Page 18 of A Trial of Fate

In between the grunts and murmurs, I could hear her rummaging through a trunk, trying to find something. I wisely decided to let her be for now.

My mind drifted as I waited for Neera to return. I didn’t intentionally allow my thoughts to meander toward him, but I also didn’t stop them. I found myself thinking solely about the mysterious male I had shot in the woods, Silver Shadow.

From my memory, I recalled his enticing yet rugged handsomeness paired with his body’s predator-like movements that allowed him to sneak through the meadow undetected. I remembered how the moonlight danced across his fair skin, which contrasted against his thick, shoulder-length silver hair streaked with black. I remembered the sound of his deep, authoritative voice when he finally spoke and challenged me about my taunting remarks.

On the contrary, I was impressed that he managed to stand only moments after knocking on death’s door. It was a testament to how powerful he truly was.

I believe that was what triggered my animal’s sudden alertness. She was never one to shy away from a challenge. It was annoying and inconvenient at times, but I had learned to just go with it and accept her dominating nature as my own.

“You’re sure his name wasSilver Shadow?” Neera hollered, reentering the living area and interrupting my daydream with an open book in her arms.

“Yes…” I tried to tilt my head to the side and read the title of the book Neera was holding.

“Silver… Shadow,” she repeated.

“Yes.” I dragged out the word so she would get the hint.

“I still can’t believe his name is not ringing a bell in that thick head of yours. I thought you prided yourself on being the brightest of your class.” I squinted my eyes and promptly stuck out my tongue at her. “Aren’t you supposed to be the mature adult around here?”

“Lighten up,” I barked back at her while I turned the book around and scanned over the title.

“Read,” she demanded.

The Great Warwas etched in bold lettering along the front, and my memory was jogged. It was a historical war book chronicling the final battles of the three races of Valdor. It described the appearance of the veil and the separation of the Inner Kingdom and the area of the mainland in Valdor. No wonder I didn’t recognize the title. This wasnot my favorite genre to casually read, and one we all studied early on as children in school. Understandably, I might have forgotten some of the details.

Neera bent over and gently turned to the page she wanted me to look over. The rain fell over the glass windows of the house, causing the pitter-patter of the drops to echo across our home. “This is from my father’s collection. The humans wrote it, but it’s still good enough, I guess.”

“Ouch. Nice burn there. Do you have any salt you want to rub in the wound you smacked tonight?” I commented with a scowl. “I’m half-human, remember?”

“I know,” she answered with a soft smirk and a sly wink that could get her out of any trouble she found herself in. “That’s why it is goodenoughand not worthless. Now read here.” Neera guided me to a passage that described various High Fae warriors who fought in the final battle.

“N-no way…” I stammered as my mouth suddenly became dry, and my stomach dropped to the ground. The sound of the rain rumbled against the frame of the house, with a clash of thunder that seemed to shake the floor beneath our feet.

Neera arched her dark brows, whipping her head around with a worried look. “Yes—that thunder was normal, right?”

I didn’t give her fears any weight and kept my gaze firmly on the passage in the book. It depicted one of the most feared High Fae warriors of the Inner Kingdom, nicknamed Silver Shadow—a powerful high prince hailing from Silver Meadows. This specific account was from a young human boy who was a squire for one of the human generals.

Our human forces fought gallantly against the High Fae, but once the Silver Meadows warriors rejoined the fight, we were gravely outmatched. Their forces pushed us to retreat to the shores nearest to the mainland. The constant bombardment of High Fae relentlessly attacking our lines was terrifying. We could hold them off with the magic of our own mages, but one warrior in particular, leading their bloody assault, no one could defeat.

I was just a boy, but I remember him. I would recall his face in my nightmares for the rest of my mortal life.

The Silver Shadow—more lethal than a hundred of our soldiers combined and more powerful than a line of mages uniting with their own magic. He effortlessly slaughtered countless numbers on the battlefield, never once stopping or relenting in his attack. His silver sword sliced through the armor of our men like butter. In a flash of silver light, he was bombarding one side of our line and then magicallyappeared on the other. The blood of his enemies splattered his face and armor as a badge of honor for his countless victories won on the battlefield that day, and the countless days of battle that followed. There was no telling where his next strike would be—only the bloodied trail he left in his wake.

I was scrambling to follow my charge, our general, across the Inner Kingdom’s beach toward the boats. The ships were just beyond the sand dunes, and we were so close to safety that I was crying silent tears of gratitude to have made it here alive. Suddenly, my charge stopped, and my insides churned at who stood in our way.

Blood streaked his black and silver armor, and storm-cloud-gray eyes locked onto us as he reached up to slowly remove his helm. The silver and black-streaked hair paired with killing gray eyes were unmistakable—the Silver Shadow stood between us and our retreat.

My charge was one of the most skilled generals fighting in our army, but even he was no match for the Shadow’s speed and power. The ground seemed to freeze beneath our feet as the High Fae prince moved in fluid, effortless movement, attacking my charge head-on without remorse. Their blades collided as they fought one another, but I could see that Silver Shadow was only toying with him. With a flick of his wrist, the silver sword in the fae’s hand circled around, and with one clean swipe, he severed the head of my charge clean from his shoulders.

Blood spattered across the now-frozen sand, and I tried to scream, but unbridled fear kept my voice locked in my throat. His stone stare then turned to me, and I felt the pulse of his magic strike my middle, freezing the breath in my lungs. His raw, unrelenting power emanated in waves from where he stood, and it felt like drowning on dry land. He stalked toward me, his silver sword dripping with the blood of my charge.

He knelt down and, I swear, I saw my short-lived life flash before my eyes.

“Run,” he commanded in a deep, authoritative voice.

At first, I didn’t understand or even comprehend what he had said.

Then, the Shadow shifted and sheathed his sword on his back as he stood over me, blocking out the sun with his towering height and broad frame. “Run… and never return to our shores again.”

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