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Clarissa

E ighteen days. That was how long I’d been in this kingdom.

Like the others, the Island Territory held its own unique beauty—lush, dense jungles with creatures crawling and squawking about, stunning shorelines with water that lit up like diamonds, and towering mountain peaks in the distance that cast the whole island in shadows at sunset.

The regents filled my time with so many activities at all hours of the day and night, in between touring the island and meeting the people.

Everywhere I went, I kept wondering when this evasive “Hunt” that Nox mentioned was going to pop up, but the people were just as tight-lipped as he was.

Whenever I asked about it, they would give me a smirk and pretend they didn’t hear me.

It was starting to make me a little nervous.

However, I barely had time to worry about that or assassins with the hours spent hiking in the massive jungles, rock climbing off the side of Mount Tivalor, weaving fishnets at six o’clock in the morning, and my least favorite—deep sea fishing well past sundown, with nothing but lanterns and the moonlight to guide our way.

Foxes were not meant for water, and those dinghies they took us out in did little to ease my skittishness.

I’d seen more, done more, than I had in my twenty-eight years in Veridia. It was incredible. But it was also exhausting.

Almost three weeks wearing this mask of diplomacy and knowing I was both placed on a pedestal and under a magnifying glass at the same time was wearing me down.

Especially after everything that had happened.

Before, I was determined to gain the approval of the people and the regents so Galen and I could get married and be done with this without any pushback.

Now…the idea of being shackled to him in any sort of union made bile creep up my throat.

It’s for the people , I reminded myself over and over.

Two days had passed since he almost killed Katrine, and he hadn’t emerged from his hut. Every time I checked, the curtains were drawn, and one of his personal guards was stationed at the door to ward anyone off.

I knew he was spiraling. That was what he did—something bad happened, and he burrowed so deeply in his guilt that he cut everyone off. And he should feel ashamed. But a leader couldn’t hide the way he did. His instability and flightiness were infuriating…yet part of me still felt sorry for him.

Galen was genuine but misguided. Able to sway people with a smile, but unable to trust in his own self. His past made him crave affection and approval so desperately that it crippled him. I understood now why Thorne continued to defend him after everything they’d been through.

I’d hardly seen Thorne since that night, either.

Our group would gather for dinner in the evenings with the Zelorias, and shortly after, he and the brothers would go off together, or he’d try to get Galen to talk to him.

I finally had my first free morning since we got here, and I was hoping to go find him, but to my surprise, Hector Zeloria was waiting outside my hut when I left for breakfast.

“Good morning,” I said.

“Morning, Clarissa. Up for a little target practice?”

“That depends. Am I the target?” I asked, and he raised an eyebrow. I cleared my throat. “That was a joke. Poorly timed. It’s just been a few days since anyone tried to kill me.”

“Yes, Thorne has filled us in on the adventures of your tour. I’m sorry it’s been so difficult.” He held his hand out in a motion for me to follow him, and we made our way through the main courtyard of the Base. “And, no, I planned on using actual targets. Unless you have a better suggestion.”

“What exactly are we practicing for, Lord Zeloria?”

He chuckled. “You know, I rather like that title. Far more than my brother does. Don’t tell him I said that.

” Instead of heading down the main path like I expected, Hector curved around the Base and to a clearing near the campfires we’d spent our first night at.

“We’re going to get you ready for the Hunt. ”

“ Finally ,” I said. “Nobody will tell me anything about this ridiculous Hunt. I started to think it meant I was being hunted.”

A devilish grin worked its way onto his dark features. “I apologize for the cloak and daggers, but it’s a tradition our people are very fond of here. A rite of passage, if you will. And we’re not allowed to speak of it to outsiders until they’re ready to be considered true islanders.”

“And how do I be considered a true islander?”

“You must succeed in hunting the elusive blood stag, found only on the island.”

“Sounds…anticlimactic. What’s the catch?” I asked. Tracking wasn’t exactly a challenge for me—even without my magic, my hunting instincts were strong.

He stopped walking when we reached a tree with a bow and a quiver of arrows leaning against it. About thirty yards ahead of us was another row of trees, with wooden targets painted red staked into the ground in between them.

“You have forty-eight hours to find and kill a blood stag. We’ll leave you alone in the jungles on the eastern side of the island, where it backs up into the mountain range.

” As he spoke, I looked to the east, where I could see the far coastal range rising into the clouds.

“You can take only what you can carry—including the ceremonial bow and arrow you have to use to shoot it. Bring back a piece of its red antler, and you’re an official islander of Mysthelm,” Hector finished, flourishing the end of his walking stick in front of him.

I picked up the bow and slid my fingers along the handle. “And if I don’t catch the stag?”

“You and your family will be cursed to the end of time.” He grinned, and I snorted. “You’ll face some ridicule, but nothing you can’t handle. It’s simply a fun tradition among the islanders. To prove your worth and your place in our world, especially as our future queen.”

“So, no pressure.”

“My brother and I have faith in you, after everything Thorne has told us.” The edge of his lip quirked up, but I ignored what he was implying.

“When does the Hunt start?”

“Tomorrow just after dawn.”

I dropped the bow to my side. “ Tomorrow ? Fates, you don’t waste any time, do you?”

He shrugged. “It’s tradition. But now you know and can get a little practice in before tomorrow.”

“What makes you think I need any practice?” I teased.

“Maybe you don’t. It wouldn’t surprise me.” He handed me the quiver and gave me a knowing look. “But perhaps I also thought you needed some time to yourself.”

I took the quiver, then looked across the clearing at the targets. The midmorning sun was bright on the green grass, its heat comforting against my skin. It was small, but his gesture meant more to me than he probably realized.

“Thank you, Hector,” I said softly. “There haven’t been many to show me true kindness here.

Most of the people are wonderful, sure, but they haven’t really taken the time to get to know me.

To care about what I need. So, I guess…thank you.

For noticing. And for being the only regent to not hate me,” I added with a small huff of laughter .

“That’s not the way we run things here. We don’t care about the rumors and speculation and whatever grudges the rest of them hold against Veridians.

” He waved a hand in the air. “That was all in the past. We think this alliance with you is the best decision Mysthelm has made in decades. Besides, it’s impossible for my brother and I to hate a woman our best friend has fallen madly in love with. ”

My hand clenched around the bow. I swallowed and forced a nonchalant smile on my face. “Oh, Galen isn’t in love with?—”

“We both know I’m not talking about Galen.”

I bit down on my tongue. “I’m…not sure what you want me to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything. Just shoot straight.” He patted the quiver. “Good luck tomorrow. I’m sure if you follow your heart, it will lead you where you need to go.”

He gave me one last smile and took off in the direction we’d come, his walking stick stomping through the grass and dirt.

I sighed. His words left me feeling so…unsure. Like I was floating aimlessly, an arrow launched toward a target that never found its mark. Like I was standing before the path I’d always known, and a veil had been lifted from my eyes to reveal a second.

I needed to throw sharp objects at something.

And if I was to complete the Hunt, my archery could use some practice. It had been years since I’d shot a bow and arrow. I much preferred the twin daggers I kept strapped to my thighs.

I hadn’t been professionally trained with weapons by any means, but since we’d lived in the underbelly of the capital for most of our lives, Leo and I had grown up knowing basic defense.

Our magic could only get us so far in a place like the south sector.

And once I’d formed the Sentinels, I knew we’d need to be proficient in using weapons.

We trained together for years and were lucky enough to have recruits like Chaz and Horace, who came from backgrounds with more formal combat training, who could teach us.

After a year of working with them, I was able to shoot apples straight off my brother’s head with almost any weapon of choice.

A pang of longing shot through me at the thought of my friends back home. Both the ones waiting for my return, and ones I’d never seen again.

What would they say about all of this? The danger we’d faced on the road, the hate crimes, the curses and secrets I’d had to uncover.

The choices I had to make. Lark would be torn between scolding me for not keeping more protection around, and diving into her analytical nature to try and solve problems. Chaz would say to screw it and come back to Veridia.