Page 105 of A Trial of Two Worlds
“Good thing you’re a fast learner,”I said, strapping the silver bow across my back, daggers along my thighs with the alpha’s blade on my hip, and securing the armor of Aegis in place.
A loud horn echoed across the space, causing Idris and Astro to still.
“That’s Father’s call to arms,” Astro said, his dark brows pinching together as his hand tightened around the sword strapped to his side. “The people will begin fortifying their homes or coming here in search of protection.”
“Open the gates to let our people in,” Idris called down the hall. “Help all that you can.”
“Yes, Lady Idris,” a High Fae called as he sprinted from the room, relaying Idris’s command.
“Our turn.” Idris marched toward the balcony, put her fingers to her mouth, and released three long whistles. “We’ll fly into battle and eradicate the threat from above. Each of us can fly on one of the pegasi.”
“I won’t be needing one,” Shaw said as he began removing his shirt, flexing his arms and rolling his thickshoulders corded with muscle. “I’ll combat the hounds and any other creatures from the ground.”
“What’re you doing?” Astro asked as Shaw unfastened his boots and began untying his belt.
“I like these boots,” Shaw said with a dark chuckle of humor in his chest. “I don’t want to ruin them.”
“He’s preparing to shift, Astro,” I said, averting my gaze. “His clothes would be destroyed if he kept them on while he shifted.”
“Also, you’ll want to open the other door,” Shaw said with a dark gleam in his eyes, ready to give the Inner Kingdom a taste of the true power of our people.
I could feel my beta’s animal’s presence rising, his panther itching at the confines of his human skin, ready and eager to be unleashed into battle. A green shimmer of magic danced along the ridges and valleys of his muscles. The scars along his arms contrasted against his tanned skin, giving him a dangerous vibe that only scratched the surface of what he’d been strong enough to endure.
“If you don’t,” Shaw said with a deep growl in his voice, “I’ll likely break it down, and I would hate for that to be the first impression you have of my kind.”
“Break it down?” Idris asked as she moved to unlatch the second door to the balcony.
Shaw crouched, his panther roaring inside his chest, pulsing with power.
“Ready?”I asked my beta.
“On your command, Alpha.”
“Give them hell.”
With that command, Shaw released his magic, and in a flash that you would miss if you dared to blink, he shifted into his animal.
“Holy Gods!” Astro cursed as he staggered back a step, his eyes widening with awe and a sprinkle of fear. “He wasn’t exaggerating about the door.”
“I’d move aside,” I said with a smirk.
Idris coughed to clear her throat, unable to keep her eyes off Shaw. “I-I’m…” she said, coming to my side. “If your people can transform into creatures like this, why aren’t you controlling the mainland?”
“Numbers,” I answered.
Idris nodded as Shaw stalked forward, lifting his massive head toward the air and sniffing.
“I’ll cover you from below. The fighting is beginning.”
“Be careful,” I said.
My beta’s large hazel eyes turned toward me, his whiskers twitching at the fluctuations in the different scents swirling in the air. His claws clicked on the hard stone beneath our feet as his power began building around his massive panther form. Shaw’s long tail whipped to the right just before he sprang forward and swiftly leaped from the open balcony.
“Gods!” Astro stammered. “He’s fast.”
The neighs from the pegasi sounded from the sky, announcing their approach.
“Let’s not allow him to have all the fun,” I said as the three of us strode onto the balcony. I grinned,spotting Nisha in the sky. Her high-pitched neigh made my chest swell, and I knew she recognized me as well.
