Page 114 of A Trial of Fate

“The ship will add another layer of difficulty.”

“Outstanding!” I gave him an awkward thumbs-up, and I immediately wanted to retreat inside myself from sheer embarrassment. For crying out loud. One second, I was literally straddling him, and the next, I give him a thumbs-up like a child? I was a complete and utter mess.

Lucky for me, Daxton found my unique charm humorous. That or he took pity on me, which I agreed would be a valid choice. “Rest for now, Spitfire. I will come for you in a few hours. How does that sound?”

“Like a shifter’s paradise. I have food and a soft place to sleep. I’m all set.”

“Good,” Dax said as he rose to leave, closing the door behind him.

I flopped down, curled up in the soft blankets, and turned over onto my side. Before I even heard the door latch, my eyes were drifting shut.

Thankfully, I didn’t dream.

After the nightmare from last night, I was worried my dreams would follow me to the Inner Kingdom. But that was a battle for another day. Right now, I needed to focus on mastering everything Dax and Cas were willing to teach me. If I was going to succeed in the trials, I needed to learn how to survive—and fast.

I opened the door to the back of the ship and looked around to see how far we had ventured out into the open sea. Valdor was quickly fading behind us as we sailed southeast. I could barely make out the landmass that contained everything I knew and cared for. Dax said it would be a little less than a week’s journey, but we still had topass through the veil.

The veil was a massive magical barrier that divided Valdor from the Inner Kingdom territory of the High Fae. It was believed that no one could pass through, but apparently, every century, they did so to find a shifter for the trials. According to Daxton and Castor, the fae queen’s magic weakened despite her siphoning ability, and unlocking the Heart became their only avenue for helping combat the wilt. That, or the magic absorbed from the life sacrificed from the shifter in the trials.

I still had no idea what the veil looked like or how we would sail through it on this massive ship. It was an impenetrable wall of magic that was erected after the war between the races. Shifters and humans divided the mainland of Valdor, while the High Fae were secluded in their territory. However, we had no idea that they were suffering.

I turned around the corner of the stern to face the open deck space on the other side of our sleeping quarters. I noticed adjacent doors on either side of my own room and assumed they belonged to Daxton and Castor. As I passed by the door to my right, I smelled the fresh, crisp mountain air with a hint of pine, and I knew it was Daxton’s.The one to the left had Castor written all over it, exuding his rich wine scent.I marched along the deck until I found my travel companions, Daxton busy building something.

“What is that for?”

Daxton looked up and casually flashed me a half-smile, and I swear my insides fluttered. “Your balance training,” he replied.

I didn’t know how he managed to do this to me. I knew I was attracted to him.I mean, who wouldn’t be?He had become someone who not only trusted but respected me, and that was a rarity in this world worth paying special attention to. But the question was, did he see me the same way? Was it even allowed? A shifter-human and high prince of the fae? Ha, right. Fat chance.

Daxton was working on securing curved pieces of wood to a small, circular, flat surface. He ran his hand over the top, and magically, the pieces fused together.

“Wow! What just happened?”

“Hello… It’s magic, Sky,” Castor taunted from behind me.

“Yes, but… Wait. You can access magic to perform smaller tasks like fusing wood? What else can you do? Does it wane your strength like my healing magic does? What are your limitations? Can all High Fae do that?”

“Dear Gods, female,” Castor exclaimed as he waved his hands over his ears. “Silence her incessant questions, would you, Dax? Some of us are trying to work here.”

Dax rolled his eyes and placed his balancing apparatus on the deck of the ship. “It’s normal to have questions, Castor. You are the one giving her the history lesson, and I can only imagine she will have more.”

“Hello… Still in utter shock and disbelief over here,” I announced, placing my hands on my hips and pursing my lips. I stared Dax down, trying my best to give a menacing look and force him to answer me.

“That’s cute,” he teased.

“It won’t be cute in a hot minute if I don’t get some answers.”

“Challenging me? Is that wise?”

“For you? No.” I crossed my arms and continued to stare him down. “I don’t back down easily… Haven’t you figured that out yet?”

“Learning something new each and every day with you, Spitfire.” He grinned.

“You are very… very lucky I don’t have my bow right now.”

“Threats of violence already? How lovely. But tell me, how would killing me get you your answers?”

“Come on, Dax!” I threw my hand up in the air, at my wit’s end with his playful banter.

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