Page 109 of A Trial of Fate

“Shut up and accept it,” Talon teased.

“No such thing as too much love,” Rhea added, and damn them, they were right. I could have held onto them for another hour, but I knew time was slipping away. “Until we see you again.” Rhea braved a smile as Talon held onto her tightly.

I was so thankful that they had found each other. A true mate bond was never something Rhea really wanted, but by the look on her face, she could never live without it now. Their bond was something I envied, and I hoped to feel even a fraction of that someday.

Finally, it was Shaw’s turn. “I won’t say goodbye to you,” I said.

He was confused for a second, but then he beamed a cunning smile through his sorrow. “Because this is not a goodbye. It’s a see you later.”

“Knew you were the smart one of the group. Make sure to keep them all in line while I’m gone, would you?”

“Absolutely. It’s a full-time job with this lot, and I’ll miss my partner in crime.” I leaped into his arms as he pulled me in tight. We never had the romantic kind of connection like the one I foolishly dabbled in with Gilen, but there was a strong sense of companionship with Shaw. I knew I could count on him, and it was the best thing I could ask for in times like this. Shaw released his hold on me so I could say farewell to the final person in my family—Uncle Magnus.

I stepped out to face the shifter who raised me. My uncle… who found me as an infant and took me in without ever asking why. He recognized my father in me and loved me unconditionally like his own daughter. Never once did I feel the agonizing pang of losing a parent because of the love given to me by Magnus and Julia. I even got to experience what it was like to have a sibling when Neera was born. There was never enough I could give back to him—never enough time to thank him for all he had done for me.

“Magnus… I-I…” He lifted me off my feet, and I could feel his teardrops falling on my shoulder. It took everything I had not to break down in the doorway. I knew if I was ever going to turn back and renounce my vow, it would be here. But I also knew Magnus would never let me do it.

“You can do this, Skylar. We will see each other again… And not in the next life, but in this one.” There was no holding back my tears now. “My daughter, you are a true blessing. We simply have to share you with the rest of the world now.” Magnus released me and kissed my brow, deeply inhaling my scent before stepping back to Julia’s other side.

My family. They were the reason I was risking it all, and I took a moment to memorize each one of their faces so that when I closed my eyes, I would remember them.

“I love you all.” I boldly turned to face the unchartered fate that lay before me. I closed my eyes, breathing in the scent of my home, and putting it all to memory so that when I was scared or felt alone, I knew I had this waiting for me to return to.

Daxton waited patiently on the bottom steps of the porch. His dark tailored shirt and pants framed his strong shoulders, which I wanted to bury my face into and cry, but I held back. I kept my chin up high and dared to take the first steps away from home.

As I found the last step, he reached out his hand to grasp mine. “Let me take it from here, Spitfire.”

He moved behind me, placing his chest against my back as he encircled me and held onto my hands. The world flashed silver, and in one single breath, I was standing on the green sand beach, looking out onto the ship anchored in the sea that would carry me away from home.

“Ready?” Dax asked.

I knew Dax could teleport us directly onto the ship’s deck, but he stopped here—just for me. This was a special pit stop for me to say my final farewell to my home. I didn’t know how he knew, but this beach was a very special place for me. I reached down to scoop a handful of olivine-crystalized grains of sand, reliving all the memories I had of this place.

My homeland held so much love and happiness. But it also held betrayal, and horrors I knew I would forever be fighting to escape. But how can we admire and treasure the joys without knowing the darkness?

I bravely stood and faced the stoic fae warrior at my side. “I’m ready.”

There was no hint of fear or a whisper of regret when I spoke to Daxton because I truly was ready. I said my goodbyes and was at peace with what fate had in store for me. I was ready to leave my home and discover an entirely new world full of danger, uncertainty, but perhaps most of all,hope.

I extended my hand, and Daxton latched onto me once again,teleporting us in a flash of silver onto the deck of the ship awaiting us in the harbor. I took a step to steady my wobbly sea legs as I glanced around at the beautiful vessel that would carry us across the sea.

The boat looked to be about one hundred feet long, with a double mast carrying three white sails apiece. The mainmast held a crow’s nest at the top, and I could make out a sailor pulling at the rope to help secure the sails. The rest of the fae crew quickly followed silent commands, readying the ship for departure on the parting sea that divided the Inner Kingdom from the rest of Valdor.

I watched them all with a sense of awe. Each one of them was unmistakably High Fae. It was one thing to know I was traveling to the Inner Kingdom, but experiencing it was different. I would be the only shifter and/or human, submerged into a culture I did not understand or really fit into. Yes, shifters originated from High Fae with the magic of the Heart of Valdor and the creation magic of the gods, but that was a very long time ago.

But perhaps we weren’t as different as it seemed.

A slender male wearing a long sea-green coat with a sword strapped to his waist approached me and Daxton. “Silver Shadow, we are ready to set sail for Niamh.”

“Very good, Captain Fjorda,” Daxton replied, hovering close to my side.

The captain had tanned skin with deep, unsettling seafoam-green eyes that churned like the sea. His long light-brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail that fluttered with the sea breeze, highlighting his pointed fae ears and high cheekbones. Like Daxton, he had a neatly trimmed beard, speckled with blond and brown, that outlined his firm jawline. Apparently, beauty was a common trait among the High Fae.

“Is this…her?” the captain asked, and it seemed like the entire crew stopped and fell silent.

I glanced around at all the new faces, their attention collectively set on me. Each sailor on this ship had weathered expressions, but they were not worn from exhaustion. Instead, it looked like they were sun-kissed by the Mother herself and molded by the love of the sea. The salty air clung to their scents like it was seawater that flowed through their veins instead of blood. The lines along their eyes told stories of happiness and pangs of joy and sorrow, and they all looked intently at me.

“Yes. This is the female shifter thatvolunteeredfor the trials.” Daxton remained by my side, his hand discreetly brushing against myback.

---