expectantly.
"What?" I asked.
"Has the little lady not prepared something?" the Duke teased.
"My beloved surely has it for me," Arwin added.
I pulled out the handkerchief. Their eyes tracked it like hawks. "Take it. I really don't care who gets it."
I tossed it into the air. Arwin didn't move fast enough, but the Duke caught it as if it were the most valuable treasure in the empire. He snapped it open, expecting a sweet floral design. Instead, he saw my "effort"—a crude, mocking embroidery of an ugly toad. The Prince realized what it was and scoffed, but the Duke just smirked and tucked it into his pocket. Asshole.
After changing into clothes more suitable for the hunt—sturdy pants and a shirt—I headed out with Mia.
"Stay close, Mia," I whispered as we stepped onto the forest path for the ladies' hunt.
The first hour was quiet—too quiet. Then, the ground trembled. A Shadow-Crested Boar, dripping with necrotic slime, lunged from the thicket. It ignored everyone else. It was charging straight for me. I reached for an arrow, but it was too fast.
"Iris!" Arwin shouted, too far away. The Duke lunged forward, his face a mask of panic, but even he wasn't fast enough.
"My Lady!"
A body slammed into me, throwing me into the dirt. I hit the ground hard, gasping for air. When I looked up, I didn't see the monster. I saw Mia. The boar's tusk had caught her side, lifting her before tossing her against a jagged oak. The sound of her body hitting the wood was a sickening thud.
"MIA!" I screamed.
The Duke arrived then, severing the beast's head in a single stroke of fury, while Arwin rushed to pull me away. "Iris, are you hurt? Look at me—"
I shoved him away so hard he stumbled. I crawled to Mia. The crimson blood was soaking through her uniform, turning the earth black. "Mia... Mia, look at me," I sobbed, pressing my hands against the wound.
She reached up, her fingers stained red, and touched my cheek. "You... you aren't hurt, my lady?" she whispered. Even at death's door, she was worried about me. Her eyes began to fade.
I looked at the pavilion. Ishu was standing by the Queen. She wasn't shocked. She was smiling.
Suddenly, more roars echoed. A pack of monsters began to swarm the grounds. My father, Wayne, and the Duke were forced into a frantic battle. Arwin tried to grab my arm to drag me to safety.
"We have to go, Iris! Now!"
"No!" I screamed.
The rage and fear rose through me at once. My vision tuned to black. I didn't feel like a lady anymore. I knew I was heading straight toward the monsters, and God help anything that stood in my way.