Page 97 of A Trial of War
When we finally pulled apart, she rested her forehead against mine once more. I exhaled, the weight of the Silver Meadows armor grounding me. Her warmth anchored me even more.
I threaded my fingers through hers and stepped toward the door. “Ready, love?” I asked.
She squeezed my hand once, firm and certain.
Together, we walked toward the hall. I was ready to face the oncoming storm with her courage at my side, hand in mine, and her strength woven into my armor.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Castor Aegaeon
The world seemed to melt around me as Daxton focused his magic, teleporting us across the Narrow Sea. In the next instant, a whirlwind of abrupt motion slammed into me. It wasn’t like a step or a leap, but a strange, weightless pull of being ripped from one place and dropped into another.
Fuck, I hated this.
I blinked, and when my eyes opened, the city of Solace stretched out before us. My breath fogged as I exhaled, the cold temperature of the north seeping into my bones.
“Daxton,” Skylar said, her voice tight with concern.
I glanced at my brother. He was already downing a Crimson City healing remedy. The small dose of red liquid derived from their healing springs restored our magic reserves, and thanks to Skylar’s improvements to the formula, and perhaps a dash of her magic, it worked even better now.
“Stop hovering, Spitfire,” Daxton muttered.
I almost laughed.Cute, considering he seemed to forget how he’d practically glued himself to Skylar for an entire week after she came back from the dead. It was amiracle we all avoided death or dismemberment for even looking at her for too long.
Nyssa and I stepped away, and I took in the state of Solace, once a serene, peaceful place. A city in harmony with nature, with log cabins entwined with living trees, rooftops covered in moss and flowering vines, streets lined with cobblestone, and nearby crystal-clear streams. But now, it bore the scars of escape: splintered homes, shattered windows, and entire groves leveled where vast gardens had once stood. The forest seemed to persist amongst the ruin, along with a fresh dusting of snow, but the city had been wounded.
Despite the destruction, our combined forces had turned Solace into a war camp. Tents and lean-tos filled the clearings between the cabins. Fae and shifters moved through the remnants, sharpening weapons, cooking over open fires, and preparing to march south. Even when faced with loss, the heartbeat of the city, of its people, refused to die.
I always said shifters had an uncanny streak of stubbornness that might turn out to work in our favor.
Nyssa stayed close. Her unbound hair brushed against my arm as she walked beside me. The bottom of her dress was damp with melted snow. Her presence was a welcome relief, and although I was hesitant to have her come because of the danger it posed to her, I was overjoyed to have her at my side.
As we walked through the war camp, shifters prowled between the cabins—some wolfish, some feline, others harder to identify. High Fae drilled in small groups, their armor glinting in the fractured sunlight, while healers moved through camp, making sure supplies were divided amongst the people.
Skylar appeared next to us, her expression tense as she surveyed the camp. “Welcome back to Solace,” she said softly. “It’s… not how we left it. But it’s holding.”
“Did you send everyone off to their stations?” I asked.
“Magnus and Shaw are checking in with the sub-alphas, and Gunnar is tending to the High Fae captains, while Adohan and Idris connect with their sons.”
Before leaving for Solace, Adohan and Idris said goodbye to their daughter, entrusting her to one of their loyal handmaids.
“Neera was sent to check in with our scouts, while Zola scans the perimeter,” she added.
“Wow,” I said.
“What?” Skylar replied.
I smiled. “You’re growing into the role of alpha queen nicely. And considering I helped train and sharpen that mind of yours for moments such as this, you’re welcome.”
Nyssa released a light chuckle at my side. “Your self-confidence is one of a kind, my love.”
“Could we really handle more than one Castor in this world?” Skylar shook her head and patted my shoulder. “Before he can say anything else, I’ll take his words as a compliment and check in on my pack.”
Skylar meandered over to a group of shifters and crouched beside them, speaking softly in greeting and thanks, keeping a careful watch over her people. Even in human form, there was a predatory elegance to her that I hadn’t seen before. It was as if the awakening of her animal form also revealed a more regal part of herself that had been hiddenaway. She’d grown from the arrogant little spitfire into a roaring alpha queen.
“Everyone’s accounted for,” Daxton said, gesturing toward the camp.
