Shifted Human

© 2024 Anna T. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, copied, distributed, or adapted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except as permitted by UK copyright law.

The story, all names, characters, and incidents portrayed in this production are fictitious. No identification with actual persons (living or deceased), places, buildings, and products is intended or should be inferred.

Book Cover by © 2024 Anna T.

Chapter 1

The small purple flowers that fill the floor crunch beneath my feet, I can smell the pleasant fragrance drifting up toward me, taking me back to a time I had almost forgotten about. The pure, unadulterated magic that created the magical plant that spreads out before me like some disease grasping onto everything in its path and consuming it, pulses in the air, I can feel it brushing against my flesh as I move closer to the circle of stones used by the fairies a time now past. Images of that consequential night so many moons ago flashed through my mind, and even though I lost the queen I so desperately needed to complete the ritual and give me the monumental power I needed to free my kin, I could feel the new queen’s presence. Her magic is like a siren calling out to me on a fog-filled night, her power radiating just beneath the surface and I will do whatever it takes to free that power and take it for myself.

“Are you sure this is the place?”

I turned to look at the witch I had coerced to help me, feeling my annoyance bubbling at her stupidity. I step closer, making the bell around my neck chime as I make the sudden movement, but I also make the witch step back, I can smell her fear seeping from every single pore on her curvy figure.

“Are you questioning me?”

“N...no.” she stutters, making the corners of my lips curl up with delight.

“This is where I took my sword and drove it through the queen's chest. This spot where you stand is where her heartbeat for the last time, where she took her last, agonising breath as her blood filled her lungs, and this will be where you will take your last agonising breath if you do not summon the new queen to me.”

The witch's eyes filled with clear liquid, making her brown eyes glisten in the moonlight, she nodded her head and dropped to her knees, opening a large bag she carried on her shoulder and began to pull things out, placing them on the mystical purple flowers that hid the ground that was once stained a deep maroon from the queens blood just beneath her.

I walked around the witch watching her carefully. Her dark skin had a sheen of sweat coating it, and her dark unruly hair looked wild as the moonlight shone through it. Her back tensed up, but she never looked up, concentrating on the task at hand. I had waited centuries for the new queen to be born, centuries of roaming this world in solitude, just waiting until she was finally here and now that time had finally come. 24 years ago I felt a shift in this plane of existence, a shift I was drawn to 400 years ago. The new queen had finally been born. I grew tired of roaming this world searching for her, now I was taking matters into my own hands and bringing her to me, back to the place where I snuffed out that bright, life-giving light from the last queen's eyes, quite poetic really that she would also take her last breath here in the very spot her predecessor did.

“This is going to be difficult if you don't know who she is.” the witch complained.

“If I knew who she was, I wouldn't need you now, would I?” I snarled, growing tired of her insolence.

The witch picked up a bottle of serpent blood and poured it out onto the ground around herself, creating a circle. Next, she poured some of the bitterweed essence into a large golden bowl and some of the blood I had generously given. She raised her arms over the bowl, creating a flame that erupted up into the air. I could feel the witches' magic encircling me, a warm breeze enveloped me, vanishing suddenly as the flame disappeared back into the golden bowl. Next, she picked up a piece of twine, dipping it into the bowl, soaking it in the mixture she had created. She pulled it out slowly and began to quietly chant under her breath. She leaned across, picked up a large silver dagger and began to cut the twine. The wind howled loudly as it roared around her. I could see the witch's hair flailing around her face, but she didn't seem to notice, her already dark eyes looked pitch black now. If I wasn't so powerful, I might have actually been afraid of this witch. The wind dropped and the witch looked up, her smile sinful, but rousing.

“It is done. Her life will begin to fall apart, she will lose everything and everyone in her life and she will be drawn here to you. You can rest now, the new queen will be yours, and she will come willingly to you.”

I walked around the witch again, stopping in front of her.

“How long will it take? I grow tired of these humans.”

“It is already in motion.”

I turned back toward the town, leaving the witch to gather her things. The trees that surrounded this empty land were ancient but very few exist now. The last time I was here, the land was full of vibrant trees that filled the air with freshness, but the humans that had infested this once peaceful world had cut them down to make their homes to the now overpopulated world that these humans had consumed.

“Wait!” she cried, forcing me to stop.

“Can I have my brother back now?”

“You can have him back when I know your little spell has worked.”

“BUT!”

I grabbed the little witch by her throat, squeezing until she began to gasp for breath. Her face began to turn red and her long fingernails clawed at my wrist as she tried to free herself.

“Do not cross me, witch! When and only when the new queen is here may you have your brother back. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?”

I dropped her to the ground, ignoring her coughing as I headed back through the forest. This place was full of supernatural creatures, but I wasn't scared of any of them. In fact, I was going to enjoy myself whilst I waited for the new queen to arrive. I had already made the headlines in those human tabloids during my search for the queen, so now I was going to play with the wolves that claimed this land as their own. After all, I owed the wolves a debt, and I was going to enjoy paying it back.