Page 131 of A Trial of Fate

“So, what was it like?” I asked him as I took a bite of my dinner.

“I believe you will have to be a little more specific with your inquiry,” he replied as he shifted to lean back against the ship’s side.

“Before the wilt. What was your life like?”

Daxton hummed to himself in quiet contemplation. “That is an interesting question. I have not dared to look back in quite a long time.”

“How long?” I eagerly asked. His sense of time—of his lifespan—was drastically different from my own. He was immortal… while I was not. This was a very real fact that I also needed to remember. While I would eventually age and die, Daxton would live on for centuries.

“Since the day the wilt took my mother,” Daxton answered as he took another bite of his meal. “But now that you ask… I would be happy to think back and share it with you.”

“I would love to hear about it,” I said with a coy smile.

Daxton shared his memories from his former life with me as we dined together underneath the darkening starry sky. He fondly told me about his first training sessions with his father and, not surprisingly, his mother as well. Khalon was a skilled warrior, like Daxton, but his mother, Arabella, was also very skilled with a blade—and deadly with her bow. I couldn’t help but admire how he described his parents’ dynamic. They were the epitome of a mated pair, working together to help strengthen their partnership and seeing each other as equals. He described how proud his father was when his ice magic developed, and then, only a few years later, how his mother’s gifts manifested. They were overwhelmed with hope for the future of their people, telling Daxton that he was the prince that was promised to unite them all.

Castor was conceived and born by the time Daxton had already mastered the Ice Gauntlet and earned his first mountain peak emblem of the Silver Meadows warriors. He was so happy to have a sibling and vowed the moment Castor was born that he would always be his brother’s protector.

“That is a lot to be thankful and happy for,” I said, recalling my own fond memories of my home. I watched Daxton closely as a glimmer of joy flashed across his expression, the dimple on the side of his face making a rare appearance.

Daxton tilted his head to the sky and relaxed the handsome features along his face. “Looking up at them reminds me…”

“Reminds you of what?” I asked as I stared at the beauty revealed only by a shadow of darkness that lingered in the sky.

Dax shifted his gaze, his eyes watching me with a mesmerizing, glossed-over stare. I succumbed to the need I felt to be near him and shamelessly curled up against his side.

His arm draped around me. “That you don’t have to know what they are to be amazed. Sometimes, the beauty of the moment is enough.”

“The beauty of the moment. I like that.” I smiled and allowed my head to rest against Dax’s chest, staring up at the stars that were full of wonder and grace, just like him. Wrapping his other around me, I snuggled into his lap, sitting between his legs and leaning back into his embrace. I felt our bodies relax as we lost ourselves in the beauty of the moment together, allowing the world around us to disappear.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Footsteps announced another’s presence, interrupting our secluded bubble of bliss. Castor casually strutted up to Dax and me and lightly bumped into my shoulder with his knee.

“It’s nice to see you two are getting along better and better each day.” He winked at Daxton, repeating his brother’s taunt from earlier this morning.

“Seems that way,” Dax answered, giving me a tight squeeze around my waist. He didn’t seem to care that Castor saw us together, so I decided to do the same. Regardless of our conflicted feelings and undeniable attraction to one another, the reality of our situation couldn’t be ignored. Still, some things just couldn’t be helped. I knew developing feelings for Daxton was unwise, but I didn’t know if I was strong enough to resist it—or if I wanted to.

What the hell, let’s be honest, I was already there, and denying it wasn’t helping anyone.

Trying but failing to hold back a shy smile that reached my eyes, I asked, “Are we leaving tonight?” Dax and Cas both answered with a nod. “Well, with everything I have been through these past few months… I think I can handle anything this world has to throw at me.”

“Trust me, you will handle the courts just fine,” Dax whispered, giving me a strong vote of confidence. “We need to say farewell to Fjorda before we teleport to shore,” Dax said as he shifted and released his hold on me.

I immediately regretted the loss of Dax’s warmth, and for a second, I swore I saw him wince with the same hesitation. It was so blatantly clear to me now that his concern for me was deeper than simply protecting me as his ward. But how much did he care for me? Was this simple attraction, or was there something more? These were questions that required time, and unfortunately, time was not in my favor.

As the three of us wandered to the wheel of the ship, we found Captain Fjorda. “I was anticipating the three of you leavingtonight,” he said as we approached.

“Thank you for all that you and the crew have done for us, yet again,” Daxton said, lowering himself into a slight bow.

“No, High Prince Daxton.” Fjorda shook his head and stepped around the wheel. “It is us who should be thanking you. We know of the sacrifices you are giving… and continue to give on our behalf. You and the other princes of our Inner Kingdom have our eternal gratitude. Young champion,” Fjorda said as he turned his seafoam-green eyes on me.

He held out his hand for me to take, and I hesitated for a moment before accepting his gesture. Testing out my shifter instincts, I called upon my animal to help me navigate instead of relying solely on Daxton or Castor’s opinions of Fjorda. My animal stirred and gave me a reassuring feeling of warmth that was similar to the one I felt with the Silver Meadows princes, and I internally sighed with relief. My shifter instincts told me that Daxton was carefully watching me, knowing that he was ready to step in if there was even a whisper of a threat or foul play from the sea captain.

“You, fair shifter… are a bright beacon of hope in a dark, deserted land. I believe you will be the one to succeed and surpass the trials. If you ever have need of me or my ship, do not hesitate to call out for me.” Fjorda’s eyes sparkled like the sun rays reflecting off the calm ocean seas.

“How should I call upon you?” I was still skeptical, even if my animal said I could trust him.

Fjorda turned my hand over and brought my palm to his lips. He brushed the skin of my hand across his soft mouth and whispered an incoherent chant that was laced with magic. My skin tingled as the outline of a circular white opal stone appeared on the palm of my hand, tangled with whisps of ebony wind.

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