forced to give him his entire life.
“Stepanov will be so pleased to know you received his invitation without fail. He hates when his plans don’t go accordingly,” Rahal drawled as he dragged a pretty young shifter toward the line that none of us dared to cross. She hung off of him like her life depended on it while he took a deep swig of whatever alcohol he held in his hand, and I wondered if she knew she had a choice between being his plaything or joining the rebellion. Wasn’t a chance at freedom worth taking over a life of forced servitude and faked respect, even if death became the answer?
She looks miserable. She must believe we don’t have a chance at winning to be plastered against Rahal that way, I snarled.
She’s made her choice, Joshua calmly replied, though his eyes betrayed his level of concern. It was hard to look at this girl and wonder if she’d survive the coming days. If any of us would. Would she die by our hands simply for being on the wrong side of that line? My stomach churned, threatening to upend.
Suddenly, all I wanted to do was hold onto my mates. My Phoenix softly cooed her agreement. The ache that rocked my chest was as cutting as the cold wind that sliced across the water, biting into us without mercy.
“We’ve taken the houses on the right, you’re more than welcome to cross to the ones on the left. As per the ancient rules regarding outright declarations of war, there will be no fighting until the twenty-third at three in the afternoon.” He jutted his chin toward the lodging he referred to, which happened to be on his side of the line, and I narrowed my eyes.
“Thanks, but no thanks. Don’t think we don’t know about the ancient rules as well.” I dropped my gaze to the visible line marked in the earth and briefly pondered what type of powerful creature forged it.
Rahal’s gaze narrowed, and he sneered. “So be it. Until the twenty-third, Phoenix,” he spat. I honestly thought he might cross the line to get to me, or at least send a blast of magic from his side in an attempt to hit me and take me out before the show even began, but it seemed the ancient magic held, and my mates guided me away, never turning their backs until we were far enough away to be considered safe.
“Come on.” Theo pressed against his glasses as we heard the plane approaching in the distance carrying my best friend, her mates, and the others. “Let’s get set up. It’s going to be a long two days.”
Eighteen
Nix
I slumped into our all-weather tent, happy that my mates had secured one big enough to hold us all, even if it was a squeeze. Damien had insisted that our fighters take the limited shelter available to us, especially because he had a mate who could heat up his tent for him.
Each and every day our group earned the hard-won respect of the other shifters, mythological and animal alike.
Killian had easily fit into the role as trainer, challenging the fighters while also helping them grow and improve.
Theo was involved in all the logistical discussions and decisions, weighing each choice he made statistically as well as analytically, a skill none of the rest of us possessed.
Ryder had taken to healing injuries after every practice session, keeping our troops in perfect condition.
Hiro had a way of flowing seamlessly from one group to another, always finding a way to relate to them and fit in. It was probably why he’d made a wonderful RA at the university when I’d first met him.
Joshua was a beacon to everyone he came across, constantly helping wherever he was needed without complaint. That man was an enigma to me, hard and soft, dark and light, dominant yet gentle. He had many sides, and I loved each one. Slowly, the other shifters adjusted their views of the Basilisk, growing less afraid day by day. I hoped eventually that lack of fear would translate to our community as a whole rather than just the fighters who had been forced to work beside him and see who he truly was.
Damien was a natural-born leader, steady in his command and confident in his decisions. He held this rebellion on his shoulders, waiting for the day he could enact his revenge for all the Council had taken from him. He’d lost everything, and nothing held him back as