A Trial of the Heart (Valdor #2)

Chapter Twenty-Six

“S kylar?” Daxton’s voice was barely a whisper.

“Dax!” I screamed as I rushed to his side. His coloring was devoid of its natural glow, his hands cold as ice, and his breathing staggered and shallow. “Hold on, don’t move.”

My healing magic worked immediately when I touched the bleeding wound on his arm. I could feel the wisps of death in the poison rushing through his veins. Another thirty seconds and this would have taken him into the crossing of the afterlife.

My hands shook at that realization. The thought of losing him made me practically hysterical. My animal inside me was racing with unease, panicking at the thought. I couldn’t lose him. Not when we had just found each other, but then again, I knew there would never be enough time with him.

“That’s good enough.” Daxton tried to influence me to stop using my magic for some stupid reason I couldn’t fathom.

“No, it’s not,” I said, my voice unwavering, refusing to stop until I knew all the venom was out of his system. “And,” I rasped, attempting to calm myself and regain my composure, “stop telling me how my magic works. Let me heal your gods-damned wound and erase the poison that was seconds away from killing you!”

“I would say it was closer to a minute.”

“Daxton!” I yelled. “Gahh! You’re unbelievable.”

“There she is,” he said as he flashed me that stupid half-grin and removed the remaining tie holding his blindfold.

“And,” I said with an edge, “don’t you dare fucking die on me.”

“ Ha ha … I was waiting for that,” he teased as he grasped my hands.

“Where you go, I go,” I answered, meeting his silver-gray stare with my blazing fury. There was a shift in the air, a silent exchange and understanding passing between us that reached the unsealed threads of our mate bond.

We hadn’t dared discuss it yet. The fact was that Daxton was immortal … and I wasn’t. My mate’s immortal lifespan meant he could live for centuries, while shifters only had a fraction of that time. We eventually had to confront this reality, but for right now, we had both agreed it was best left alone.

“Well played.” Dax nodded, releasing my hands so I could concentrate on healing the basilisk’s bite. Reaching up to remove the rest of his blindfold.

“Why was your covering partially lifted? You could’ve died with just one look Dax!” I scolded, my limbs shaking as the adrenaline rush from the battle subsided.

He took a long breath before answering. “I could feel the poison from the basilisk’s bite tearing through me. I didn’t believe I would survive long enough for you to reach me in time.” I went as still as death. “I thought … dammit. I didn’t really know what I was thinking, but I knew—” He reached to cup my cheek. “I knew the last th ing I needed to see in this life was you.” His eyes never strayed from mine. “And to my delight, not really a surprise, when I peeked through the blindfold, I witnessed you slaying and dethroning the serpent king.”

I bit my lip, breaking his gaze as I turned my head away and moved my magic along the wound of his arm, searching for any traces of poison. “I-I don’t have an explanation for the power I was wielding. I don’t know how I did it.”

“I do,” Daxton answered plainly, leaning forward to inspect the gash on my thigh I had long forgotten about. “You’re an alpha, Skylar Cathal. A gods-damned queen in your own right.” He moved forward, sitting up on his own, his eyes finding the wound on my leg. “Why do you think I never referred to you as a mere princess or lady.” His smile grew wide as he reached out, allowing his magic to coat my skin, closing the wound on my thigh. “I always knew.” He chuckled. “I was just waiting for the day you realized it too. Your father’s alpha bloodline and your ancestor’s power have all re-emerged within you, my stunning mate.”

“I guess it would’ve been foolish for the Gods to match you with anything less.”

“True.” Dax laughed without humor. “But I believe it’s the other way around.” He reached to gently brush his thumb over my lip before allowing his fingers to migrate along the curve of my chin, memorizing every arc and feature of my face. “Even covered in the blood of our enemy, I still find you the most utterly breathtaking creature to have ever walked this earth.”

“You aren’t too bad yourself,” I said, leaning into his hold and kissing him.

“Don’t twist it,” Daxton whispered against my lips. “We both know that I was the one who gained status with our pairing. I landed myself an alpha queen who mastered the labyrinth and slayed the basilisk. A champion who’s fated to save us all.”

“All right…” I said, exhaling a curt laugh. “Prince who was promised .”

“Promised.” He paused, giving me a look that stilled the breath in my lungs—the kind of look that said so much more than words could ever articulate. “Promised to become a deadly weapon for a worthy queen to wield at her side.”

“Dammit,” I cursed. “How are you so much better at this than me?”

“Centuries of practice and waiting. You could say my patience is a gift from the Gods to match my fiery mate’s fighting spirit.”

“Good thinking on their part,” I answered, moving closer to him. I reached up to trace my hand along his bearded chin, reassuring myself that he was safe. “I heard you scream, Dax,” I said, dropping my voice, “and I’ve never been so scared in my entire life. I thought I would lose you.”

“You can’t ever lose me, Spitfire.”

“True.” I grinned recalling the words we’ve said to one another time and time again. “Let’s get the second key, get out of here, and go home.”

“Home.” He smiled as I helped him to his feet.

Daxton’s body was healed, but it was pushed to its physical limits with the venom. Miraculously, he still managed to give me a saccharine smile full of hope and joy. “Glad you’re starting to come around to that idea.” He grunted, pushing up against the rock, struggling to stand on his own.

“Not so fast there.” I snaked under his arm to help steady him. “I might have extracted the poison and healed the wound, but it seems to still have some lingering effects. ”

“Yes, I’d love to know whose brilliant idea it was to create a monster with a stare of death and lethal venom in its bite. Did it not already have the advantage?”

“I think even Zola would agree,” I replied. “Heck, whoever had the idea to create this thing might be her best friend—or possibly her mate.” That made him laugh, and I could see that even though it strained him, he didn’t dare hold back his release. “Sorry.” I winced, seeing him stiffen. “I shouldn’t…”

“Don’t be.” He reached his other arm around me, our bodies molding together like puzzle pieces. “Broken ribs will heal, but I’ll never recover from missing moments with you. Don’t apologize for making me laugh, Skylar.” And I knew I wouldn’t—I would cherish the sound of his laughter for all eternity.

“Okay, now where could this key be?” Dax asked, but I already knew the answer.

“It’s the eye.”

“You’re sure?”

I nodded. “It holds the same eight-pointed star in its pupil as the markings on my arm. It must be it.”

“I trust your instincts on this, love.” He kissed my brow, hugging me tightly just because he could. Because we were alive.

I was one step closer to unlocking the Heart of Valdor and healing our world. One step closer to our hope of a better life becoming a reality.

“So, how are you going to retrieve this eye? Doesn’t it still have the magic of a death stare?”

“I don’t think so,” I replied, stepping closer to the carcass of the once proud serpent king. “When the basilisk died, its magic dwindled and eventually disappeared. But I think the first key,” I said, extracting the sun-moon key from the labyrinth underneath my armor, “is supposed to help.”

I could feel the familiar thrumming of magic from the entrance pulsate against my palm as I clutched the sun-moon key in my hand. I knelt next to the massive head of the fallen king, unable to subdue the swell of sorrow and heartache in my chest.

This magnificent being was locked in this isolated cave system its entire life, waiting for this battle to decide its fate. It almost seemed cruel that this majestic creature was meant only for this end. I felt sorry for the basilisk and sent a silent prayer to our Mother and Father for their compassion. Were we not all creatures of their creation?

“Spitfire?” Daxton asked with concern, stepping behind me. I hadn’t even noticed the tear trailing down my cheek. He knelt beside me and took my hand in his. “Only you, my alpha queen, could feel compassion for a creature whose sole purpose in this life was death itself. Your mortal heart is a gift, my love, and one I hope you never lose.”

“I wish I didn’t have to kill him,” I whispered. “As stupid as I know that sounds. But, before he died, he spoke to me… Maybe even warned me?”

“What did the basilisk tell you?”

I tried my best to recite the serpent king’s final words. “You have dethroned me, but know this, Champion. In the end … the Heart of Valdor will ask you for what was given before. When your kind first sealed it away. Be ready. ” Leaving out the final warning, Be willing .

Willing for what? I wasn’t sure. But I had one final trial to conquer before that came to pass.

Daxton pursed his lips, the lines in his brows and along his forehead creasing in concentration as he tried to understand what the basilisk told me in his final breaths.

“What was given before,” Daxton repeated to himself. “I don’t understand. I don’t remember anything about the Heart being sealed. I was there. Why don’t I remember?”

Again, that strange look of bewilderment clouded my mate’s expression. He had the same frustrated blank stare on the deck of the Opal when we traveled to the Inner Kingdom, when he’d forgotten details of Queen Minaeve’s rise to power.

“Why can I not remember?” he cursed, his magic flaring out around him as he ground his knuckles into the rocks at our feet. His frustration turned to anger as he tried to remember but failed to catch the fleeting memory.

“Dax.” I quickly reached out and took his hand, trying to calm him. “Look, you were just seconds away from dying. The venom is gone, but there are still lingering effects. You need time to recover. Don’t push yourself too much, my love. Once we retrieve the key and bring it to the scroll, another riddle or clue about the final trial will be revealed.” I knew he was listening, but it didn’t eliminate his disappointment. “We’re so close.”

There wasn’t anything I could do to temper his emotions. It wasn’t my place to try to do so. I needed to allow him space to work through this and trust that he would ask when he was ready to let me in and help.

“All right,” he answered. I gave him a nod in return.

I lowered the key toward the closed eye of the dethroned serpent king and watched in awe as it magically began to glow in my hand. The key sparkled like living sunlight, casting shimmering rays of gold and red that hovered in the air and swirled around the basilisk’s body.

The light created from the magic of the first key collected at the tip of its tail, swallowing the blackened scales until they disappeared and added to the magical sparkles of sunlight. The shimmering magic wound up the scaled back, stomach, chest, and neck until finally it reached its massive head, and the body that was once there no longer was. A flash of blinding light forced us to shield our eyes and turn away. When we lowered our arms to see, only a single remnant of the creature remained. A small yellow orb with a black eight-pointed star pupil.

The eye. The second key.

I reached out for the orb and grasped it in my left palm. The warming glow of the magic hummed against my skin as the second star on my arm transformed from an outline to a painted black star.

The second trial was complete. I had defeated the beast and obtained the second key.

“Your prayers might have been answered by the Gods, Spitfire.”

I glanced at him, so grateful that he was here and thankful he was everything I wanted and needed. “It seems so.”

“Shall we go home? The magical ward has been lifted. I think I can still manage to teleport us to the entrance of the Summit.” I didn’t miss the flicker of hope and happiness that shone in the depth of his mesmerizing gray eyes when he said the word home. And to be honest, Silver Meadows was beginning to feel just like that to me.

“You sure?” I asked in hesitation.

“Not doubting your mate, are you? ”

“Never.” I smiled, tucking myself into his arms. “Let’s go.”

In a flash of silver, the cave disappeared.

We arrived on the stone steps outside the large, marble-framed, tempered glass double door entrance of the Summit. Before leaving for the trial, Daxton placed extra wards around the Summit. Even he couldn’t teleport us inside.

As I opened my eyes, Silver Meadows reappeared around us, except… it was not in the state we had left it.

“Oh… My, Gods,” I gasped in absolute horror. I flung a hand over my mouth, feeling Daxton’s grasp on my arms tense as his entire body went utterly still.

I wordlessly screamed inside my head, my voice disappearing in a horrid roar. Silver Meadows was burning .

Witnessing the sight of this beautiful paradise sweltering with its people screaming in pain and fear was like a knife had plunged straight through the center of my heart. The kingdom was under attack, ambushed from within its center, where the flames roared as tall as the sky. High Fae were frantically running and screaming, trying to escape. The pine tree forests separating the different sections of the city were smoldering, with citizens racing to help douse the flames.

Cries from the Dryads within the city could be heard wailing through the meadow and the surrounding mountains. Their trees were burning—dying… And them with it.

I knew the bulk of Daxton’s armies were stationed north of Silver Meadows, doubling his defenses from the wilt in anticipation of Minaeve and Seamus’s arrival .

The city itself was not defenseless, but somehow, the bulk of the destruction seemed to erupt from within. Silver Meadows warriors were valiantly fighting against soldiers adorned with deep forest-green armor, belonging to only one other faction of the Inner Kingdom—Aelius.

Oh no . Seamus and Minaeve were already here. She must have used her newly acquired magic to create a portal straight into the heart of the city and aid in Seamus’s attack.

Valencia materialized along my mate’s back. Pure rage, agonizing hatred, and wrath for his people bursting from every inch of him. I could feel the intensity of his grief and fury through our bond like it was my own.

“Skylar! Daxton!” Castor’s voice erupted across the way. “Watch out!”

“Anjani, blind them,” a voice commanded, “before they can escape inside the Summit!”

My world went black.

Before I had a chance to do anything, strong hands gripped me, throwing me toward the humming magic of the Summit wards. I landed with a firm thud, sliding across the smooth marble floor entrance of the palace, crashing against outstretched hands. My vision immediately returned, but by the grace of the Gods, I almost wished it hadn’t.

“Keep her in there!” Daxton bellowed just before his words morphed into a terrifying roar of pain.

“Daxton!” I screamed, my voice cracking with panic. “No! Daxton!”

Out of nowhere, iron chains encircled my mate, and a cloud of iron power engulfed the space surrounding him, infiltrating his lungs and slicing him from the inside out with each breath he dared to take. Blood pooled on his lips as he collapsed onto the ground, unable to withstand the weight of the chains.

It was too much. Daxton was the most powerful High Fae born of the Inner Kingdom, but the iron powder, paired with the damaging effects of the basilisk’s venom, created a mountain too steep for even him to climb. He couldn’t fight back. He wouldn’t be able to free himself.

“Daxton!” I roared again in desperation from inside the safety of the wards.

Gunnar hoisted me to my feet, his arms clutching me so tightly I could barely breathe, stopping me from running back outside the protection of the Summit. Forbidding me from running straight into danger. Preventing me from reaching my mate.

“Stay in there … all of you!” Dax commanded through gritted teeth.

Every muscle of his massive body strained. He was fighting through blows of sheer agony with each breath he struggled to take. The iron chains made it impossible for him to move or free himself.

With my focus solely on my mate, I hadn’t noticed the others around me until now. Adohan stood closest to the door, his red-hilted blade drawn and at the ready. Fire skittered along his arms and weapon, with Idris safely tucked at his back. Zola’s cold stare searched the invisible threat with piercing black eyes as deadly as the wilt itself. Castor stood across from Adohan, staring helplessly at his brother, hatred burning in every shadow and line on his face. Gunnar’s shaking limbs still held me tight despite the overflowing rage coursing through his own veins. Even Nyssa was here with us, tucked away in the corner across from the entrance. She held a dagger, ready to charge out into the fold with us if called to action .

“Let me go!” I screamed, squirming in the High Fae general’s grip. “Fucking let me go, Gunnar!”

“I can’t,” Gunnar grunted, tightening his hold on me. “Stop. Skylar… we can’t.” The pain in his voice cut through me like the chains that were burning through Daxton’s skin. “Daxton commanded us to stay in here. He threw you inside the ward so we could keep you safe. Don’t let that be for nothing.”

“Gunnar, he’s—”

“My high prince gave me an order.” His dark brown eyes, which always showed me such kindness, now bore pure lethal violence. He wouldn’t break Daxton’s command. I knew in my gut that none of them would.

Even Adohan, who was a high prince in his own realm, wouldn’t betray Daxton’s orders. He couldn’t dishonor or challenge his friend’s rule or leave his pregnant mate unguarded. Dread settled over me as the reality of this situation sank in like a anchor falling into the sea. We were ambushed. And we were outmatched.

“Bastard!” I swore, fighting back tears.

I was angry. No, I was furious. My animal roared inside my head, pulsing what remained of my power through my limbs… but it was not enough. I had used so much of my magic against the basilisk that I couldn’t break free from Gunnar if I tried.

“I know.” Gunnar sighed. I could hear his regret and dread buried in his voice. In the strained lines etched in his expression. “It all happened without warning. I blinked, and they were here. I sent our remaining warriors to guard the city center and then rushed to secure the Summit. Castor pulled me inside the ward, and then you two arrived.”

“They’ve been waiting,” I said slowly. “This whole time.”