Page 13 of A Trial of War
“We’re waiting on Gilen and a few other shifters,”Daxton said.
I flinched, startled by the use of his mate bond gift. He rarely used it, but when he did, it always caught me off guard.
Skylar nodded, brow furrowing as she met Daxton’s stare.
Alright, that proved it. Something was wrong.
A sharp call pierced the sky as Gilen descended in his roc form, wings slicing the air before he shifted just beyondthe tree line. He strode onto the beach, face set like stone, eyes locking instantly with Skylar’s.
My gaze flicked between them, searching for an answer.
“They’re coming!” Xander burst through the forest, stopping beside Gilen. “The humans are regrouping. They’re headed straight for the beach.”
“There’s no time for the boats,” Daxton said. “I’m teleporting us straight to Silver Meadows.”
I swallowed heavily, looking to Zola. “Can he?”
“If he says he can, then he can,” she snapped, lowering her voice. “I do not question my high king. And neither should you.”
I bit the inside of my cheek, silencing the retort. Her tone left no room for challenge.
“Gilen.” Skylar faced him fully, hand outstretched. “It’s time.”
The tension between them thickened like a physical thing, charged with the rhythmic footsteps of approaching warriors. The rest of us linked together, making sure we were in contact with Daxton. Xander joined next to Talon and Alistar.
“Please, Gilen. Come with us,” Skylar said, just as Daxton’s hand settled gently at the small of her back.
Gilen’s gaze flicked to where Daxton’s hand rested on Skylar, then dropped to the mark on his neck—the twin to Skylar’s. He froze. Feet rooted to the sand.
“No,” he said, his voice cracking with rage. “I refuse to be degraded and pushed aside like this. It’s time I choose my own fate and leave your shadow, Skylar.”
“Gilen!” Skylar dared to step toward him.
Daxton’s hand clamped firmly on her shoulder, keeping her rooted in place.
“Gilen.” Talon’s voice trembled with emotion. “Please… Don’t do this.”
I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.
Gilen stared down at his feet, his shoulders heaving, his roc rising to the surface.
“Gilen!” Alistar cried out, surging forward, but Magnus held him back. “Son—”
At that word, Gilen looked up, met the eyes of his father, and whispered, “I’m sorry.”
In a blur of feathers and wind, he shifted. His wings unfurled as he launched into the sky, soaring toward the human forces.
“No!” Alistar roared. “We have to go save him! We must go after him.”
“No,” Skylar commanded sharply. The pain of betrayal quivered in every syllable she spoke. “He’s… He’s not fighting the humans. He’s joining them.”
I watched tears pool in Skylar’s eyes as she clutched at her chest. In a flash, the bond to Gilen snapped, severed like a rope set aflame. I felt a fraction of it through my beta bond, like a rockslide collapsing the flow of a river, leaving a hollow ache that throbbed through my chest, severing a connection I could no longer reach.
I scanned the beach, realizing that every member of the pack felt Gilen’s absence.
Daxton’s voice dropped. “Spitfire—”
“Go!” Skylar screamed, fire flaring around her. “Get us out of here, Daxton!”
