Page 158 of Heir of Broken Souls

Once the shock wears off, I step forward, wanting—needing—to see it closer.

Then it stops.

My head snaps upwards, meeting it eye for eye.

It blinks.

My head cocks. “The whale can see us,” I whisper breathlessly.

When Knox steps forward, the whale’s eyes slide to him but come right back to me.

“Do you think it’s a sentient being?” Harlow asks.

The moment the words leave her mouth, it blinks again, twice, as if to confirm. My heart soars seeing it, my magic practically jumping up and down with excitement.

“We have to swim,” I suddenly declare, the words forming without a thought.

“What?” Harlow blurts.

“I think we need to follow the whale.”

“What if it eats us?” Elysia whispers.

Yet not quietly enough. To my utter delight, the whale’s eyes roll, and I squeal with a laugh. This is truly the most magnificent thing I’ve ever experienced.

Aurora will be beside herself when Knox shows her the memories of all we encountered. She’ll be so jealous, I’ll have to give her dozens of goats to make up for what she missed.

“Are we sure we should leave the building? We haven’t found the mirror yet,” Lenox asks, for once sounding unsure of himself.

My heart thrums with a steady beat as my magic swirls around it, urging me forward. Even the whale seems to beckon me.

“I think the whale will lead us to it.”

Without another word, and ignoring Knox’s protest, I leap through the archway, the ocean swallowing up my body.

Chapter58

Knox

My heart drops to my stomach when Delilah leaps through the doorway.

I throw out an air bubble before her head submerges, my chest heaving with relief as she forms on the other side of the doorway, waving back at us with a smile that lights up the depths of the ocean.

Axel claps his hand on my back. “Gods, she really does jump into situations headfirst, doesn’t she?”

My gaze flicks to Elysia. “The same could be said for all of you.”

As if to prove my point, Elysia bursts out with laughter before throwing herself through the doorway, creating her own pocket of air with her limited power. The girls tread water side by side, their eyes shining bright with happiness.

My own smile spreads as I watch Delilah, taking a moment to myself to remember this point in time. That even with all the chaos surrounding us, even with our true goal for being here hounding our hearts, she’s still able to find joy.

I haven’t seen her smile like that in months. It’s breathtaking watching the one you love shine.

Axel’s head drops back with a groan at Elysia’s antics.

Lenox snickers. “I like her.”

Before we can bask in the small lilt of his smile, he dives into the water, far less graceful than the women. The whale paddles backwards to make more room for us as we file out.