Page 10 of A Trial of the Heart

“Uh-oh. Mom has that look in her eyes,” Astro muttered.

“Yeah, Dad’s funds are about to be emptied,” Finn snickered, and Idris shot them both a fiery stare that silenced their laughs.

Idris strode over to me and Zola, grabbing both our hands and pulling us to our feet. “We’re going shopping! I can’t tell you how many times it’s just me with all these overbearing males without any female company… And I don’t intend to waste a single second of it!”

“I don’t—” Zola started to protest, but Idris quickly cut her off.

“No. The fallen female is finally resting after keeping poor Castor worried and awake for the past four days straight. We know he won’t let anything happen to her with that premonition sight of his. It even works in his sleep,” Idris said. “Besides, you can’t move her until we leave in the morning anyways. It would be too suspicious.”

“That’s fair reasoning,” Daxton murmured. “Just a reminder, though, we’re the only souls alive that know what Skylar was able to do with the fallen, and it needsto stay that way. I don’t want to imagine what the queen would do with this knowledge.”

I was relieved to hear that the knowledge of what I did in the wilt would be kept a secret. This new twist was almost too much for me to comprehend on top of the first trial taking place only two days from now.

“And Zola…” Idris said, “I know Daxton has been paying you and Gunnar extra wages while he and Castor have been away. You have the money to splurge, and you know that Crimson City has the finest jewelry merchants in all the Inner Kingdom.”

The Shadow Jumper narrowed her eyes but shrugged and gave in to Idris’s plea. “You’ll need someone watching over you. I won’t allow any harm to come to my godchild you’re growing in there.” Zola didn’t outwardly smile, but her tone was softer when she mentioned the babe growing in Idris’s womb. “And why not add another gem to my collection if I find one special enough to come home with me.”

Adohan groaned and mumbled something under his breath, causing Daxton to burst into a booming laugh. “My love, don’t empty our entire savings today, please,” Adohan practically begged.

“Oh, hush,” Idris said, waving her hand to silence her mate. “I saw the gown Daxton had made for Skylar, by the way. Don’t make me add that to the tally!” She said it as a threat, but the look in her eyes said she was just teasing him. “And you…” Idris said, turning her attention to me.

I raised my brows with unease, not knowing what to expect next. “What about me?”

“Daxton told me all about your passion for reading along with creating and preparing different delectable meals in the kitchen. Did you know we have a plethora of book merchants and some of the finest herband spice markets in all of Valdor? We can pick out anything you want to sample for the mind and the palate.”

Food and books. Well, I was sold.

The trip might actually be a perfect distraction, and if I was honest with myself, I was dying to experience the city. Viewing it from the balcony of my room just wasn’t enough to satisfy my curiosity. The thought of tasting the different spices and ingredients they had in the Inner Kingdom had my mind spinning with a variety of recipe ideas I wanted to try.

“All right, I’m in,” I said, and Idris squealed with excitement. She didn’t hesitate for the males to protest, instead leading us down the hallway andinto Crimson City.

Chapter Three

“This is so good! You’ve got to try this!” I extended a sugary cinnamon dough dessert to Zola, who gave me a skeptical sideways glance. “Oh, come on, it’s amazing.”

To describe Crimson City as glamorous would not do it justice. Idris led Zola and me through numerous shops, parlors, and merchant stands, where we found everything from clothing, jewels, gadgets, and more.

The cobblestone roads were smoothed for easier travel and carts or carriages with decadent finery and details matching the architecture of Adohan’s home. Illustrations of the crimson river were seen in the decorations on the walls and shops, with varying shades of red adorning the sandstone trim along the buildings. There were stores filled with instruments that sang beautiful melodies along with children dancing in the streets. Merchants sold sculptures and paintings that seemed to come alive through the oils and fabric of the canvas. The hustle and bustle of the city was far beyond anything I could have ever imagined. The High Fae here thrived on a life of luxury that I could only compare to the stories in my books back home.

Hell, give me a good old-fashioned bonfire in the woods with nothing more than a blanket of stars shiningoverhead, and I was one happy shifter. Our people were in animal form half the time anyway, so we tended to need space and allowed nature to dictate the layout of our homes. I wondered if the main kingdoms or cities were all like this. Dax seemed easygoing and more relaxed, but Castor did have a flashy personality that seemed to pair with the energy of Crimson City.

Out of all this glamor and luxury, however, what caught my attention the most were the new smells and delectable foods served in various restaurants and food stands. We had a few local pubs and eating-type venues in Solace, but nothing compared to this. Idris and Zola laughed at how I stopped at practically every store that was giving a sample of their specials for the day, devouring each one with never-ending joy.

“Zola, come on,” I said with a mouth full of sugary delight. “I can’t possibly eat this whole thing myself.”

“Doubt it.” Idris laughed. “I recall the appetites of the other shifters.”

“I will not be eating…that.” Zola’s nose scrunched like I was trying to force her to eat something foul.

“What? Why not? Not even a taste?”

“I prefer to eat …otherthings.”

“Oh,” I replied, taking another bite of my indulgent treat. “Like what?”

“Nothing that you would find appealing, trust me.”

“Zola only eats raw meat,” Idris said. “Not cooked or frozen. She simply must consume it raw and fresh…” Idris’s skin paled, and she looked queasy, turning down an alleyway and trying to fight back the wave of nausea overtaking her small frame.

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