Page 159 of Heir of Broken Souls

Lenox turns around and glares, waving at me before pointing to his head. Snickering, I push another air bubble through the doorway. He heaves in relief, then his lips move a mile a minute, no doubt cussing me out.

His angry look is only half-assed, though. This is the first time since we lost Ace that things have feltnormal. Or, as close to normal as we have been in a long time, considering the situation we’re in.

Who would have thought that all it would take was a dip with a whale to see my family become themselves again?

Perhaps I’m not failing them after all.

“Buffoon,” Harlow mutters before turning to me and pinning me with a glare. “Pull something like that on me and I will cut you.”

Her parting words don’t do what they intended, and as she jumps into the water, the sound of my laughter following after, she sends up a vulgar gesture in my direction. Delilah beats me to it and forms an air bubble around her.

“I’m not letting you go last,” Axel says.

My laughter dies as I turn to him, where he gazes back at the waterfall. Without even noticing it, he’s fallen back into the mindset of my second.

I don’t say anything. I clap him on the back, snap my lips shut, and leap.

Water surrounds me, cocooning and oddly hugging me. It’s far warmer than the icy ocean we had treaded above.

My heart leaps with joy as I lift my head to the whale. I find I can’t even force myself to turn at the sound of Axel’s splash as he joins us. Being beside such a majestic creature, and one of this size, threatens to steal my breath.

Now that we’re all here, it lifts its fin, stretching it out wide. The momentum of it sends ripples and currents toward us, making us all swim to keep beside it.

Delilah reaches out with a tentative hand and clasps onto its fin, and when it doesn’t thrash her off but instead keeps its fin outstretched, waiting for the rest of us, joy sizzles through my veins.

Quickly swimming beside my mate, I wrap an arm around her waist and hold on as everyone joins us.

The texture beneath my hand isn’t as slimy as I would have thought it to be. If anything, it feels more like thick rubber. I’m so mesmerized by the texture, peering down at the small barnacles stuck to his fin, that my heart jolts once we start moving.

Delilah shrieks with joy beside me and I can’t help but join her. A burst of laughter falls from my lips, and for the first time in what feels like years, I havefun.

Gods, I never thought I’d think about fun again, let alone experience it. All I’ve had in my heart is loss, grief, sadness, and the endless pit of failure suffocating me.

The only time I’ve ever felt anything other is when I’m with Delilah. But with everything going on around us, it was hard to feel anything but suffering.

Until now.

My cheeks ache with how far my smile stretches.

This is what I want.

If I had one wish in my lifetime, I would be selfish and wish upon every star to have endless moments like this with Delilah, to be beside the love of my life, smiling.

It’s too bad Nolan isn’t here to see this. He deserves this type of happiness and joy too.

As strange as this situation is, it lights a fire under my ass. I’ve always wanted to help my people, to save them from the troubles of war and confinement. But somewhere along the way, I forgot exactly what we were fighting for.

Forgot why we have suffered.

Forgotwhatwe have suffered for.

Happiness.

My people—everyone—deserve to feel happiness.

When I look toward Delilah again, she’s already staring at me with tears pooling in her eyes, feeling every emotion flooding me. I give her a small smile.

Then, I can’t help but laugh. The pod pass us on their patrol again, their tails moving effortlessly through the water. Again, they don’t seem to notice us.