Page 21 of Heir of Broken Souls (HOBF #3)

Chapter 21

Delilah

W ith this prophecy, you shall find, all the answers you must hide.

Trust very few so as not to repeat, the treacheries that brought you to your knees.

All you seek lies beneath the tempestuous saltwater heap.

With guided fins comes the battle at dawn, that which you must survive.

For the future lies within the golden hands, which will raise the once sacred land.

Enter upon your discreet and all your answers will be at your feet.

With another part of the prophecy unlocked, it’s as if my soul is urging me forward. My magic pushing me with all its might to take a step in this direction.

I presume that’s why I began to glow when Elysia recited the prophecy.

Knox leans against the doorframe with his arms crossed, his eyes contemplative. “We definitely need to visit the mermaids now.”

“I feared you would say that.” Sighing, I turn, flopping down upon our lavish bed.

“You know as well as I do they’re the only creatures who would know what saltwater heap is referring to.”

“Doesn’t mean I have to like it,” I mutter under my breath.

His clothes rustle as he pushes off the wall, his boots clacking across the hardwood floor before the bed dips beside me.

I don’t bother turning my head from the ceiling. Not when I’m trying to conceal a million thoughts racing through my mind. “How do we know we can trust them?”

“We don’t.”

“I’m not sure it’s a risk I’m willing to take, not when the prophecy warns us to only trust a select few.”

“I don’t think we have a choice, Angel.”

I finally look over. “You’re not going to change your mind, are you?”

“No. I’m sorry. This is the first real lead we have gotten.”

Knox doesn’t ask why I desperately don’t want to visit the mermaids. He doesn’t have to. Not when he can feel the turmoil raging within me at just the thought of facing them again.

I shake my head, dragging myself to sit upright. “The last time I received a vision, it led us to Peter?—”

“It uncovered the truth,” he interjects.

“And what happens when this prophecy leads us to another truth that will get someone else killed?”

His gaze hardens. “That won’t happen again.”

Not on my watch.

His thought barrels down the bridge as if it slipped through the confines of his mind.

It takes a moment for the words to form, to push them out beyond the restraints of my fear. Finally, I relent, “Who should come with us?”

“Elysia and Axel. We need her in case she translates more, and we need him in case the assailants are tracking her.”

“Gods,” I breathe, a weight suffocating my chest. “There has been so much death…”

Knox wraps his arm around me, pressing a feather-light kiss to my temple. “Hopefully this will lead us to something that can stop all of this.”

“We’re placing a lot of hope upon one dream, Knox.”

“No, we’re placing hope in the hands of your power.” He kisses my forehead once more. “And it wasn’t a dream. The archangels chose to send you the prophecy for a reason. It’s about time we start trusting that.”

His words strike my heart. My magic tuts, puffing up like a proud peacock, but my mind falters under the weight of the pressure.