Page 12 of Heir of the Beast

“This is simple, ladies, and again, I am sorry we are rushing through everything. You each will place your hands into the Bowl of Destiny and Fate will determine what you will be in this challenge. A princess or a pauper.

“This is crucial, for you may not change this once a title has been given to you.”

My eyes widen. So it’s like the Harry Potter hat.

I hear murmurs all around the room, some excited and some worried. I, myself, have very mixed emotions coursing through my body, like lunatics escaping from the institution.

But I am mostly…excited. I am glad Fate gets to pick. It makes it more exciting. Because we all know everyone would choose to be a princess. Duh.

“After you get your title, we will talk briefly about Delorith, the world you will be traveling to. Then you will be able to change three things about yourself to help you ensnare the heart of Apollo Augustus Garthorn.

“You may choose to change appearances or to master an ability. This choice is yours and yours only.”

“Wow,” I whisper. Cherie turns toward me with wide eyes and whispers an OMG. I smile and glance back.

Apollo Augustus Garthorn. He sounds hot and powerful, and I am so curious to see what this dark ruler looks like. Cute? Handsome? Average? Sexy? I ponder this.

He’s got to be easy on the eyes, right? Maybe he isn’t, and that’s why no girl has worked. Crap. That would be difficult. Maybe he is funny. I could do funny.

“All right, we will talk more after titles.” He stands up just as Zora, the Fairy Godmother, walks in. She looks composed, unlike earlier.

Standing by Charming, she says, “Please, let us begin. There is no turning back now. There is the door if you wish to leave. If not, let’s not waste Fate’s time.”

I suddenly feel very nervous—sick, even. This is real. There is no turning back. No turning back.

I swallow and stand up with everyone else, taking a nervous breath.

Well, Viola, looks like you’re going to take the blue pill and escape the matrix.

Bring it on.

Chapter 3

I accept and sign the official Fairytale Challenge contract. I probably should worry that I didn’t read every little detail, but time was apparently of the essence.

I pale. Oh my gosh. I’m like those idiot girls in horror movies who run to the creepy shed full of weapons instead of the only working truck on the property.

Hey, but I was in, baby.

Glancing around the room and watching everyone else sign their name is unnerving.

I really hope I didn’t just make the biggest mistake of my life. And that would be a very big mistake considering all my other bad life choices.

Positive thoughts.

The only girl who doesn’t stay is the Latino woman, whose name I never caught. She says that this is a twisted freak show. A trap, something underground and illegal.

Does she have a point?

I’m getting nervous now. Maybe she is the only one with some real sense of danger, not buying into this fairytale. The rest of us must look like dumb sheep, gullible bunnies.

Suddenly, the urge to flee is as bad as trying not to itch a mammoth-sized bug bite.

Too late. Charming is instructing everyone to line up and start the next phase—meaning the birdbath of Fate.

Taking a shaky breath, I keep repeating to myself that this is going to be a blast, and nothing terrible is going to happen. I plaster a smile on my face and get in line.

This is going to be great. Amazing. Nothing to worry about!

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