Page 112 of A Trial of Fate

I stopped tilting my brows upward and turned my head to the side. So many emotions were rolling through me that I didn’t know what to make of this. “You sound so certain that I will get to meet them.”

“I’m convinced that you will make it through the trials, Skylar. You are different from every other champion selected, and you have given all of us a reason to hope for a better life.”

“ExplainhowI am different exactly.” I crossed my arms, still skeptical. “That part is not making much sense to me.”

Daxton smiled a large, toothless grin. “Because… no one has ever volunteered.”

“Is that why Fjorda and the other fae on the ship were—”

“Yes.” Daxton nodded, and it was like a switch in my mind clicked. No one had volunteered to go. Everyone else must have been forced. A deep sadness for the former champions lurked in my heart. “Come on, let’s find you a suitable cabin on this ship,” Daxton said, reaching up to place a hand on my shoulder.

“I’m interested to hear more about Gunnar and Zola,” I added as I stepped to his side once more. We walked to the back of the ship, where an intricate wooden railing designed with crashingwaves created a peaceful overlook. “Along with anything you want to share about your home.”

“I would be happy to tell you—” Daxton stopped mid-sentence, his gaze shooting upward into the sky.

“What is it?” My line of sight followed his, and I was able to see why he froze on the back deck of the ship’s bow. A large roc was soaring over the ship, its golden wings with black-tipped feathers blocking out the sun as it soared through the clouds and down toward the water.

Gilen.

I stood my ground, prepared to fight him off in his beast form if I had to. There was no way he was going to pull me off this ship.

“Get behind me, Skylar.” Daxton pushed himself in front of me as a silver sword materialized along his back. He wrapped a protective arm around my middle, but I sidestepped him and dove to the railing.

“No, Dax. I won’t hide behind you.” I was not a cowering damsel in distress who would fall to the side while a male stepped in to handle my business for me.

The majestic roc swooped down, hovering behind the ship in mid-air, staring straight at me, with Daxton close behind. His massive wings flapped to keep him hovering as he squawked and turned his head. I didn’t understand him. Gilen was not yet the alpha, and he couldn’t speak into our minds yet as his father could. What I could see in his eyes, however, were tears. The mighty animal flew closer before soaring back up into the open sky. A loud, sorrowful call sang from his chest as he released his clutched talon. A small rock tied with a string and parchment fell through the sky, landing in my outstretched hand over the railing.

Gilen took one final swoop past the ship and flew back toward the direction of the green sand beach. My heart was bursting as I saw members of my pack lined up along the shore. A long, beautiful howl sang across the water, and I knew it was Rhea saying her final farewell.

“I’ll see you all again,” I promised, clutching the rock to my chest.

“I know you will,” Daxton answered.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Iblindly picked the first room Daxton showed me. Still trying to unpack all that had just happened, I walked into the small private quarters to sit on the rickety bed that stretched along the edge of the room. I clutched the stone Gilen dropped for me against my chest as I stared off into the small space.

I knew Daxton was still with me in the room as the door latched closed. He didn’t leave me alone, and I was actually thankful for his company. I didn’t know if I wanted to talk to Daxton about Gilen, but his presence was still comforting.

“Do you want me to leave?” Dax finally asked after I continued to stare at the wooden planks of my wall in silence. Gods, I must have looked like a mess.

“Stay, please,” I asked with a shaky voice. “It’s nice having you around. But I don’t know if I can talk about this—”

“There is no need to explain or rationalize how you feel, Spitfire. You asked me to stay… and I will remain with you until you say otherwise,” he answered as he slid onto the opposite side of the bedding I was resting on.

With the size of the room, there was nowhere else for him to sit, that was what I told myself anyway. I felt a rush of tension melt from my shoulders as I dropped my clutched hands into my lap. Daxton’s calming presence helped settle my shaking nerves, and even if I didn’t want to talk to him, I couldn’t stomach the thought of him leaving just yet. I appreciated his understanding and the absence of pressure he was placing on me to discuss what had happened. I knew he would sit here with me all day without me even having to ask him.

Slowly, I opened my hands and turned over the rock that Gilen dropped from the sky. A delicate portrait of a fireweed flower was painted on the backside, and attached was a piece of parchment with my name written on it in Gilen’s handwriting.

“What flower is that?” Daxton asked, looking down at the stone.

“Fireweed. It’s a wildflower that grows near the mountainranges of our pack lands.”

“Is it your favorite?”

I paused for a moment, wanting to be honest with him, even if I wasn’t always honest with myself. “It’s one of my favorites, but it’s not the one I love the most.”

“I see… The coloring is beautiful. I don’t believe we have this flower growing in the Inner Kingdom.”

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