Page 146 of Heir of Broken Souls

Do you know how odd it is to be out in the middle of the sea and not see the water move? To stick your hand in the water that’s supposed to be warm, only to be met with an icy coldness?

Odd doesn’t begin to describe the sensation. Impending doom, however—that’s close to what my heart is feeling.

“How much farther do you think?” Lenox asks suddenly, his eyes still glued on the horizon.

Knox shrugs. “No idea. Until they find something, I suppose.”

“What if we don’t find anything?”

“Oh, we’ll find something. There’s too much dark magic to not be something here.”

Knox continues to paddle and the farther we go the more alert we become. My body is coiled tight, tension leaking into every inch as a thousand bees take flight in my chest, humming and buzzing incessantly. No matter how many deep breaths I take, I can’t seem to stop their flight.

Until my lungs cease to exist as the pod suddenly rises before us.

“We’ve found something.”

My magic comes alive at the words, golden tendrils leaking out of my palm without my permission. They move toward the water, hovering over the motionless sea, before quickly withdrawing.

I have nothing to say at the odd sight. I don’t doubt shock is plastered across my face, especially as my magic sings to my soul, one word, over and over and over.

Answers.

Chapter53

Delilah

Igasp, my magic all but flinging me to the edge of the rowboat. My fingers are an inch above the water before Knox’s hand slaps down on my wrist, yanking me back toward the middle.

“What are you doing?”

My head shakes. I can’t take my eyes off the water. “I can’t explain it. It just feels right.”

Harlow, Axel, and Elysia’s rowboat comes up beside ours.

“For the future lies within the golden hands, which will raise the once sacred land,” Elysia whispers, repeating a section of the prophecy. “Her body knows what to do, Knox. Her magic is guiding her.”

Knox rubs the heel of his palm over his chest, his face wincing. “I don’t like this. It doesn’t feel right.”

Stepping onto the bridge between our minds I find his soul dull, shrouded in shadows of fear. I slide my golden hands up his cheeks, making him peer into my eyes as I send calming energy down our bond.

This is meant to happen. I can feel it, Knox.

I can also feel how wrong it is.

Pulling my attention into my body, I cock my head at Knox. “It feels wrong…” I repeat his words, considering. “Naia,” I call, turning to the mermaid. “You said nothing living dwells within this area, yes?”

She dips her head in confirmation, twirling her hand in the water. The movement makes me think.

“That’s because it’s being suffocated by dark magic.”

Before anyone can stop me, I rush forward on the rowboat and submerge my hands into the water. The icy sting makes my ears ring, and the question of how the mermaids can withstand this hovers on the edge of my tongue, but nothing matters now. Ifeelit.

“There isn’t dark magic nearby. The waterisdark magic. It’s full of it.”

At my declaration multiple sets of hands shoot into the water, then come back with sharp gasps at the icy sting.

“Gods, aren’t you freezing?” Harlow hisses.