A Trial of the Heart (Valdor #2)

Chapter Twenty-Three

E arning this silver mountain peak on my left shoulder might seem pointless to the outside world, but in my realm, it meant everything. This was my personal test to determine if I could defeat the second trial.

Idris and Adohan admitted they were exhausted from researching, and Idris threatened that if they didn’t get a break from the library and study duty just for one evening, we would all regret it. The look on Adohan’s face when Idris made her threat was priceless.

“Don’t you dare utter a sound,” Idris threatened. “This is … happening. I’ll sit on you if I must and not in the way that led us to this treasure growing in my belly.”

Sheer terror shone on her mate’s face as his fiery, very pregnant mate glowered at him with a dark, menacing stare.

Gunnar was happy to oblige Idris’s demands, with Zola surprisingly following his lead. I swear the Shadow Jumper never did anything I expected her to do, only adding to her shrouded facade of mystery. Castor was due back any day from his scouting mission on the Southern Sea Cliffs, and without his intel to help, all we could do was wait.

I wandered down the hallway to the sitting area that now doubled as the research station for our group. I managed to carry two bottles of wine in one hand, with a third tucked under my other arm. A corkscrew was stashed away in my pocket, and, of course, a snack of cheese and bread.

We were celebrating. And yes, I was ultimately forced into it by Gunnar’s persistence, but in the end, it didn’t take much.

“Come on. We have to celebrate! A shifter passed the Gauntlet!” Gunnar exclaimed. “I still can’t believe a shifter was able to do it, but yet, it happened.” I smacked him in the back of the head for that remark.

Daxton, on the other hand, was harder to persuade, but they wore him down in the end. I admired the closeness they all shared, realizing they were a family. And somehow, aside from my relationship with Daxton, I had become a part of it too. I now had something more to fight for than my pack across the sea. I was fighting for my family here as well.

Walking into the arched opening, I smiled, seeing everyone scattered and relaxed on various cushions, warming themselves around a roaring fire in the stone hearth. While the Summit was open with cooling colors and decor, this enclosed space was warm with deep red walls and tapestries depicting the oranges and yellows of the fall season.

“There she is!” Gunnar beamed brightly. “And there they are!” he announced, leaping up to take one of the bottles from my hand.

“Haven’t you already finished one yourself,” Zola scoffed from her reclined position on the velvet sofa. Her frown turning upright as I slipped the second bottle onto the pillows next to her. She gave me a nod of thanks before Gunnar caught her attention again .

“Don’t be so jealous, Z. I intend to share this one,” Gunnar said. “But you have to be nice about it.” His grin, paired with the sultry raise of his brows, vaguely suggested something more than just Zola’s prickly attitude.

Zola, true to her character, kept her composure. Only a hint of a sly smile grew at the corner of her mouth as she stalked toward Gunnar’s chair. Her dark ebony braid swayed with her narrowed hips as her tawny brown skin shone with a golden glow from the roaring fire. She was a predator in this scenario. Her midnight eyes focused with an intense stare that made the hair on my neck stand upright.

“Come on, Z.” To my surprise, Gunnar simply laid back in his chair as Zola strode across the room to where he sat. His legs were spread wide as he looked up at her with a smug, overconfident expression only an arrogant male could achieve.

Bending over, Zola rested her hands on either side of the armrests. She looked him over, almost like she was sizing him up. “Do you really think you can handle what I have to offer? Did you not learn your lesson last time?” Zola purred the question in a low, seductive voice.

My jaw practically fell open. I gawked at the two of them, utterly dumbfounded.

“Remind me.” The flash of Gunnar’s white teeth was visible in his wide smile as he set the bottle of wine between his legs and laced his hands behind his head. “I’ve come a long way since then, Zola. Care to find out just how much?”

Shadows crawled up the legs of Gunnar’s recliner. I don’t know how or where they came from, but I knew Zola’s unique magic was somehow manipulating them .

“Props this time?” Gunnar chuckled, his eyes darkening. “How fun.”

Without warning, Zola moved the bottle and straddled Gunnar’s lap, pulling back on his top knot and forcing his head to fall backward as she snarled against his exposed throat. “Don’t bite off more than you can chew, General .”

“Biting, huh? Don’t tempt me with a good time.”

“Keep dreaming, brute,” Zola scoffed. “I told you it would never happen again.” She growled before slowly backing away and retaking her seat across the room, cast in shadows.

Gunnar didn’t look afraid. He almost seemed intrigued, perhaps even more enticed than he had been a moment ago.

“Miss me?” Daxton whispered in my ear.

Startled by his sudden appearance, I pivoted and smacked his shoulder. “I warned you about sneaking up on me like that.”

Daxton’s deep laughter rolled over me as his arms possessively looped around my waist.

“What’s so funny?” I asked as he pulled me against his chest.

“I’m imagining all the different ways I can surprise you,” he said with his lips nibbling the base of my ear as his fingers danced along the seam of my pants.

I swallowed heavily.

“Interested?”

“Do you honestly have to ask?” I turned and softly kissed his lips, grinding my backside against his hardening shaft.

“You catch on quick.” he answered as he tugged me closer to his frame.

“I’m a fast learner.”

“ Ha ha… Indeed, you are.” His laugh was low, the vibrations in his chest snaking their way through my own. “Tonight, can’t come soon enough.”

I nodded; my eyes shining with longing and a promise to feed our ravenous desires.

“Oh, and by the way, that …” I inclined my head as Daxton reached for the bottle under my arm to set it on a side table. “I would’ve never guessed that Zola and Gunnar…”

“The history between those two would take all night to explain,” Daxton said as he pulled me back toward him. “Care to slip away early, Spitfire?”

“Oh no you don’t!” Idris scolded from across the room. “You have a minimum of one more hour with us. Then, and only then, can you whisk her away.”

“And I would ask that you wait to—” Adohan stopped as Idris stroked his chest with her fingertips. Her serene smile was unmistakable, reeling in the fact that she could stop Adohan from finishing his sentence with the mere power of her touch. “Well, then again, I do remember what it’s like to be in the frenzy of a new bond.”

“Frenzy?” I murmured to Daxton.

His lips curled in as his hand rested on the curve of my hip. “Some couples don’t leave their room for days or weeks on end when they first consummate their bond. The need,” he whispered in my ear, as my core tightened, “the desire… is all-consuming.”

His mouth moved to taste the nape of my neck as my eyes fluttered shut. I sighed as his tongue seductively caressed the skin where his mating mark would soon be.

“Exhibit A,” Gunnar teased, chuckling to himself .

Daxton pulled away and I sighed in protest to the loss of his attention. Gods, I didn’t know if I could wait the whole hour.

“It’s how Astro and Finn were made,” Idris said mockingly. “Careful, you two.”

My mind suddenly sobered as I grasped Daxton’s arm, the heart-stilling question written all over my face.

“I take the monthly aid, Spitfire, and this topic,” his silver-gray eyes slanted toward where Idris and Adohan were seated, “should be left for another time and place where outside ears are not listening in.” I nodded in agreement, placing the idea of children on a shelf to discuss at a different time.

Idris pouted and audibly scoffed. “Don’t blame me for wanting a playmate for our baby.”

“Just one?” Adohan mocked with raised brows. Idris shooed him playfully as he laughed.

“Hey!” Gunnar suddenly roared, drawing our attention. “Not fucking cool, Zola! I picked that one out for a reason.”

Zola smiled in victory, pouring her glass of wine to the brim with a triumphant look. “I win.” Gunnar strode over to where Z lounged like a queen on a throne, stretching out his empty glass for her to fill. “And why should I fill yours?” she asked with an arched brow.

“It’s for Sky. Mine is sitting empty and alone on the side table.”

“How fitting.”

Gunnar scowled, but Zola filled his glass, and he brought it over to Dax and me. “Here, Sky, but be careful, our wine is a bit stronger than the ones from your mainland.”

“I’m aware,” I answered, recalling the one glass I had on the Opal .

Gunnar glanced up toward Daxton and gave him a curt nod before slowly backing up and returning to his chair. I took a sip and leaned into Daxton’s chest, feeling a release of his magic dance across my skin, tantalizing my senses and sending a delicious chill over every inch of my body. My animal seemed to roll within me, flooding me with a surge of power that complemented Daxton’s perfectly. The effect made me move closer, my attention centering on only him.

“Nice trick,” I murmured so only he could hear.

“Whatever do you mean?” Daxton asked, pulling his arm around me and holding me tightly.

“All right. Tone down the pheromones, you two,” Adohan bellowed. “We all know she’s your mate regardless of the bond not being fully sealed. You don’t have to keep throwing your scent and magic around and claiming her like that, Dax.”

I tilted my head to the side, giving Daxton a questioning look. “Claiming me, huh? Is that what that is?”

“In a way.”

“Have you been doing this the whole time, and I just haven’t noticed?”

“Not exactly.”

“It’s instinct,” Adohan said. “He did it once in Crimson City when Astro and Finn first met you and then again during one of your training sessions. The Silver Meadows warriors were abuzz with whispers. Now though … I fear it will be constant bombardment on Daxton’s part until the bond is sealed.”

Daxton gave Adohan a look and cleared his throat in a low gruff of annoyance.

“Dax,” I said sweetly, drawing his immediate attention. “I don’t mind. I want the world to know you’re mine, and I’m yours.” He bent to softly kiss me, heat and desire lingering in his quieted movements. “I just wish—”

He tenderly cupped my face in his hand, looking into my eyes with such unquestionable love that I cursed myself for not sensing our bond sooner. “I’m yours, Spitfire. Forever.”

To hear him say those words to me in front of those he trusted most meant everything. I understood the depth of meaning and importance of his declaration. I leaned my brow toward him, inhaling our combined scents and sinking into his touch.

“I’m not starting the hour until you both sit with us around the hearth,” Idris warned.

“How quickly she seems to have forgotten the hold the mate bond had on her and Adohan,” Daxton mumbled, making me chuckle.

He took my hand as we joined the others, sitting on the floor near the roaring fire. We reclined against the base of the couch, with large pillows softening the hard floor beneath us. I sat between Daxton’s legs, leaning back against his chest and settling in comfortably with his arms wrapped around me. I leaned my head against his collarbone, nuzzling my forehead against the soft scruff of his trimmed beard. Even though I was wrapped in his arms, it still didn’t feel like I was close enough.

“I love you,” I whispered so only he could hear.

He tenderly kissed my forehead. “I love you, too.”

“All right, enough of this …” Gunnar said as he gestured toward us. “Some of us like the idea of venturing out and finding new partners to indulge in various … excursions with no commitments.” His eyes scanned over to Zola. “Know of any willing participants this evening? ”

She burst out laughing, bending over and trying not to spill her wine. “That was one night. And one night only,” Zola said in a low, unamused tone. “I have centuries of experience you could never dream of mastering.”

“I’m a good student. And I’ve learned plenty since that night. I wager I could even manage to make those shadows of yours curl.”

“Far from it.” Zola sneered, sipping from her glass. “My fingers work just fine compared to what you may have… learned .”

“Oh, Zola!” Idris chided. “Okay. Enough! Gunnar, that one time with Zola is all you’ll get, so stop praying to the Gods for more. How much have you had to drink anyway? Have you lost your mind already tonight?”

“Not yet.” Gunnar laughed. “Sorry. Impossible things are happening as of late, so I thought I would try my hand,” he replied, raising his brows in unison.

“A hand is all you’ll get tonight,” Zola said.

“Is that an offer?” Gunnar leaned forward, his dark brown eyes contrasting against the silver streaks of hair shimmering in the fire light.

Zola narrowed her eyes into a piercing glare, and I fought back the laughter bubbling up in my throat, feeling Daxton’s deep chuckle rumble through his chest.

“Don’t encourage him,” Dax warned, “or this will continue for days. Gunnar likes to tease Zola, but sometimes, he pushes too far and ends up in the healers’ quarters for his efforts.”

“But they—”

“One night, centuries ago.”

“So, they could …”

“Never, according to Zola,” Dax continued, “Gunnar likes a challenge, so he keeps pursuing her. And apparently, from his account, it was one of the best nights he’s ever had.”

“Right.” I nodded, glancing between the two of them. “They could make a good pairing.”

Daxton shook his head, bending his knees and sitting up to grab a glass of wine. “Don’t start trying to play matchmaker now, Skylar. We’ve spent hundreds of years together, and nothing has changed. They love each other like family and would kill for the other without hesitation, but a pairing? A relationship beyond what they have now would be a nightmare for all of us.”

“And for those involved,” Zola added, tilting her glass skyward before draining the contents.

“You just lack imagination,” Gunnar said.

“Or you lack taste and the sense to treasure a fine wine rather than a cheap mug of mead at the local tavern,” Adohan added with Idris giving him a loving look of approval.

“Whatever gets the job done.” Gunnar grinned and emptied his glass, looking for the other bottle I brought.

“Where’s Castor when we need him?” Daxton murmured, sipping his wine.

I watched the red liquid drip on his delicious lips, biting my own in response, unable to help imagining licking the remnants remaining in his mouth before tasting it on his tongue.

Daxton’s eyes dipped to meet mine. “Careful, Spitfire.”

I flashed him a smug grin, sucking in my bottom lip. “I don’t always play by the rules.” His throat bobbed and his throbbing length hardened against my backside. I moved my hips, letting him know I could feel his growing arousal .

“As soon as Idris is distracted, we’re out of here,” I said.

Daxton huffed a muffled laugh in reply.

“Castor would only add to this madness,” Zola growled with an unamused scoff to the group, drawing our attention away from each other. “When he and Gunnar start going, there’s no stopping them.”

“True,” Daxton answered before lowering his voice to whisper in my ear, “but then we would have a larger distraction that would allow us to slip away outside of Idris’s time frame.”

“I heard that,” Idris snapped.

“I meant you to.” Daxton laughed as he placed his hand on my thigh.

“All right let’s play a little game,” Gunnar said to the group. “Each person takes a turn and tells us two truths and a lie. The others around the circle must decipher and agree which ones are which, and if your lie is caught, you drink.”

“Shit, I always lose at this,” Idris cursed.“Glad I only have water in my cup tonight.”

“I’m clearly at a disadvantage here,” I told Daxton.

“You’ll catch on quick. Don’t worry.”

“I’ll start,” Gunnar announced, “then Zola, Daxton, Skylar, and—”

“We know,” Idris said. “Now on with it, Gunnar. This is your game, so you start.”

“Very well… Hmm.” He stroked his chin, contemplating which truths to tell and what lies to spin.

“But,” Zola said with a hint of mischief in her tone, “it can’t be one you’ve used before in this favorite little game of yours. If it is, you drink.”

“Fuck. Really? ”

“I second,” Adohan announced. “And it’s even more entertaining that Gunnar is going first.”

“Gods above,” Gunnar cursed, “this game just got more complicated.”

“Third,” I answered, surprising everyone in the room. “What?” I shrugged. “Gunnar has been royally kicking my ass for a solid month now. I’m loving this turn of events and seeing him grimace for once.”

“And just when I thought we were becoming friends, little shifter.”

“It’s settled,” Daxton said to the group. “New rules are set… Gunnar, let your games begin.” Dax hugged me, stroking my arm lightly with his fingers. “Very amusing, love. We shall see if you or I actually earn a turn at this before the hour is up.”

“All right,” Gunnar said. “One night along the docks, I managed to have my way with a—”

“A water nymph on the shoreline,” everyone but me finished for him.

“Drink up.” Daxton chuckled lowly with an amused grin.

“ Shit ,” Gunnar swore before taking a sip.

“Will I ever have a turn?” I whispered to Daxton.

“Perhaps not. I’m doubtful I’ll even have a turn with how many times Gunnar’s played this over the years and spun various tactful lies.”

“He and Castor must always play this,” I added.

“Hmm, it appears I’ve arrived just in time.” The familiar sing-song voice broke the commotion of the group. All eyes turned toward the silver-haired figure in the hallway.

“Castor!” Gunnar sprang to his feet, welcoming his friend and prince with open arms .

Zola gave him a nod from the shadows, which was friendly by her standards. Castor then entered the room, bent to kiss Idris’s hand, and clasped Adohan’s forearm with an affectionate pat on the shoulder. Daxton remained relaxed, his hold on me unchanged, almost like he was waiting for something the rest of us were not seeing.

“Cas,” Daxton’s voice was low, “I’m glad you have safely returned. Were you able to find the entrance to the second trial?”

“That and fucking more.” Castor’s eyes scanned the room, finding a bottle of wine and eagerly pouring himself a glass. “I went in…” he added before draining the contents the next second. “Damn. You got the good stuff out, brother. And without me? I’m slightly offended.”

“Castor,” Daxton pushed, my anxiety beginning to rise.

“I see things have become a bit cozier here since my departure.” Castor raised his brows, looking at the two of us. “Smelled it once I entered the godsdamn Summit, Dax. You’re not hiding much anymore, are you?” His eyes shot back and forth between us. “Does this mean I’m out of a job pretending to be in love with your mate then?”

“Gods. Please, yes,” I answered for Daxton, who gave me a soft half-smile before his gaze traveled back to his brother.

“Ouch,” Castor answered. “You could’ve hesitated just a little bit to save my pride.”

“What did you discover, Castor?” Daxton asked. “Did you encounter the creature?”

Daxton’s fingers found mine, and I squeezed them tightly. I wouldn’t allow my fears to break through—not here, not in front of the others .

“Thank the Gods, no… I didn’t encounter the creature with death’s stare, hence why I’m still breathing and able to grace you with my glorious presence. I know you’ve missed me.” Castor waved his arm in a dramatic display. “But,” he said, his tone shifting, “I did bring other means to help us answer the question of what Skylar will be facing.”

Daxton’s attention snapped to the hallway. “She’s here?”

“Who?” I asked him.

Daxton’s lips pressed into a thin line. “Nyssa.”

My stomach jumped into my throat as I stood. Daxton moved in time with me as I rushed to the hall’s opening.

Since healing the fallen fae, I had dreamed of seeing her again, talking with her, and learning anything about her I could. She was a Gods above blessing that I somehow had healed. Questions swirled in my mind, ranging from her own experiences to what she felt now.

“Hi,” I said softly, seeing her standing in the center of the hall just outside the doorway.

Castor walked past Daxton and me while the others remained inside. I had a feeling that if we all jumped up and ambushed her, it would not go well. Castor stood beside Nyssa, offering a warm, kind smile and gently placing a hand on her shoulder, inclining his head to encourage her forward.

“Nyssa signs to communicate,” Castor said, “but she can understand the spoken word. When I returned, I went to the archives first, and to my surprise, she was waiting there for me.” Castor’s eyes were fixated on Nyssa, his attention unwavering. “She asked to come see you.”

“I can interpret for you, Spitfire,” Daxton told me, and I nodded in agreement .

“Do you have something for me? Is there something you wanted to tell me?” I asked aloud, searching Nyssa’s face for any indication of what this sudden meeting was about.

Her golden-undertone peach skin looked soft and utterly flawless, even beneath the plain tan robes of the scribes. Her beauty was breathtaking. Dark, slanted eyes were framed by a delicate oval face, paired with midnight-black hair that cascaded down the length of her back.

She looked at me after handing a scroll to Castor with her hands raised to her chest. Daxton spoke the words as she began signing.

“I’ve been working with Idris and Adohan to try to help decipher your second trial, and I believe I have found the answer,” she signed, her dark eyes soft, yet her expression remained focused.

My eyes widened with surprise. I could not speak… My mouth was suddenly dry, and my throat cracked. Nyssa stepped forward, extending her hand toward me, causing Daxton to tense at my side.

“Let her touch you,” Castor pleaded. “I promise Skylar is safe, Daxton. Nyssa would never hurt the one who saved her.”

“It’s all right,” I told Dax. My animal was giving me a comforting feeling, indicating that I was safe. “I trust her.” I knew his curt nod was all I was going to get.

Nyssa reached out her hand to touch my cheek, and as soon as she did, I was whisked away in a vision.

Cold, wet stone surrounded me, and I was no longer standing beside Daxton in the Summit. Darkness enveloped the area with the feeling of death itself curling into the air I breathed .

I blinked as talons clinked against the stone, echoing through the narrowed passageway. “ Clink, Clink… Hiss .” My head turned abruptly, and I saw the long tail of a serpent-like creature escape down the cavern.

The next thing I heard was a muffled scream of death … and then it was silent once more. The hissing sound crept into my senses, making my insides tighten, followed by a large gulping noise. My body moved forward, gliding around the corner to inspect the disturbance, and that is when I saw it.

The creature was slender with dark green, almost black scales along its back and a lighter shade of green on its underbelly. It was massive, stretching approximately fifty feet in length with four small legs supporting its body that held long black talons of death. It reminded me of a land-bound dragon. The massive head, which had a white crest in the middle, tilted backward as it swallowed its prey whole.

The creature finished its meal and moved toward the tunnel. Its eyes were tilted downward as its body slithered like a snake yet still crawled resembling a lizard over the stone. When it opened its mouth, I saw rows upon rows of razor-sharp teeth half my size, curved inward. Perfect for gripping and killing before devouring its meal.

Suddenly, its head snapped in my direction. Massive yellow eyes glowed in the dark cave with magic swirling within them. Haunting and utterly terrifying.

The power of its stare hit me like a brick wall. The air around me was heavy, but I wasn’t breathing. I didn’t feel anything.

Gods above. I was seeing Nyssa’s memory as a fallen.

The creature’s long tongue slithered out of its jagged rows of teeth, smelling—no, tasting—the air around me. It recoiled immediately, rolling its head and hissing violently in my face. Yet it didn’t attack. It simply slithered away into a different tunnel.

The connection severed, and I gasped aloud, trembling as my legs gave way in fear. Daxton caught me before I hit the ground—his hold on me was steady against my quivering limbs. His touch was gentle, but that was where his kindness ended.

Ice exploded around us in a protective barrier, forcing Nyssa back on the ground with sharpened points hovering against her exposed throat. “Move, and I’ll kill you.”

“Daxton, stop!” Castor shouted, blasting out his own magic to combat his brother’s. Castor couldn’t summon ice, but he could manipulate it. He protectively threw himself over Nyssa, pushing back against Daxton’s ice daggers as best he could.

“I mean it!” Blackness engulfed Castor’s eyes, and my heart dropped.

“I’m all right. I’m all right,” I told my mate.

“Bullshit,” Daxton cursed.

“Dax.” I scowled at him and forced myself to stand on my feet. “She showed me a vision. That’s all, I swear.”

“Try again,” Castor sneered, baring his teeth. “It was a fucking memory. Her memory.” The brothers stared each other down, neither one giving an inch. “Stand down, Daxton. Don’t push me on this.” The look on Castor’s face matched Daxton’s. Two brothers at a standoff, ready to clash in the center of chaos.

Fire erupted in the halls, melting the ice directed at Castor and Nyssa. “Enough!” Adohan boomed. “Must I be the voice of reason with you two? Gods above, you never make a visit uneventful. ”

“I’m all right,” I told Daxton again, but his eyes were stone. I reached out to cup his cheek to try and bring him back to me.

Thankfully, he dropped his stare and tucked me into his side, his arms folding me into his frame as his hands gripped me with as much strength as he could muster. “What did you see?”

“I saw…” I could barely form the words. “I saw the creature I have to defeat for the second trial.” My grip on my mate tightened, trying to extract every ounce of courage I could. Absorbing it like a dry sponge. “It’s… It’s—”

“It’s a basilisk,” Castor finished for me, with Nyssa tucked protectively behind his back. “Dax, she has to slay a basilisk.”