Page 126 of A Trial of Fate

“Oh, hey,” I swatted Castor’s hand away from my face.

“I asked you a question. What is going on with my brother?”

I debated not telling Castor what we talked about, but seeing as it was also a piece of his past as well, he deserved to know I was aware of it. “Dax told me the story about your parents.”

Castor’s eyes widened. “He did what?”

“He told me about how they met on the battlefield, about their mate bond, and about…”

“No.” Castor waved his hand and took a seat, steadying himself. “He talked to you about it? Actually in detail? With words?”

“Yes,” I answered with a peculiar stare.

“There are not many things that surprise me anymore, Skylar, but you have just given me the shock of a lifetime.” What was he getting at? Castor was acting strange. He was a character, to begin with, but this was out of the ordinary even for him. “Daxton has not spoken about our parents since that final day on that battlefield when our father died in his arms and the responsibility of our kingdom… passed to him.”

My eyes widened. I didn’t know what to say or how to respond. Daxton trusted me enough to share it with me. “Wow.”

“For once, we are in the same state of shock. You seem to have achieved the impossible and somehow managed to get him toopen up and talk to you.”

I had no idea how or why Daxton shared that with me, but I was glad that he did. “Well, I’m glad that impossible tasks are in my favor before I enter the trials.”

“Indeed.” Castor’s gaze drifted over the side of the ship, and I could see he was deep in thought. “Let’s find me some food, and then we can continue our lessons from yesterday. In a few days, we should reach the veil, and then we will enter the Inner Kingdom. There is too much to teach you and little time to do it.”

I nodded and showed Castor to the gally. We didn’t have much time before I would be thrown into the world of the High Fae. I would not only be challenged with the trials but would also have to survive the mind games of the fae courts, and from what I could tell, they were justas deadly.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Two more days passed, and the ship’s crew were readying themselves to pass through the veil, but I still did not know what to expect. The days on the ship passed by like the first, but for the life of me, I couldn’t seem to get Daxton alone. He continued to train me in the mornings, with Castor’s lessons following in the evening, and by the time night fell, I was exhausted.

I kept wondering what else he was going to tell me before Cas interrupted us. I desperately wanted to know what he was going to say, but unfortunately, I hadn’t had the chance to ask him.

“What will happen once we cross the veil?” I asked Castor after we reviewed various strategic players of each kingdom of the High Fae.

“The veil is pure magic. When we cross through, your body will be flushed with its power—unlike anything you have felt before. Dax will be able to create an opening, but everyone on the ship will still come into contact with the veil’s magic.”

“What will it feel like?” I wondered if it would affect me differently than it did the fae due to my hybrid shifter-human blood.

“For every shifter before you… the effects have been the same as us. It’s a wild, intoxicating rush. Imagine being drunk on your finest wine… while also feeling the slam of adrenaline from battle. Everything is heightened. The world feels raw against your fingertips, and the magic that dances across your skin ignites every nerve ending in your body.”

“Is it painful?”

Castor shook his head. “No, not painful. More bothersome or annoying if you don’t enjoy indulging in the side effects.”

I wondered what side effects he was referring to, but I decided to keep that question to myself for once. With my feelings for Daxton running amok in my head, I didn’t want to touch that subject with a ten-foot pole. And judging by the distance he was putting between us—yet again—he was in the same boat as me.

“How many times have you crossed?” I asked.

“This is my third time traveling to the mainland to find ashifter. Dax would not allow me to go the first two trips, but I have insisted on coming on the final three.”

“I imagine he didn’t want you coming until he knew it was safe.”

“Ha,” Castor blurted with a short humorous laugh. “Sure, that’s the reason.”

Oddly enough, the dynamics of the Inner Kingdom were beginning to make sense, especially with the details Dax shared with me about his parents. And he was right about it being drastically different from my pack. Shifters worked together for a greater cause to support one another. The combined efforts of the pack benefited everyone’s safety, security, happiness, and well-being. It seemed the High Fae had some of these qualities, but they were divided. Their people had advantages, but their lack of unity was their downfall. Even with a high queen ruling over all of them, it was apparent they were still struggling to unite. Five centuries of death and despair from the fear of the wilt didn’t help matters.

“All right, back to our lessons,” Castor announced. We were locked in his quarters for the rest of the day, revisiting every detail about each kingdom, and I finally learned about some of the key players of Silver Meadows.

Their master-at-arms, Gunnar, was currently in command of Silver Meadows while Dax and Castor were away. He was orphaned as a child due to the wilt, losing his father, who fought under Daxton’s command, and then, sadly, his mother, who died in childbirth. At an early age, apparently the youngest to date, Gunnar entered the Ice Gauntlet to earn his right to train as a warrior for Silver Meadows. His skill and hard work quickly caught Castor and Daxton’s attention. They both personally saw to his training, and he quickly rose to earn their trust. Gunnar was young, but his success and leadership were remarkable, regardless of his troubled upbringing. What he lacked in magic, he made up for with a cunning military mind, determination, and loyalty.

---