Page 122 of Heir of Broken Souls

As the ships shakes with more vibrations, I swallow my fear and let out the anger that has been building since the moment I stepped foot into that abandoned library. Anything to avoid the indignation and betrayal flaring down the bond.

Knox snaps out of his shock, issuing orders again. He doesn’t look at me. “Axel, take Zephlyn and use his invisibility to come up behind them, but don’t dismount. The second you do they’ll snap their jaws over your body and swallow you whole.”

Axel stands shell-shocked for a moment before he slaps a hand down on Elysia’s wrist and pulls her with him. She tries to dig her feet into the ground, to no avail. “I’m not going with you!” she grits.

He turns around so quickly she stumbles. “There is not a universe where I leave you unprotected against a demonic army of water dragons. Stop fighting me!”

Knox ignores them and barks another order. “Lenox, stand at the front and use your fire to ward them off from climbing onto the ship.”

“These water dragons are no ordinary kind,” I whisper, making Knox finally snap his head toward me.

They have not only been summoned from their demonic world but have also been created. The vision showed me just how capable those muscles are beneath their scales, with their ability to swim at a startling pace.

“It would take them no effort to slither up the ship,” I say and before Knox can ask how I know, Lenox steps forward.

“What of the mermaids?” Lenox asks, cutting the tension with his voice.

Swallowing thickly, I clear my throat. “They’re prepared.”

Ignoring the stunned and quizzical expressions, I turn to Harlow. I know Knox is her king, that he is the one giving orders, but this…this has to be done, and he doesn’t have the heart to do it—Fae warrior or not. But still, my heart pinches painfully and my eyes sting with tears at what I have to ask of her but am dreading.

Her eyes soften toward me. “Let me do what I’m best at.”

Knox shakes his head. “She can’t go against three at once. That’s absurd!”

Harlow cuts a look in his direction. “Do not underestimate me.”

“I’m not underestimating you, it’s common sense.”

“Do you trust me?”

“This has nothing to do with trust and everything to do with keeping you alive, Harlow.”

She lifts her chin, a stubborn gleam in her eyes. “I won’t die.”

Without another word she strides toward the railing and steps on. Before she pushes off, she turns to me.

“Remember what I said: our anger is power.”

And then she leaps, flinging her arms out wide, plummeting for the water below where she will come face-to-face with a nightmare.

Her resounding splash fills the air just as Knox spins on me.

I’ve seen Knox furious before, but I’ve never had that fury aimed at me. Rage burns through him, but he shakes his head and spits, “Any orders for me?”

“Stay alive.”

Aurora lands with a huff beside me then, hot steam puffing out of her snout. I move to her, but a large hand wraps around my wrist.

“Tell me what you have planned. I know you have one so don’t lie to me.”

I shake my head. “We don’t have time for this, Knox.”

I brush off his grip, then jump onto Aurora’s back. With pleading eyes, I turn to him, begging, “Get on!”

He teleports behind me, his grip around my waist tight and protective, but I can still feel the anger simmering along our bond.

“I’ll explain it all later, I promise.”