Page 66 of A Trial of War
My pulse flickered a beat. “Like who?”
“Like your mother,” she said softly, eyes squinting as she smiled. “Like Dawn.”
The name hit me like a clap of thunder in a summer storm. My breath caught, heat surging unbidden through my veins.
Dawn… Mymother.
I’d only seen her twice. Once, when my phoenix was ripped from me in the Labyrinth, she appeared to me, offering to spare my human soul if I was unable to make it through to the center. And then again, in death, I was able to see her at the crossing. The portrait I found in Zircon City did not do her justice. It couldn’t capture the wild, untamed beauty of the woman who stood proudly at my father’s side. But I couldn’t deny the fact that when I looked at herportrait, I saw myself. Even Princess Réalta had seen it—the truth neither of us could deny.
I swallowed heavily. “You knew my mother?”
She nodded.
Daxton’s hand found the small of my back, steadying me as the world tilted. “What message do you carry, healer?” he asked.
Isolde’s gaze shifted between us, her glowing palms dimming. “One,” she said quietly, “that I hopeyou’ll accept.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Skylar Cathal
Voices echoing off the sandstone of the Crimson City palace were a cacophony of chaos, each one building on the other, causing my head to split in two.
The sheer magnitude of opinions circulating in the space was teetering on overwhelming. All of us on the war council, apart from Talon and Rhea, had spent the past hour debating our options in response to the princess’s messages from the magical parchment I gave her.
Sighing, I leaned forward, elbows braced on my knees, burying my face in my palms.
Gods, help us.
Crimson City carried a warm undercurrent in the height of midday despite the late winter months. It held a kind of quiet strength, a unique natural defiance I admired. It remained a stronghold against the mountains to the west that used to keep the bulk of the creatures and the destruction of the wilt at bay.
Now, the border was simply another line on a map.
We hadn’t had time to explore the land I healed when I unlocked the Heart, but soon, I prayed we would expand our borders and reclaim what time and dark magic had stolen.
“Zola and I will side with you, Skylar.” Shaw’s confidence in my ability to make the right decision was comforting. “I’m skeptical about your safety, but Zola assures me that she’ll be able to shadow jump to the mainland and scout the area before you arrive.”
“You’re not going with her?” I asked.
“She can handle things well enough on her own. I trust she is capable without me shadowing her.”
Zola smiled, her eyes softening for a fraction of a second as she looked to Shaw. “You’re learning quickly.”
Shaw crossed his arms. “Figured I had to.”
Zola’s grin widened a fraction.
Chuckling to myself, I shook my head. “Very well.”
“You’re insane if you think meeting with the human princess is a sound idea.” Castor’s condescending tone didn’t help his case when addressing Daxton.
I could feel my mate’s frustration rise as if it were my own. Most of the time, I cherished our connection. However, at the moment, it was overwhelming.
I took a deep breath, trying to clear my mind.
“I told you not to trust the humans the first time.” Magnus’s voice carried his resentment toward our first departure. “And I still stand by my—”
“We learned important intel during our journey to Zircon,” Daxton cut in.
