Page 14 of A Trial of the Heart

“These are fae lights,” Zola answered me. “Summoned by magic and far more useful than torches, lanterns, or candles. They won’t burn a house down.”

“Remarkable,” I said as I reached out to touch one. There was no heat radiating from the light source, so I picked up the lantern to begin examining it closer.

Zola reached out her open palm to me and called forth a glow into her hand. “Fae light.”

“Wow! How’d you do that?” I set the lantern aside and examined the light forming in her palm.

She huffed a laugh to herself. “Magic, Skylar.”

“Oh, right.” The reality of this wild magic was still new to me, regardless of how natural it was to the rest of them. “Could I learn to summon one?”

“I imagine shifters could summon them utilizing the same magic you apply when changing into your animal forms, channeling it into something different.”

“I agree. I don’t see why not,” Idris said. “You have both shifter and healing magic. I assume it stems from the same place. You just have to focus your mind on what you wish to accomplish.”

“I wish I had time to practice before the labyrinth,” I admitted.

“It wouldn’t help you,” Zola said.

“Why?”

“Because the labyrinth is warded. No magic can be used inside. Your mind is the only weapon within its walls.”

I rolled my eyes. “That makes things more interesting.” I had more questions about what I would encounter inside, but unfortunately, anyone who knew those answers was dead.

“Here it is!” Idris announced to Zola and me. “I’ll be just a minute.”

Zola watched Idris skip inside the garment shop and then shot a narrow glance at me, telling me she did not believe in Idris’s timeline. “I’d better go in after her or else we’ll be here another hour at least.”

I covered my mouth, shielding my laughter. “Please do. I don’t wantto stay out too late.”

Chapter Four

Alone, I patiently waited outside the clothing shop as a strange, anxious sensation trickled along the nape of my neck. My animal perked up, immediately alerting me. My eyes focused on scanning every inch of my surroundings, searching for anything out of the ordinary.

The evening quieted to an almost unnatural calmness. A fair number of High Fae were passing through, but the numbers were dwindling. I couldn’t pinpoint the threat lurking in the darkening streets, but my instincts told me something was out there. I bent to reach for my dagger but realized I had never armed myself before leaving.

Shit—this is not good.

Zola and Idris emerged from the shop, and the Shadow Jumper immediately noted my alertness. “What is it, Skylar?” she asked, her posture stiffening as she reached inside her leather corset to extract hidden daggers from within the folds of her clothing.

“Something doesn’t feel right,” I said, admiring the ingenious design of her fighting leathers. “Can you shadow-jump back to the house with more than one passenger in tow?”

“I can manage the trip carrying one… but not two.” She pressed her lips together in a thin line, and I knew she was anticipating what I was going to ask next.

“Wait just a second here—” Idris tried to step in, but I cut her off.

There was no way in Valdor I was going to leave Idris here alone. There was a baby to think of, and I wouldn’t dare risk Adohan’s wrath if anything happened to his mate and unborn child.

“Zola, take Idris back to the house right away, then come back for me.” I could see Zola hesitate, but I wasn’t going to allow Idris to encounter even the whispered threat of harm. The Spymaster grunted with disproval; I could tell she was on the verge of arguing with me, but I refused to allow her the ground to do so. “Go now, Zola,” I commanded this time, allowing power from my animal to flow into each word I spoke.

Zola flinched, feeling the magic pulse within my command, and pulled Idris into the shadows of the alley. Her dark eyes met mine, giving me a firm nod of understanding. “I’ll be right back,” she said, and they both disappeared.

I spun around to search the darkening street for the unidentified threat I knew was nearby, but oddly enough, there wasn’t a soul in sight.

“Well, there you are,” an unnerving male voice taunted me from behind the corner of the alleyway.

I spun to my left to investigate when two pairs of strong hands forcefully grabbed ahold of my shoulders. Catching me off guard, they forced me backward into the shadows, out of sight from anyone passing by on the main street. My back smacked into the solid stone wall, with the rest of my body quickly following suit. They were pinning me down and making it impossible to move.

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