Page 83 of A Trial of the Heart

His chin rested against my brow as I inhaled a deep, calming breath. His scent came crashing through my senses, the pine and winter mountain air reminding me of the open sky and wilderness that grounded me and my animal. A warm sensation spread through my chest, allowing the tether of a connection with Daxton to open and consume me.

“Can—” I stumbled forming the question on my lips. “Can you feel that?” I asked.

Daxton paused before answering me. “There are many things I’m feeling right now, but I don’t possess the experience needed to accurately express them. This… What I feel with you is foreign to me. Even in my past relations, I’ve never—”

“Never what?” I questioned, turning to look at him as my chest rose and fell in heavy labored breaths.What was he feeling?

“I’ve never been willing to be so open with someone before. It’s never been this effortless to do so. I have a tendency to keep even those I care for at an arm’s length, but not you, Skylar.” He paused and I held my breath, anxiously waiting for him to continue. “Since the day you scolded me for almost dying, I’ve been at your mercy.” Daxton’s smile was soft as he ran his finger across my cheek, his finger twirling in the ends of my hair.

My thoughts ventured to what Castor had said before I made my vow and allegiance to Silver Meadows.But ever since meeting you… he… He’s changed.I realized hewas likely just as lost as I was, and to add the weight of the trials to all this? It was utter madness.

“I—I saw you in the labyrinth.” I confessed.

I watched Daxton’s expression stiffen, yet he remained quiet despite the endless questions no doubt rattling inside his head.

“You were there inside the labyrinth, and you helped rescue me from being eaten alive while dangling over a blackened abyss of doom.” I watched Daxton’s reaction carefully, yet he remained silent. “The labyrinthit … it was a living thing. And he created himself in your image, trying to trick me into leaving. I didn’t take the offer, though. Obviously.”

“How did you figure out it wasn’t me?” Daxton asked.

“Because the labyrinth couldn’t replicate the realyou. There were tells, small mannerisms that seemed different.”

“No one can truly mimic perfection. They can try, but it will only end in failure.”

“Oh, Gods, don’t let your ego inflate like Adohan’s.” Daxton laughed and curled his lips inward, nodding for me to continue. “My animal didn’t react to your presence. Your magic seemed off, and you were joking at the time, but you tried to stab me.”

“Stab you?” he repeated, shaking his head with a more serious tone now. “Skylar, you know I would never…”

“Clearly,” I said with a half-smile to try and comfort him. “But that wasn’t what did it for me.”

“I’m intrigued to hear what my ultimate tell was.”

“You tried to force me through a portal and leave. You said that you were making this decision for me and that I had no choice.” I purposely omitted thepart about the imposter confessing his feelings for me and the desire for us to be together. While I knew Daxton was fond of me and desired me, I was cautious. “In our time together, Daxton, you’ve never once forced me to do anything. You’ve respected my decisions.”

“And I always will.” He tucked my hair behind my ear, causing me to lean toward him. I desperately wanted to kiss him. Hell, I wanted to do more than just kiss him. Flashes of our previous night together flooded my memories, and hunger settled in my core.

“You need rest,” he said, biting his lower lip. My barrier was down, and I knew he could sense my arousal.

“Then don’t do that,” I said playfully, motioning to his bottom lip, which I longed to taste again. Gods help me… I wanted him in every way possible.

“What will help you sleep, Spitfire?”

“Stay with me?”

“As you wish,” he replied, leaning back against the chaise, allowing my head to fall onto his chest.

He rubbed my back and hummed a quiet tune I immediately recognized. It was the song he somehow sent me while I was in the hunter’s keep—the melody that wrapped me in a blanket of his strength and allowed me to overcome the darkest depths of my fears and possibly even death.

“Sleep,” he whispered. “I’ve got you, Spitfire.”

Chapter Seventeen

The training grounds of the Silver Meadows warriors would be my new home for the next two months. It reminded me of my pack lands in Solace, pulling at a longing to see the shoreline of my home once again.

Scattered patches of trees lined our dirt pathway from the Summit, opening into a massive clearing encircled by waist-high stone walls at each corner of the grass area. Inside, there was a long target range for archers, sparring rings for hand-to-hand combat, and racks of different swords, spears, and countless other weapons for battle practice. This was hands down two, perhaps even five times larger than our training field outside the alpha’s home. Beyond the stone walls, secluded in the nearby towering trees, were multi-level barracks for soldiers with outdoor bathing areas near the small creek that flowed from the main river. A narrow, covered structure lay in the center of the living quarters with numerous tables and scattered benches for a mess hall.

Countless High Fae warriors scattered the thick pine-wooded area, practicing various combat skills and weaponry. Some were in stone-gray training clothes, and a large grouping of others wore black lined with silver.There was a clear divide between the two, and I couldn’t help but notice I was labeled as a trainee or cadet with my stone-gray shirt and pants.

Males and females in black training attire with silver-threaded designs earned the title of Silver Meadows warriors. One peak on their shoulder meant they had conquered the Ice Gauntlet and could march into battle within the ranks. The second peak was received in victory, and the third was earned when you defended your people, bringing honor to Silver Meadows and those they had sworn to protect.

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