Chapter 9

E verything about Mateo's bed felt wrong. The plump feather mattress beneath him smothered his body like quicksand. The soft silk sheets over him clung to him like chilled water. He flung his covers off with a grunt. Sitting on the bed's edge, he missed the stone rocky floors of his room. He yearned for the thin cotton blanket fashioned from cheap threads that reminded him of his life and that place he called home. Swaddled in luxury in Stromm Palace, he would have passed for an entombed yet villainous god. Lirien and Gareth would have laughed at him for a lifetime and called him Your Highness.

Gleaming moonlight streamed through the open window. The soft light brightened a large spot on the floor. Stormshroud should be there, curled up, paws twitching. He'd been caring for her since that night he and his father found her. So small and frail, he'd bundled her up as soon as they got home. He used a cloth to drip water into her mouth. For food, he crushed insects into a paste and fed her small portions. She whimpered at night, and he was never sure if it was due to missing her pack or just being so small. But every time he wrapped her in his arms and held her to his chest, she stopped.

Was she okay? What about his father and little Floriana? He prayed to the Sun, Moon, and Stars that her sweet heart still struck a beat. She had to be alive. He was not about to let another loved one leave him. His mother would have been proud of him and his quest for the benefit of the Sublands.

He rubbed his face, forcing away his worries for his family. He needed to focus. Today he would see the prey for the hunt and later attend the dreaded ball. He would size up the competition there. Tomorrow he would hunt. The hours could not pass quickly enough.

He paced the room. His legs tingled and ached unless he moved. His mind raced with the day's upcoming events. When the sun shone bright enough to wake up the palace, he dressed in his green pants. He put his black shirt on inside out and his brown boots on the wrong feet. He slowed down. He needed to relax. With everything on the right way, he sheathed his dagger at his waist and then made his way to the receiving room for breakfast.

He was the first one there. The ice princess was probably still asleep in her bedchamber. Or maybe she was eating golden flakes for breakfast with the High King and High Queen. Either way, she was sure to be surrounded by servants. He stifled a growl. Stop thinking about her. She is your natural enemy by birth and by the rules of the hunt.

Maid Nia approached him with a quick stride. She was wearing the same outfit as the day before, all-white maidservant attire. But today, she wore a yellow ribbon in her hair instead of the blue one.

"Good morning. I see you are an early riser." Her head tipped, and she glanced over his left shoulder. "Will your party be joining you?"

"They may later. Right now, it is only me. Thank you." Though he knew he could not escape them all day, he wanted to be away from the manipulative mouths of Lady Verona and Rhyka for as long as possible.

"That is fine. The food has been prepared. You may help yourself." Maid Nia motioned to a row of tables along the back wall filled with generous helpings of eggs, cheeses, fruits, and warm breads. The aroma of dripping butter and crushed garlic on that bread made his stomach grumble like Stormshroud's before devouring a desert rat. This spread would've fed a hundred Sublanders.

He loaded his plate and sat at the room's far end. After a few bites, the other hunters strolled in. First, Finnian, and then Eiric, followed by Selene. They served themselves and then sat together. Now and again, Selene glanced his way and then smirked with her paper-thin lips. No doubt the other hunters plotted against him. They should have held up a sign. "Us Against Him." Who cared? He didn't want to ally himself with those highborn losers anyway.

Would the ice princess join their devious designs? Probably. Highborn scum always stuck together. He'd have to wait and see to know for sure.

After his last bite, he searched for an empty basin or other receptacle for his dirty dishes. Nia scurried over. "I will take that for you."

Of course, she would. "Thank you."

"You are welcome. When you are ready, I will show you to the training circle in the garden, where Master Kragar will meet you later."

He did not need an escort. "No, thank you. I think I can find it myself." In the night, Mateo had passed a large grassy circular area set up for archery practice, so he knew where to go.

She half bowed to him. "Very well. Enjoy your day, then."

He made his way toward the exit and passed the other hunters. "Lowborn scum," a male voice hissed.

Mateo froze. He slowly turned around. "Which one of you highborn leeches said that?" He hoped someone would answer. He was more than ready to let out his frustration.

Selene's eyes grew wide. The other two hunters crossed their arms and remained silent.

He patted the dagger sheathed at his side. "Cowards." Of course, the highborn would not back up his words with actions. Mateo began walking away when a chair slid across the floor with a screech.

Eiric rose with his chest puffed out. "There are no cowards at my table, lowborn."

He smiled and sauntered over. Today was his lucky day. He got up in the highborn's smug face. "I think there are." He jammed his finger against Eiric's chest and pushed. "And you are the biggest one."

The silver-haired hunter swung. Mateo sidestepped in a flash, backhanding Eiric with a punch to the nose, sending a spray of garnet-red blood into the air.

Mateo smirked. "Hey, we bleed the same color."

Finnian sprang to his feet. Mateo readied himself to face the beefy hunter when Eiric hurled a chair against his back, allowing Finnian to double-punch him in the face. Mateo spun, chairs flying. He landed on Selene, who grabbed her fork and stabbed at his hand. He pulled away in the nick of time.

"Too slow," he sneered.

Pushing himself away from her, Mateo spat out a wad of blood. He eyed Eiric and Finnian. Two against one—no problem. He could take them. He charged when someone grabbed the back of his shirt and yanked him to a halt.

"Enough!" Master Kragar's booming voice filled the room. "No fighting in the palace!"

Mateo backed away, hands in the air. "I was not fighting." He glanced at Eiric, who was holding his nose. "Only making friends. Right?"

"Out!" Master Kragar yelled. He jerked his thick thumb toward the exit and shook his head. "If you are finished with your nourishment, Sublander, then take your leave."

"My name is Mateo." He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, staring down at the dwarf. "Mateo Vela of the Sublands." The dwarf should have learned the name by now.

Kragar's lip curled. "Out of here before it is too late for you."

Mateo eyed the hunters. Adding Kragar to the mix would make for terrible odds. He'd have to settle the fight with Eiric and Finnian during the hunt. As for Kragar, he made a mental note…maybe another time.

Mateo tipped his head. "See you all later, then."

Avalynn's door burst open as she gathered up her boots, and Lily dashed in. The young princess wore a bright, shining face. Her eyes sparkling. "Mateo got in a fight."

"What? With whom?" Avalynn asked, her mind jumbled at the surprising news.

"The other hunters."

She sat on the bed's edge and slipped her tall black boot over her black pants. She was still processing what her little sister had said.

Nia swept through the doorway next, dressed in white. Her slippers flitted across the floor. Her eyes shimmered. "My lady?—"

Avalynn finished the maid's thought. "The Sublander was in a fight, I know."

"Did you see it? Were you there?" Lily tugged at Nia's flowing skirt.

"I was, little princess." Nia bent at the waist and raised her brows. "It was during breakfast. Eiric swung at the Sublander?—"

"Did he get Mateo?"

"No, little princess. The Sublander sidestepped Eiric and then hit his nose. Blood spurted."

Lily gasped. "Oh. I bet that hurt."

Avalynn laced her boot. "I wonder what they said to him."

"You think the Sublander was provoked?" Nia asked.

"I do." Lily piped in. "He is way too lovely. A lovely person like him would never start a fight."

Avalynn embraced Lily by the shoulders. "What did I tell you about looks not mattering?"

"I think maybe for Mateo Vela, they should matter." Lily chuckled, then broke away from Avalynn's grasp.

"Looks aside…" Nia nodded her head. "The Sublander is out of his element. I doubt he would have started anything."

"He is exactly the sort of person who would start something." Avalynn grabbed her boot. "You saw what he did at the procession, Nia."

"What happened after the Sublander hit Eiric in the nose?" Lily lay on Avalynn's bed and rested her hands under her chin. "Tell me everything."

Nia continued. "Well, after the Sublander hit Eiric, he readied himself for Finnian. But then Eiric threw a chair at his back, allowing Finnian to strike the Sublander when he was not looking."

Lily slammed her hands over her mouth. "Please tell me he did not bleed and that he is still beautiful!"

"He did not bleed."

Lily sighed with relief. "Good. That was not fair of Finnian!"

"Life is not always fair, Lily," Avalynn reminded her sister for the thousandth time. She finished lacing her boot and started on the other. Suddenly, her task to make sure the Sublander came in last seemed more difficult than she'd once thought. Good thing she had the others to help her. She would need to solidify their alliance at the training circle. Maybe even come up with a plan.

She rose and threaded her black belt between the loops. She straightened the collar of her purple shirt. "How do I look?"

Lily smiled. "Beautiful and strong."

Avalynn knelt and pushed Lily's long silver hair behind her sharply pointed ears. "More so than the Sublander, little sister?"

"Of course, my future queen. None in this land can outshine my big sister."

"Most definitely." Nia picked up the silver tray from the bedside table. It held delicate crystal vials. "All you need to complete your look is your oils. I have two for you to choose from." She pointed to a pink one. "This one features rose and geranium." Then she pointed to a green one. "This is a blend of amber and jasmine. "

"Pink, pink," Lily encouraged as she clutched her chest. "It is so romantic."

Romantic? Did Avalynn want to be romantic with Mateo? Her hand hovered in midair. She and Mateo shared opposing destinies. She needed to remember that. She snatched the green vial. "This one is perfect."

"Boring." Lily scrunched her nose.

"I am preparing for a hunt, little princess. Not a courting season." Avalynn dabbed the oil on her wrists. With a slight turn, she ran her finger down her neck, spending extra time with the oil between her bosom. If she came in close contact with Mateo, it would not hurt to smell her best.

Avalynn saw three crates upon her arrival at the training circle. They were set out in a triangular shape around the grassy area. Mateo bent over one crate by himself, peering at the Shadowblood foxes inside. From her vantage point, she could see a bandage near his right eye and signs of a swollen lip. Selene and Eiric stood together at another crate. Eiric sported a bandage across the bridge of his nose. Finnian appeared unscathed and stood alone at the third.

The bright sun made it easy to see the sleek black fur of the foxes inside. Another scan of the setup showed no coverings around. Nobody but her would know of their disappearing abilities. Good. Alliance or not, she would keep that strategic piece of information to herself. The others would find out in their own time and in their own way.

She walked past Mateo and stopped next to Finnian, who bowed. "Princess Avalynn. "

"Finnian."

She kept an eye on Mateo without directly looking at him. Finnian inched closer. He lowered his voice to a whisper. "Are you still with us?"

She watched Mateo study the foxes. His face hovered close to the bars, without a care for the danger within. That fool had no idea what he was dealing with. "Yes. I am in," she said.

Boots stamping, arms swinging, and axe clanking, Master Kragar trudged in. His long, curly red hair was braided down his back. He stopped in the middle of the triangle. He drew his axe from the sheath and began using the weapon as a pointer. "In these crates are the Shadowblood foxes you will be hunting. One for each of you. The task is simple. Capture the buggers and bring them dead or alive to the spot where you will set out in the morning." He jerked his axe toward the palace. "Over there."

He paced in a circular motion. "Each fox is magicked so that when it is captured, a signal will be sent into the air for all to see." He threw his axe into the ground. It landed with a thud. He cupped his hands in front of his stocky chest. "The forest has also been magicked, creating a boundaried hunting area designed to keep the prey somewhat contained. The magic will keep them within that boundary." A mischievous grin spread across his ruddy face. "It will not harm you if you touch it, but it will sting…only a bit."

He slammed his hand around his axe and yanked it out of the grass. "There will be no killing of each other. No exceptions. Though if you die by other means, then you die by other means." He spit over his shoulder. "You are allowed one weapon of your choosing. Makes no matter to me or anyone else what it is. You will also receive a prepared satchel to take with you."

Kragar's face turned cold. He dropped his voice low. "The final hunter to cross the finish line loses the hunt and his or her life, followed by the banishment of that loser's province. By decree of the High King and High Queen. Let it be so."

Master Kragar let his words sink in for a moment, his stare fixing on each hunter in turn. When he got to Avalynn, she detected a sorrowful sentiment in his hunter-green eyes. Did he think she would lose? She did not like his look at all.

He tossed his axe from one hand to the other. "The Gala of the Hunter's Moon will take place at nightfall in the Grand Ballroom." He pointed his axe at Mateo. "There will be no fighting." He leveled the Sublander with a warning look before circling back to Eiric. "Not during the gala and not after. You all are guests and will act with respect to your hosts." He rested his axe on his shoulder. "You all have lots of prettying up to do for tonight's big shindig." He burst out laughing and shouted, "Now get out of here!"

Without so much as looking at Avalynn, Mateo spun on his heels and left the training circle. He carried himself as if he were the most skilled fighter in all of Faevenly, from royal lineage, and not a lowborn.

"I would rather kill that lowborn than try to beat him," Eiric seethed as he and Selene joined her and Finnian. "The rules be damned."

Selene shrugged. "Perhaps an arrow could accidentally miss its mark and land in his pretty eye. That would put him in last place."

"Kill him? And risk the wrath of the High King and his witch?" Finnian's eyes stopped blinking. "I would not want their punishment."

Their idle, useless, and cowardly words floated in one of Avalynn's ears and jetted out the other. She needed the best to manage and defeat Mateo, the Sublander. Her task required a way for him to come in last while she came in first. The other hunters combined couldn't beat him even if he slept. She must not rest her fate on them. She needed to partner with somebody who could match the Sublander.

A wild answer presented itself like a flash of steam from the Enbarr's muzzle.

Form an alliance with the brash Sublander. Convince him like only she could that she wanted to work together. Then, at the last moment of truth, sabotage him. He would never know what hit him. She would prevail, make her father proud, and solidify her place as the future queen of Faevenly.