Once upon a Midnight | BOOK I

Thirteen

"My name is Fiona Pendragon," the blonde woman said. Her voice was high and mighty, and it carried as much respect as the regal robes she was wearing. "I will be conducting this trial."

The thirteen of us stood before her like pupils in front of their teacher. We were undoubtedly in the famous Forest of Night. A gigantic tree stood behind Fiona, and its leaves glowed a bright blue, along with the numerous runes scribbles on the bark of the tree. I was glad to have crossed out one of the magickal places I wanted to visit from my list. Though I would've preferred if we were at this place for another reason entirely. This forest was where dark elves, the first to use Dark magic, founded dark magic. Based on the stories I've read, the elves perform various dark and dangerous rituals which in turn attracted vile and dark creatures to the area. It's always nighttime in the forest, hence it's name, and the only source of light is the glowing tree before us and a few other ones scattered around the forest.

"The rules of this trial are simple," she continued. She let each words out of her mouth carefully, it was as if she were a politician giving a speech to the people, or perhaps an actress playing the role of an English queen. "All you have to do is get out of this forest. No familiars. No flight spells, and certainly, no teleportation. I wouldn't attempt either of those spells if I were you."

Angela bursted out laughing and quickly held her hand to her mouth. She tried and failed at concealing the laugh, and in no time, Mikoto joined in, her laughter rising higher than Angela's. Their laughs went dead quiet immediately Fiona glared at them with her dark brown eyes. She managed to wear an expression of anger and amusement at the same time.

"I'm surprised only one of you died in the last trial," she said softly after placing all of us under a powerful magickal pressure. "You're all a bunch of joke to me, and I seriously can't believe we're counting on the lot of you to seal the shadow queen. Could've as well packed a bunch of Russian sorcerers to do the job. Make no mistake, more than one of you will die tonight." She frowned a little and moved closer to Hannah, who was wearing a black cloak. "You're cursed," she said. "There's no way you'll survive this trial with that curse."

A roar pierced the night as a wyvern flew down from the sky. Its scales were golden and it had a sagacious face, annointed with horns and spikes. It roared at us when it landed beside Fiona. The sorceress mounted the dragonesque creature and turned back to us. "See you at the finish line," she said. The wyvern flew into the dark sky, leaving me gawking at its magnificent form.

"That was intense," Ronald said. The albino shoved his hand into the air and a knife appeared in it. He looked at me momentarily before placing the knife in a compartment in his boot.

"Hannah, you're cursed?" Robert asked. Those words seemed to turn everyone's attention towards the cloaked girl who was attempting to move away.

"It's nothing serious," said Hannah, her voice sounding hoarse. "I'll deal with it in no time."

"Are you sure? Do you want us to take a look at it?" I asked, feigning concern.

Hannah hissed. "I don't need your pity, shadow witch." I frowned. It seemed like she hadn't learnt her lesson. I moved closer as fast as I could and yanked the hood off her face before she could resist. I heard a gasp behind me and a loud laugh. A content smile claimed my face at the sight before me. Half of her once smooth face was now coarse and hard like the bark of a tree, or the surface of a rock. She had a few twigs and leaves growing out in various sides of her face, and her eyes were a dark brown.

"Bitch," she hissed at me and quickly placed the hood over her face again. She was too late, everyone had clearly seen it, at least, those that remained. From the corner of my eyes, I saw Ayesha and Tiakken leave the clearing and go into the foggy dark forest. Edward shifted closer with a packet of crisps in his hand which he slowly munched on as he observed Hannah.