Page 10 of A Trial of War
“Good, they’re here.”
“Andtheyare?”Rhea asked.
“Our allies. Silver Meadows warriors.”Skylar’s voice rang out in all our minds, clear and commanding, our alpha.
“Tighten the lines!” human commanders yelled to their troops. “Fall back!”
The humans were afraid.
Yes, they had the numbers, but in this fight, they didn’t anticipate the High Fae. They didn’t bring enough soldiers into this battle.
“Everyone, fall back,”Skylar commanded from the sky.“Hurry and get to the boats.”
Shifters scattered, following their alpha’s decree and retreating to the shores where Fjorda’s boats were waiting.
“We’re staying,”Rhea snapped with a steely glare.
I rolled my eyes.“Why am I not surprised?”
“Warriors!” Gunnar’s voice echoed loud and powerful across the battlefield. “Hold!”
Every High Fae stopped.
“Archers!” a human commander bellowed. “Aim. Release!”
Arrows blackened the sky like a deadly storm descending when, suddenly, a barricade of ice surged upward, shielding the warriors below from the onslaught. Castor and Daxton stood shoulder to shoulder behind their warriors, arms outstretched as their magic wove a protective veil over our side of the divide.
“Hold!” Gunnar roared. “Hold… Hold.”
“What are they waiting for?”Rhea’s claws dug into the ground as her tail twitched with angst.
I scanned the line of High Fae warriors.“You’ll see.”
“Attack!” the humans roared, charging across the field with swords drawn and battle cries tearing through the air.
“Fools,”I said, stepping back into the trees.“Come on, let’s go to the boats. They have this under control.”
“What?”Talon barked, his teeth bared, ready to rejoin the fight.
“Skylar needs us to help the others onto the boats. Leave this battle for the fae. They’ve got it handled.”
“Are you insane?”Rhea yipped.“They need every—”
Her words fell silent as the High Fae sprang into action.
The Silver Meadows warriors surged forward with an otherworldly grace, their movements effortless and fluid, as if the very air bent to their will. Their speed and strength unmatched by any mortal on the battlefield.
At the front, Gunnar led the charge, axes spinning in his hands like extensions of his own body. He cut through the horde of human soldiers with brutal precision. His blades sliced through armor and flesh as easily as a breeze swatting a fly.
“My gods,”Talon said, his ice-blue eyes wide with awe and possibly a dash of fear.
Magic crackled in the air, subtle and yet lethal at the same time. The few remaining hunters and mages sprang forward into the fight, but they were no match for the High Fae. The humans faltered, unable to match the ferocity and unity of their onslaught. Ice broke through the barriers, diverting the magical blasts and penetrating shields. The high king and now High Prince of Silver Meadows didn’t need to draw their blades in this fight.
Screaming a war cry, Gunnar’s eyes burned with relentless fury as he wove between the human defenses, axes whirling in deadly arcs. Each movement was perfect—swift, precise, and merciless. Bathed in the blood of his enemies, the general of the Silver Meadows warriors came to life. The battlefield was theirs, and no force could stand against their wrath.
“Holy gods,”Rhea mumbled.
Talon’s jaw fell to the floor.“They… They’re—”
