Page 50 of A Trial of War
“Skylar!” Daxton’s voice was sharp and commanding. “Pull back!”
“I can’t!” I shouted through gritted teeth. “It’s.In. Him!It’s taking everything—”
Then came my mate’s snarl, his need to protect me taking control. Daxton’s hands gripped my shoulders andrippedme backward. The connection broke with a violent jolt, throwing me against the deck of the ship. The shadows in my veins evaporated like smoke, leaving an invisible burning sensation beneath my skin.
Rhea’s scream tore through the night. “No! Let her go! She can save him!”
Daxton’s eyes glowed like molten silver as he turned on her. “I’m savingher! You think I’ll let the shadows devour both of them?”
“Thenwhat? Let him die?” Rhea’s voice cracked, shattering with despair. “He’s my mate, my heart—”
“And she is mine!” Daxton roared, his voice breaking as he looked down at Talon. “I won’t stand by and watch that dark magic take them both.”
I pushed myself upright, trembling, vision swimming with gold and black spots. Holding my breath, I watched Talon’s chest rise. They were ragged, shallow breaths, but at least he was breathing.
My magic had donesomething.
I looked for the discarded arrow, but realized it must have dissolved into ash, leaving only a jagged wound still rimmed with blackened veins in Talon’s chest.
“He’s alive,” I whispered. “But it left something behind.”
Rhea leaned over him, sobbing as his eyes flickered open. “Talon?”
He managed a ghost of a smile. “Hey. Don’t cry.”
I swallowed hard, feeling the sickness of shadow still twisting around us. “The darkness… It’s inside him. I slowed it down, but it’s spreading.”
“How long?” Castor whispered as he moved behind me to keep the crew at a distance.
“It depends.” I didn’t have the heart to voice a true timeline.
Rhea’s head snapped toward me. “Try again, Sky. Take these shadows out. Heal him, please.”
“I can’t.” My voice broke at the confession. “I tried. The shadows fed onme, on my magic.If I try and heal him again, it’ll consume us both.”
Silence fell, broken only by the ragged sound of Talon’s breathing. I’d brought him back from the crossing for now, but I didn’t believe I could keep him here much longer.
Talon’s voice was weak but also filled with something aching and tender. “Skylar…”
Somehow, I mustered the strength to look at him, tears burning in my eyes.
“Will I… will I live nine months?” he rasped, gaze flicking to Rhea, his palm pressing against their unborn babe. “Long enough to meet our child?”
The question stole the air from my lungs. Rhea froze, tears spilling anew as she pressed his hand to her heart.
“I—” My lips closed around the truth. I couldn’t lie to him. Not Talon. “I don’t know.”
Talon smiled faintly, though his eyes glimmered with pain. He knew, and yet he still tried to mend the peace in our group. “Then we’ll just have to make each day count.”
And as his eyelids fluttered shut again, I felt the slow pulse of the shadow magic spread. Black veins inching outward over his skin.
Gods, I didn’t want Talon to suffer. I couldn’t watch him die a slow death like this.
And Rhea? Rhea…
I clenched my fists tight, causing my knuckles to turn white. Fuck this. This wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.
Daxton’s hand came down gently on my shoulder, grounding me back to the moment. His touch was warm and steady, the opposite of the frigid shadow rot that had tried to swallow me whole.
