Goddess of Magic: A Snow White retelling (Kingdom of Fairytales Snow White Book 4)

mind about what I wanted from Topher anymore, but it still felt weird to be admitting it out loud.
But this was Rhi. I'd already asked her to come back to Enchantia after she finished university for the express reason of being the person who knew all my secrets—and kept them. We could practice with this one. Though I supposed if I got what I wanted, it wouldn't be much of a secret.
"That's great. I'm glad you've moved on from Jake," she assured me.
I laughed lightly. "Me too. Who knew that all it would take was getting to know him. But you're changing the subject," I pointed out. "What happened with you and Adam last night?"
Her eyes lit up. "He asked me on a proper date while we were dancing. We almost kissed, too, but he stopped us just before we did and said we should wait until we go out together for the first time."
A small squeal of excitement escaped me. "When are you going on it? Where are you going? What..."
"Calm down, Kelis," she said, laughing along with me. "It's only a date. Not true love like your parents had."
"It's got to start somewhere," I pointed out.
"Yes, but do you know that you and Topher are the real thing already? It's complicated, this love stuff."
I snorted. "You're not wrong there." After all, I’d thought I'd never get over Jake and that he was the only person I could ever spend my life with, and I'd been wrong. More than wrong.
"Could all contestants present themselves for the first round," a voice boomed out before we could finish our conversation.
"I'm sorry, Rhi. I have to go. But we can continue this later if you want?" I said.
"Hopefully, we can do that while we’re celebrating," she joked.
"Oh, I plan for us to be."
I was determined to win. No matter what it took. At least, so long as the tactic was above board. I didn't want to do anything that broke the rules. That would only tarnish the win in my eyes.
I glanced up at the leader board and tried to stem the disappointment within me. I was sixth at the moment, thanks to a poor showing in the first round. My lack of training had shone through while I was trying to prove my dexterity. With more practice, I was certain I could have aced that round.
Perhaps, I would next year.
But for now, I had to focus on the task at hand. Topher had said he'd seen people win based on the third round on its own, so I had to believe that it was possible.
I searched for him in the crowd, smiling when I saw him sitting with Rhi. He gave me a thumbs up, and I waved back to him, hoping he knew how grateful I was for him being there and supporting me.
"You don't stand a chance against me," Jake muttered from behind me.
"Sorry, what was that?" I asked, spinning around so I could face him.
I knew he was probably right. He was currently at the top of the leader board, well above me. Even if he was annoying me, I was a little bit impressed, given how hungover he was.
"I said well done," he lied. "Sixth is a great starting position for the final challenge. I've seen people get to second or third after that."
Hmm. Second or third wasn't what I had in mind.
"That wouldn't be so bad for my first competition," I said sweetly. "How's your hangover?"
"Gone. I got a potion off Stacey over there." He nodded to a girl standing to our left with a tray of potions held out in front of her.
I frowned. Were we allowed to get help like that? Surely, it couldn't be part of the rules. It certainly felt like cheating, which was enough of a reason for me to stay clear. Of course, it was easy for me to say that when I didn't have a hangover. I hadn't drunk nearly enough for that and had eaten a good breakfast. One of the advantages of being royal was that I’d had plenty of experience with the effects of beginning the day on an empty stomach. It had only taken three state events with a rumbling stomach to teach me the errors of avoiding food in the morning.
"I didn't realize those even worked."
"They do sometimes," Jake admitted. "But sometimes, they're not enough."
"Good to know."
"Hannah Blackthorne," the announcer called.
A blonde girl with twin plaits pushed past us and towards what looked like an entrance. That must be where we had to go to start the third test.
"Are we going in on our own?" I asked. I really should have read the welcome packet, especially when I now had to rely on Jake to give me the right information, and I wasn't completely sure he would. He wanted to win far too badly for that. Then again, I was in sixth, and that meant I wasn't a threat to him.
"Yes. The third test is always done blind," Adam said, reappearing beside us. I wasn't sure where he'd been, but I was glad he was back. "Worried, cousin?"
"More nervously excited," I countered. "It's the first time I've entered a competition like this. I don't know what to expect."
"You qualified, though, right?" Adam asked.
"She probably just used her name," Jake muttered bitterly.
I rolled my eyes. "For your information, I entered under a fake name so people didn't just hand it to me." Something he should be able to see from the leader board, but I doubted he was paying enough attention considering he was at the top at the moment.
"Smart. I did the same the first time I entered a competition here," Adam told me. "I use my own now. But that's because I already earned my place in the competitions."
And, potentially, because he wasn't doing so well overall. He was currently fifteenth out of twenty. Not a great start, but it wasn't last.
More and more people were called to perform their trial