Page 126 of A Trial of the Heart

“This isn’t the time for a joke,” I said.

“If you stop to think about how insane we must be to be in here… it’s appropriate.”

“I should’ve brought Castor with me,” I said.

I watched his expression drop as he handed me back the canteen. “All right, continue.”

“Cold-blooded animals can’t generate their own body heat needed to survive,” I said.

“So we’re following the warming draft of hot air to find its nesting area.”

“Yes, exactly.”

He paused for a moment, and I could see his mind feverishly working through different scenarios. “The Inner Kingdom once had an active volcano erupting in this area, but that was thousands of years ago.”

I smiled widely. “Is there still an active volcano here on the landmass?” He nodded. “Then there may be an ancient magma lake or chamber buried underground helping keep the basilisk alive.”

“So literally,” Dax sighed, “this creature’s den is likely dangling over a fiery pit of molten rock.”

“Yep.”

“We truly are in hell.” Daxton shook his head slightly, laughing to himself. “Only for you, Spitfire, would I willingly drag myself through the fires of death.”

“Good thing we’re in this together then,” I added with a smile he couldn’t see, but I knew he could hear. I grasped his hand tightly. “Let’s just make sure we don’t stay here.”

“Agreed,” he answered, squeezing my hand in return.

Deeper into the passageways, the evidence of a basilisk dwelling in this place became more and more evident. There were sheds of molted skin, piles of bones from devoured prey, and deep claw marks along the stone. He was here all right. It just worried me that we didn’t know where. Daxton and I had been walking for hours and still hadn’t heard or seen anything.

There you are,a slithering snake-like voice echoed in my ears.

My heart froze as my hands immediately had my bow at the ready. My eyes locked onto the small mirror secured at the front.

“Did you hear that?” I asked.

“I heard a low hissing sound. What did you hear?”

The other is not a ssshhifter. He cannot hear my wordsss asss you can. But he doesss sssmell delightful. He even carriesss a twist of your ssscent assss well.

“It found us.” I decided not to relay the exact words. Daxton was immediately at my back, Valencia drawn and ready to strike with his dagger in his other hand.

“You can understand it, can’t you?”

“Sadly, yes …”

It isss a gift to hear my radiant voice.

“It’s not shy,” I whispered, “nor lacking in vanity.”

I’ve been watching you both sssince you entered my lair. The sssecond trial hassss officially commenced.

“Why not show yourself?” I yelled into the abyss of the cave.

I wassss never taught table mannersss, having devoured my siblings and then my mother when I wassss large enough to do so. Besssidesss, I enjoy playing with my food.

“Fan-fucking-tastic,” I murmured.

“Do I even want to know what it’s saying?” Daxton asked.

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