Page 101 of A Trial of the Heart

I hardly noticed the beautiful landscape around me as my eyes fell on the lone male sitting atop a large stone boulder. His shoulders were hunched over, with his silver sword, Valencia, twirling in his hands. The tip of the majestic weapon pressed against the earth, swirling in his palms like the waters in the nearby babbling brook that flowed through the clearing. He… He seemed almost lost, like the hope that burned sobrightly inside him was flickering, threatening to fade away.

“Daxton.” He didn’t turn to face me. “Daxton,” I said again, stepping into the clearing.

“Why are you here?” he grumbled, closing his eyes and tensing the muscles along his shoulders. “It’s dangerous for you outside the Summit, Skylar … and clearly, I’ve failed in my duty to look after you properly.”

“It’s apparently dangerous no matter where I am,” I answered, halting my approach. “But this. This isn’t about me right now. I didn’t come here for—”

“I came here to have some space and to clear my head. Is it too much to ask to be granted that peace?”

“And I’m not trying to stop you from—”

“Yes, you are,” Daxton interjected, the ice in his voice trickling onto the flowing waters at his feet, creating a barrier between us. When he looked back at me, his eyes mimicked the cold, hard stone he sat upon.

“We’re worried about you, Daxton. What’s the reason for this distance? Why did you leave like that?”

Daxton scoffed and turned his back to me again, gazing off into the meadow with his sword spinning in his grasp.

“If this is about Anjani, you can talk to me, you know. I’m here for you.” I didn’t know the price he would pay, but I did understand that Daxton would be forced to atone for his actions against Anjani and Aelius.

“I didn’t take the most tactical approach in addressing the threat today.”

“All right, that’s a start,” I said, cautiously stepping forward.

His hands clenched around the hilt of his sword, freezing in place, as the rest of his body strained like he was in pain. Gods, I didn’t want to be the reason for him to feel any kind of distress. No matter how much Iwanted to be here for him—to help him. If he needed me to leave, I would.

“Do you want me to go?” He remained silent, but to my surprise, his posture seemed to relax as a breeze of wind swept past me in his direction. “You didn’t say no, so I’ll take that as a maybe or even a stretch of a yes. And I’ll stay,” I said crossing the frozen blockade created by his magic. I was only an arm’s span away from him, but even that minuscule distance seemed like miles. “Dax. Dax … Look at me, please,” I whispered, praying he would answer.

He shook his head, refusing to meet my gaze. “I crossed a line today. I knew better. And still, I crossed it.” A heavy weight seemed to press on his shoulders, and I couldn’t help but wonder what it all entailed. His disposition didn’t solely stem from what he did to Anjani.

I lowered myself to the earth, kneeling before him as I timidly reached for his clenched fist. “I didn’t want you to endanger yourself or your people because of what she did to me.”

“That’s the problem,” Daxton roared, tearing his hand away from mine and standing with his back toward me. His sword vanished from sight as he faced the never-ending looming night. I had never seen him like this, and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t beginning to worry. “When it comes to you, Skylar,” Daxton lowered his voice to a hushed whisper, yet I heard every word. “There’s no line, simply because noneexist when—”

My throat bobbed with a heavy swallow, still kneeling on the cold stone earth, barely allowing myself to breathe with heightened anticipation.

“What are you not telling me, Daxton?” Rising to my feet, I squared my shoulders, finally ready and willing to shatter every wall that separated us.

“For you …”his voice trembled with emotion as he turned. “For you, I would watch the world burn if it meant keeping you safe. All reason—all sense of logic and responsibility I carry—is thrown to the side when it concerns you.”

My heart started racing as my hands began to shake.“Daxton, I…”

Dax shook his head, glancing down at his feet. “I needyouto know that if I were given the chance again, I would make the same decision. You don’t carry any burden or guilt. I will gladly suffer the consequences of my actions—alone.” He slumped back into a seated position on the boulder, the glimmer in his eyes fading behind his mask of stone.

I gripped my chest, swallowing a heavy breath, barely hearing, let alone understanding, what he was telling me. Did he think I would let him do this alone? Did he believe I would not stand beside him in a hurricane and refuse to leave?Does he truly not know?

“You’re notalonein this, Daxton,” I said in a hushed tone, carefully enunciating every word.

“I’ll—”

“No!” I shouted, staring him down and forcing him to lock his gaze on only me. “No. You’re not alone. You’ll never bealone.” Standing, I leaned forward, taking his hand in mine while my other cupped his cheek, meeting his hardened stare. My magic flared, linking with his in a silent melody that intertwined our beating hearts—the same serene music I had heard in the depths of the hunter’s lair, that had kept me alive. That kept me breathing and hoping for a light to follow out of the darkness.

Silver Shadow’s stare bore into me, and just like the first time I saw him in the meadow, I remained unafraid. There was no part of Daxton I feared. I lovedevery broken and shattered piece of his heart and soul. I would never abandon him. I would stand by his side through his darkest times, just like he had for me.

“You say this, but—”

“Daxton,” I said in a firm tone that silenced his tongue. “You’re never alone because you willalwayshave me.” I moved closer, stealing his undivided attention. “You’ve had me since that first night in the meadow,” I said with a sincere smile, trying desperately to reach him. “And every moment since then.”

His gaze softened. The muscles in his jaw relaxed as his lips briefly parted to inhale a sharp breath. I could see the depths of his true soul come forth. His mask falling to the side to reveal the Dax I had grown to love.

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