Page 132 of A Trial of Two Worlds
I turned and grinned at Dax, his unconditional love shining through his softened stare. He never doubted this fate. Never once did he falter in his belief that I would be here as the champion of the trials.
My mate was strong—so gods-damned strong. Valdor would need that strength in the fight to come.
“Dax,” I stammered as my limbs began to shake.
Daxton’s arms looped around me as I swallowed a heavy breath. I buried my face in his neck as I breathed him in deeply, putting his scent to memory, marking his essence as my beacon of light and hope.
“I know,” he whispered against my brow with a gentle kiss. “Everything’s coming together, Skylar. It’snatural to feel overwhelmed when we’re finally here. Lean on me. We’re in this together.”
Without saying a word, I clung to his sturdy frame, focusing on slowing my breathing to match his steady heartbeat.
“I’ve got you, Spitfire,” Daxton said.
“It’s this way,” I announced as I reluctantly stepped out of Daxton’s arms.
Before letting me go, Daxton brought my wrist to his lips, kissing the scar he left on the night we first met, giving me one final push of encouragement to continue.
Finding him, loving him, was a blessed gift I would forever cherish.
I led us to the tunnel entrance, with my animal’s magic rising within me to answer a call that sang to our souls. I could sense Shaw’s magic rising with my own the closer we were to the Heart of Valdor.
The entrance to the rocky tunnel was narrow at first, but thankfully, it widened as we stepped through. Daxton and Castor conjured fae lights to hover above our heads, illuminating the winding pathway carved from what appeared to bemagic. Steps materialized before us, smooth and unencumbered, starkly different from the uneven ground here and outside the tunnel.
“Finally, aneasypath,” Castor said with amusement.
“Thank the Gods above.”
“It’s too simple,” Shaw said with unease. “I don’t trust it.”
“Oh, because reaching this luxurious destination was a leisurely stroll through the palace gardens?” Castor said with a sideways glance.
“I’m not saying that—” Shaw grumbled.
The two of them bickered back and forth while I stared ahead at the inclined steps. My heart raced despite my feet remaining still.
“Skylar,” Daxton whispered as he stepped beside me.
I kept my stare forward, refusing to meet his gaze. “Let’s keep moving.”
The smooth volcanic rocks along the walls seemed to hum in my presence. My animal’s magic rose within my center, pulsating in unexpected waves to match the magic embedded in this ancient dwelling.
The cavern trail wound over small pockets of bubbling magma, bending and twisting in on itself as we ventured farther into the center, closer to where the Heart lay in wait. We meandered for hours in the tunnel, carefully traversing the passage, not knowing when or where we would reach the end.
Shaw paused on a turn, causing me to glance over my shoulder to see what halted his trek. A hint of green magic shimmered along his back, paired with a wave of unease. He shook himself to try and remain calm. His panther fought against his will, the magic of this place calling for him to shift.
“Let’s stop for a second,” I announced to the group.
“Are you all right?”I asked Shaw.
“It’s hard to explain,”he answered with a growl.“I don’t know how much longer I can keep myself from shifting.”
“I understand,”I answered.“It can’t be much farther. Try your best to remain in your human form.”
“Do you feel the urge to shift, Sky?”
“I do,”I said.“But with the champion’s mark, I can’t.”
“Right,”Shaw grunted as he rolled his shoulders, focusing on regaining control.“Let’s hurry up and get the fuck out of here.”
