Page 152 of Heir of Broken Souls

The moment Delilah steps through the cave arch, I wrap my hand around her waist and pause her movements to not walk ahead but beside her.

As one, I whisper down the bridge.

As one, she parrots.

Snapping my fingers to light a small fire in the palm of my hand, Delilah and I move forward. Except the moment my magic flares to life, flames grow, but not just from the curve of my palm.

Fire erupts throughout the cave.

Dozens of flames light up the cave corridor from the gas lamps hanging from the walls, illuminating a path that drops far too steep for my liking. A gust of wind rushes for the cave mouth, running through my hair as it breezes past me almost in a gesture of hello.

“Did the cave just respond to your magic?” Delilah says in awe.

Swallowing thickly, I straighten my back and continue forward before I can give much thought to the magical island responding to me.

“Perhaps there is magic other than dark power present,” I wonder aloud.

“For it to respond to your magic though…” Harlow drawls, the cogs in her mind turning.

“He’s the king of Azalea. Perhaps it responds to the court royals,” Lenox muses, not too far behind, his own voice tinged with a certain wonder.

Narrowing my eyes, a thought pops into my mind but I don’t voice it out loud because it’s…preposterous. It couldn’t be.

The cave tunnel arches to the right. Following its bend, we begin a spiral decent that seems to last for eternity. Round and round we go, spinning endlessly down the lit pathway.

The farther we travel the more moisture seeps along the cave walls until even the air is heavy with dampness.

I can’t help but marvel as I drawl, “We’re below the water.”

Panic is what should be seeping into my bones, not excitement. I know Delilah certainly is feeling it as a wave of it slams down our bond. Sliding my hand into hers, I give it a gentle squeeze of encouragement as we continue to slowly descend. Ahead, and ahead, and ahead.

It’s a labyrinth, I realize.

A wild, chaotic labyrinth that seems to never end.

What we will face once we reach the end, I have no idea, but my magic thrums in my veins, heightening the excitement I feel.

Delilah halts, pulling me to a stop. The look of confusion on her face as she peers down at herself makes me wonder if my magic isn’t the only one affected.

“Does everyone feel that?’ Elysia whispers.

“I think we all are,” Axel responds gruffly.

There certainly is something at play, a type of magic within these walls. Anticipation builds with every step we take, a keen knowing in my veins.

It feels like an eternity before we finally come to the end of the maze.

Awe, elation, surprise—the emotions pummel me as we exit the damp cave and enter into what can only be described as another world entirely.

Delilah sucks in a sharp breath beside me and we come to a stop, both our eyes growing wide as we try to take everything in. The murmurs at my back fade into nothing but a distant buzz. All I can focus on is the architecture and the sheer monstrosity of it. The sight that greets me is?—

“Beautiful,” Delilah breathes.

“It’s exquisite,” I add.

There’s a dome-like structure before us that climbs high into the air. Stone balconies protrude from each level, and I have to tip my head back to count them, seventeen in total. Then my gaze snags on the water flowing through the center of the courtyard like a river, surrounded by several stones and benches. I have no doubt the endless balconies and arches surrounding the circular structure lead off into countless other labyrinths of hallways like the one we just came from.

It’s like a web, an endless maze of paths.