Page 88 of A Trial of the Heart

“Finally, there’s a hint of the common sense I have been accustomed to.” Castor sighed. “You know, you could have come out of the shadows and helped end this matter.”

I glanced toward the shade along the tree line, and the outline of a female figure stepped forward. The dark brown skin with wisps of black markings and ebony eyes were unmistakable.

“Zola! I didn’t even know you were here!”

True to her shadow-jumper-spying nature, Zola held no emotion in her expression, but she gave me a small nod, which I took to be the same as a giant hug or greeting from Idris. I would take it. “Glad to see you alive, Champion.”

“Really, you didn’t know?” Gunnar asked me. “Who did you think I was conspiring with for my assessments?”

My eyes widened. I had no idea she was watching us the entire day. But then again, I wasn’t looking for her or anyone else lurking in the shadows trying to spy on us. I turned my lips inward, mulling over the fact that I had let my guard down in one of the most dangerous places I had ever been. Even though I was comfortable here, danger lurked around every corner, and I needed to be on my guard at all times.

“Don’t be too hard on yourself, Skylar. It’s my job to be unseen,” Zola said.

Castor cleared his throat. “I thought you were with…”

“Nyssa,” Zola said, cutting Castor’s question short. She said the name like it was some kind of code, “is comfortable with the scribes in the archives tower.”

I glanced at Castor to try and assess his mood, but I knew whatever he was truly feeling was likely tucked away in the corner of his calculating mind. He was never one to show his hand early if he had the choice.

“Nyssa,” Castor repeated the name slowly, his expression turning somber as he looked down at his feet for a moment, deep in thought.

“She asks about you.” Castor’s eyes widened, but Zola averted her gaze away from him and straight to me.

“Me?” I asked, pointing a finger at my chest. “I don’t believe I know any Nyssa…”

Zola flashed me a look that read,Are you fucking kidding me, shifter?Get your head out of the sand and figure it out.

In utter embarrassment, I suddenly realized that she was talking about the fallen fae I’d healed. “Oh, Nyssa!” I exclaimed. “Sorry, names and places get jumbled when you are put through a labyrinth of literal mental torture,” I shot back, and Zola flashed me a half-smirk of approval once more as she shifted in her black leathers, meticulously counting the daggers sheathed along her chest like it was second nature.

“You’ve spoken with her then?” Castor asked.

“I’ve taught her to sign with the help of the scribes. Those bookworms are caring in a way I can never understand. And the female attendants have officially taken her under their wing, shooing me out before one of my knives tore through another of their precious ancient scrolls.” Zola sighed. “That, in my opinion, had nothing of worth on them anyway. It’s not my fault that one time three hundred years ago, I was using some for much-needed target practice while being cooped up in their tower.”

“I barely saved you from their wrath… Not my easiest years pleading with the scribes to grant you sanctuary and getting you back into their good graces,” Daxton added. “You do remember why we hid you in there, right?”

“That prickly cunt … Anjani. Yes, I remember. The archives are warded, so no magic works inside,” Zola said, turning to me. “I can’t shadow-jump. You can’t teleport or use your ice magic. Castor can’t see, and Anjani can’t manipulate anything. It was a good plan.”

“Don’t sound too surprised,” Dax said, but Zola only glared at him.

“My warriors were on patrol day and night until we finally chased her out of Silver Meadows. Her desire for your head for the trick you pulled on her was…”

“She deserved it,” Zola snarled.

“Never said she didn’t. Anjani is unnerving and slightly twisted, if not insane.” Gunnar shivered and shook his shoulders, his hand tracing over a scar along his arm. “She can make it seem like you’re living yourworst nightmare… and then laughs as your soul is torn apart with grief.”

“She sounds like a real peach,” I added.

“I brought Idris and Adohan to the door of the archives, and they allowed Adohan entrance… with his mate carried in his arms, of course. Adohan wanted me to make sure you knew they were taking your recommendation seriously,” Zola said.

“That’s good,” I answered with relief as my stomach grumbled.

Daxton’s smirk curled at the side of his delectable mouth, which I desperately wanted to taste again. Hell, I was on the verge of forgoing food if it meant I could be alone with him inside the Summit and have his lips crashing into mine with his tongue devouring me with savage, unrelenting strokes. His kisses from the library last night were light and comforting, but I craved more from him.

“We haven’t shown you the kitchens yet, have we, Spitfire?” Daxton grinned. “I should’ve shown that to you first.”

“No, and that’s a shame because I want to help earn my keep while I’m here. I can bake or help with meals.” Dax gave me a look that said,really?

“We have cooks and attendants that work inside the Summit, Skylar. That won’t be necessary,” Castor replied.

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