Chapter 22
22
That morning, rumors about a monster were abundant again. Edgardo assured everyone it was likely another wakwak. All the staff in the house were talking about it. A pig had been found torn to pieces—what else could it be? Everyone thought Qian had killed the monster and its eggs. Little did they know, the real monster was standing with him, arm in arm.
I’d gotten loose in the night; my worst fear had come to life. Nix was such a deep sleeper, she didn’t notice or hear anything. The chains around the tree had snapped as easily as rubber bands. I must have pulled them so hard, they shattered.
I was getting stronger.
Qian wasn’t satisfied with killing one wakwak, and he instructed a few of his men to stay behind to find its mate—which had to be the source of the second attack—and kill it. I almost expected him to lead his people, but he was to escort us back to the city, to make sure we all arrived home safely. He had taken it upon himself to see that his betrothed was protected.
I hid all my uncertainty and fear as Qian and I rode together, leading the procession. I could sense his excitement and joy. He looked so regal, sitting atop his horse with his head held high, and he kept glancing at me with a smile so large, I was certain his cheeks would start to ache soon. But he genuinely seemed thrilled to be with me. And I was thrilled, too. I was going to get rid of this curse once and for all, and I believed we could start something great together. I had to.
By the time we made it through the gates of Biringan City, preparations for the wedding had already begun. My royal colors bedecked seemingly every surface in the city. My family’s flag hung from windows, banners had been strung across the roads, and purple and yellow sampaguita flowers, the colors of Sirena, blanketed the road.
Commoners flooded the streets to see us coming, and word spread fast, because the longer we journeyed toward the palace, the more people came. They cheered and smiled, calling our names, and Qian reached down from his horse to touch hands grasping toward him.
“The hero Qian!”
“My prince!”
“We love you!”
It was easy for people to like Qian. He had a magnetic charm about him that affirmed I’d made the right decision. He would make a great king, even if it wasn’t his aspiration. He was born for it. Merchants and sailors called my name, congratulating me and throwing flowers from their stalls. Qian caught a flower and slipped it behind my ear.
“They love you almost as much as I do,” he said, and kissed my knuckles.
Cheers erupted again, and I smiled. It truly felt like something out of a fairy tale.
I felt another pair of eyes on me, and when I looked over my shoulder, I saw Lucas watching me from atop his horse. He broke his gaze to survey the people around us, always on alert for anyone who would want to harm me. My heart felt like it was being torn in two, but I sat up higher on my saddle and waved to the crowd.
Everything was a blur. The moment we set foot inside the palace, Jinky appeared and beckoned to other attendants who would see to my pre-wedding preparations. They were going to turn me into not a bride but a vision.
The delegation from Jade Mountain was still traveling, so some of the other servants in my palace would make Qian presentable for the ceremony, and he gave me one last smile before we were both whisked away to our separate wings.
In the bathing rooms, I was passed between dozens of hands that scrubbed me down, oiled me up, lotioned, lathered, clipped, and trimmed every inch of me until it felt like my whole body had been microwaved. They rubbed my skin raw, brushed my hair so many times, I was amazed I had any left, and massaged my muscles to oblivion. I was getting the real royal treatment and should have been enjoying myself, but I couldn’t stop my thoughts from spiraling with worry.
I wanted to be happy. I was overjoyed that Qian had agreed to marry and that I could give Nix the freedom she so desperately wanted, but I couldn’t help but wonder if this would really work. Would marriage be enough to fix me? I had two nights left until the full moon.
I had to think positively. It was the only thing I could do now.
From the window, I could see the arena was already being set up for the tournament. Flags billowed in the breeze, and excited voices rose into the air. Tomorrow, Lucas would compete in the tournament, fighting to be my champion. And then I would be wed.
Even though I was going to be married to Qian, I couldn’t stop thinking about Lucas.
What was he doing right now? What was he thinking? Did he think about me? Did he imagine himself in Qian’s shoes? What would our lives be like if we weren’t bound by duty?
One of the handmaidens took my hand and clicked her tongue when she saw the state of my nails, and my stomach twisted as she manicured the dried blood out from my cuticles. She didn’t think anything else of it. I knew they must think there was some ulterior motive for me marrying Qian so quickly, that I might have a “surprise” on the way, but those kinds of rumors were the least of my problems.
The whole palace was a flurry of noise and activity as every person was assigned a task for the wedding. I, like the floral arrangements and the cake, was just another wedding decoration. I was carted around, handed off, and made up like a doll, passing between hands for my fitting. It was all a fog, and no matter how much oil they put on my skin, perfume they put in my hair, or gloss they put on my lips, they couldn’t disguise the monster that was waiting to come out.
The next morning, the day before my wedding, I awoke alone and chained to my bed. Birds sang outside my window, and I could hear the distant ocean waves lapping on the beach. Sunlight pooled around me, enveloping me in warm morning light. For once, I had slept well. I had no memory of nightmares, no taste of blood in my mouth, no deeply unsettling roil in my gut.
I wondered if I had changed at all, and then, in the next moment, I realized the truth.
My teeth.
I ran my tongue over them, over and over. I put my fingers in my mouth, hoping that I was wrong. But no.
I had fangs.
In a panic, I unlocked the manacles and rushed to the vanity mirror. When I opened my mouth, I saw that my canines had sharpened, elongating well past my other teeth.
A cry broke out of me, and I pinched my fangs with my fingers, trying desperately to pull them out, to break them, to do something, but there was nothing I could do.
“No…”
Panic gripped my heart like an iron fist, and I couldn’t breathe. Every time I closed my mouth, I nipped the insides of my lips, snagging them on my new teeth. I was turning into a monster. I was already halfway there.
The rest of my body looked normal. My fingers, my face—but what would change next? I paced my room, trying not to cry, but it was difficult. I was running out of time. No one could see me like this.
I went back to the mirror and practiced hiding my fangs, smiling demurely, keeping my lips closed to conceal the truth. I needed to be a queen for a little longer, just a little while longer, and this would all be over. Tears ran down my cheeks, and my lips trembled. On the outside, I looked like myself. But on the inside…
No one will ever love me.
No one can.
Shame and despair and fear clenched my throat while I looked at my face in the mirror. This was exactly what Yara had said in her diary. It was a slow transformation until it was complete.
My time was almost up.
My bedroom door opened, and attendants rushed in. One of them had my dress draped over their arms, a handful carried trays full of makeup and accessories, and another had my shoes. It was a procession of pampering and luxury. They talked excitedly with one another, giggling and laughing.
I didn’t speak as someone brushed my hair, as another took my hand to polish my nails, as another applied red lipstick. I just stared at myself in the mirror.
The arena on the outskirts of the Market District was bigger than the ones in the human world, with tiers that stretched so high into the sky that sometimes clouds passed through the upper levels. Proper nosebleed sections. The grassy field below had been painted and divided into sections where each event would take place. Large projection crystals, like the ones I’d used to call my mom, hovered above the arena, magically created by illusionists. Each would get up-close angles and instant replay for the spectators, even the ones in the highest rows. It reminded me of watching professional football games with my mom on Thanksgiving.
Hundreds of thousands of encantos were here. The air in the arena hummed with excitement. Everyone was eating fried lumpia and banana chips, drinking calamansi juice and coconut wine, singing and cheering, celebrating the day. The party was already getting started.
People had a reason to celebrate. I, on the other hand…I just wanted today to be over.
The royal box, only a little higher than the field, was the perfect spot to watch all the action.
My heart hammered wildly in my throat when I saw Qian was here, seated on a tall-backed rattan chair, speaking with one of his stewards. When he noticed me, his eyes widened a little, and he rose to his feet.
He looked so dashing in his red Tang suit jacket, and he smoothed out the front as if he was nervous.
“Your Majesty,” he gasped.
The crystals turned on me, capturing my appearance and broadcasting it for the masses, and I knew what they would see. They would see my golden gown, a brocade made of some of the finest silk in the hidden world. Rings, including the one Qian had given me, adorned every one of my fingers. Each ring matched the golden crown that sat atop my head like beams of sunlight, holding my veil in place over my face. I was a living sunbeam.
I heard gasps and then cheers when people saw me. They called my name, but all I heard was a cacophony of noise.
With the veil, my entire world was gold. I was grateful that it would at least hide my new fangs.
“You are a vision,” Qian said, and held out his hand to me.
I was embarrassed that my hand was shaking when I took his, but Qian didn’t seem to mind. He brought me to the edge of the box, where I could see the packed arena. People in the stands jumped and cheered for me, rippling like the surface of water in a storm. They waved their arms or waved flags, crying out my name.
“Queen Mahalina!”
A rush of something, perhaps pride, filled me up, and it took my breath away. All these people relied on me. But they would never really know me enough to truly love me. How could they? Tears pricked my eyes, and I waved to them, and the air buzzed with their voices as they screamed louder.
Qian leaned in close to me, his breath tickling my ear, so he could be sure I heard him over all the noise. “I am the luckiest man alive to have you at my side.”
A blush rose to my cheeks, and I couldn’t help but smile. Though beneath the veil my fangs caught on my lip and pricked my skin. My breath hitched the moment I tasted my own blood.
Horns blasted, and the champions filed out from a tunnel on the far side of the arena, escorted by pages carrying flags and flowers, dropping them at their feet like a red carpet.
All the champions were tall and strong, and they wore the same high-necked sleeveless tunic and formfitting pants, ensuring that the competitors were evenly matched. Competitors from both Jade Mountain and the different courts of Biringan were mixed together, men and women encantos alike, all of them looking as tough as the next. Among them was Lucas. He walked with his shoulders straight, his head held high. My heart fluttered when I saw him. His eyes scanned the arena, taking in everything and studying the landscape for the best tactical advantage. I couldn’t help but feel a little biased. I wanted him to win.
Qian and I stood at the front of the box while each knight presented me with a gift. Some of them gave me tokens from their own person, like handkerchiefs or necklaces, others gave me flowers, and some gave me fruit. Each of them pledged an oath to me.
“I will win for your honor, Your Majesty.”
“I will win for your beauty, Your Majesty.”
“I will win for your grace, Your Majesty.”
Variations of that continued as the gifts piled up, and I thanked them all for participating.
Heng, broad-shouldered but light on his feet, stepped forward and presented me with a dagger. Qian accepted it and passed it along to me. The blade was cold to the touch.
“I will win for your future, Your Majesty,” Heng said. His smile was sharp and confident.
“Excellent, General,” Qian said, grinning.
When it was Lucas’s turn to come to the box, he bowed. He had nothing in his hands; they were clasped tightly at his waist.
“Do you have a gift for your queen?” Qian asked, mostly amused.
“I have nothing that I can give that would be adequate,” Lucas said. “I ask for a gift instead.”
Murmurs flitted around the arena. Qian looked at me, then back at Lucas. The crystals zoomed in on Lucas’s face, but he remained stoic and unfazed. If he was embarrassed, he didn’t show it.
“What do you want?” Qian asked.
“To see Queen Mahalina’s eyes.”
The arena fell silent, and then murmurs and whispers curled around the stands. The other competitors shifted anxiously, knowing that he was breaking a social taboo.
“You wish to see my bride’s face the day before our wedding?” Qian asked, sounding more curious than offended.
My heart pounded so hard, I was afraid I might collapse.
Lucas nodded. “To have her look upon me is the only thing I desire.”
Qian turned to me, brows drawn together as if trying to find a reason to say no, but I squeezed his hand.
“Of course, Sir Lucas,” I said.
Slowly, I lifted my veil, and the crowd gasped. Not because I was a horrible monster, at least. I could see Lucas clearly now, and I pressed my lips together tightly so they wouldn’t tremble. I wanted him to see me, get one last look, before we couldn’t do this again.
Lucas’s face didn’t betray any of the emotions I knew he was feeling. His shoulders rose and fell with each breath, but he looked at me so steadily, it was like I was the only thing in the universe. His eyes shone with warmth, and all the history we had together was captured between us. Every feeling I had for him welled up inside me like a dam about to burst, but I stood strong and tall. I wanted to tell him how sorry I was, and he seemed to understand that.
With a slight nod of his head, a small smile lifted the corners of his mouth. It was a sad one, though.
The horns blasted again, signaling the end of the opening ceremony, and the rest of the world rushed back to me.
The games were about to begin.
Lucas turned and joined the other competitors to prepare.
I lowered my veil once more in order to hide the tears sliding down my cheeks, and Qian and I took our seats as the competitors met with their opponents. Each event was divided up into brackets, eliminating the losers and moving the winners on to compete against one another until there were only two left vying for the final title of the queen’s champion.
I took a steadying breath, and Qian’s hand slipped into mine, giving me a reassuring squeeze, and he patted the ring he’d given me with his other hand.
At first, it was difficult to follow everything at once. Each match was taking place simultaneously, so the arena was a flurry of movement as knights battled one another. There was an archery range where competitors fired arrows at targets from farther and farther distances; a net for teams to play sipa, like the match I’d seen at the great house; and even a field for competitors to play kalahoyo, where the goal was to throw a larger stone at a smaller one and knock it into a hole on the other side of the field. I’d watched the Olympics with my mom growing up, and it was very similar to that. The teams were competing for different honors, but the Arnis matches were the ones I paid the most attention to. They were the ones that would crown my champion.
Arnis was a martial art in full meaning. It was a weapons-based duel, each competitor given the same sticks. No blades allowed. Before I had begun training with Lucas, I had never thought of Arnis like an art, but it truly was beautiful to watch. Each strike and parry as swift as it was supposed to be deadly.
Some Arnis matches ended quickly, with the losers lying in the dirt, but other matches went on for half an hour or more. It was reminiscent of a real battle, brutal and fast, even if no one was to be hurt. I couldn’t help but be reminded that an actual war had only been narrowly avoided because of our wedding.
From my seat, it was impossible to see whether Lucas had won his bracket or not. I had lost him in the crowd among all the people dressed just like him.
I wrung my hands under the folds of my gown, twisting the rings on my fingers so much, they started to rub the skin raw.
A horn blasted again, signaling the end of the first round, and cheers erupted.
Qian clapped as those who were eliminated left the arena. Among the remaining victors, I spotted Lucas, and my heart leapt with relief. He’d made it through.
I knew I shouldn’t be worried, but I couldn’t help but feel like something was wrong. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end, and my stomach twisted horribly, but I tried not to let it bother me.
While the remaining victors took a break as the referees reset the field, Qian reached for my hand and brought it to his lips. People cheered for us, begging for more. It was like he knew that the audience would want something to entertain them between fights. But he sensed my uneasiness.
“Are you ill, MJ?” he asked. “Would you like to take a break?”
I shook my head slightly. “I just have a bad feeling, that’s all.”
“There’s nothing to fear. Of course, there’s no guarantee no one will be hurt, but that’s part of the game.”
“I understand. I’d just feel awful if anyone were to be hurt in my honor.”
Qian gestured to the eliminated knights now standing around the arena, dirty and beaten. “This is an honor.”
Qian beckoned for more food and drinks to be served, but I wasn’t hungry. The garlic in the lumpia might as well have been radioactive to me. I tried not to flinch every time a plate came near me.
As the day went on, each match got longer than the last as the strongest and toughest put up their best fight. The sun was high in the sky, beating down on our heads when the final contenders for the championship took the field.
“Sir Lucas and General Heng,” Qian said, grinning. “Why am I not surprised?”
Lucas and Heng squared up alone in the middle ring. Sweat drenched both of them from head to toe as they eyed each other up and down, scanning for any sign of weakness or for the best point of attack. Lucas’s eye twitched, and I could tell something was bothering him.
The announcer’s voice boomed across the arena. “The final match is about to begin! Unlike the other qualifying matches, this will be a result of the best two out of three rounds. The victor will be crowned champion.”
Lucas looked strong and ready, but I couldn’t help the twist of nerves in my gut. He was shorter than Heng by half a head, but he looked faster and more agile on his feet. Heng had size and bulk on him, and I could only hope that Lucas knew what he was doing. I tried to remain composed, but my heart beat in time with the crowd stomping their feet, eager for blood.
I’d trained with Lucas long enough to know what to watch for. Lucas had to make killing blows with his batons, tapping anywhere on Heng’s body to get a point. But that meant Heng was going to try his best to counterattack, too.
There was movement at my side, and Nix sat down in the empty seat next to mine, breathless and smelling like astringent. “I’ve been tending to the wounded. What’d I miss?”
Almost like they were answering for me, the referee blew the horn, and the match started.
Heng made the first move. His footwork was incredible. He stepped in, and Lucas deflected when Heng stabbed at his torso. Lucas was on the defensive, only able to stop Heng for so long until he came at him again.
Lucas dipped his spine backward as Heng lunged as if to slice his neck, and Heng let out a huff of frustration. “Fight me, Invierno!”
Lucas stared Heng down, circling wide. The muscle in his jaw jumped again, and I realized it was because he knew danger was close. But it wasn’t just the fact that he was in a sparring match. No. There was more. The hairs on my arms were on end, too. Something was wrong. His power could sense it. But why could I? Was this the manananggal?
I glanced at Qian. His eyes were fixed on the fight.
Cheers rose up, and my eyes shot back to the field just in time to see Lucas find an opening and hit Heng in the side with his baton. The officiant called the strike and raised an arm, declaring Lucas the winner of the first round.
My heart leapt, and I had to stop myself from showing any favoritism, even though all I wanted to do was jump to my feet and cheer his name. The crowd roared in my place, chanting his name so loud, I could feel it vibrating in my chest.
But Lucas looked like he didn’t even hear them. His attention was focused purely on the match, zeroed in on starting the second round. Everything else was simply white noise.
Qian clapped for Lucas. “Fine hit,” he said. “He’s good.”
“He’s the best,” I said. I couldn’t help myself.
A smile inched its way across Qian’s lips. “We shall see.”
I squeezed my hands into fists and watched as Lucas and Heng reset, preparing for another round. The horn sounded, and Lucas was on the defensive again. He was letting Heng make the first move, a strategy to get him to tire quickly, I guessed.
But Heng was fast, faster than I expected. When he stabbed at Lucas, his arm was a blur, and when he stepped forward, it was like he’d teleported. I blinked, thinking I was seeing things, but no.
Heng reappeared behind Lucas. Heng let out a yell and swung, his attack so fast that I barely saw it. If it weren’t for Lucas’s power, he would have been hit, but he dodged out of the way just in time, knocking Heng’s baton away and countering as fast as he could. But Heng was faster.
“Heng’s power is his speed,” Qian said. “He should not be discounted so quickly.”
Heng’s attacks grew faster and more precise. Sweat dripped from Lucas’s hair. He moved, dodging and deflecting, but I could tell that even though he knew danger was coming, it was still too fast for him to do anything about it.
The horn blew, and it took me a second to realize Heng had struck Lucas on his thigh and ended the round. Heng was so fast, I’d missed it. In a real battle, it would have been deadly.
Qian leapt to his feet and clapped for Heng, who was circling the ring and raising his hand for the crowd. The favorite from Jade Mountain was a popular contender. His face appeared hundreds of times on the crystals above us, showing his victorious smile.
“It’s anyone’s game now,” Qian said, his eyes bright with excitement as he took his seat again. He leaned in close to me and took my hand. I flinched. I’d been so focused on Lucas’s hardened expression, Qian’s touch jolted me back into my body.
“It’s an exciting match, for sure,” I said.
“Heng isn’t one to lose. This will be over soon.”
Qian smiled at me, and I tried to smile back, but my heart was pounding so hard, I felt faint. I couldn’t stop thinking that something terrible was going to happen. My skin felt too tight on my body, like I was going to burst inside out, and I tried to take a calming breath. I sent out a silent prayer for Lucas to win so this could be done and over.
Lucas and Heng faced off again in the ring, the air full of excitement and tension, and the horn blew for the final round. Cheers erupted when Heng made the first move, making Lucas race backward.
All the noise turned into a dull drone as the blood rushed in my ears.
Lucas needed to win. If I had any hope of marrying Qian, I needed Lucas to win. That he could still be close; that I could still look at him, even from afar; that I could still know he was there. It was the one thing I could hold on to—the knowledge that he was my champion would be enough. It had to be.
My vision began to darken. My heart beat furiously in my chest, hammering like an iron fist against my ribs, and my breath grew uneven and shaky. I squeezed Qian’s hand so tightly, I felt him flinch, but I didn’t let go.
Lucas let out a yell when his baton took the full brunt of Heng’s hit. If he was going to win, he needed to attack. Now. He shifted his foot, digging his heel into the dirt, and changed tactics. He deflected Heng’s hit quickly, and the rhythm of the fight changed, with Lucas now controlling the tempo. The crowd roared when he moved in, and this time, Heng was the one on the defensive.
Lucas was going to win.
I saw a flash of something, a reflection, something shiny glinting in Heng’s hand. Then Heng lashed out. Lucas let out a yelp. Heng’s hand darted back, and Lucas dropped his baton.
The crowd gasped.
Like a movie playing in slow motion, I was able to see everything so clearly. Lucas leaning back, one arm raised, ready to block. Heng swinging down, a narrow blade in his fist, his face frozen in a snarl.
Before I knew what I was doing, I leapt to my feet and ripped off my veil.
“NO!” I screamed, and it was like time stopped.
All eyes were on me. And all I saw was red.
Distantly, I heard Qian call my name, but I was already vaulting over the box and rushing into the arena. No one could stop me. My pulse beat in my vision, thumping rhythmically, focusing in on Heng and Lucas.
Heng’s eyes widened when he saw me coming.
“Do not hurt him!” I snarled, but it didn’t sound like me. It sounded feral and high, like nails on a chalkboard. Heng turned his blade toward me, and something inside me snapped.
Searing hot pain ripped through me. My hands turned into claws, my teeth elongated, and my lips split at the corners. Agony, everything, everywhere. I could see Heng’s pulse in the air like ripples on water, felt it quicken, heard it pounding, smelled his terror.
Flay him. Shred his skin. Kill him.
Fury roared through me like a forest fire, burning away every part of me that would have tried to stop. I didn’t want to stop. I was hungry. I was starving. I wanted blood.
“What—” Heng gasped, his eyes the size of moons.
Lucas stared at me, agape, but sat frozen in the dirt. The human part of me would have been ashamed, but the monster inside was stronger.
Wings burst from my back, and I rose into the air, leaving my lower half behind.
I was a manananggal.
The crystals captured everything. My transformation, broadcast for everyone to see.
I shrieked and dove for Heng, claws out.
Then the screaming began.