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  Magic

  Book Three of The Enchanted Trials

  Shelby Hild

  The darkness returns.

  Vivilyn knows two things about the Kingdom of Etilidus:

  1. Since remnants of magic are forbidden, her visions are a death sentence if anyone were to find out about them.

  2. The Enchanted Trials hold just as much danger on the move as they did remaining at Ettravil Palace.

  As the next stage of Prince Aiden’s Enchanted Trials begins, Vivilyn finally feels confident in still remaining in the Trials. But when she discovers the people think she’s a fraud because she’s been so sheltered in her life, that hard-won confidence starts whittling away. Winter looms while Prince Aiden realizes that the kingdom might not be as idyllic as he had always believed. Rivalries heat up between the women and not everyone is as she seems.

  As signs of an ancient darkness start to emerge, Vivilyn begins to fear not just for herself but for the entire kingdom.

  Copyright © 2020 Shelby Hild

  All rights reserved

  The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the author and publisher.

  ASIN: B08BG8BWMF

  Cover design by: Enchanted Ink Studio

  Printed in the United States of America

  Nancy,

  When I look back on my life and the people who helped me not only become who I am today, but really helped me begin to accept myself for who I was and am, I always think of you.

  Thank you for the unwavering support you always gave me, while still helping instill important lessons.

  While Vivilyn doesn't have an English teacher like you, I hope every teenager finds themselves with a guiding light similar to you.

  Magic is dedicated to you.

  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Next time on the Enchanted Trials:

  Acknowledgement

  The Enchanted Trials

  About the Author

  Chapter 1

  Vivilyn,

  I am so sorry it has taken me so long to sit down to write this to you.

  Vivilyn held the note from her brother close to her face. The light filtering into the carriage from the window to her right was just barely enough to enable her to read one of the letters she’d received from home. She’d only brought a few of them with her to read on the way to Crysteal Manor. All the others that she had gotten were somewhere with the rest of her stuff, wherever Malcolm had loaded her suitcases within the carriage caravan.

  Then again, since all of the letters will be taken to you at the same time, I guess you wouldn’t have known that I was writing this on the last day before the carrier returns to the palace. Which means you only know because I told you.

  Oh well.

  Vivilyn laughed quietly to herself.

  Part of why it has taken me so long to respond is because I have been busy getting travel papers prepared.

  Vivilyn reread that sentence a few times.

  “Travel papers?” she whispered to herself.

  One of the women near her in the carriage snorted and shifted her position before falling back to sleep. Brayleigh raised a single eyebrow at her from the other side of the carriage.

  “Sorry,” she whispered. She hadn’t meant to speak out loud. After slightly repositioning in her seat, she focused back on the letter in her hands.

  One of the traveling merchants that set up camp in one of the booths here mentioned to Pa last week that there has been a large shipment of naner trees recently imported to Port Shroe.

  Vivilyn sighed heavily at the mention of her father. She missed her parents so much it hurt.

  Apparently, farmers have been slowly trying to acclimate them to cooler temperatures and they think they’ve finally got a batch that can grow within the borders of Etilidus. So they will be selling some to a select few people throughout the kingdom.

  Pa thinks because of you being one of the Chosen and being known as the Lady who saved Prince Aiden that we might be able to get one or two of these trees.

  Can you imagine? Our little orchard being one of the few in all of Etilidus that has naners? I’ve never had a naner. In fact, I’m not entirely sure what they are, but still.

  She couldn’t imagine. Since she’d been chosen to participate in Prince Aiden’s Enchanted Trials, she had tried many different foods that she’d never had before, including naners. They were mushier than she liked, but they were sweet. She’d never seen such a long fruit. They reminded her of some of the peppers Suzetta grew in the garden, except rather than green or red like the things her mother grew, they were yellow.

  Anyway, Pa wants me to go since there’s way too much going on around here for him to leave. They sent in the paperwork a few days ago for finally buying our land and affording the raise in status it would bring.

  We won’t be renting much longer.

  Can you believe that? The house and the land are just three signatures away from being ours.

  Landowners, Lyn. The dream our family has had for generations.

  Vivilyn barely contained a squeal of excitement. This was one of the reasons she’d been willing to compete in the Trials. If it would help bring extra income to her family, then they would be one step closer to owning their own land. It wouldn’t make them a family of Rank, but owning their own land meant no one could take it away from them.

  Anyway, I’ve been working on getting travel papers for myself and little Iza. She is so excited that I’m taking her along. Personally, I’m a little worried to take her, what with her knack for running off on her own at a moment’s notice. But she’s promised her parents and our parents that she’ll be good.

  The little flutterbird appeared in Vivilyn’s mind trying to run through the crowded streets of a town with seagulls on buildings nearby. Duncan held tightly to her hand, speaking to her more sternly than Vivilyn had ever heard him say anything.

  “You made a promise, Iza,” he said. “We can chase the birds after we find the inn we’ve been assigned to.”

  “But I wanna chase them now!” She slipped away from Duncan and barreled directly into the legs of a man in a robe. He appeared more prepared for an official ceremony at court than a walk down the street.

  “I apologize, good sir.” She bowed her head, feigning remorse.

  The man coughed slightly, covering it with the back of his left hand, and then knelt in front of Iza. The small, brimless hat he wore slid to an angle on his bald head.

  “The birds will be here when you finish finding your room, young one,” the man said. “The room might not be there when you’ve finished chasing the birds.”

  When Duncan approached, the man stood back up and nodded to him.

  “I’m so sorry,” Duncan said, as he grabbed Iza’s hand tightly. “She’s a bit of an energetic escape artist who doesn’t look where she’s running before knocking into people.”

  “That is more than alright,” the man said.

 
“I’m Duncan Eloy of Treelyn and this is Iza Claudelle,” Duncan said, with a slight bow. The man was dressed like someone important, and Duncan didn’t want to risk offending someone on what could be the most important trip of his life.

  He cleared his throat loudly and obviously until Iza curtseyed as well. She nearly slipped out of his grasp again as she “stumbled” slightly to the right, toward the birds.

  “I am Issar of Praytha. My people will be arriving over the next few days,” he said with a slight bow back to Duncan. “It has been so long since we’ve had a delegation from my island. Normally they come from the bigger ones in Praytha.”

  “You’re from Praytha? That’s so far away!” Iza looked up at the man, awe in her eyes. “Is that why you wear a bowl on your head? It’s a little silly looking.”

  “Iza!” Duncan said sternly. “You don’t say things like that to strangers.”

  The man laughed.

  “No, it’s fine,” he said. “A child’s curiosity is her path to knowledge. We shouldn’t deny them learning.”

  He took the hat off and held it to the little girl.

  “This is a Cappata,” he said. “It designates me as the ambassador from Praytha Islands. I’m here to greet my fellow Praythans as they arrive.”

  She took the hat from Issar’s hands and set it on her own head. Then she started laughing uncontrollably. After she calmed down, something on the other side of the street caught her eye and she tried to run to get a closer look.

  “Iza!” Duncan said again. “Give the man his hat back and stand still.”

  The child huffed loudly and scowled at Duncan. After she handed the Cappata back to Issar, she noticed dark lines across the man’s wrists.

  “What are those? They look almost as strange as your hat!” she asked excitedly.

  “I’m so sorry, sir,” Duncan said. He bowed again unsteadily with one hand still on Iza’s shoulder. “You don’t have to answer that. She hasn’t learned what’s appropriate to ask and what’s not.”

  “Whatever do you apologize for?” he said. “It’s not often I get to see the joy in a child’s eyes anymore. I left a niece and three nephews back home when I accepted this position. Most people can tell who I am because I’m required to wear this.” He lifted the hat up. “I miss spending time with children. They’re so honest. It’s a nice change from the politics.” He looked away from Duncan as though remembering something and smiled. “Perhaps you’d do me the honor of joining me for dinner? I’ll explain anything your heart desires that I am allowed to answer.”

  Someone snored loudly beside Vivilyn, startling her out of the vision.

  She focused back on the letter in front of her.

  You keep doing what you’re doing, Lyn. The whole town is behind you. When you come this way again, you’ll hardly recognize the place, if only because it is covered with banners in your honor.

  If you make it down to the final hundred, I fear our little town of Treelyn might make a statue of you and set it right next to the Administrations Office. I can’t even imagine what they’ll do when you make it to the end (which you will, if the prince is as smart as he’s led all of us to believe).

  We are all immensely proud of you.

  Love you.

  Duncan

  Vivilyn lowered the piece of paper to her lap and smiled out the window. Duncan had never been outside of Treelyn, either, before the Enchanted Trials began. Now, he had not only visited her at the palace, but he was getting to go to Port Shroe. Vivilyn couldn’t help but wonder at their luck.

  Everything was looking up for her entire family.

  When she returned to Treelyn, it would be her home.

  Not just the place she grew up. Not just a piece of property that her family had been allowed to live on for generations.

  No. It would be her house.

  She looked around at the other women in the carriage, a smile still firmly set on her face. None of these women knew what it was like to not have a property under their own name. Being the only person in these trials not of Rank, she often felt as though she didn’t belong, but now? Now her family did own their land.

  Or at least they would soon. How long does it normally take to get official signatures?

  “What are you so giddy about?” Lady Clara asked as she held the back of her hand to her mouth to stifle a yawn.

  “I just read my brother’s letter,” Vivilyn said as she held the letter up, before folding it into its envelope and setting it back in the little bag she had under her seat.

  “How long have we been in here?” Lady Irene said, trying to peer around the sleeping Lady Entra. “I have to use the ladies’ room so badly.”

  Irene shifted slightly in her discomfort.

  “And I am starving.” Lady Macy groaned while holding her hands to her stomach. “It has been at least a week since we’ve stopped, I swear.”

  “Since it only takes nine hours to get from the Ettravil Palace to Crysteal Manor,” Brayleigh said, “I highly doubt we’ve been in here for that long.”

  As though the carriage driver heard their complaints, they began to slowly stop. When the door opened, Irene was already standing, obviously in discomfort, ready to dart out of the carriage.

  “Ladies,” Shareen said from the door, blocking Irene’s imminent escape. “We shall all be stopping for a little while in order to eat and stretch our legs. I’ve got token papers here. One for each of you.”

  Shareen began passing out a slip of paper to everyone in the carriage. “This will grant you one meal anywhere in the city. You can get whatever you like. They will write down what you’ve gotten on there and where you’re eating at. You will sign it when you’re done and then give that back to us when we’ve reconvened, so we know who to pay for the food. Please stay together or at least with one other person at all times.”

  “Where is the—” Irene started, but Shareen interrupted, smiling knowingly.

  “All of the buildings in the square we’re parked in have places you can relieve yourselves. We will meet back up here in an hour and a half. Don’t be late.” Shareen left the carriage, presumably to go tell the same thing to the next group.

  Irene practically darted out the door as soon as it was clear, and everyone knew where her first stop would be.

  Vivilyn was the last person to step to the ground in her group, but as she looked around the square, only a few of the other ladies had left the other carriages.

  “Viv,” Darissa called from somewhere to her right. Vivilyn smiled and walked over to her short friend.

  “I’m so glad we are stopping here,” Darissa said, clutching onto Vivilyn’s hand as they began to look around the square at the different places to eat.

  “They aren’t stalls,” Vivilyn said, slightly confused as she looked around at each of the buildings. Each one looked like a pub or a tavern. Why would one place need so many pubs in such a small area?

  “Of course not,” Darissa said as she waved to Jolene as the woman approached them from the carriage last in the convoy. “This is the restaurant square. The stalls are in the market in the center of town and on the outskirts closer to the not so great area. The market stalls are probably closed at this time, though so it wouldn’t make sense to grab food from there.”

  “Plus, why would you want to eat standing up when we can be served food sitting down?” Marisol asked as she ran up to the other three.

  “I’ve heard wonderful things about Luca’s over there,” Louise said as she joined them as well from another carriage.

  “That’s because I told you about Luca’s on the way here,” Darissa laughed as Louise shrugged. “They have the most delicious cranberry pies. I’d love to eat there.”

  They were the first of the Ladies from the Enchanted Trials to decide on a place to eat, so when they sat at the table, they ordered and got their food much more quickly than the rest that entered afterwards.

  Vivilyn started with a glass of cherry wine and a meat pie, and then
the group of them decided to share one of the cranberry pies of which Darissa spoke so highly.

  Chapter 2

  When they finished eating, Vivilyn didn’t want to sit any longer. She’d been sitting for hours, ever since they left the palace, and unless the carriages somehow grew while they were eating, she’d be sitting the next few hours until they reached their destination.

  The rest of the group, though, seemed perfectly content to sit and talk while waiting for the time they were loaded back into the carriages for the final push until they reached Crysteal Manor.

  When she stood up, Darissa looked over at her.

  “Where are you going?” she asked.

  “I think I’m going to stretch my legs a little bit,” Vivilyn replied. “With the amount of time we’re sitting around today, I want to move a bit more while we are here. You know, while I can.”

  “Do you want me to go with you?” she asked.

  Marisol looked up from her piece of the pie.

  “I can go too,” she said immediately after taking a bite, covering her mouth so she didn’t accidentally spit any of the food on the table or one of the other women. “Maybe we’ll stumble upon a bookstore or something and I can find a new book before we are stuck in another building for whoever knows how long.”

  “The closest bookstore is about three blocks away,” Darissa said as she nodded toward an alleyway near their left, “and I think it is closed already.”

  “They’d open back up for us,” Jolene said, with a laugh. “I mean we are the Chosen of Prince Aiden’s Enchanted Trials.”

  “I wouldn’t ask people to do that,” Marisol said. She shook her head and then took another bite of her pie.

  “That’s alright,” Vivilyn said in regard to the others wanting to come with her. “I won’t be long.”

  “Be careful not to leave the square,” Darissa warned. “We were told not to go off alone.” She was quiet for a moment before adding, “Are you sure you don’t want me to come along?”