1
The only sounds in the empty streets were the woman’s footsteps walking down the road with purpose and determination, no ounce of fear in her, even though it was the middle of the night.
Wise people knew not to travel at night in the Kingdom of Shadows. The kingdom was known for its danger; tales of the most horrific acts known to living beings were told beyond the kingdom's walls, overseas to other lands, making outsiders fearful to enter here.
The woman wasn’t a fool; she knew walking this time of night was risky; however, she needed to complete this task tonight and no later. She knew if this was not completed now, then it may never be. She took in a deep breath as she felt a faint fatigue roll through her. She knew there wasn’t much time left.
The cobblestone road was slick with the rain that had poured earlier in a raging thunderstorm, and the full moon that hovered in the sky reflected in the puddles that formed. The shops and houses she passed were silent, no lights streaming from them, the occupants asleep after a long day in the busy city. The only form of light was the full moon above her. Not that she needed it. She knew this city like the back of her hand. If she chose to, she could navigate this place with her eyes closed.
A gust of wind blew by, causing her to pull the cloak she had wrapped around herself tighter. A slight shiver went through her at the chill in the air. Autumn was approaching and making itself known. She tucked her white blonde hair behind her ear and pulled the hood of her cloak over her head, trying to block out the cold. A slight pain in her chest made her grimace, and she tried to block it out the best she could.
She paused in front of a medium-sized house, the only building on this block with the lights on. She heard yelling from inside, angry voices hurling vile insults that would make saints cringe at the vulgarity. She shook her head and blended in with the shadows as the voices moved to the front door of the house. The sound of shattered glass reached her ears as a chair was thrown through one of the windows. The front door splintered into several pieces of wood as a furious young man stormed out and took off into the night.
A middle-aged, stocky man stood in the doorway and yelled for the departing figure to return immediately or not come back at all. The departing figure only sent a vulgar gesture in his direction in response, never looking back once.
The middle-aged man let out a shout of frustration and kicked the remnants of the door aside.
She waited for a while, watching to ensure the young man didn’t return, then crossed the street and rang the bell that sat beside the doorway. Heavy footsteps stomped to the doorway, revealing an angry man who charged forward with his fist raised.
“I thought I told you to - Oh!” He came to an abrupt halt when he saw who stood before him, immediately lowering his fist. He blinked at her in surprise before a sheepish smile crossed his face, and he bowed. “I beg your pardon, miss. I thought you were someone else. My sincerest apologies.”
She smiled at him, appearing warm and welcoming. “You are forgiven, sir. I see I came not at the best of times, but I must speak with you.”
The man frowned. “Um, miss, it is so late in the night, and - “
“I know the night is growing, and you must desire rest, but if you would grant me a few moments of your time, you have my gratitude.”
“Um, I guess it is okay.” The man stepped aside and allowed her inside. She noted the broken glass on the floor along with broken pieces of furniture. “I apologize for the mess, before you came here -”
“That is why I am here.”
He frowned. “Excuse me? Are you here for Perry? Why?”
“Because, Jacob O’Connell, you have had a shapeshifter living in your residence for the past six years.”
Tense silence immediately filled the room. Only the sound of the clock in the corner was ticking as the seconds ticked by.
Jacob O’Connell’s face instantly paled, his jaw dropping as he gaped at her in shock, fear, and disbelief filling his gaze as he searched for words to respond with. She calmly waited, watching with silent amusement as he fumbled for what he would say next.
Finally, Jacob spoke, “Why in the world would you think that? I have never -”
She chuckled and crossed her arms over her chest. “Do not even try to talk your way out of this. I know you have been holding Perry Swanson, one of the few shapeshifters in the Kingdom of Shadows, hostage. You claimed his parents owed you a debt because you paid for them to get out of prison and threatened to turn them in if they did not pay off your debt. Now that they have passed on, you have made the boy pay off his parents’ debt, and no matter how hard he has worked, you claim the debt is still too great.
“But here is the thing, Jacob O’Connell, something very interesting I learned when researching Perry and his family: there is no debt. You never paid the prison guards to release them. No, they could not prove they were shapeshifters and had no choice but to release them. But since, at the time, you were the warden of the prison, you lied to them about paying their way out to hold them under your thumb. And now you have Perry under the same leash.
“You have threatened to expose them, endangering them to torment and anguish by others in the kingdom. His parents could hide their true nature, but given how his powers are greater than their combined, the beast inside him is harder to contain. He faces a significant risk of exposure, and you know that. That is why he has been so afraid to venture on his own for all these years.”
Fury grew in Jacob O’Connell’s eyes, his face growing red, his hands clenching into fists that seemed ready to strike. An angry sound escaped his throat, and he took a menacing step toward her, all the charm and pleasantness from moments ago replaced. “You hell forsaken bitch! Who do you think you are, coming into my home, accusing me of such heinous things? You have no idea who you are picking a fight with!”
She rolled her eyes. “I actually do, and trust me, I have faced much stronger adversaries than ten of you combined.”
An infuriated growl escaped his throat, and he pulled his fist back and swung it forward, aiming for her face. With a flash of speed, she ducked and kicked his legs from under him. He landed on the floor with a hard thud, then reached down and grabbed him by his shirt and threw him against the wall and delivered a stiff blow to his jaw, causing a crack to whip in the air, and a tooth flew and landed on the floor. He coughed and sputtered as blood dripped down his mouth, and she tightened her hold on his shirt and slammed him into the wall even harder, causing the back of his head to slam against the wood, causing him to cry out.
She pressed her forearm against his throat, hard enough to block the oxygen from reaching his lungs. His eyes bulged, making them comically wide, his face going from red to purple as he gasped. He made several attempts to fight her off, but was no match for her strength.
She arched an eyebrow at him, simultaneously bored and amused at the pathetic display he was showcasing. “Are you done now? Can we go on with this?”
“Y-yes,” he wheezed, and she released him. He fell to his knees, clutching his throat as he gasped for air.
“Good. And I want you to listen carefully. You have enjoyed having power over someone long enough, but now it is my turn. I have the power now, because I will inform the King Himself that you have had a shapeshifter in your residence without reporting him, and that can also land you in prison alongside him.”
Fear grew in his eyes. “Please, have mercy! I have a wife and kids -”
“You do not, so do not even go there.” She rolled her eyes. “Even if you did, that would not get you out of this. You have never been married or had children a day in your life because each time you tried to impress a young lady your father tried to pair you with, you were rejected with no amount of grace.”
Jacob’s face flushed with embarrassment, but he didn’t respond.
“So, Jacob O’Connell, here is what is going to happen. Listen carefully, because I do not repeat myself to anyone. Ever. As of now, you will no longer manipulate Perry Swanson, and you will never come near him again. If you so much as even glance in his direction or come within a few feet of his location, then I will gut you and hang up your remains for everyone to see. And I will do it slowly, piece by piece, and make sure you feel every single moment of it.”
The flush in Jacob’s face disappeared in an instant, his skin becoming a sickly pale. He started to shiver, and she snorted in disgust when she saw his pants start to darken. Another person who was tough in the face of those who were in a weaker position, yet when they came to face someone who could be as cruel, they became a sniveling rat caught in a trap.
“Now, I hope you have at least the common sense enough not to go after Perry or me because if you follow us or try to report us, then I will make every clock tick of your life a living Hell, and I have personally escaped Hell myself, and it is even worse than what the stories describe. I will personally create a Hell for you in this Kingdom and make sure your sentence in Hell for when you pass on will be even worse than what you experienced in the land of the living was child’s play.”
She reached down and roughly patted him on the cheek. “Well, now that is taken care of. Enjoy the rest of your evening, Jacob O’Connell, and I hope I never have the misfortune of ever encountering you again. Good night.”
With that, she swept out the door, leaving the man gasping and trembling on the floor.
She found Perry Swanson sitting in an alley several blocks away.
She hid in the shadows for a long moment, studying the young shapeshifter. He had his back against the wall, his arms lying on his knees, his shirt and trousers covered with dirt and with small tears and rips marring the fabric. His shaggy, dirty, blonde hair was as greasy as if it hadn’t been washed in weeks, dirt smudging his face, and his blue eyes filled with fury, fear, and devastation. She could see from the set of his face that he was confused and didn’t want anyone to approach him. He closed his eyes and leaned his head against the wall, exhaling deeply.
She emerged from the shadows and walked toward him. His eyes snapped open, and he stood up, eyeing her with hostility.
“Whoever you are, walk away and leave me alone,” he said curtly, glaring at her with warning.
Unphased, she stopped before him. “I am not here to cause you any trouble, Perry.”
A frown marred his brow. “How do you know who I am?”
She smiled. “I know everything about you. And your secret.”
In a flash, he had her pressed against the wall behind her, his forearm pressed against her throat. His face was inches from hers. She could see the gold flecks in his blue eyes, which burned with fury. Anyone else would have been afraid, but she wasn’t. She knew he wouldn’t hurt her.
“How do you know who I am?” he growled.
She flicked her index finger, and he was lifted into the air and pinned to the wall across from them with an invisible force. He released a shout of shock and protest and grunted, the back of his head slamming against the stone wall.
“Because I have been watching you for a long time,” she responded to his question and walked over to him. “I have a proposition for you. And before you damn me to Hell, listen to me all the way, and if you choose to walk away, then I will leave you alone.”
Perry stilled. “What kind of proposition?”
“Before I tell you, here is some information for you.”
She told him about the lie Jacob O’Connell had told him for years and watched as he grew angrier with every word she spoke. It took several moments to calm him enough for her to release her hold on him and to be sure he would not take off and find Jacob O’Connell.
Perry sighed, ran his hand through his hair, and glanced over at her quizzically. “Why did you help me be free of him? What is in it for you?”
“I want you to work for me in my mansion.”
His face twisted in disbelief. “You went through all of this just so I could be a housekeeper?”
She smirked and shook her head. “I would have thought by now you would realize I am no ordinary person, since I did use my powers to hold you against the wall over there.”
His eyes widened as though finally realizing what happened. “You are a witch!”
“A sorceress!” she snapped. “I hate that word to no end. You address me as a sorceress if you know what’s good for you.”
He held his hands up in surrender. “My apologies.”
She regained her composure and continued. “Well, since I am not an ordinary person, I do not possess an ordinary mansion, and I need people who are not ordinary to help me keep it contained.”
“Contained?” Perry said. “What do you need to be contained?”
“Magical creatures, rogue spells, a lot more stuff that is hard to explain unless you see it in person.”
He took a step toward her. “I want to see.”
“Only if you agree to work with me will I show you. I do not let outsiders even near my home.”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “I will not agree to anything unless I see at least a part of your mansion and you tell me how you even knew about my family.”
Irritation and respect rose inside her. Irritated since she needed his agreement soon, and respect for not agreeing so soon and rashly, wanting to see all his cards before he decided to play.
“I knew so much about you because when I returned to this part of the Kingdom, I sensed magical beings and used my powers to uncover your family’s past. I know you will forever hate Jacob O’Connell for the rest of your days, but you might feel a small amount of satisfaction to know that after I met him, he soiled his trousers.”
Perry let out a brief laugh before growing serious again. “And the mansion?”
She smiled and gestured for him to follow her. “This way.”
“Well?” she asked Perry several hours later, after showing him a small glimpse of what occurred in her mansion.
Perry stood beside her, statue still, staring up at her mansion in a frozen expression of awe and intrigue. He continued to stare as though he hadn’t heard her.
“Perry?”
“Huh?” he snapped his head to her and stared at her as though he had somehow forgotten she was even there.
“Have you come to a decision?”
She knew what his answer would be before he spoke.
“I am. But you never told me your name.”
“Ursula.”
