Page 135 of Heir of Broken Souls

Ananimal.

“Drop the restraints, Delilah.”

At his command, my brows furrow. “I’ll do no such thing.”

“Let the boy dance with my power,” Hazel taunts.

“I want her to myself,” he grits.

My head shakes before I can think better of it.

“I want to kill her!” he explodes, manic.

Hazel has the wits to finally pale.

Axel doesn’t spare me a glance as he reaches for his hip and throws a small dagger. Hazel’s eyes widen with a pierced cry of shock and pain as the dagger embeds in her shoulder. Axel heaves, seeming to miss the blackandred blood oozing from the wound.

The mermaids were right, she’s in transition.

“Let me fight her!” Axel bellows, spit flying from his mouth as he circles Hazel in the chair. “I want her to know I can defeat her. I want her to feel failure on her tongue before I rip it out. I want her to feel like the burden she is as I make her beg for mercy.” There is nothing but ice in his eyes. “Let her go.”

I stumble, pausing for too long.

“LET ME KILL HER!” he screams again.

I suck in a startled breath. “A-Axel, I’m not going to?—”

A dagger is at my throat.

My heart drops. This monster Hazel created is not Axel. This is not my family member. This person is out for one thing—revenge—and he will stop at nothing to get it how he wants…including harming me.

“Don’t make me knock you out,” I say quietly.

My nostrils flare as he puts a slight pressure behind the blade.

“You’ll regret putting me in this position.”

“I’ll never regret making her death as torturous as possible” is his quick reply.

My breaths come short, shallow, and I turn pleading eyes to the railing of the ship, screaming down the bond for Knox to hurry. I don’t know why the others haven’t arrived yet.

My body flinches as Axel gets right in my face again and bellows, “Give her to me!”

I don’t take my eyes off the dagger he’s holding to me as I allow the magic to drop. Hazel’s swallow is audible as Axel rips himself away from me and moves upon her in a flash.

Knox lands atop the deck with his court and screams, “No!”

Hazel rises, her smirk cruel and condescending. “Foolish child,” she spits.

Before my head can wrap around what’s happening, Axel, now suddenly beside Knox, runs for Hazel and…Axel?

My gasp is loud in my ears, ringing, as the grave mistake costs us everything.

The Axel beside Hazel morphs, but before I can see his true identity, she winks and purrs, “See you soon, darling.” Then she vanishes into thin air.

Axel lunges and flies through the spot where they were moments before, his blades catching nothing but black shadows. He falls, sprawling onto the deck.

“No.” I shake my head, my breath coming faster and faster. “No!”