Page 36 of Heir of Broken Souls (HOBF #3)

Chapter 36

Knox

R eturning to my body is a jolt to my system.

My senses become overwhelmed within an instant as I’m hit in all directions. The screams from my court as they yell out my name and Delilah’s. Zephlyn’s roar of panic. The wind that’s pushing against my wings and the heavy rain pelting my skin.

Coming to, I realize I’m somehow no longer atop Zephlyn, my body being swept up into the eye of the storm. No wonder everyone was panicking.

I flare out my wings, gritting my teeth and fisting my hands as it takes everything within me to come back down.

I ready my body, tightening every muscle, then stop fighting the wind and allow it to take me, right onto Zephlyn’s back. He jolts from shock when I clench his fur, and I push through, ignoring his warning growl to get off him and lowering my head to his ear.

“She’s safe.”

The exact same words that Delilah uttered to me, and like it did to my nervous system, it does to his.

Zephlyn calms.

His body grows lax, his hackles lower, and the fangs he was exposing retract behind his lips.

“You have to trust me and follow my lead,” I command, infusing every word with as much authority as I can muster.

My court still cling to the ship, their eyes squinting through the pelting rain now beginning to crawl up the ship.

“Knox!” Lenox booms, his eyes wild and frenzied as they land on me.

“I’m all right!”

His chest heaves but the relief he feels is short-lived as the ship drops again.

“Hold on tight!” I scream.

Elysia cries out in such a fearful shock my gaze snaps to hers. I find her clinging with all her might, her body trembling while Axel roars in agony beside her, his fingers turning white from the grip he has on the ship. He’s unfurled his wings—they all have, except for Elysia. They’re practically horizontal now, gravity trying to take them to the sea.

Before Zephlyn can doubt my abilities, I raise my hands, clenching my legs around his body to stop the wind from ripping me off his saddle. I roar as my shadows blast the storm, aiming directly for the clouds surrounding me.

What my court don’t know is that while I’m appearing to try and tame the storm with my magic, Delilah is working above, weaving those gorgeous golden tendrils.

The ship hits the ocean. Wood flies in all directions and water sloshes over the ship, drenching my court and taking them under. It steals my breath until the ship levels out once more and I find my court still clinging to it.

My court gasp for air, lifting their gazes to me. They’re waiting for an order, but there’s nothing they can do now but live.

“Keep holding! Your wings won’t be enough to keep you stable in the air!”

Already, Zephlyn, the beast that he is, is struggling against the winds. The thought of my court trying to fly through this has me grimacing. They wouldn’t last a moment before being blown away.

And that’s no doubt what she wants.

She wants us to suffer.

She wants us isolated.

She wants us to lose one another.

And I refuse to give her that.

“Keep holding!” I bellow through the storm. “Another wave is coming. Hold, hold, hold!”

They need to stop looking for her and instead focus on their own survival.

As the ship begins to climb once more, I dip into each of their minds, telling them just that in a short, clipped answer, hoping they can read between the lines in case gods forbid Hazel truly can read minds.

Stop looking and start focusing on fighting for your next breath.

Before they can say anything that could give her away, I quickly retreat back to my own mind, feeling such immense guilt that I’m the only one atop Zephlyn. It lowers slightly as they stop searching and instead turn their efforts to keeping ahold of the ship. I tear my gaze away from the tragic sight and instead move it to the skies.

This will be a miracle if our plan works.

I thought we could ride out the storm like any other but I fear if we do, we won’t have a ship anymore. I’m sick and tired of our enemy constantly winning.

It’s about fucking time we stood together and won.

Gritting my teeth, I use that pent-up anger and hurtle it toward the sky with another mighty roar. Surprise flickers through me as another power joins mine.

Peering below, I find Lenox, clinging to the ship with one hand as his other sends wave after wave of power toward the sky. His wings flap furiously, accommodating the hand he lost that was keeping him atop the ship.

It isn’t long before the others join the fold.

Axel’s air is the next to blast out, followed shortly by Harlow’s fiery shadow magic.

I’m not at all surprised to find we’re making the storm turn against us further, that with every drop of magic used to assault the storm, the heavy the rain grows stronger, the winds become unbearable, and the waves roil truly terrifying.

But that is exactly what she wants, and I can’t help but smirk as a gap forms in the clouds above and golden rays shine through.

But it isn’t from the sun. It’s from my sunshine.

Delilah’s golden power breaks through the dark magic’s barrier as the storm’s entire focus falls upon my court and me as we continue to rail against it.

It’s the most beautiful distraction.

“More!” I demand as the wind seems to pause.

Throwing another roar of power against it, Delilah finally breaks through, her golden magic blasting across the sky, joining the lightning bolts. We cheer with glory as the wind slows and the ocean calms.

I bark out a laugh full of shock as the clouds retreat at Delilah’s golden touch.

“I’ll be damned,” I whisper to no one in particular.

Before I can order him to do so, Zephlyn lands atop the deck as the large tumultuous waves settle. I rush for my court, checking every inch of them. Their muscles are aching and tired, their clothes drenched, and their throats rough from screaming—but they are alive . Relief floods my system.

Soon after, Aurora lands atop the deck, Delilah rushing from her saddle to also check on my court. She wraps Elysia in her arms and whispers words in her ear, but I pull away, staggering over to Zephlyn as adrenaline makes my legs slightly weak.

Gently lifting my hand, I pat him quickly, noting the way he still flinches at anyone but Ace’s touch.

“Thank you for trusting me.”

A huff of hot air hits my face from his snout. Before I can say anything more, Aurora is there, purring, her head brushing against Zephlyn’s.

Despite the amount of damage that was inflicted upon the ship, I can’t seem to care in this moment, not as the clouds continue to recede and the sun finally begins to shine.

“I can’t believe you did that!” Harlow whoops with excitement.

The smile Delilah gives her makes my steps pause. It’s fake, entirely so. It’s pulled too taut, showing too much teeth. This is not her real smile. But Harlow doesn’t notice; none of them do. How could they?

My angel, it seems, is a good liar, but I can feel the tension along our bond.

Something’s wrong.