Page 23 of Heir of Broken Souls (HOBF #3)

Chapter 23

Delilah

W alking through the doors to Knox’s study, we stumble upon his entire court, along with what I’m shocked to see is a sober Axel. Which no doubt is courtesy of Elysia, who takes his death glares in stride.

My heartpinches with guilt as I note that Axel won’t look my way.

“You summoned us?” Harlow drawls, the epitome of boredom.

“We’re leaving tomorrow morning, accompanied by the mermaids.”

If Knox wanted to create havoc, his words have the desired effect. Chaos erupts with shouts and cries and questions ringing throughout the room as he takes his seat, beckoning me to sit on the armrest of his chair.

With a flick of his wrists, everyone’s voices evaporates.

“One at a time,” he says lazily. “Harlow.”

With her arms crossed and her hip cocked, Harlow gives Knox every ounce of sass that we were expecting. “You’re telling me you plan on leaving your city, the very one that was attacked just over a day ago, and the lands that demons continue to bombard to…what? Galivant in the water with mermaids?”

Will you do the honors? Knox asks.

Tired already?

Exhausted.

Turning to face Harlow, she stares me down as if sensing the weariness in Knox’s energy herself. “The prophecy speaks of finding the answers we seek in a location out at sea. The mermaids were given the same part of the prophecy, and if you recall it says ‘guided by fins.’ The mermaids are destined to be a part of this.”

“It also mentions a battle at dawn. Did they bring that up?”

Knox looks to me with a furrow in his brow. “No, they did not.”

“What’s to say the battle isn’t with them?” Harlow suggests.

He pinches the bridge of his nose. “Pondering whether they’re an enemy or not will get us nowhere. All we know for certain is that we’re currently running out of options. We need Peter’s true identity in order to kill him, and I doubt that during the battle of the century Delilah, Elysia, and the mermaids are all sent a vision from the supposed archangels that pull them away only to kill us all.”

“What if this is all a ploy from Peter?” Axel interjects.

“Then we will be prepared,” Knox answers simply, also noticing how he refuses to look at me.

“How?” Harlow asks, doubt coating her words.

“With armor and weapons and hate. No one wants him dead more than us in this room. If he tries to come after us out there, we will destroy him,” I answer, vengeance spurring me on.

“What’s to say the mermaids won’t lie or withhold from us once more?” Axel’s biting question is directed at Knox because he still won’t look at me, but Knox slides his gaze to mine, refusing to allow his former second to ice me out.

“Again, I don’t believe my vision is leading us astray. It hasn’t before.”

Once it becomes apparent Knox isn’t going to answer him, Axel finally deigns to looks at me, yet even the mermaids couldn’t have predicted the coldness in his eyes or the hatred in his words as he declares, “Your visions are the reason my brother is dead.”

My body stumbles backward as if he struck me. He might as well have, his words a physical strike upon my heart.

Knox rises from his chair so swiftly I almost topple off it as he seethes with disgust and anger. He points a finger in Axel’s direction, shadows clinging to his back. “Don’t you ever say such a thing to her again,” he growls. His body shakes, pure undiluted rage rippling off him in waves. “Hazel and Peter are to blame for his death, not Delilah. Get that through your thick fucking skull right now or I will no longer turn a blind eye to your pathetic antics.”

Axel swallows, his eyes full of horror at the words Knox practically spits at his feet. I don’t think Knox has ever looked at him in such a way, and it must shock him enough to force a nod out of him. Yet Axel still doesn’t turn my way.

“What the fuck is going on?” Harlow throws her hands in the air. “Can someone start explaining these various undercurrents of tension? Just spit your bullshit out and be done with it.”

“Like you’re one to talk,” Axel snaps.

She snaps her wrath on him in a second, ice in her voice as she says, “What’s that supposed to mean, Axel?”

“You know exactly what I’m talking about. For gods’ sake you and Lenox can’t even be in the same room together without almost ripping each other's heads off.” He throws an arm out in Lenox’s direction. “And don’t be fooled by his silence. It isn’t Knox’s silencing shield around him. You’re obviously too daft to notice, Harlow, but he doesn’t want to look at you let alone speak to you.”

My gaze pings back and forth as I watch Lenox, stoic as ever, not move an inch, all the while Harlow is overcome with an emotion I fear that’s close to heartbreak.

Nolan openly pleads with his eyes for Axel to stop.

It’s such an odd sight, to watch the roles be reversed.

Our family feels broken beyond repair.

Knox’s weary voice floats through my mind, and as I find him leaning on the railing of the bridge, brimming with tears, I wrap him in my embrace in my mind and turn to the Fae still bickering.

“Axel found out this afternoon that Naia saw Hazel’s plan the night she showed her true loyalty,” I explain.

“The night she betrayed us?” Harlow spits. “They knew?”

“The night my brother died,” Axel corrects softly, his words thick. He reaches for the bar cart beside the fireplace, until a shadowed hand smacks him away. He glares in Knox’s direction. “I’m not a child.”

Ignoring Axel’s comment, Knox turns to the rest of his court. “It seems our dear old friend Peter ,” he practically spits with disgust, “placed a spell upon Hazel. Anyone who uncovered her true intentions could never physically say a word.”

Despite the revelation, Axel continues to glare daggers at Knox, while Elysia looks like she’s watching a play from halfway through. Her frown is so deep I’m afraid it will permanently mark her.

Gods, we’re horrible. She ran from one monstrosity into another one.

“Nolan, you’ll have to remain in Aloriah to oversee the armies,” Knox declares, moving the topic along as the clock ticks down.

Nolan’s once sharp and menacing features are now soft and full of worry as he assesses the dysfunction that is now our lives. He appears to want to argue such orders but thinks better of it and, with a weary sigh, dips his chin. “Whatever you need.”

I still can’t get used to this version of Nolan.

“How’s the front lines?” Knox asks, the question silencing whatever lingering bickering there was.

“It’s not good.” He shakes his head, worry filling his gaze. “If there is a chance, even a sliver of a possibility that whatever you find out there will give us an advantage, take it.” That stark honesty and raw emotion in his voice makes us all pause, especially as he goes on. “And if you can figure out what’s unique about Delilah’s magic, if it’s something that can be taught, it could change everything. It’s too much to ask her to defeat them all, she’d kill herself in the process, but if it has answers to everything we seek like the prophecy says…go sooner than tomorrow.”

Harlow rubs her furrowed brow. “I can’t believe I’m saying this but Nolan’s right. Our answers don’t lie within these courts. But why are we sending away the only person that can kill the demons?”

For the first time since this meeting began, Elysia steps forward, her frame looking small in comparison to Axel’s large and intimidating form. Yet she stands poised with confidence as she takes a sledgehammer to our hearts. “We don’t have more than three weeks before this country falls and Delilah is part of the solution. If you send her out onto the front lines and she dies…we are all doomed.”

“What vision aren’t you sharing?” Knox asks, his heart racing, the beats a loud drum through our bond.

Sadness fills her eyes. “Darkness will spread in three weeks and once it does, we won’t be able to reverse it.”

“What else did the prophecy say?” Lenox asks, his eyes locked on mine as he seems to search for something.

Elysia repeats it for us all.

“ With 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. ”

“I’m assuming the golden hands refer to Delilah,” Harlow says. “Doubt we can fulfill the prophecy without her.”

Shrugging, I look around the room helplessly. “I’m not sure how I’m supposed to raise land.”

“I think we cross that bridge when we arrive. More importantly, it talks about a battle at dawn on the seas.” Lenox steps forward into his new role of second. “We need to be prepared and well rested. Who is coming?”

“Is there anyone who doesn’t want to come?” Knox asks.

No one speaks up. He gazes around the room, moving from Fae to Fae until finally landing on Nolan with a sheepish grimace. “I apologize, you’ll be the only one left behind but you’re too valuable to take with us. We need someone here protecting our men and innocents, and I need someone to report back to me.”

“It’s all right, I understand.”

Elysia is pensive over our stunned expressions. She doesn’t realize how much of a rarity it is for Nolan to agree.

“Perhaps meet with Emory when you have the time. Everyone has heard of Delilah’s transformation. She might have some theories on why only Delilah’s magic can kill demonic creatures.”

I cock my head. “You think she’d have the answers?”

“It’s worth a shot.” Knox shrugs. “She’s felt your magic before when she aided us with the Phoenix Rising spell.”

The Phoenix Rising spell.

It feels like that occurred a lifetime ago. What I thought were the most challenging days of my life turned out to be just the beginning of an awful path filled with darkness and despair.

Hopefully wherever we sail to will usher in the beginning of the end.

“I’ll send word for her when I’m in the queen’s estate next. I believe she’s one of the many staying on the grounds.”

My heart pinches. “I’m glad she escaped the fall of Cardania.”

“The same can’t be said for many,” Nolan says thickly.

Lenox’s voice, still cold and emotionless, fills the room as he changes the subject. “I believe the next question is, which boat are we stealing?”

Harlow snaps open a pocket knife to clean her nails. “What the true question we should be asking is, what awaits us? Have we received anything else from the prophecy?”

Her last question is directed at Elysia.

“Would you like me to write it down so I can stop relaying the same two paragraphs like a fortune teller?”

Harlow freezes for a moment before she throws her head back with a deep belly laugh. “You can be a feisty little thing. It didn’t take you long to settle in at all.” She rolls her eyes, pointing the blade behind her, aiming it at me. “Took this one to have a mental breakdown and killing her father before she grew comfortable enough to piss me off.”

I openly gape. “Harlow!”

Ignoring my outburst, she waves her hand at Elysia, smirking. “What are you waiting for then? Go on, write it down.”

“If anyone walked into this room right now, they’d assume she was the leader of this court.”

Knox snorts at my mumbled words, yet by the coy smirk dancing across Harlow’s lips as Elysia begins to write, I think she likes the idea.