Elara POV
I sat in my room. The silence felt heavy.
I looked at my hands. They were clean. I had washed away the blood of Morgana.
I killed my trusted maid to save my own life. Now I have to do the dirty work myself. I no longer have a shadow to walk the dark halls for me. The air in the chamber felt cold.
I missed the presence of my servant. I did not miss her soul. I missed her utility.
I stood up. I paced the stone floor. My silk dress hissed against the rug.
I have spent years building my position in this palace. I will not let a girl from nowhere destroy it.
I sent a message through a page. I sent for Cook Damien. He is a man of low morals and high greed. He is perfect for my needs.
He arrived ten minutes later. He kept his head down. He wore his white kitchen tunic. It was stained with grease at the hem. He looked nervous. He should be nervous.
"Why have you not used what I gave you yet?" I asked.
I did not offer him a seat. I stood by the window. I watched the guards in the courtyard below.
"I tried, My Lady." Cook Damien said.
His voice was thin.
"But the ghost chef is like a hawk. Sophie always stays with the food. She stays from the moment the fire starts until the plate is served. She does not leave the kitchen. She does not even turn her back."
"You are a master of that kitchen." I said.
I turned to face him. I let my eyes narrow.
"You have worked there for twenty years. She has been there for weeks. Are you telling me a child is smarter than you?"
"She is careful." Damien replied.
He wiped sweat from his forehead.
"She keeps her spices in a locked box. She watches every hand that moves near her pots."
"I heard about the competition." I said.
I walked toward him. I stopped a few inches away.
"The northern clan is here. There will be a great match. I know Cook Silas and you will be her assistant cooks. The Alpha will chose you because you have more experience and expertise than the others. This is the perfect time for you to use the poison."
"The Alpha wants us to help her win." Damien whispered.
"I want her to fail." I said.
I reached into my pocket. I pulled out a small glass vial. The liquid inside was clear as water. It has no smell. It has no taste.
"This is the perfect time. The kitchen will be chaotic. There will be three northern chefs. There will be fire and steam. She cannot watch everyone at once."
"If I get caught, the Alpha will execute me." Damien said.
"If you do not do this, I will execute you. Not just you but your family too. Remember what I told you the last time." I threatened.
My voice was like a blade.
"I know about the grain you stole from the stores last year. I know you sold it to the black market. One word from me to Thomas and your head will be in a basket before the moon rises."
Damien turned pale. He began to shake.
"I will do it." He said.
"I will find a way."
"You must." I said.
"During the competition, she will be focused on the northern chefs. Wait for the moment she plates the final course. This is the perfect thing to use. One drop is all it takes. It will not kill anyone. It will only ruin the taste. It will make the food bitter. It will make her look like a fraud in front of Alpha Stone." I said.
A wicked smile appeared on my face.
"I understand, My Lady." Damien said.
I stretched my hand and offered that he takes the vial.
He took the vial with a trembling hand.
"Get out." I commanded.
He stumbled out of the room. I felt a surge of power. I did not need Morgana. I only needed fear.
I grabbed a dark cloak. I headed for the secretariat of Grand Prince Magnus. I moved through the side corridors. I avoided the main gates. I reached his door and walked in without knocking.
Magnus sat by his fire. He looked like a man who had already drunk a gallon of wine. But I saw his eyes. They were sharp. He was not as drunk as he pretended to be.
"You killed your trusted maid." Magnus said.
He did not look up from the flames.
"I had to." I said.
I sat across from him.
"I did it because of the incompetence of your rogues. They failed to kill the physician cleanly. They let Thomas get too close. I had to clean up the mess."
"It was your idea in the first place." Magnus said.
He finally looked at me.
"You wanted the girl gone. We almost got caught because you were impatient."
"The girl is still here." I snapped.
"And now she is cooking for the northern clan. Alaric is betting his crown on her."
"Let him bet." Magnus said.
He let out a dry laugh.
"This time my idea will work. I have spoken to Alpha Stone. The stakes are set. If she fails, the Moon Crescent Pack takes the harvest rights. They take the food. They take the medicine."
"And if she wins?" I asked.
"She will not win." Magnus said.
He stood up. He walked to a map on the wall.
"I have a perfect plan in place. I will make sure the ghost chef fails. When the resources are gone, the pack will starve. They will grow angry. Alaric will look like a fool who traded their lives for a cook. Everything will be taken away from him. A coup will begin. The elders are already hungry for his blood. He will be dethroned."
"And what of Sophie?" I asked.
"She will be executed for treason." Magnus said.
"The people will demand it. I will take the throne. You will have your place by my side."
I looked at Magnus. He was a monster. But he was a monster I could use.
I thought about the competition. I thought about Sophie standing over a ruined pot of food. I thought about the look on Alaric's face when he loses his kingdom.
I headed back to my chamber. I felt a cold joy in my chest. If Magnus plan fails, mine will work. I have lived in the shadow of that girl for too long.
Alaric looks at her with a light he never gave to me. He protects her. He treasures her. But he cannot protect her from the rot inside his own house.
I looked out at the northern forest. The sun was setting. The day of the competition is coming.
I touched the place where Morgana used to stand. I did not feel guilt. I only felt anticipation.
I was happy that at last, that ghost chef who had caused me so much trouble will finally fail.
