Page 60 of A Trial of Fate

“That’s it. Keep that connection,” Latte said with pride beaming from her expression. “That is a strong bond you have with your animal, Skylar. Use it. I don’t know many shifters who are this in tune with their animal. It is a special gift. You are truly one of a kind.”

“Can you feel her power?” I asked.

“Indeed, I can,” Latte answered. “My bear is getting her own boost from it, and I am afraid I will need to excuse myself afterward so I can go shift and work off this excess energy.” She reached for a salve from her pocket and spread it across my back before helping me put my shirt back on. “That should do it. Now, you need to rest. I have some more poppy tea to help knock you out so your body can heal.”

“What if I don’t want the tea?” I countered. I hated drifting off into a forced sleep. Shifters did fall into a natural sleeping state when our magic was drained, but this was different. I felt groggy and unlike myself.

Latte glared at me. “Well… how about a compromise?” She was twitching and fidgeting so much that I thought she would shift right here in the room.

“This is the last tea I will drink,” I said in a firm tone.

“Deal.” She disappeared for a moment, likely mixing the tea from her cart of supplies outside my room, and returned with a steaming brew. She handed me the cup and, like a good patient, I drank it all.

“Oh, and I have something else,” Latte added, digging into her other pocket and retrieving a small oval-shaped rock. “Gilen… He asked me to give this to you. You were still asleep when he had to leave, but—"

I anxiously reached out to accept the stone and cradled it gently in my hands. “He… Did he visit me before he left with Alistar and the queen?”

“He did.”

“Thank you, Latte,” I said quietly, “I think I can feel the tea starting to work its magic.” I wanted to be alone for the moment, and Latte’s hovering was beginning to smother me. Thankfully, she took the hint and dismissed herself out the screen door, shedding her clothing as she ran off into the woods to shift. That was odd, but the tea was again taking hold of me.

Gods above. I hated this stuff.

I lay back against the pillows and pulled the sheet up to my chest. Slowly, I unclenched my fingers and looked at the small oval rock that Gilen had left me. As I expected, a beautiful painting was on one side of the smooth face. The deep blue and black colors swirled together with twinkling starlight dancing across the sky. He had painted me a magical starry night that looked like a dream. I turned it over in my hand and read the inscription on the back,Until we can fly together. Gilen’s message touched and warmed my heart.

I turned on my side and held the oval stone near my chest, closing my eyes and dreaming about flying with Gilen. A part of me was still angry with him for leaving the night I was chosen and asking Shaw to take my place. But knowing he was in my rescue party, that he argued to give me extra time to recover, helped lessen the sting. Perhaps, I could forgive him.

Chapter Fourteen

In the middle of the night, something tugged at my primal senses, telling me I was not alone in my room. I forced my subconscious to break through the veil of drugged sleep just enough to try and decipher what was happening. The smell of fresh pine and winter air tantalized my senses, indicating that it was none other than Daxton who had returned to watch over me while I slept. With my eyes unable to open, I allowed my hearing and sense of smell to paint me a picture of what he was doing in my room. For a while, Daxton seemed to stand utterly still in the corner. His breathing was low and steady, paired with little to no sound emanating from his person. I assumed he was reading or watching me sleep, but I had no idea why. Why was he watching over me like this?

Fuck this tea.

Daxton slowly meandered to the head of my bed, and I heard him drop something onto my bedside table. My heart leaped at wanting to know what it was, but I couldn’t bring myself to break through the hold of the tea. I turned onto my side and felt the oval-shaped rock drop from my hand and trickle down onto the bed as my hair draped over my face. His scent grew stronger. I could have sworn he was about to reach out and brush the hair from my brow, but he stopped. I didn’t even hear him breathing and thought he had teleported away, but the shuffling sound of folded parchment caught my attention. Next, I felt the weight of the oval-shaped rock from Gilen return to my palm, and then Daxton’s scent disappeared.

When the tea wore off, I frantically glanced over at my nightstand to see a book with a piece of parchment sticking out from the top. I grinned and hurriedly reached out to hold the new treasure in my hands. I read the title and realized I had never heard of it before. I hastily opened the cover, and the fresh, intoxicating smell of an uncharted story sank into my soul as a stupid, girlish grin crossed my face.

By the grace of the gods… a new book? Was it my birthday orsomething?

Carefully unfolding the piece of parchment stuck in the back, I began to read the letter attached to his wonderful gift:

Dear Spitfire,

This book is from my personal library, and when I travel for long periods of time, it is a companion I often choose to carry with me. I trust you will take care of it while you enjoy, well, hopefully enjoy, losing yourself within the pages of this world. I often find myself doing the same, and this story is a favorite of mine to return to. Although there may not be a smutty romance series in these pages, I believe and perhaps challenge you to discover a different type of romance written by the author in this book. Love can manifest in a variety of different ways.

My notesfrom the novel I saved from the green sand beach are surprisingly delightful. I did enjoy the story. The theme of love surpassing the barriers of two distinct worlds holds a special meaning to me. I don’t presume to know you very well—yet. But, if I may take a guess, one of your favorite scenes might be when the hero falls into the villain’s (obvious) trap. And the heroine must turn the tables and rescue him. From that point on, the dynamic between the two characters shifts, and the male sees her as his equal. Even though, in my opinion, she had been that way from the start. He was simply an idiot until that point. As I stated previously, this is an assumption from my brief time knowing you, but I believe you personally identify with the strength and determination this character possesses. I weigh this from our encounters thus far and your ability to follow and make your own choices with unparalleled determination.

I smiled. He was exactly right on both parts. I loved that the heroine could pull a complete turnaround and save the hero. I always admired a strong female lead in books. I also couldn’t hide my glee at how he took notice of my personality. He was very observant, indeed.

I also must add that the intimate scenes were very well written and… I may leave it at that for now. Perhaps my next read shall be your favorite from the list you have given me.

Oh, by the way, I believe I have discovered the answer to your riddle. The number next to the titles indicates how many times you have read each book.

“Excellent!” I grinned. He figured it out.

I will begin there and share my thoughts and notes when finished, but I must warn you, I am a fast reader. I hope you are as well. While confined under Latte’s care, I would enjoy learning more about our champion of the trials. I hope we can continue exploring different worlds together through our shared interests.

Until the next adventure,

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