Chapter Thirteen
Skylar Cathal
I was home, yet somehow, I wasn’t.
Upon cresting the cliffs, I realized the smoke I’d seen from the green sand beach was carried from the eastern regions of our territory. The darker plumes in the distant hills were not an immediate threat to Solace, but still, the sight of them was unsettling.
My father, Emery, died fighting on those very fields.
Countless battles had been fought between the dividing of shifter and human territories.
With each new ruler of the human lands, a new divide and tentative peace treaty was struck, the binding law written in blood from lives lost fighting to protect our homes.
Humans were not born of Valdor, yet our history books and even the records of the High Fae lacked detailed accounts concerning their origins.
I remember attempting to read all I could about the humans’ culture when I was young, naturally curious about the other half of my heritage.
Our viable records stated that humans sailed across the vacant sea to the east, drawn to the magic of Valdor with the promise of peace, settling and creating a stronghold in the southern region of the mainland centuries ago.
Magic in humans appeared to be a rare stroke of genetic grace, while others inherited the ability passed down through a family bloodline.
Some humans held the ability to manipulate and connect to the magic of our world, similar to shifters and fae, tapping into the raw magic and bending it to their will to create beautiful miracles like healing and, at times, dark weapons such as the hunters.
Others could create weapons out of magical energy, and some were even rumored to have gifts of foresight.
But all too soon, a desire for power and control brought forth war and bloodshed between humans, shifters, and fae.
Kneeling, I placed my palm against the cold earth, grounding myself to the familiar presence of my homeland once again. A strong sense of unease swirled through my center, my instincts telling me something wasn’t right.
Tugging the hood of my cloak over my head, I marched forward and entered the forest. My animal stirred with a potent surge of anxiety, putting all my senses on high alert.
The forest was quiet. Almost as if the wilderness embodied the bone-chilling stillness of death itself. Boisterous songbirds fell silent. The natural music of the land had become hushed.
The chilling feeling I had while in the hunters’ keep crept along my spine, creating goosebumps at the nape of my neck.
Were hunters here?
No, not again. Not in my home.
I drew my knife and crouched in the nearby brush of ferns, carefully avoiding the patch of devil’s club.
My eyes meticulously scanned the bare willow and spruce trees.
Utilizing my training from Daxton, I created a barrier to conceal my scent, cloaking myself in case anything nearby was trying to snuff me out of my hiding place.
Keeping my blade drawn, I waited and watched. But still, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
Standing, I kept my knife at the ready, walking along the path I knew by heart. The route I had taken hundreds, if not thousands, of times before. The path that led me to my home. To Julia, to Neera, to Magnus.
I couldn’t extinguish the spark of joy that flickered in my heart at the thought of seeing them again. Despite the despair and absolute horror of the trials thus far, reuniting with my family was a silver lining.
I felt my heart ache as I stilled.
Clenching my eyes shut, I reached to grip my chest. I could feel him.
His pain morphed into my own through our bond.
I shuddered, fighting the draw to succumb to the heartache of knowing he was being tortured.
His presence was a mere flicker, disappearing in the next second, but still, it haunted me.
I will find you. We will always find each other.
Like magic, his words echoed in my mind, strengthening and comforting me like they always did.
And for once, I was not going to question how or why they appeared.
Dusk began to settle as I reached the thick patch of woods outside my family home. I could smell the scent of my cousin, Neera, first, followed by a trickle of Magnus and then, surprisingly, a strong presence of Shaw. Continuing forward, I also detected Rhea’s scent faintly swirling into the mix.
Outside, the lanterns were not lit, and I couldn’t smell anything brewing in the kitchens.
This is odd. At this time of day, I would assume Julia would be brewing up a storm to feed Magnus and Neera.
Even with me gone, Magnus alone could easily finish our entire family’s helping of food if we allowed him to.
Tilting my chin up to investigate further, I detected the scent before hearing the commotion in the woods to the northern side of the clearing. If my animal had not pushed me to be on high alert, I might have missed it.
Exiting the condensed thicket of brush and trees across the way was a beautiful doe with dark brown fur, a golden hue decorating the ridge of her back.
Calculating green eyes, the same Cathal green eyes that Neera and Magnus held, scanned the clearing.
The doe tilted her head up to the sky and sniffed at the air before she released her magic with a green shimmer and shifted into her human form.
It was Neera.
Neera had shifted!
I moved to stand and call out to her, but the snap of a branch sounded behind me, followed by a low snarl that made every hair along my neck stand at attention. It wasn’t the growl of a bear, a wolf, or even a mountain lion. This was something much bigger and much more terrifying.
I gripped the hilt of my dagger, preparing to defend myself. But before I could turn and make my move to attack, I had become the prey.
Ooof, I grunted as my back slammed into the ground.
A massive, black-furred paw pressed onto my chest, pinning me on my back. Sharp, deadly talons extended from beneath the layer of smooth midnight fur. The growl emanating from this animal was laced with a promise of death, and yet, I was not afraid.
I knew exactly who this was.
The hot breath of the beast brushed across my face as it pushed the hood of my cloak back with its nose. A massive panther, the size of a large horse, stood over me. Long, lethal ivory teeth bared and ready to rip out my throat, until… until his gaze finally met mine.
Shaw.
His bright hazel eyes were unmistakable, along with his scent I knew all too well.
My dear friend, who, like me, held scars that dwelled deeper than the marks left on our skin.
My friend, who faced his own fears to assist in my rescue and helped guide me through my recovery.
The friend I could always count on, no matter what.
“Shaw,” I said, releasing my shield and revealing my scent.
Slowly, his sharp claws retracted, and the pressure on my chest lessened. He blinked rapidly. Those predatory feline eyes scanned my face as he sniffed the air around me.
I remembered that my scent had altered, integrating with Daxton’s, but surely he knew it was me? Right?
“Shaw, it’s me!” I managed to sit up and unfasten my cloak. “It’s me, Sky.”
His lips pulled back, and his teeth flashed, the threatening growl of his animal radiating from his massive chest.
Shit, he wasn’t entirely convinced.
I called upon my animal’s help to bridge the connection with his panther. When I first saw Shaw after my capture, I was surprised by how they seemed to respond to each other’s grief, comforting and strengthening each other with a unique bond.
My power began to build, filling my limbs with magic. I rose to stand, refusing to back down. “Shaw,” I said slowly, my voice laced with a power I didn’t completely understand. “It’s me, Skylar.”
The panther blinked, tilting his head to the side and looking me over once more. A soft purr replaced his menacing growl as he lowered his gaze and bowed his head in a sign of submission.
I released the tension in my shoulders with a soft sigh of relief. The panther and Shaw realized this was not some kind of trick or impersonation.
“Shift, Shaw,” I commanded as I stepped closer.
The panther’s eyes widened as it bent its head toward the earth, and in a flash, he shifted into his human form.
“What the—” Shaw didn’t have a chance to finish.
I flung myself into his chest and wrapped my arms around him. He buried his head in my neck, squeezing me just as tightly. “What the hell was that? What the fuck are you doing here, Sky?” Shaw rasped in disbelief. “How—? How are you here?”
“That’s a long story,” I said, releasing my hold on Shaw so he could find some clothes, likely stashed in the nearby brush.
“Well, start talking then.” Neera’s sweet voice echoed behind me right before she jumped into my arms with tears streaming down her tanned, freckled cheeks.
I inhaled her sweet, flowery scent as I trembled from the weight of emotions rolling through me. I held onto my cousin with everything I had, cherishing the unconditional love we shared and thanking the Gods above for giving me this small piece of joy.
I pulled back to cup her sweet face, kissing her brow before pulling her back into my arms. “I missed you.”
“Same.” Neera’s words were drowned by her tears. “More than you know, Skylar.” She convulsed in my arms, her cries intensifying.
“Neera?” I questioned, looking down at her.
She kept her grip on my middle, pulling back to meet my gaze. The creased lines near the corners of her eyes twitched as she bit her lip to try to steady her quivering tears.
“Neera?” I asked again, my voice trailing off into a whisper. “What’s happened?”
I glanced in Shaw’s direction, hoping to see something, anything other than the excruciating heartache painted across my cousin’s face.
“Come inside with us,” Shaw said, his voice dropping, making my breath still. He walked toward us, his expression darkening. “There is a lot we need to tell you.”