A Trial of the Heart (Valdor #2)

Chapter One

I didn’t dream in my shifters sleep, and to be honest, I was grateful for it. There was no telling how much time had passed as I slowly regained consciousness.

The faint sound of someone steadily breathing, broke my slumbering trance. Daxton must have found some sort of sanctuary or hideaway for us after our battle with the harpies inside the wilt. I would’ve settled for anything as long as it was far from the decay and dark magic of that lifeless land.

I inhaled a deep breath, breaking my own trance-like sleep to further assess where I was. The air seemed thinner, indicating a significant change in the elevation. We must be high above sea level, possibly somewhere in the mountains.

Where am I?

I tried to rack my brain for more clues when one hit me smack dab in the face—it was hot. Oh, Gods, it was unbearably hot! The air had a textured thickness to it that coated my tongue and throat. I could feel my sweat-slickened skin under a light sheet made for blistering, arid climates, but it still felt like I was cooking from the inside out. I enjoyed the warmer weather of summertime in Solace, but this was something different.

I wiggled my fingers, then managed to roll over onto my side. Opening my eyes, I located the owner of the soft, steady breathing at the foot of my extravagant bed— Daxton .

His bottom half was seated in a plush cushioned chair with his torso folded over at my feet. His clothing was different. Judging by the lack of blood and stench from our battle in the wilt, he had bathed as well. I didn’t smell his blood, meaning his healing abilities, combined with my own, had done the trick. It was odd, though, I thought. I couldn’t smell him. Inhaling again, I searched for the fresh pine and mountain air scent but failed to find it.

Weird , I pondered. Then, I remembered him speaking to me on several occasions about training me to shield my own scent. However, I didn’t think I needed to do that until we were in Aelius.

Oh no. Aelius —were we in Aelius? Was it time for the trials? I thought I had more time!

Panicked, I shot up from the bed, and Daxton woke immediately with a long knife drawn and at the ready, prepared for battle.

“Is this Aelius?”I stammered, staring at him with wide eyes. I wasn’t afraid of the trials, but I was terrified of being thrown into something without proper time to prepare. “Daxton!” I yelled at him again, leaning forward onto my hands, desperate for him to answer me.

The High Prince of Silver Meadows sheathed his knife into his belt and slid onto the bed next to me. His expression was drawn and weary, but I could see a hint of ease cast in the depths of his stormy eyes. “This is Crimson City.”

I immediately hung my head and sighed with relief. Dax reached out to gently place his finger on my chin, tipping my gaze up toward his and scanning over me carefully .

“Are you hungry, Spitfire?” Daxton asked, anticipating my needs even before I had a chance to voice them.

“Always.” I grinned as I steadied my shaking limbs, moving to lean back against the headboard of the plush bedding. I nervously tucked my knees into my chest, curling my soft satin nightgown around me, attempting to take everything in. Dax trudged to the other side of the arid room to retrieve a tray of various fruits and slices of bread paired with meat and cheese.

“You were asleep for some time, Skylar,” he said as he returned to my bedside, setting the tray of food in front of me. His tired eyes turned and stared at the open window, and I couldn’t grasp how he was feeling or what type of mood he was in.

“How long?” I asked as I poked my fork into a piece of fruit.

“Four days.”

“ What? ” I exclaimed, with a mouth full of food, somehow still managing not to drop a single bite. “I-I think that’s the longest I’ve ever been in a shifter’s sleep. Come to think of it. I don’t know many who’ve ever been asleep that long.” I coughed to clear my throat as he handed me a glass of water.

“They haven’t,” Dax muttered, keeping his blank stare fixated on anything but me.

I studied him closely, searching for hidden injuries that were often overshadowed by the bleeding wounds of battle. His eyes were heavy, and even though he was asleep when I awakened, I knew that was not the case for the previous days. He was clean and wearing fresh clothes, but he looked exhausted. Despite his valiant efforts to hide it from me, I could see it.

I pushed a plate of food over to him. “You need to eat too, Dax.” It looked like he hadn’t eaten in days. “ I can’t possibly eat this whole tray myself and not explode.”

He pursed his lips, contemplating my request. “You’re sure you don’t want it?”

I nodded to reassure him, and thankfully, he lifted a round sausage paired with a piece of bread off the plate and took a bite.

I definitely could eat everything on this plate and another, but I couldn’t bring myself to devour another bite until he did, too. Dax popped another piece of sliced meat into his mouth while I returned to my tray of delectable goodness. With my stomach happily satisfied, I was able to take in the room and admire the spectacles surrounding me.

The architecture was astonishing—grander than anything we had back in Solace. The walls appeared to be uniquely hand-crafted with a delicate swirling design that adorned the columns in the corners and connected along the arched ceiling. It reminded me of wind-blown sand and the beautiful way it ebbs and flows with gusts of wild currents of air. The tan walls were draped with sheer, elegant red fabric, filling the room with a warm, airy feeling. The bed we were sitting on was in the center of the living area, with two large double doors to my left and an opening to the balcony to my right. The doorways and windows were arched, with what looked to be red sandstone decorating the archways.

Thick dark drapes covering the balcony and windows hid the rays of sunlight from outside, but I could still see streaks of the magnanimous sunrays trying to peek through. The blasted heat, however, was suffocating. Despite the light breeze from the open windows and balcony doors, they were hindered by the lavish drapery. Beads of sweat began forming along my brow, despite my lack of clothing and refreshing sips of water.

“It’s morning?” I asked between bites of food.

“Midday.” Dax reached for a pitcher, refilling my cup first before filling his own.

My eyes never wandered from the High Fae prince at my side. Daxton always said more with his actions than his words ever could, so for once, I patiently waited. Watching his every breath and movement.

“You never left me, did you?” I asked, even though I already knew what the answer would be. “Dax, I’m all right.” I boldly reached out my hand and intertwined my fingers with his.

Daxton tensed, but he didn’t pull away. I squeezed his hand tighter, trying to encourage him to turn and look at me. As his gaze met mine, I could see a mountain of worry behind those deep gray eyes. My stomach dropped, realizing that his concern was centered around me. I pulled his hand to my chest and crawled across the bed to press my brow against his.

“I’m all right,” I whispered again, for once not questioning why I needed this physical contact with him.

Daxton sighed heavily, closing his eyes and leaning closer toward me. “After the first day… when you still hadn’t woken up, I-I…” He coughed to clear his throat. “I refused to let Castor or anyone else carry you, and once we arrived in Crimson City, I demanded Adohan call for his best healer to assess you.”

“You know it’s peaceful for me in the sleep, right?” I whispered. “There’s no reason to panic.” I tried to ease his concern, but I couldn’t undo the distress he’d already carried these past days.

Daxton scoffed and clicked his teeth at my poor attempt to humor him and lighten the mood. He adjusted himself, moving to sit closer to me on the bed, wrapping his arm around my waist and pulling me into his chest. He reached to cup my cheek in his large, calloused palm.

“The healers told me you were stable, but as the third day approached, and you still weren’t awake…” He stopped and tensed, no doubt reliving the scenario in his mind. “Even the elder healers began to seek answers and question your safety.”

I could feel the burden of his anxiety weighing him down. In the hushed way he spoke to me, the timid movements and creased lines of concern in his brow. I didn’t know if he would ever admit his fears out loud, but I could read the signs of his distress as clear as day. He was scared, for me. To know he cared for me like this was touching, but I never wanted to cause him such pain again.

“But considering the miracle you somehow managed to achieve, well, the length of your sleep was understandable.”

“The fallen!” I exclaimed, practically jumping off the bed. “Well, I mean the High Fae… Wait, she’s still a High Fae, right?”

“Yes, she’s still a High Fae. The female hasn’t spoken a word since you healed her, but your magic did heal her, Skylar. There’s no visible trace of the wilt’s magic remaining within her.”

I could hardly believe it took Dax or me this long to talk about this. I had healed the dreaded nalusa falaya and returned it—her—to her previous form. It took every drop of strength I had in me to do it, but I did. I restored what the wilt had broken and erased all evidence it was ever there to begin with. My magic, my power… it saved her .

“Wow.” I leaned back and ran my fingers through my tangled mess of brown and golden hair. “I didn’t really know what I was doing at the time, Dax. I was just reacting.”

“You were following your instincts, which, for you, is the wisest course of action you can take.”

“There’s a first for everything.” I huffed a laugh as I glanced around the room, looking for evidence of any others who may have visited me while I was asleep. “Where’s Castor? Is he with her?”

“Yes. He’s been working closely with the fallen fae to try and gain her trust, which I believe is working,” Dax said. “She can understand us, and Castor’s been very patient with her. He was able to convince her that we were not a threat.” Daxton stroked his beard, contemplating a thought. “I doubt she would’ve agreed to come with us to Crimson City if I hadn’t been carrying you with me, however.”

“I mean, I can understand that in a way,” I said sitting back on the bed. “She was a broken shell of her former self with the wilt altering her like that.” I couldn’t blame the female if she didn’t speak a word to anyone ever again. The kind of trauma she must have endured while trapped as a fallen was unimaginable and would take time to heal. I could hear it in her voice when she tried to speak in her cursed form. Each second must have been a living agony for her.

“Castor is working to try and find ways to communicate. Signing may be an option or writing if she is unable to speak again.” Daxton moved to sit next to me, leaning back against the bed frame. “Either way, she’ll be safer once she’s in Silver Meadows. I believe our scribes in the archives will be able to take her into their care and look after her. ”

I leaned against him, welcoming his strengthening presence, and basked in the warming feeling of his body close to mine. “That’s a good place to start. Ironic, though.”

“How so?”

“Castor loves the sound of his own voice.” I chuckled. “I imagine it fills the room enough for both of them. He’s the perfect one to help her.”

Daxton managed a small laugh. “That he does. Cas has been tending to her while I’ve been focusing on you. Now that you’re awake, I’ll need to leave soon to check on them both.” My breath stilled in my chest, realizing I didn’t want Daxton to leave.

“Don’t go just yet,” I said as I clutched his arm, feeling his hand cover mine. “Stay with me a few minutes longer?”

“Of course,” he said in a soft tone.

“Oh, I do remember there was something I wanted to ask you.” I leaned forward to snag a final piece of cheese from the food tray.

“Not surprising.” Daxton grinned.

“What kind of magic happens when Castor’s eyes turn black?”

Dax raised his brows, tilting his head as he grinned. “You’ve seen him use this before, haven’t you?”

“Yes, three times, actually. What is it?”

“Castor has a unique type of survival magic of the mind. That’s what we describe it as anyway: a gift from our mother’s heritage and the Aelius bloodline. I can be in one place magically and then another, while Cas receives visions when he or someone near him is in mortal danger. It’s a premonition of death.”

“Interesting. It’s like a warning from death itself?” I asked, and Dax nodded. Alright, good to kno w . “Do you think the High Fae I healed will have any residual powers or abilities?”

“That is a question Adohan and I have pondered since we arrived. I can’t see why not, but it is difficult to tell. This is also why I summoned Zola as soon as we arrived in Crimson City.”

“How did you manage to get a message across an entire continent?”

Dax smiled softly. “We have enchanted parchment that is able to relay messages to its counterpart—regardless of the distance. Write a message on the paper, and it disappears here andappears on its other half.”

“Wow,” I replied. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to how effortlesslyyou are able to manipulate and use magic like that here.”

“You will.” He said it so nonchalantly, like it was a fact and nothing more. Daxton’s body relaxed against mine as a tranquil breath of silence passed between us. Giving us time to relax and enjoy the beauty of the moment together.

“All right, so Zola,” I murmured, trying to recall the different members of his court. “Oh, she’s your spy that was …”

“Exactly. If anyone can help guide the fallen fae you healed, I believe she can.”

Zola was Daxton’s spymaster from his realm in Silver Meadows. Her description in my lessons with Castor was brief because she was made or, in other words, changed by the wilt. Infected with dark magic but somehow survived, granting her magical abilities that she didn’t have before.

“Zola should be arriving shortly if she’s not here already. She can travel quickly across the Inner Kingdom with her shadow-jumping abilities. ”

“Her what now?” I cocked an eyebrow at him, flashing him an apparently humorous look because his smile curled all the way around the side of his mouth, revealing the dimple on his right cheek.

“It’s similar to my teleporting magic, actually. She can move from shadow to shadow, blending into them if needed and disappearing from sight.”

“I can see why she is your lead spy.”

He nodded. “That among other deadly skillsets. Castor and I trust her honesty and intuition. She was loyal to my mother and to Silver Meadows for well over five centuries. My allies are due in large part to her ability to learn and deliver secrets.”

I nodded as I eagerly swallowed the rest of my water, moving to try and stand up from the bed. Dax quickly extended his hand to help me stand. Normally, I would have laughed and shooed it away, but instead, I chose to humor him. My lightweight, practically sheer nightgown flowed loosely over my torso. I imagined it was necessary to wear clothing like this in the humid desert climate. Anything more would be suffocating.

The elegant fabric flowed just past my knees with straps that crisscrossed along my back, turning into a single strap that fastened over my shoulder. It was hands down one of the finest things I had ever worn, and this was only a nightshirt. The concept of such finery, especially with clothing, was not a custom amongst the shifters, but apparently, it was for the High Fae.

Dax led me toward the balcony, reaching for a golden cord and pulling it to the side to unveil the beauty of Crimson City outside my room. Unlike the landscape where we first landed, this was a busy, bustling city full of commotion and life. Markets, homes, and a vast array of businesses lined almost every corner of the landscape spanning below .

Merchants carried various foods, fabric, or other trinkets they brought into shops for customers to buy and trade. The city was vast and seemed to stretch on for miles, with us smack dab in the center of it all. Off to the side, I noticed a wide, winding river ebbing and flowing through the center. Bridges crossed over deeper regions, while some of the calmer bends were filled with children laughing and splashing in the water to cool themselves from the blistering heat.

“What do you think?” Dax asked as he stepped behind me, discreetly brushing his palm against the small of my back.

“It-it’s…” I fumbled, trying to answer. I was still a bit awestruck by the sight and sheer size of this place. “We don’t have anything like this back home.”

“Crimson City is a stronghold in the high desert near the Spine Range mountains, the closest realm to the main territory of the wilt.” Dax directed my attention west toward the vast peaks that spanned as far as my eyes could see. Familiar shadows lurked over the land, looming with the threat of death and destruction.

“High Prince Adohan enjoys being in the center of everything ,” Daxton said, with a hint of amusement. “So naturally, he built his home at the apex of his kingdom where he can oversee his people.”

“Is this how Silver Meadows is arranged?”

“No,” he said, and I sighed with relief. Crimson City was thriving and beautiful, practically bursting with vivacious life and culture. But it was almost too much for me. “You’ll see Silver Meadows soon enough, Spitfire. Bringing you home to my kingdom will be a day I remember for the rest of my immortal life.”

When he said things like that, it made my world come to a halt. What did Dax truly want with me? He always seemed to hint toward a deeper connection or even feelings of affection, but I knew this wasn’t logical.

“Because when we travel to Silver Meadows, it means you’ll have successfully passed the first trial. A task none before you have accomplished.”

Ah, there it is . I stepped away from Daxton in the doorway, leaning against the open window where a welcomed breeze helped cool my fevered flesh.

“Right, the trials,” I said plainly, trying to ignore the sting of pain in my chest. “When will we travel to Aelius, then?”

I retreated to protect myself. I had been fooled before, imagining and believing I shared deeper feelings with someone else not too long ago. I needed something… more. I wanted someone to truly love me for me. Not because of my magic or success in the trials.

I could lust after Daxton all I wanted. No one could blame me for being attracted to him, but that just might be it. Any other feelings I thought I was having needed to be squashed immediately . Besides, I imagined he had a plethora of females waiting to be called on or hold his attention. Why, in all of Valdor, would he want me ?

I gazed out the window, avoiding Dax with all my might. I could feel his perplexed stare lingering over me, calling for reasoning behind my sudden coldness, but I couldn’t answer him. If I did, I would fall apart, and I wasn’t sure there would be anyone to catch me this time around.

Before Dax could speak, voices boomed from outside the room. “I don’t care what Daxton said, Adohan Ekon! The female is clearly awake, and I’m going in there. You males need to take a step back. I swear to the Gods above, I will stomp on your toes and break them. Don’t push me, love… I’m hardly in the mood.” The door handles turned, and a petite yet feisty fe male High Fae entered with a towering male close on her heels.

“Skylar!” the female announced with open arms, a wide welcoming grin, and a very rounded pregnant belly. She waddled, still somehow gracefully—which was amazing to me—across the room, taking my hands in hers. “Welcome to our home! It’s an honor to have you here with us,” she said as she hugged me tightly.

“Idris,” the male behind her growled with a slight snarl in his voice.

The female, who I now understood to be Idris, snapped her attention back toward him. “Would you calm down, Adohan? There’s no danger in greeting her.” Adohan folded his dark-skinned muscular arms across his bare chest and scowled. “These males are so overprotective in general with their mates… And when we’re pregnant,” she added, stroking her growing babe, “they’re impossible to live with. I can’t even greet a guest without him growling in protest.”

So, this is Adohan and Idris Ekon, the ruling mated pair of Crimson City.

Like many High Fae I saw from my balcony, Idris and Adohan had dark skin paired with deep brown eyes. Idris was slender, with long, flowing auburn hair with small intricate braids woven in between strands that tied back against her petite oval face. Her nose was slightly flattened with full lips that held a shade of red that matched her hair. She wore an airy, flowing crimson gown with long slits on either side and cross-stitching pattern across her middle that broadcasted her growing womb. She carried herself with an air of elegance and grace, paired with a genuine smile that made me feel welcomed.

Adohan was tall, but Daxton still held a few inches over him in height. He wore a long crimson robe with cut-off sleeves and a decorative gold armband wrapped around his left bicep. His pants were white with stitched red and gold designs embedded into the seams that matched the swirling decor on the walls of the room. His dreadlocked hair was dark brown at his roots and changed from yellow to orange, then a deep red color at the tips that hung past his shoulders. His facial hair gathered in a small patch on the base of his chin and matched the dark brown coloring of his hair at the roots. On closer inspection, Adohan’s eyes were a lighter shade of brown, almost a golden hazel, which gave him a regal beauty fit for a high prince of the Inner Kingdom.

“All right. You males need to get out!” Idris ordered.

Daxton looked to Adohan, who held out his palms and shrugged his shoulders. “Don’t you think I’ve tried? I’m in no place to argue with her when she gets her mind set like this. I’m lucky she didn’t have her throwing knives or her spear on her when we started this argument.”

“Lucky, indeed,” Idris added, narrowing her eyes toward her mate. Dax was about to protest, but Idris cut him off with a wave of her hand. “Skylar is a lady … and ladies need privacy when it comes to bathing and primping. From the looks of her and what little we do know about shifters; I would imagine this nightgown might be one of the finest things ever to grace her skin.” Ouch. Well, she wasn’t wrong. I guess I’ll give that to her. “ And … I will not allow that to be the sole impression of our kingdom while she is an honored guest. I’ll tend to her.” Her dark eyes darted to Daxton. “It’s not your place to do so right now.”

Wow. Just wow. Idris was a force to be reckoned with and didn’t shy away or back down from… well, anything, it seemed. I like her already .

“Now, out!” Idris flicked her wrists with flames twirling around her fingers, making a shooing motion at Dax as he reluctantly moved through the doorway. “She’ll be fine , Daxton.”

I placed my hand to my mouth, trying to conceal my laughter. I knew they could all hear me, and the spark of amusement in Idris’s eyes only egged me on.

“We’ll be in the—”

“This is my home, Daxton.” Idris gave him a look that only a mother could master. “I know where you’ll be, and I promise I’ll return Skylar to your care once she is cleaned and properly dressed.” She promptly closed the doors on her mate and Daxton, pivoting back to me. “Now that we have some privacy, let’s get you cleaned up.”