Page 75 of A Trial of the Heart

“I must admit that I’m the eager one,” Castor said, kneeling at his brother’s side. “I wish to take Skylar to our home for reasons besides training. My brother has his role as guardian … while I confess to other less honorable intentions and an infatuation I can’t escape.” Castor’s charming smile stretched across his face as he took a second to glance back in my direction.

“Infatuation?” Seamus asked. “From you, Castor? You expect us to believe that a shifter has kept your wandering eyes at bay?”

“Does her beauty not transcend that of the Mother herself?” Castor asked with a sly sparkle in his eye. “Or her courage and selflessness, perhaps? I believe these attributes add to her radiant beauty, only making this rare gem even more enticing.”

“You speak of her as though she is an object,” Seamus said.

“She’s the object ofmydesire.” Castor tilted his gaze upward, challenging Seamus to question him further.

I silently watched and waited, hating this dance of the silver tongues.

The turquoise gaze of the queen drifted between Castor and me. I had no idea if she believed us, and I didn’t know what the consequences would be if she found out the truth. Her calculating stare bore into me like the tip of a sharpened blade, barely skimming the surface of my skin, pressing hard enough to leave a mark but not enough to kill. Then I felt it. The whisper of her magic circled around the barriers of my mind.

Be careful … young shifter. The hearts of mated offspring are never fully sated without the bond of a true mate. I detect no magic of a mate bond emanating from you. You may have the dalliance of an Aegaeon prince, but it will never last. He’ll soon tire or dispose of you. I suggest you guard your heart for what little time you have left in this world, mortal.

“Was that a threat?” I did my best to cage my rage as the queen spoke to me inside my mind. I was starting to get really fucking annoyed with voices in my head.

“A warning,” she said before turning her attention to Castor. “Do you intend to wed this shifter after you have publicly flaunted your deed of bedding her? Or is this just merely a dalliance?” Her brows furrowed with suspicion. “As your high queen, I need to know the intentions of the royal bloodlines and succession of the realms should your action result in a child growing in her womb.”

Concealing my outrage at that comment was the hardest gods-damned thing I had ever done in my entire life.

“The concept of my family line has yet to be addressed,” Castor said, eloquently answering without so much as a hint of a lie. “This delicate topic has yet to be addressed due to the uncertainty of her living past today. But I can’t deny that having her marry into my family name is tempting …ifshe survives.” Castor was earning his silver tongue today. I couldn’t bring myself to glance anywhere else in the room, knowing I had to play my part.

“I can handle my personal affairs. I don’t need guidance or permission from the High Fae courts,” I growled. “What I decide to do with my life, who I decide to sleep with, and how I spend my days after the trials ismychoice.”

“A choice I intend to try and relentlessly persuade my way,” Castor said with a sing-song tone that I knew all too well. He was executing our ruse beautifully. And, well, I was … trying.

During this exchange, Daxton remained utterly silent. His expression mimicked stone, and his gaze was glued to the steps. I didn’t dare look his way, or else the roles we were trying to play would fall apart entirely.

“You do know their kind is easier to breed, right?” Seamus snickered. “Perhaps you’ll overthrow your brother with a fruitful line of succession while our high queen finally earns Daxton’s vow and seed.”

Utter disdain rolled through me. “I’m no one’s prized breeding tool, nor do I condone others being treated as such,” I said. “If I wanted a life reserved for child rearing and station alone, I would’ve stayed in Solace as the alpha’s mate and allowed another to take my place.”

“Interesting remark. And yet you feel it is appropriate to indulge withCastorof all people?”

“No one wishes to die a virgin,” I said. Rapid blinks from Castor and coughs from the crowd indicated that I had successfully thrown everyone off a step. “Cas has a sparkling reputation and the most experience out of everyone here. I figured, why not go out with a bang?”

“My… my!” Seamus bellowed with laughter. “I admit I’m jealous you got to take her maidenhead, Castor. It would have been so sweet to pluck her fruit from the tree.” The floor and the air surrounding us began to freeze. Castor moved to make it seem like it was his magic, but I could feel the difference. It was Daxton’s rage fueling this magical shift.

“Stand down, Castor,” Minaeve commanded. “Enough of this nonsense bickering.” And for once, I couldn’t agree more with the queen. “The fate of this shifter will be discussed later. There are still two more trials for her to master, so this topic is a waste of time.” Her gaze then turned back to the kneeling Daxton, who kept his head bent toward the floor. “When will you depart, Daxton?”

“We … will—”

“Immediately,” I interjected, pushing myself before the kneeling princes to confront the queen. “We’ll leave immediately. There’s no sense in waiting.” I didn’t want to be here any longer than I absolutely had to. Leaving tonight might be tortuous and tiring, but it gave us time that we desperately needed.

She glared at me. “It seems so. The gate to the second trial is already open, and according to the scroll, the creature inside is free. You must make haste to ready yourself for the task ahead. Two cycles of the moon will pass sooner than you think.”

“We shall accompany them,” Adohan announced with Idris at his side.

“That’s surprising… with your mate’s condition, Adohan,” Seamus said.

“Indeed,” Minaeve agreed. “Why do you wish to accompany them? Should you not be resting and preparing for the birth of your child?”

Idris affectionately touched her rounded belly, giving the room a soft smile. Adohan intertwined his fingers with his mate’s before he addressed the room. “We appreciate the concern, High Queen. But our child still has time to grow. We wish to witness the success or failure of the shifter firsthand. Besides, Silver Meadows may have the strongest warriors and Aelius the cleverest minds, but Crimson City holds the slow-burning flame of resilience. My people have weathered the devastating attacks of the wilt more than any other region, and yet we continue. We still thrive. Our fires are always burning.”

“Crimson City will help guide Skylar in preparing for this task alongside Silver Meadows,” Idris said.

“I don’t believe you were addressed,Ladyof Crimson City,” Minaeve spat, rising to stand at the side of the golden throne. This was a direct attack on Idris’s lack of station in the High Fae courts. In their eyes, Idris held no true position.

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