The Luna Trials by Marissa Gilbert

Savvy blinked and saw snow-white hair swinging before her eyes as Naya took a battle stance.

“Easy there!” Her lips curled into a menacing grin as she blocked inga’s attack. Her eyes did not promise her opponent anything good, “You may hurt yourself again! We wouldn’t want that would

we?”

The werecat dodged another blow and then kicked Inga’s legs gracefully, making her kiss the dirty ground. Once again, Savannah admired the beauty with which the cats moved. As if they were dancing and not fighting

“If we could shift…” the werewolf growled.

“If we could shift, there would be a blood stain in the shape of you!” Naya retorted with a chuckle. “You don’t scare me, wolf girt. The only one I am scared of in this entire competition is the person I side

with.”

“Enough!” Celia tried to wriggle out from under Savannah, and the Princess stood up, letting her go. The ginger-haired girl rushed to her friend’s side,

“But…”inga was about to protest

“Did you hear what she said?” Celia seemed more agitated because of the magic word than anything else. “Sorry, but even Penelope is not worth it for me. Soyou are on your own! Besides, I think we have stalled them for long enough!”

Inga relaxed slightly hearing this and nodded. They exchanged glances and charged in the same direction without saying anything else.

“So much for their company!” Naya turned to face the other two women, and Savvy really didn’t

know what to expect next.

**You side with me?” The Princess raised her brow questioningly.

“Of course I do!” Alaugh followed the reply. “Who else could you and me, two Westerners, join

here?

“I could join forces with Astrid.” Savvy pointed out, throwing a quick glance at Petra, who still clung to the tree branch as if her life depended on it.

“I hate that one!” Naya scrunched her nose. “And Brigit!” The Princess continued. “Ugh, that one is even worse. You see why you needed me here?” The cat smirked.

“I needed you? Since when?” Now Savannah was interested.

“Since always!” Naya rolled her eyes. “Why do you think I am here? To fight for a man? No, thank you. I like pirts more anyway. Although men can be fun sometimes. That depends on the size of their dl-”

“I get it!” Savannah tried to stop her confession. “I still don’t get why, though. And how did you know

about the Trials?”

“I received an invitation from Elene. She wanted a werecat of noble blood to compete, and my

mother chose me.”

“So, you knew before I even got here?” Savvy gritted her teeth. “Why didn’t you inform us? We are

supposed to be in an alliance with the cat packs.”

“We are in an alliance,” Naya confirmed nonchalantly. “That’s the whole point. You didn’t need that

information back then. Your brother would flip, and we would have had another war on our hands instead

of a new and powerful ally. Who would want that? My mother sent me here to help you get King Kai’s heart and marry him. Or, at the very least, help you win the Trials and get the three wishes. If you had been disqualified, I would have to win this thing myself. Luckily, you didn’t disappoint. The King is really not my type, so thanks for that.”

“You cats have strange ideas about loyalty,” Sawy scoffed; however, she also felt relieved.

“We do what will benefit us all. If King Gideon asked us, we would have told him what we knew. But he didn’t, so….”

That was one convenient way of thinking

exactly has your being here helped me?” Savannah let out a

hilarious.

to report to her, and she would inform King Gideon.” Naya

very

a few days, but after I listened to Beta Lachlan’s conversation with Princess Elene, I knew you were

as more than enemies somewhere closer to the end of the Trials. And look at

and it’s

both turned to look at her. Her lips were twitching to keep a straight face, but tears

“I forgot

fair!” Petra stomped her hurt foot and winced at the sharp pain. More tears streamed down her cheeks. “Giving him sexy’l favours so that

at once, choosing her words cautiously now.

al lavours! Petra,

blushed when the words left her mouth. It was the first time she said that out loud to

she

confession slowly sunk in and Petra’s expression changed to a

you mates?” The pink-haired girl asked, and Naya snorted, but Savannah jabbed her with

we need to move

Forgotten City.”

wait for help.” The werecat smiled at Petra,

behind.

word that I’d take care of her.” “For real?”

Petra and helped her to wrap her arm around her neck

support. “Let’s go.”

took the tree branch away from the

away. “Come here!

for a while, but since there were two of them

faster.

don’t have to worry about any attacks anymore.” The werecat tried to look

are

seeing the walls of the Forgotten City from a distance. They weren’t as destroyed as she imagined. In fact, they seemed

is it?” Naya

Princess chuckled. “It proved

the Northern mountains,” Petra informed them. “Women spend their life there in prayers to Fenrir. They only eat food they grow themselves and are never allowed to marry anyone. Even if they meet their mate, however unlikely if one lives in Claghtern, they have to reject them. It’s pure life. They also train to be warriors and are considered elite here. They say that Fenrir gives them his blessing,

are more like priestesses,” Petra tried to explain. “It’s an honourable position.” “if it’s that honourable, why did one mention of the place

chuckled.

she isn’t the nun type?” The werecat sniggered, and they both snorted,

lauchs.

that each firstborn daughter would jo!n Claghtern” the pink-haired werewolf continued explaining. “Cella had to join them last year. Evelyn says it’s one of the reasons why she is in the Luna Trials. First, it postpones the Inevitable. And second, if she or one of her

“If she thinks someone like Penelope would waste

reached the city walls, but there

but it wasn’t hopeless yet. She was confident in her own strength

Naya

werecat sighed. “Just go already. I will look after her UNTIL her foot is healed. After that, she is on

leave me now,” Petra realised they were talking about her. “I will just wait here until

this, and now you have to do the best you can. Your leg will heal soon,

her lips. “According to your own mentor, the point is

here. Are you going to just sit and wait until someone arrives to save you?”

going to at least

wait for the outcome. She

!

Western Princess said. “Naya will stay with you until your knee is healed, and I have to go now. But I really hope to see you fight, Petra. Not for Kai, not for any man. For you. You are just as strong as everybody else here. Even if you don’t go far until you try, you know you are

Naya, and the werecat gave her a supportive smirk. “I’ll find you later by your scent,” she promised, waving the Lycaness

down the wall, realising

no doors, no gates, no holes …

she decided to simply climb the wall, not to lose any more

labyrinth with thousands of branches, and Savvy had no idea how people lived here in ancient times. It looked like a big trap, and it did not help that now it

sunset.