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P R O L O G U E

The leaves rustled as power washed through them stripping them completely bare, their vibrant green color now fading into a dull brown. Shivani sighed as she held one of the leaves in her hand and it crumbled. Her mother was going to be mad at her again.

“Pervivo.” Shivani whispered softly to the leaves. Her mother always says Latin is the language of power but it wasn’t working. She cussed under her breath and stood up. Her tunic was now stained with mud. Her destructive powers didn’t only kill the leaves. It also changed the once extremely fertile soil into fast sinking mud. She will never be able to live this down with her mother.

She made her way into the house slowly prepared to be scolded by her mum. Her mum, Achlys, sat down on her favorite woven chair. Shivani stopped in front of her mother and shut her eyes hoping to the ancestors that her mother doesn’t go into rage like she usually did when Shivani fails.

“Sit, girl.” Her mother’s voice taking the usual calm and chilling tone. She was a formidable woman with her long dark hair and her caramel toned skin, the same with Shivani. The only difference was that Shivani’s hair was a fiery red from a spell gone wrong. Shivani sat in front of her mother waiting for the scolding to come.

“Mother-” She started when it looked like her mother was taking too much time to talk. “I tried really hard with the spell this time, I promise.”

“I do not care. You have always been a failure and it doesn’t look like it will change anytime soon.” Her mother was right. She was just a defective witch with a dirty tunic and ugly flowy pants.

“I am sorry, mother.” Shivani wrapped her arms around herself.

“You always are.” Achlys sneered. “I don’t have time to discuss another one of your many failures, I am here to talk about something more important.” Shivani wondered what it was. Her mother never lets her go this easily especially not when she just destroyed a portion in her beloved garden. “This is a way for you to finally prove yourself. You have no choice.”

“Yes, mother.” As if Shivani didn’t know. Everything that comes out of her mother’s mouth is an order.

“You are getting married soon. It’s for the greater good—the treaty.” Shivani’s head spun wildly until she was woozy and she just wanted to drop dead.

“The treaty?” She finally managed to ask her mother who was still a picture of calm. Not at all behaving like someone who’d just upturned her daughter’s entire life.

“Between werewolves and witches.” She gestured for Shivani to come over and placed her hands into Shivani’s. “You will be getting married to Lukov. He is a prince. I have always wanted you to marry into a royal family.” Achlys said with a toothy smile.

“But mother, werewolves are dangerous. I could get killed.”

“We all have to make sacrifices sometimes. This time, you are the sacrifice.” Achlys stood up abruptly and went into her chambers leaving Shivani with a new knowledge; her own mother wanted her dead.