Page 119 of A Trial of Fate

“Your hand,” I answered.

“And what about my hand?” His hooded eyes sparked with a hint of lust as he shifted closer, setting the plate of food down to his side so our bodies were practically touching.

“You have my food.” I grinned and sidestepped him to snatch my plate, skipping over to a barrel to sit on, and began happily eating the fish and rice. I didn’t dare glance up, even though I knew he was watching me.

“Didn’t get any for me, did you?” Castor sighed. “Typical.”

“Don’t even start, Cas,” Daxton groaned as he waved his hand, and two additional full plates appeared. “I was justhandingSky hers.” Oh yes, I definitely didn’t miss that one. I hid my smirk behind my fork as best I could, peeking my hooded eyes over toward Dax, who was wearing an equally mischievous expression.

“What did you learn about today with Castor?” Dax asked as he sat near the base of the barrel I had perched on.

“The dynamics of the royal bloodlines and different regions of the Inner Kingdoms,” I managed to say between shoveling food in my mouth. I know it was not the most ladylike behavior, but they had seen me at my worst.

“Quite a place to begin. How’d she do?” he asked his brother, who delicately chipped away at his meal.

Castor glanced my way, and I gave him a wide grin full of food. “Table manners, I imagine, will follow soon.”

I winked at him as I gulped down the bite of fish and rice.

“She’s hungry.”

“Starving,” I corrected Dax. “Starving.”

“Yes, her stomach was why we cut our lesson short.”

“You had her for three hours,” Daxton countered in my defense as he took some of his food. I looked down at him with a softsmile, happy to see I wasn’t the only one surprised by the length of my lesson.

“And yet there is still so much more to teach her,” Castor added as he conjured a glass out of thin air. He walked over to the barrel next to me, glanced around to see if anyone was watching him, and tapped the cork. “Now, this is a fine wine. Care to try some, you two?”

“Sure.” I shrugged while Dax nodded, and Castor conjured two more glasses. “So, did you create these glasses, or just summon them from below deck?”

“Clever question,” Castor answered. “It takes more magic to create, so oftentimes, we simply summon items that we know are nearby.”

“Isn’t that just being lazy?” I asked as Dax fought back a laugh.

“Using and honing your craft is not lazy,” Cas countered, sipping his wine. “It is to our advantage to grow in strength.” He eyed Daxton. “Just the same as magic.”

I pressed my lips together with a thoughtful expression. “I have to give it to you. I agree. I didn’t think about it like that.”

“No rebuttal or question?” Castor’s eyes widened. “I would bow and say my task is complete, but I fear this was a simple stroke of luck.”

“All right, that’s enough bickering for the moment,” Daxton said lightly with amusement. “What did you learn about the royal families, Spitfire?”

“High Queen Minaeve is allied with Prince Seamus in Aelius. He and his family are highly gifted with powers of the mind, telekinesis, illusion, mind-reading, and the ability to see the past through objects—that one seems the most bizarre to me.”

“Rhett’s talents are indeed unique. What about Crimson City?”

“Adohan, hismate,” I began, careful to articulate for Castor’s benefit, “Idris, along with their sons Finn and Astro, can manipulate fire. Crimson City, unlike Aelius, is allied with you.” Dax raised his eyebrows with a suspicious glance at Castor.

“I didn’t teach her that,” Castor said in defense, holding up his hands.

“Call it my shifter intuition.” I smiled as I finished my plate of food and moved on to my glass of wine.

“Shifter intuition, hmm.” Daxton swirled his own glass before taking a heavy gulp. “Well, it is right so far.”

“Cheers.” I bent over and clinked my glass with Dax’s, and I could see that spark of amusement twinkle in his gray eyes.

“You have improved today, Skylar, but I assure you that you have a long way to go.” Castor finished his meal and downed his glass of wine. “All right, I am off to find my company for the evening if there is nothing else you need from me tonight, Dax?”

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