Page 38 of A Trial of Fate

My feet felt like thousand-pound stones, but I somehow managed to move toward her. My heart was racing, my palms were sweating, and tears were trickling from my eyes no matter how hard I tried to keep them at bay. But I refused to turn back. This was my choice. My fate.

“Hold out your arm,” the queen commanded, and I willingly obeyed. I held out my left arm as the queen grabbed it with her right. She firmly dug her nails into my skin, piercing it and allowing my blood to pool around the wounds. “Do you agree, to serve as our champion in the trials of the Heart of Valdor, Skylar Cathal?” I didn’t even dare to guess how she knew my name.

Clenching against the sting of her nails digging into my flesh, I answered, “I do.”

Magic flowed around us, binding me to my oath and flowing through my veins. The blood from my wound began to levitate and swirl around my arm. She released her grasp as the magical liquid danced along my forearm, creating a tattoo of three staggered open eight-point stars that swirled and connected through threads of wisping clouds.

I could feel the buzzing sounds of the woods and the animals surrounding me. The smell of the wildflowers tickled my senses, threading a memory into my mind that I would never be able to forget. This mark was a promise. One that was now etched into my flesh and sealed with my own blood. I knew it could never be broken, and that my fate was now sealed as the champion of the trials.

“It is done,” Queen Minaeve announced. “The female shifter, Skylar Cathal, will leave with the High Fae and travel to the InnerKingdom as our champion for the trials. Let us hope she is worthy enough to unlock the Heart of Valdor… and save us all.”

It was quiet amongst my people, the kind of eerie silence that followed death. My strength finally gave way, and I crumbled to the ground. I stared at the mark on my arm as the gravity of my reality sank in. I was going to leave my home, my family, and possibly, even my mate behind. All in the hope that I, a half-shifter, was enough to save us all.

A cold breeze kissed my cheek, causing me to look up. Castor and Daxton stood behind their queen, and their eyes were firmly locked onto me. From Castor, I could see a depth of gratitude that was warm and open. He mouthed the wordsThank youto me in a silent gesture that seemed oddly genuine, unlike his playful, slanderous, carefree demeanor from before. Beneath his flippant facade, I was able to identify a layer of hardship he tried to keep hidden. Like his brother, there was more to him than what was on the surface.

I then glanced over toward Daxton, and his expression left me breathless. The world stilled as our eyes met across the distance. The silence that followed gave me an overwhelmingly calm feeling in my middle. I felt balanced with a surging strength rising inside of me that could take on the world and never cower in fear.

I could feel compassion and a sense of hope flowing from Daxton’s expression, coupled with overwhelming waves of astonishment. He looked at me with unwavering confidence and assurance that inspired me to face any challenge that dared cross my path. Gods above, I realized that by volunteering for this task, I had somehow gained the respect of the high prince.

What the fuck did I get myself into this time?

Neither Gilen nor even Magnus had ever looked at me like that before. I watched him carefully, unable to turn away from those mesmerizing gray eyes that had entranced me since the moment we first met. He bowed his head in gratitude for my bravery.

“We will depart tomorrow evening so that you may say your goodbyes to your friends and family,” the fae queen announced. “Until then, Champion.” She turned and stepped toward Daxton, delicately resting a hand on his chest as she reached out toward Castor. They disappeared in a silver flash of light, transported away through Daxton’s magic.

“Move it!” Rhea’s voice rang across the crowd of gatheredpeople as she pushed her way toward me.

“Rhea!” I turned to meet her, but a part of me wished I could have run the other way.

I had to give it to her, even naked without a shred of clothing covering her body, she did not shy away from scolding me.

“You fucking idiot! How could you do this? How did you not shift… You… You…” Tears streaked down her face as she lunged forward and clung to my neck, burying her crying face into my chest.

I held onto her as tightly as I could. “I’m sorry, Rhea.” There wasn’t much more we could say, so she cried some more, and then I cried until we both could catch our breath.

“You are a fucking idiot,” she scolded me again as she wiped tears from her face.

“You’ve said that,” I said.

“It needed to be repeated.”

“Still doesn’t change this,” I replied as I motioned to the mark on my arm made from my own blood.

“Yeah, that is definitely in the realm of an unbreakable vow.”

“Rhea… Sky!” Talon ran up to us with a spare change of clothes in his hands for Rhea. She turned to him, and Talon kissed her tear-soaked face, clutching her tight to his chest. “Here, slip these on.”

I inwardly sighed at the sight of Talon and Rhea together. The sun had not yet risen, but their mate bond was plain to see. It made me happy to know she would not be alone when I left for the trials.

“Magnus wanted me to tell you that they will see you at home… when you make your way there. Neera was a wreck, and they needed to take her away,” Talon said.

I nodded. I could only imagine how hard it was going to be to say goodbye to them.

Shaw joined us, and before I could say anything, he reached out and hugged me tightly into his chest. “I agree with Rhea,” he whispered, “you’re a fucking idiot. But, if you hadn’t done it, I would’ve.”

I pulled away and lightly kissed his cheek, believing his confession without a shred of doubt. “I know. I just beat you to the punch. Besides, if you had left, I would annoy the hell out of everyone, asking questions and wondering what was happening in the Inner Kingdom. This way, I’ll be able to get all my answers firsthand.”

“Thank the gods above.” Talon scoffed as he held Rhea tightly. “I don’t know if we would’ve survived that.”

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