Page 58 of A Trial of the Heart

“Gods, Dax! That would’ve left one hell of a mark.”

“I believe I’m owed one from our first encounter.” His dark brows arched upward as he sheathed his dagger. “With this armor, you’re safe, Skylar. Besides … you know I wouldneverharm you.”

I nodded and gave him a soft smile. My animal, however, remained silent. “Dax,” I murmured, almost forgetting where I was for the moment. “How the fuck did you find me?”

His storm gaze met mine, and a playful gleam shone from within. “Do you really have to keep asking that?”

I couldn’t hide my smile even if I wanted to. I reached out my hand to thread my fingers in his hair while he held my other close to his chest. His trimmed beard was the same, which magically felt soft against my touch. His eyes were his—and I could feel his strong beating heart beneath my palm as he tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. His fingers traced the outline of my face, migrating to my chin as he gave me a rushed, hurried kiss, pulling me to my feet.

“How are you here, Daxton?” I dared to ask again. “The labyrinth said only one may enter this trial.”

“Always with the questions, Spitfire.” He chuckled, stealing another kiss before moving to stand. “Come on. Follow me.” Without hesitating, I followed.

After what seemed like an eternity of him dragging me along the path, I asked again. “Dax… how are you here?”

He tilted his head to the side, pursing his lips in a thin line as we turned around yet another corner. The turns seemed to be occurring more often now, indicating we might be nearing the center. Glancing sideways at him, it seemed like he was wrestling with the same question I was asking. It dawned on me that he may not even have a reason why he could teleport into the labyrinth and find me.

“There was an opening,” he said softly. “I could feel the magic of the fog separate, and I heard your scream.”

“My scream?” I paused, tugging on his hand. “You heard me from the outside?”

He nodded. “It was the same for all the other champions before you. Those on the outside could hear what was happening inside the stone walls, but we could never come to their aid.”

“Until now?”

“Until now.”

“Could you hear everything?” I asked.

“No, not everything,” he said with a firm expression that I couldn’t seem to crack. “Imagine you’re in a closed room. We can hear loud noises, but your normal conversations are muffled.”

“Dax, wait,” I said, forcing him to stop and look at me. I was relieved that he was here, but I was also scared for him. “This place is a nightmare. I don’t want to see you get hurt on my account. What will Minaeve think if we manage to get out of here? What will happen to you?”

“Shh,” he whispered, pulling me close. “All will be fine. Don’t burden yourself with those thoughts. Let’s just focus on surviving this place and obtaining the key.”

“Right,” I said with determination. “How much time had passed before you were able to teleport here?”

“Too much, I’m afraid.” Concern flashed across his features, making me tense. “We’d better hurry. Smart to keep up the run.”

“Keep up the run,” I repeated slowly, “right.”

We took off down the hallway, keeping pace with each other and making sure not to step near the vines. Every so often, I could hear claws clicking or the deep growl of the monster’s hunger lurking from beneath. It was a reminder of what lay in wait if I mis-stepped again.

Glancing ahead at Daxton, I was amazed by his stamina and speed as we zipped through the labyrinth. It didn’t even look like he was breaking a sweat while I, on the other hand, could soak the floor with my brow alone. The heat was somehow intensifying down here, along with the thinning air. Daxton’s cloak swept aside as he came to another right turn, but unlike the others, I came crashing to a stop, colliding with his backside. I landed with a firm thud against his solid frame, practically bouncing off and ending up on the ground. He looked back and quickly reached out a hand to steady me.

“What’s with the sudden stop?” I asked.

Daxton’s brow furrowed as his eyes narrowed and darted to the space behind him. He swallowed a heavily weighted sigh. “Take a look for yourself. I believe there’s a challenge for you ahead.”

I peered around his wide shoulders to see what had caused him such alarm. In the center of the labyrinth pathway, a raised pedestal blocked our route. “What in the Gods’ names is that for?”

“I’m afraid you, Skylar, are the expert of this place. Not me.”

“Oh, joy,” I groaned as I meandered around Daxton to approach the pedestal. I was cautious, looking for any sign of trickery or a hidden trap. A sense ofnormalcy had already fooled me, and I wouldn’t want that to happen again.

Why, hello again …

“What was that?” Dax shouted as he spun around and extracted a long dagger from his belt.Why didn’t he summon his silver sword?Maybe there was not enough room with these close quarters to do so safely. I knew Dax carried an array of weapons, always armed to the teeth, ready to counter any threat of danger lurking, and this place was the epitome of danger.

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