Page 115 of A Trial of Fate

“All right, all right. I’ll play nice—for now.” He positioned his balance platform on the deck and motioned for me to step onto the flat surface. “But it comes with a price. Get on.”

“I don’t usually mount things just for fun.”

Daxton bit his lip, holding back his laughter. “Clearly. But if you want your answers… you willmountmy contraption.”

I gave him an unimpressed glare. I couldn’t believe I walked into that one. I was cautious but stepped onto the weirdly shaped stool. The curved bottom made me sway, and I nearly fell flat on my face. Luckily, Dax was there and caught me before I tumbled over.

“This is going to be tougher than I thought.” I grimaced.

“Afraid to rise to the occasion?” Dax arched his brows, giving me a sultry stare.

“No,” I answered in a breathy voice.

“Widen your stance and focus on tightening your core. That is the point of concentration when you are in battle. Everything stems from and begins here.” He placed a hand on my stomach, and immediately, I tensed every muscle in my body. “Good,” he answered,letting his hand linger against my heated flesh. He let go of me and took a tentative step back.

My legs wobbled for a moment, trying to balance the curved pieces underneath my level platform. “Like this?”

“Yes, that’s it.”

A wave hit the ship, sending me sideways, and my feet slipped out from under me. I tumbled and collided hard with the deck of the ship. “Ouch.” I grimaced as I tenderly rubbed my backside.

“Get back up and try again,” Dax said in encouragement. “For each minute you manage to last, I’ll answer one of your questions.”

“Deal!” I sprang up from the deck and stepped onto the balance platform. I focused on my core and found my balance faster the second time around. Shifters, like the High Fae, had heightened physical strengths and senses compared to humans. I was half-human, but I was still able to catch on quickly.

Dax waved his hand, and a small hourglass appeared beside him. “One minute.”

I watched the sand drain from the top, each grain slowly trickling down, forcing me to stay balanced for one second longer than I thought I could. When the top was empty, I grinned and threw my hands up into the air. “Done!” Naturally, I relaxed my center and wobbled, crashing face-first back onto the deck. “Ouch.”

Daxton tried his best not to laugh. “Indeed, you did. All right, get back up there, and you get one question.”

“Restart the time. I bet I’ll get two more out of you before I lose my balance this next round.”

He gave me an intriguing look and happily turned the hourglass over once I had my balance set on the platform. “Tell me about your magic.”

“That question has a variety of different answers, Skylar.”

“I plan on being up here until I get them all.” I gave him a confident grin, and he nodded his head, acknowledging my slight, although subtle, improvement.

“Magic is different in the Inner Kingdom than on the mainland of Valdor. We believe it has something to do with the veil, but regardless of that fact, yes. I can utilize my magic to complete other tasks when I need to. For example, Castor can manipulate ice, while I can create objects from ice and command them to my needs. Not everyone has the same abilities.”

“Do you need to expel your magic in order to keep it balanced?”

Dax looked at the hourglass, and to his surprise, it was already empty. He turned it over. “Yes. Even though the queen siphons my power in her offerings, I need to balance my magic. Using it in spurts helps take the edge off the pressure that builds within our bodies over time.”

“Kind of like a gateway or a dam?” I asked.

“Precisely. Castor and other descendants of royal bloodlines can access their unique magic in similar ways, but the less power you have, the less you need to release it. Others simply have abilities to access a well of power, regardless of their bloodline, but they are rare.” He glanced to his side again and raised his brows, noticing that he needed to overturn the glass a second time.

“All right. Have you ever used your magic on me?”

Daxton seemed taken aback by this question, but I had my reasons for asking him. “Yes. I admit that I have.”

“When?”

“I believe you have to earn another minute before we dive into that.” I pursed my lips, determined to get my answer from him. This was important to me, and there was no way I was backing down. I didn’t care how hard my legs were shaking or how difficult it was to concentrate. I was going to hold out for one more answer.

The sand completed its cycle, and Daxton turned it over once more. “When you were in the cell of the hunters’ lair, I used my magic to help you.”

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