Page 134 of A Trial of Two Worlds
“What does this mean?” Shaw asked.
Daxton remained silent, carefully examining the rippling lines from the stone clutched in the male’s hands. “Do you feel it, Cas?” Daxton asked, turning toward his brother.
Castor raised his brows in surprise. “Thought it was just me.”
“Feel what?” I asked.
“Your power is more responsive as shifters,” Daxton said, “but I can also feel mine stirring. I feelstrongersomehow.”
“The Heart of Valdor is affecting all of us,” I said, finally understanding what power this object truly held. “We’re all linked to it.”
Castor joined the others and traced his fingers over the markings resembling waves surrounding the stone. “It amplifies the holder’s magic,” he stated, coming to the same conclusion I did, “but how?” He paused on the wisps of white emitting from the shifter male that drifted into the stone. “What does this mean regarding…” Castor’s voice trailed off as his eyes turned black.
Without warning, I turned on my heels and began sprinting toward the end of the tunnel.
Chapter Sixty-Seven
Skylar Cathal
“Skylar!” Daxton called out, racing to catch me. “Skylar, wait!”
“Sky!” Shaw’s voice echoed in a panic.
I knew he’d figured it out. He was always so gods-damned clever.
My heart thundered in my ears, drowning out the footsteps and the cries of my name behind me. Selfishly, I needed them here, but I couldn’t allow them to join me on this last step of my journey.
“Skylar!” Daxton screamed, begging me to answer his call. I could hear the horror in his voice, his fear morphing into my own through the threads of our bond.
I withdrew the dagger from my back as a shimmering barrier appeared at the end of the tunnel.
The tunnel opened into a clearing at the volcano’s epicenter, with the Heart of Valdor locked inside on a pedestal encased inside a magical barrier. The pools of magma below this raised platform blanketed the opening in a thick layer of heat that felt like pushing through a dense barricade. Still, I pressed ahead, sprinting toward the magical barrier encasing the Heart.
In one swift movement, I sliced through the veil of magic, allowing only me to enter as it sealed shut behind me.
My hands trembled as I froze, my voice catching in my throat. I dropped to my knees, the sharp rocks biting into them as the alpha’s dagger clattered to the ground beside me. A surge of primal energy tore through me, my animal awakening as my eyes locked on the Heart, gleaming atop a pedestal, my ancestor’s bones laid to rest beside it.
The ruby-red stone shimmered with a magical glow. It was beautiful, utterly breathtaking. Pulses of my magic intensified in my presence, as if the stone recognized my blood and whoever dared to enter in an attempt to wield its power.
“Skylar!” my mate roared, pounding his fist against the barrier at my back. His magic assaulted the divide between us.
“Daxton,stop,” I whimpered, feeling the depth of his wrath. His rage masked the dreaded and all-consuming sorrow that threatened to shatter his soul.
I am doing this to save him, I reminded myself,to save all of them.
Rising from the earth, I braced myself to turn and face them.
“Skylar!” Daxton bared his teeth, pure outrage filling his stare. Yet, behind his veil of anger, I could sense his devastating heartbreak.
The guilt of hiding this secret from my mate darkened a piece of my soul. The look of painful understanding mirrored in his expression expanded the cracks in my heart, threatening to alter me from my destined fate.
“Sky—” Shaw skidded to a stop beside Daxton, his eyes widening in a desperate plea.
Castor was the last to join. His footsteps echoed off the stone walls of the darkened tunnel as he turned the corner to meet my gaze. He knew what I intended to do.
What I needed to do.
“Skylar,” Castor whispered, pursing his lips. His eyes widened as color faded from his cheeks.
