Page 100 of A Trial of Fate

“Interesting? Well, I will have to see for myself if the legends are true,” I replied as I slowly sipped my second glass of wine.

“Good to know for when we begin your training,” Daxton added, taking a drink.

“What training?” Magnus asked, his deep voice rivaling Daxton’s as it boomed across the table.

“Skylar has asked me to help her prepare for the trials. I promised I would teach her everything I could. I think it is important she is well-rounded and prepared for anything once we are in the Inner Kingdom.”

“But she is your ward, right? You told us you swore to look after her.” Neera’s words were meant to be comforting, but they did the opposite.

Hisward.

“I did. And I will do all I can to protect her.”

“What will Sky face once she enters the trials?” Shaw asked, changing the subject.

Daxton paused and gave Shaw a thoughtful expression, perhaps trying to decipher or analyze any hidden intent behind it. Shaw was crafty, and after spending time together, Daxton was beginning to catch on to Shaw’s complexity.

“Castor is the better storyteller,” he replied.

Castor lightly dabbed his face with his napkin before lounging against the back of his chair. “It involves three distinct parts or sections one must pass, assessing the chosen shifter’s—”

“Mind, body, and soul,” I spoke the words I had heard Queen Minaeve say inside my mind that night in the meadow.

“Exactly.” Castor arched an eyebrow at me and leaned forward on the table.

“Where did you hear that, Spitfire?” Dax asked.

“Spitfire?” Rhea interjected with a curious look.

“Daxton’s nickname for her,” Castor answered shortly with a wave of his hand, keeping his stare locked on me.

“Did the queen tell you?” Dax inquired.

“Yes. She said the trials would challenge my mind, body, and soul. Testing the strength and the worthiness of my own heart.You must be willing to sacrifice everything you have and everything you are.That iswhat she told me… before she approached Neera.”

“I see.” Daxton stroked his bearded chin, deep in his own thoughts. I wanted to ask what he was thinking, but Castor started before I had a chance.

Rolling up his sleeves to expose his dual sun and moon tattoos on his forearms, Castor began again. “The first trial will be of the mind; it is the same each century… and it is the queen’s favorite. Well… the only one we have seen thus far.”

“So, the queen creates the trials, then?” Magnus asked.

“No… no… no,” Castor replied, sipping his drink. “The Heart of Valdor is locked away, and for every lock, one must find a…” He paused for effect.

“A key!” Neera exclaimed.

“Correct. The gods knew how powerful the Heart was, so they designed three tests. Each giving a worthy shifter a key to the next trial.With something as powerful as the Heart, more than one key to access it makes sense.”

“How do you know that?” Shaw asked. “Where is all this documented? There is nothing written about this in Solace.” And Shaw would know… He somehow noticed details the rest of us missed.

“Our libraries in Aelius stretch back to the beginning of time itself. One ancient scroll in particular is magically bound to the trials and the Heart of Valdor,” Daxton added.

“And the first task is a doozy,” Castor said, finishing his glass and looking around to fill another. “None have succeeded in mastering it.”

“What is the first task?” I almost didn’t want to know, but I couldn’t help asking. I knew it involved the mind, but that was it.

Daxton looked to Castor, who shrugged his shoulders and twirled his wrist, gesturing for Dax to answer my question. “A labyrinth.”

“A labyrinth!” The wheels in my mind began swirling. “How big is it? What will I face in there? Where is it located?” I spat out questions without even pausing to take a breath between them.

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