Page 126 of Heir of Broken Souls

Delilah, shocked to her core, can only gasp down at Aurora as the griffin spins to face me with such a ravenous, animalistic glint of protectiveness in her gaze it has me stumbling to a halt midair. She stares at me as if to say,Of course I was going to catch her.

It doesn’t matter, though, because suddenly Delilah is screaming my name.

“KNOX!” she bellows, right as a blade rips open my back.

Chapter45

Delilah

Ascream of terror rips from my throat as Knox arches his back in agony. The pain ripples through his body and down our bond, as if he’s so stunned by the blow he can’t stop the emotions.

Then he drops from the sky, his arms trying to reach behind his back. As he turns in the sky, a gasp flies from my mouth at what I find. Across his lower back, inches from his wings, the skin hangs shredded, the blade having gone so deep a bone protrudes.

Aurora pulls back as the Phooka, atop its demonic dragon, comes for us. The dragon snaps its razor-sharp teeth at us, while the Phooka’s goat-like head atop its Fae male body grins at the sight of Knox’s blood dripping down his blade. The satisfaction pulsing off it in waves makes my stomach roll.

Aurora snarls, hissing like a feral beast as the dragon tries to snap its claws around her neck.

Two pairs.

One a griffin and the other Fae.

Both fighting to get to their wounded mate.

Zephlyn’s cries still fill the sky as Aurora fights off the demonic dragon, and I peer below at Knox’s plummeting form.

Come on, Knox, fly.

Yet his body does nothing but drop. My breath hitches, and before I can think, I’m jumping, leaving Aurora to fend off the dragon.

He’s unconscious, he must be. There would be no other reason to not fly.

Because he certainly can’t bedead. Not my Knox.

Yanking on the bond between us, I scream down the bridge for him to wake, but his side of his mind is shrouded in shadows so dark fear clutches me. Terror is a powerful thing, one that makes me lose my mind as I teleport beside him, wrapping my arms around his body. My heart lurches as my hands are immediately covered in a thick coat of warm wetness.

Shaking Knox, I scream for him to wake. “Knox!”

Tears sting the back of my eyes as not an inch of him moves, and yet the water looms closer, still brimming with mermaids and dragons alike, fighting for their lives. Groaning, I cling to him with all my strength and teleport back up, jumping through space and time, over and over.

Though it’s no use, not with Knox’s dead weight in my arms. I can’t stop us from falling and no matter how far I teleport we continue to drop. Tears fill my eyes out of frustration and fear as blood continues to pool from him.

Sliding my palm over the largest exposed area, I keep my mind clear, my eyes upcast as I continue to teleport. All the while, I try to fight against my natural instincts and slow my racing heart as I pour light from my hands and into his skin.

Usually, healing magic glows a faint blue color, but whether from fear leaking into my touch or my magic taking over, the light that shines behind Knox is golden.

Gritting my teeth, we fall faster than I can teleport, and I cry out in shock as the water begins to loom far too close for my liking.

“Knox,please! Please wake up!”

A sob flies from my chest as my gaze locks on the fight between two large demonic dragons and an injured Zephlyn above. Aurora is at his side, no doubt using every ounce of strength she can to save her mate.

“It can’t end like this. We deserve more!”

I didn’t see this in the vision. This wasn’t supposed to happen.

Out of sheer frustration and injustice, I scream out in agony as I slam magic into his back, wave after wave. Then I narrow my eyes and shoot us up into the sky as fast as I can with a burst of air magic. I yell in pain as the power coursing through me comes on too quickly. It’s too much too fast, but I don’t care, not with Knox bleeding out in my arms.

The skin along his back at least feels clear, and I just pray the fast healing didn’t do any further damage within him as I continue to push upwards on a pocket of my air power. I’m far too fearful to unfurl my wings and try to fly. I’ll no doubt lose control and do the opposite of what Knox needs.