Page 25 of Heir of Broken Souls (HOBF #3)
Chapter 25
Knox
T he first thing I hear is giggling as I approach the cabin door. The moment I knock, the giggles cease, and short whispers and snorts follow.
“If we’re quiet they’ll leave!”
At Delilah’s hushed whisper, which was hardly quiet at all, I grin. I shove the door open and soak up Delilah’s flushed cheeks as her glazed eyes fly to mine in a startled scream. Harlow and Elysia react in the same manner but my eyes can never stray far from my mate.
She sighs dramatically, a hiccup soon following as she smacks a hand to her chest and chastises, “You scared the living daylights out of me, Knox!”
Crossing my arms over my chest, my grin turns feline as she traces the movement. With a quick flex, her cheeks flush crimson. I have to bite my tongue to hold back my smirk. “I knocked.”
“And no one answered,” Harlow slurs.
I keep my gaze on Delilah, ignoring my drunk spy. “Am I interrupting something?”
“Of course you are,” Harlow drawls.
Delilah snorts before rising on wobbly legs. I’m next to her in a heartbeat, my hands reaching out to steady her.
She tips her head back and giggles. “The floor moved before I did.”
“Mm-hmm.”
She pulls away with a hiccup. “You’re not interrupting at allll .” Her eyes land on my drenched shirt. “What happened?”
I can’t hold back my eye roll. “Fucking Amelia.”
“That one’s trouble,” Harlow calls out before taking a swig of a bottle that’s nearly empty.
It’s nice to see alcohol aiding in fun and not sadness. I clear my throat before I can think on that for too long. “They’re all trouble.”
I make sure Delilah is steady before peeling away, but my hands turn cold the instant I’m no longer touching her. It’s always this way. She is the light of my life, my warmth, my strength, my happiness. It’s dangerous how much I depend on her, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I retrieve a clean linen shirt from our bags in the corner of the room and stride toward the bathroom. “Well, ignore me. Resume your fun. I just need to freshen up.”
“What’s for dinner?” Harlow calls as I shut the door.
“Fish” is my resolute answer, yet the girls laugh manically.
Frowning, I pop my head out the door to find Harlow with her hand on her hip doing a gods-awful interpretation of me as she slurs, “ Fish .”
Delilah catches my eye and with a twinkle in her gaze, the door to her mind opens. Within is a memory playing for me.
I reach out tentatively, always gentle with her, and watch as the girls snicker while they drink earlier in the night, making fun of how no one aboard the ship can cook and we’ll no doubt be feasting on small fish the pod throws our way.
Closing the bathroom door, I can’t help but chuckle softly. They aren’t wrong.
I change into my fresh shirt but my fingers don’t fault for a second as I stride along the bridge and watch as Delilah, shining as bright as a star, smiles up at me softly.
I take it you will fill me in later on everything?
Of course. Maybe in the meantime you can play matchmaker with Axel.
I highly doubt it.
And why is that?
The memory of Axel atop the ship after Delilah declared how lonely Elysia was comes to the forefront of my mind. The moment he sneered at their retreating forms, spitting venomous words under his breath about traitors and betrayal before he stormed away to Zephlyn. Something tells me Axel is going to take a long time to warm up to any newcomers.
Mate or not.
I’ll fill you in later , I say instead.
The sound of their conversation resuming has me pausing. I never claimed to be a saint and with that thought in mind, I listen in as Harlow snorts.
“Gods, after this trip, I’ll never want to step on a boat again.”
Delilah’s beautiful laugh fills the room, making my heart skip a beat. “It’s barely been twelve hours! How are you tired of it already?”
Cracking open the door, I peer through the gap as Harlow points to her wine glass where the red liquid tips precariously high to the rim as the boat rocks sideways. “Because of that.”
“It’s a miracle nothing has broken yet with those buffoons steering,” Elysia murmurs before taking a sip of her wine.
My brows rise. They’ve bonded all right. And Elysia seems to fit right in.
“The only reason I stepped foot on this monstrous thing with them sailing was because the griffins are here and if we need to abort, they’ll fly us somewhere safe!”
Harlow’s grin is pure evil as she sing-songs, “Or you could rely on yourself and learn how to fly.”
Delilah pokes out her tongue.
Another wave rocks the boat. Elysia’s eyes narrow. “Have any of them sailed before?”
Making my eavesdropping known, I step back into the room and drawl, “Not particularly.”
The women burst into a fit of laughter, the faerie wine warping their humor.
“Dinner is up on the top deck in five minutes.”
I leave the drunk women to their fun. For once, my heart beats rapidly out of happiness and not fear. Delilah’s soft, fading giggle is music to my ears. I’ve missed the sound, have prayed to hear it for weeks.
Elysia and Harlow don’t know it, but they’ve just earned my eternal gratitude.