Page 58 of A Trial of Two Worlds
After Gilen flew into the sky, calling out to our people to bear witness to the challenge, I raced home to gather my weapons.Without the ability to shift, I needed something to protect myself.
Shaw, being the diligent person he is, conversed with elders in the pack to confirm the rules and regulations of the challenge. Weapons would be allowed, and he warned me that Gilen could do the same if he chose. He could also fight me in his roc form.
The challenge was simple enough. A fight to the death or submission, without outside aid. The victor would hold the rightful claim to the role of the shifter defeated in combat.
Whoever won would become the alpha.
There hadn’t been a formal challenge like this in our lifetimes, and never one from an unshifted pack member. Gilen and I were writing our own rules and breaking the norm.
I gave my family a nod as they stepped away, leaving me alone in the center of the clearing. I turned and watched as groups of shifters along the edge parted ways, giving their current alpha a wide berth as he made his way into the meadow.
The chill in the air turned frigid. The menacing glare from my opponent matched the dropping temperatures and the freezing ground we stood upon.
Gilen wore no armor, held no weapon aside from the alpha’s dagger clutched in his hand.
I stilled when our stares locked. His gaze was sharp with anger, unflinching as he strode toward me. The lines etched in his face were rigid, remote, but beneath them, a deeper emotion surfaced… betrayal.
I steadied myself, shifting my feet in the grass. I knew this pain. I’d experienced this same heart-wrenching emotion the night before I left for the Inner Kingdom when he called me a half-breed.
I regretted the agony I was causing Gilen, but I didn’t regret this challenge.
Gilen straightened to his full stature. His magic surged as he pulled back his shoulders to speak. “I’ll ask you this one last time.” He twirled the dagger in his hand. “You truly wish to challenge me?”
I squared my shoulders, fearless in his commanding presence. “I challenge you, Alpha of the Solace pack.”
“So be it,” Gilen growled, raising the dagger above his head. “I accept.”
He threw the weapon toward the dirt, the blade embedding itself in the frozen ground beneath our feet.
Since Gilen didn’t have weapons, I unstrapped my bow and quiver, but kept a blade strapped to my thigh. I placed them next to me in the grass, keeping them ready in case Gilen shifted into his animal form. He had an advantage over me with his physical strength, but thankfully, I had speed.
I crouched into a balanced fighting stance, and Gilen did the same.
For a moment, I closed my eyes and allowed myself to reach for my bond with Daxton, daring to search for his presence despite the distance that separated us.
And instantly, I felt it.
It was comforting and empowering. My animal sang inside my mind in response to his presence, knowing that no matter what, we would always find each other.
Xander cleared his throat and stepped between us, raising his arm to the sky before yelling, “Begin!”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Skylar Cathal
In a flash, Gilen leaped to attack.
I dodged his initial strike, countering by blocking his punch with a swift sidestep and kicking his thigh as I spun in place.
My success in this fight was anchored to my ability to foresee my opponent’s actions. If Gilen managed to capture me and take me to the ground, I would be dead. I needed to overpower him with my speed and technique.
This time, I pivoted on the balls of my feet, leaving an opening at my side that I knew Gilen would see. Keeping my balance, I adjusted my footing to transfer my counter into an attack. Just like Daxton taught me. My fist collided with Gilen’s jaw. Not a powerful blow, but the first of many in this fight.
Gilen recovered, shaking his head while tasting the blood on his lip. His eyes transitioned into a haunting shade of gold that blazed with pure, unhinged rage.
“You’ve learned some new tricks,” he sneered.
“My mate,” I said, my voice ringing with power, “trained me himself. I won’t dishonor him with anything less than victory.”
