Chapter 3

Sadie cornered Elara near the berry judging tables.

"What was that with Mrs. Sterling?" Sadie hissed, her eyes blazing. "I saw her talking to you. Whispering."

Elara feigned surprise. "She was just admiring my blueberry jam, Sadie."

"Liar!" Sadie snapped. "She practically endorsed you! After you said you weren' t interested in Beau, or winning!"

"And I' m not," Elara said calmly. "Did I say I was trying to win her approval for Beau? Perhaps she simply appreciates good jam, Sadie. Unlike some people, who only see prizes and status."

Sadie' s face flushed. "You think you' re so clever, don' t you? You' re playing some kind of game."

"The only game here is the one you' re playing, Sadie," Elara said, her voice dropping. "Trying to be someone you' re not to impress a woman who sees right through you, to win a man who doesn' t truly care."

She paused. "But please, continue. It' s your ambition, not mine."

Elara turned and walked away, leaving Sadie fuming.

Championship Day dawned bright and clear. The town green buzzed with excitement.

Mrs. Sterling stood at the main table, overseeing the initial setup.

Just as the contestants were arranging their pre-prepared bases, Mrs. Sterling cleared her throat.

"Attention, everyone!" she announced, her voice carrying across the green. "A slight change to the rules this year, to encourage spontaneity and true skill!"

A murmur went through the contestants.

"Each contestant will swap one key pre-prepared ingredient with the contestant to their right!"

Elara felt a cold thrill. This was unexpected. But it could work.

Sadie, to Elara' s right, grinned. Her eyes met Elara' s, a flash of malice in them.

"Well, Elara," Sadie said sweetly. "Looks like we' re sharing."

She eagerly handed Elara a jar of deep purple berry puree.

Elara accepted it. The moment her fingers brushed the cool glass, she knew.

The scent was almost imperceptible, masked by the sweet berries, but it was there.

Nightshade.

Not deadly in this small quantity, but enough to cause a severe reaction. Mildly toxic.

Sadie' s smile was predatory.

Elara' s mind raced. Sadie must have prepared this, hoping for a chance to sabotage her directly. The rule change was a gift to Sadie.

Or so Sadie thought.

Elara carefully measured out a portion of Sadie' s puree.

A few minutes into the blending process, Elara gasped.

She dropped her spoon, her hands flying to her throat.

"My hands," she choked out, her voice hoarse. "They' re... burning!"

Red blotches began to appear on her skin. A controlled reaction, a bit of plant knowledge, a touch of theatre.

She stumbled back from her table, tears welling in her eyes.

"I can' t... I can' t continue," she cried, her voice filled with distress. "I' m having a reaction!"

Mrs. Sterling rushed over, her face etched with concern.

Other contestants stared.

Rhys, the outsider, stood at the edge of the crowd, his dark eyes fixed on Elara, unreadable.

Elara allowed herself to be led away, feigning weakness and distress.

She rushed home.

The first thing she did was take a tiny, carefully measured dose of the Moonpetal Blossom infusion she had prepared.

It neutralized any minor effects from the Nightshade, though her feigned reaction was far worse than any actual harm.

She had anticipated Sadie' s treachery, though not this specific method.

Sadie' s malice was escalating. In her first life, it was a tampered wagon wheel. Now, direct poisoning.

Sadie, with Elara dramatically out of the running, won the championship.

Beau Sterling beamed, clearly pleased with Sadie' s triumphant, flushed appearance.

Mrs. Sterling, however, watched Sadie with quiet, thoughtful reservations. Her earlier warmth towards Elara had been genuine.

Elara, watching from afar, felt a grim satisfaction.

Sadie had her prize. And Elara knew Beau.

His charm was a veneer. Beneath it, he was a profligate, uninterested in responsibility or genuine affection.

Sadie' s marriage would be a nightmare.

But Elara' s thoughts were already moving beyond Sadie' s hollow victory.

A far greater threat loomed.