Page 17 of A Trial of War
I couldn’t believe this. My father, the man I looked up to most in this world, my king, was refusing to help me. His grief for my mother darkened a piece of his soul, but this? This was not the man I knew.
He never stood against me like this. Even if we disagreed, he would always explain his reasons, treating me as his equal now that I had come of age and was ready to take his place on the throne.
Something waswrong.
“It will all make sense soon enough, Princess,” another voice said, making my skin crawl. Istar, our lead mage and the twin of Minaeve, entered, sitting beside his sister at the table. “Sit, and we will share what your role in this will be.”
I glared at our lead mage. “And if I refuse?”
Istar sighed heavily, leaning back in his chair, looking unamused. “My sister will drain the captain of his life forcebefore moving to the next loyal subject you deem in your favor. And then the next, until you choose to cooperate.”
Use your head, Réalta. You must be smart about this,I told myself.
Forcing down my rage, I pulled my shoulders back and stood beside my fallen friend. Straightening the skirt of my dress, I turned to the false queen with a shallow bow.
“You have my cooperation,” I said, my voice steady, tone obedient.
Minaeve’s smile was twisted and wicked.
Yet, I remained calm, my mother’s words echoing in my mind.Do not turn away. Remember, as rulers, we do not show our fears.
“What isourplan?” I asked.
Chapter Six
Daxton Aegaeon
Ten days had passed since that dreadful scene on the beach in Solace.
All I could do was wait for Skylar to find the strength to talk to me. When Gilen turned his back on their pack and chose to stand with the very humans determined to wipe us from existence in Valdor, a spark of my mate’s fire flickered.
During the day, Skylar donned her armor, lending every ounce of her strength to her family and friends. But through our bond, I could sense her pain as my own.
Gilen’s betrayal had struck a chord deep within something I didn’t yet understand—breaking a pack bond.
Thankfully, it only took Fjorda five days to sail to Silver Meadows. Reuniting with her people brought Skylar’s true smile and light laughter, even as the sting of betrayal still hung like a heavy weight on her shoulders.
I never cared for Gilen. In fact, punching him in the face the night of Skylar’s farewell gathering was one of my fondest memories. But he mattered to Skylar and her pack. And because of this, his loss carried weight for me too, as much as I hated to admit it.
“Are you ready, Spitfire?” I asked, leaning against the doorway to our room. “If you want to postpone this meeting—”
“We’ve postponed it long enough, Daxton,” she cut in, her voice echoing beyond the corner leading to the washroom. “It’s time to accept the traitor’s decision and move forward. We have responsibilities that can no longer be overlooked.”
We were theunofficialrulers of the Inner Kingdom, neither married nor crowned in my people’s customs; however, we filled the role, nonetheless.
I sighed. “Very well.”
“Daxton.” The tone of her voice made me pause.
“Skylar?” I called out as she turned the corner, and I damn near lost my breath all over again.
She wore a silver coat of battle armor that gleamed against her warm skin, regal and fierce. Fitted black pants, woven from Idris’s enchanted fabric, molded to her frame with knee-high boots that were made for quick shifts in and out of her phoenix form. She looked like an alpha—a hardened warrior queen, ready to take her seat at the war council.
“I wanted to thank you, Daxton,” she said softly, closing the distance between us. “Thank you for always being there for me. For supporting me, no matter what.”
I pulled her in, silencing her with a kiss.
She didn’t need to thank me. I would do anything,everythingfor her without a second thought.
