Page 147 of A Trial of Two Worlds
Minaeve wielded her siphoned magic, with the Heart of Valdor amplifying her power, as a massive glowing portal of light appeared. Through it stepped a tall figure wearing a dark blue cloak with painted stars and a trail of hooded figures following his lead.
“Istar,” Minaeve said with a grin as the cloaked figure approached and openly embraced her. “Bless the dark.”
“Banish the light,” he replied as his hood fell back, revealing a mesh of black raven hair and hauntingly familiar turquoise eyes. “Finally, we have won.”
Their likeness was uncanny.
“Arm yourselves!” Daxton roared as he hoisted Valencia above his head.
Finn sprinted to his side with flames illuminating his hands and traveling down his sword. “Crimson City is with you, Daxton,” the young prince declared.
“Let’s have some fun.” Gunnar appeared at Daxton’s other shoulder, blood staining his silver-lined leathers as he gripped a battle axe in one hand and his shield in the other.
The early rays of dawn trickled across the horizon, the Mother awakening from her slumber to find death at her doorstep. I clutched my swords in my hands, readying myself to charge into the fight, willing to defy the odds and overturn the human mage responsible for the destruction of our world.
“Charge!” Daxton yelled as the fighting began.
Chapter Seventy-Two
Skylar Cathal
Tap, tap… Tap, tap.
“What… What’s happening?” I groaned, unfolding my arm from my face.
I gasped, mesmerized by the breathtaking beauty that surrounded me. Vibrant, colorful flowers dotted a canvas of soft green grass, while willows swayed gracefully in the warm, gentle breeze. Beyond this clearing, the forest seemed to stretch on for eternity, a never-ending array of pines and birch with vivacious greenery interwoven between the trees. My fingers gripped strands of grass, digging into the soil beneath me as a serene sense of peace encased me in a cloud of comfort.
The magical sound of elegant music filled my soul. The harmonious melody of string instruments flowed like the rushing waters of the nearby translucent turquoise river.
This forest was alive, unlike anything I could have ever dreamed.
“Get up,” a voice commanded.
I turned to see a male no older than myself sitting back in the soft grass.
“You don’t have time to waste lying around, Alpha.”
I blinked rapidly at the shifter beside me, sensing a connection to him that spanned through space and time. A saccharine grin stretched across his clean-shaven face as he tilted his head and looked me over.
“Who are you?” I asked.
He remained silent, much to my dismay.
“Who are you?” I asked once more, using a dash of power through my alpha command.
He shook his blond, almost white, mesh of hair, feeling the magic in my words. “It’s easier if I show you.”
Reaching down, he rolled up the sleeve of his left arm to reveal the outline of three eight-pointed stars. The mark of the shifter champion.
“Stark?”
His grin returned as he moved backward, his magic rising to the surface. In a green flash, an owl with feathers matching a fresh snowfall stared at me with striking golden eyes.
“Where are we?” I asked, although I was pretty sure I knew the answer.
The owl tilted its head once more before spinning around and calling out into the forest. It turned its large eyes back toward me, flapping its wings as it hopped closer.
“Do you want me to follow you?”
