Page 15 of A Trial of Fate

His pointed ears seemed to twitch at the sound of my voice, and for the first time, he opened his eyes to look at me.

An awe-inspiring gray stare that mimicked the raging stormclouds over a mountain pass bore deep into my soul. Distant and dark, but yet… strangely, anything but cold. I felt a shock of warmth seer into my center as my animal danced in my chest, pulsing with power to match the swell of strength dwelling in his eyes.

There was a deep-rooted sadness echoing in his stormy gaze, paired with anger and violence. I was not scared, however. Quite the opposite. The intensity of his gaze drew me in, granting me an alluring invitation and desire to sink into his world and never ask to be released. Seconds seemed like hours as his eyes refused to move from mine.

I blinked and shook myself, remembering where I was and what I was supposed to be doing.

“Bite me again, and I’ll blacken your eye. Got it?” I didn’t mean it as a threat, but more of a promise. There was no way I was helping him if he was going to use those sharp canine teeth on me again. I refused to buckle or back down as I held his stare with my own fiery amber gaze. “So, are you going to let me help you or not?”

He narrowed his brows, and I could feel his body begin to tremble beneath. Oh no. The iron in his system was already beginning to shut his body down. Was I too late?

“You don’t have much time,” I whispered, trying to pull back the aggression in my tone. “I fired a clean shot. That iron is too close to your heart to stay in there for much longer. You will die if I don’t take it out.” He went utterly still for a moment. Those luminous eyes calculating his options, still debating if he would accept my offer to help.

Stubborn male.

“Please,” I asked softly.

His eyes darted to his wound, and then he snapped them back up to me. He didn’t say a word but gave me one firm nod.

“All right, then… here we go. Hold onto whatever grit you have. This is going to be a bitch to get free.”

I reached my bleeding arm behind his back once more, and the High Fae closed his eyes, inhaling a deep breath to brace himself. I felt his body tremble beneath me and watched his hands clench into tight fists.

I knew I needed to be quick. I snapped the head off the arrow and then braced my palm on his chest while grasping the shaft of the arrow with the other.

“And now the easy part but unfortunately the more painful one.” Rooting my toes in the ground and squeezing my knees tightly around his torso, I swiftly pulled the arrow out of his flesh. He alloweda small gasp to escape his lips as I jerked forward, pressing a hand to his open wound to try and slow the bleeding.

“There… All—whoo!” A hand grabbed the nape of my brown leathers, and I was flung backward off the male High Fae and thrown onto the ground. A snarl erupted from another cloaked figure, and before I could utter a word, a long, curved blade appeared, angled directly at my throat.

Well, this is definitely not good.

“Leave the… Spitfire… alone,” the injured High Fae grumbled as he struggled but somehow managed to sit up.

Fuck. I couldn’t believe he was conscious, let alone managing to sit up on his own.

The newest addition to our little party flung back his hood as he sheathed his curved blade and rushed to his injured comrade’s side.

Holy… Gods! Another High Fae!I gazed at them both in complete shock and awe.

This new male had a slimmer build compared to the one I struck with my arrow. His hair was shorter but longer along one side and folded over the top of his head with a deep, pure silver color, paired with dark brown eyes. My gaze darted back and forth between the two of them, and the similarities were far too obvious to ignore. The angles of the nose and jawline were identical, despite the silver one having a clean-shaven face. Even the shape of their eyes was the same despite the difference in color. I would bet my life on the fact that these two were related in some capacity.

Before I had time to think, a large midnight-black wolf, leaped from the brush of devil’s club and protectively placed itself between the two High Fae males and me. Talon. I would recognize that mangy coat of fur paired with those pale-blue eyes anywhere.

Not a second later, Gilen crashed through the branches with his sword drawn as well.

The two High Fae seemed to ignore the three of us as the silver-haired one meticulously examined the wound on the other. I carefully watched their interactions and how they seemed to understand one another without ever speaking a word. This was a trait developed over time spent together, formed by a long-lasting bond that stretched over lifespans.

They began whispering to one another, and the most shocking and unexpected thing happened next. The silver-haired male burst out in a loud barrel of uncontrolled laughter, almost falling over onto the ground.

I couldn’t help releasing my own chuckle, but Gilen shot me a look over his shoulder that forced me to cover my mouth quickly and regain my composure.

“You can’t be serious!” The silver-haired High Fae exclaimed as he stood slapping his knee. The darker-haired male held a firm grimace as he stared off into the woods. “You mean to tell me… that the female shifter over there managed to strike you with an iron arrow to the heart? The Silver Shadow of the Inner Kingdom was almost slain…unintentionally?” His body convulsed, doubling over in laughter.

What kind of twisted sense of humor did these High Fae have? I didn’t find amusement in near-death situations, but somehow, this was funny to them?

Gilen and Talon both straightened with similar looks of confusion on their faces. I, for once, wasn’t confused, but I wisely decided to keep my mouth shut while the fae I struck with the arrow attempted to stand.

“Nope. Not happening,” the silver fae scolded, wagging his finger. “You,” he called out, pointing to Gilen, “help me escort him back to your village. The High Fae queen is already in audience with your alpha, and she would not appreciate hearing the news that one of her high princes has been attacked and killed accidentally in your woods.” His dark eyes flickered to find mine. “Iron arrow… clever but not enough, I’m afraid.”

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