Page 57 of A Trial of the Heart

Oh, you won’t enjoy this monster, I’m afraid. She relishes the screams almost as much as I do.

The scorching hot breath of the shadow-cloaked creature encircled my dangling feet as a long serpent-like tongue curled around my ankles. It licked at the trickling blood that dripped from my wounds with a low purr of satisfaction. A pang of fear shot straight through my core. My animal fluttered to life, warning me to run, desperate for me to do something to get us out of there. The monster patiently lingering below, but it wouldn’t be long before a vine snapped or I lost my grip.

She’s drooling from the mere taste of your blood. How remarkable.The voice almost sounded joyous, making me sick.

I struggled to hoist myself up; the fatigue from my run along the path and the thinning of the air put me at a disadvantage. The labyrinth had been taunting me this whole time. Purposely distracting and weakening me so I would fall into this opening and be unable to escape.

What shall you do, Champion? Give up?

No. Never. I gritted my teeth and pulled myself up along the thorny vine.

What is this? Is there some stamina remaining in the shifter-human hybrid?

Ignoring the labyrinth, I used my leg as a base to help hoist myself closer to the opening. Blood soaked my pants and dripped freely from my hands. Underneath me, I could hear the screech of dismay from the monster concealed in the darkness. The screams echoed off the stone wall, tearing into my mind with a piercing, high-pitched ringing sound. I screamed as I sank back down to my previous position, my blood-soaked hands unable to fasten a firm grip on the vine.

My mistake.

No, it couldn’t end like this. It wouldn’t end like this. I sought out every ounce of my strength and sheer stubborn will to push through the pain and ache of my muscles to pull myself free. I thought of everyone depending on me back home and here in the Inner Kingdom. And then, I thought of him.

Interesting,the labyrinth snickered.

I tried once more to pull myself up, using my legs as much as I could to help lift me. My limbs shook as the reality of my death sank in. I was going to fall.

“Skylar!”

My head perked up as I scanned across the opening above my head.

“Skylar!”

My name echoed again from above. Was this some kind of trick? The voice of the labyrinth was only inside my mind, but this… This sound was real.

“Daxton?” I couldn’t believe it. I shook my head, trying to right myself, but when I opened my eyes, he was still there.

“I’m going to get you out. Hold on!” he yelled as he disappeared for a moment before returning. “Grab onto this.” He threw down a line of rope, wrapping the other half around his torso as an anchor.

“H-how?” I stammered, so dumbstruck that I didn’t reach for the lifeline dangling next to me. “How are you here?”

“Come on. Don’t give up and die on me now. Grab the rope, and I’ll tell you.” I released my thorny vines and grabbed the lifeline that Daxton was granting me.

“Hold on,” he hollered as he began pulling me up. My bloodied hands made it difficult to keep my grip, but I refused to let go. Once I reached the top, I collapsed into Daxton’s open arms. He ignored the fact that my hands were drenched in blood and scooped me into his lap, holding on to me just as tightly as I was to him.

“You’re hurt,” Daxton murmured with concern as he gently released me to examine my hands.

“Just a few scratches.”

His brows arched as he shook his head, telling me that he was not convinced. “Here, I believe it’s my turn to heal you.” Cradling my hands in his, he allowed his ice magic to flow over the top of my burning wounds, caressing my bleeding skin and binding together the cuts and scrapes that were inflicted by the thorns. “There… That should do it.”

“Strange turn of events—you healing me this time around.”

“I’m merely striving to meet the standard you mentioned on our journey here from Crimson City,” he said with a coy smile as his lips gently kissed my healed skin.

“A lot of good this armor did to protect me.”

Daxton either ignored or shrugged off my remark and turned his attention to my calf. He gently guided his magic over the wounds and healed them with ease.Then, without warning, Dax unsheathed a knifefrom his belt and thrust the tip against the side of my torso.

I gasped and flinched backward. My eyes widened in surprise. “What the—”

“The armor protects what it covers.”

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