Page 173 of Heir of Broken Souls

The world is going to shit anyways.

My head snaps to his and by the slight widening of his eyes, I don’t think he meant to share that thought along our bond.

He clears his throat. “Find Naia. The pod will find a way to break through the spells cast in this place. She’ll be able to get us back.”

An emotion passes in Lenox’s eyes before he dips his head. “See you soon.”

The words sound foreboding, but we’re not sure of what else to say.

“See you soon,” I repeat.

The moment Knox lays his palm against the mirror, blue light shines, swirling around the golden edges. The beauty and magnificence of it all steal our breaths.

Knox smiles before stepping through the mirror, the surface having seemingly liquified. Before I can let fear take root, I step through with him, my hand in his and my other in Elysia’s as I pull the rest of his court behind me.

Lenox’s wide eyes and stunned features disappear as we emerge into another world entirely.

Chapter65

Knox

Silence greets our ears as we step through the mirror.

My assumptions were right, itisa portal of sorts. However, the other world I was gearing up to face is severely lacking. Pivoting, I find Delilah frowning too.

“I thought?—”

“Me too,” I say softly.

I make room as Elysia, Axel, and finally Harlow step through. The mirror doesn’t move or disappear from its place. “The swords must be the tether,” I confirm, my fears falling away.

“Well, that’s a relief because this place seems dead,” Harlow tuts. “I couldn’t imagine a thousand years of silence with you lot.”

Delilah coughs out a laugh and Elysia snorts.

“Nice, Harlow,” Elysia teases.

“Harlow isn’t wrong, though,” Delilah remarks. “It seems…dead. But also kind of familiar.”

It isn’t until Delilah says it that I truly take in my surroundings. And I suddenly see why it does.

A castle looms on the horizon, one I have visited many times. Ninety percent of those times have been awful and grueling, but there’s a small fraction that remains where I laughed and drank with my family and court.

Delilah gasps. “The masked ball.”

“It’s the queen of Air’s castle.”

“Why would it spit us out here?” Delilah asks. No one has an answer.

Axel strides between us. “That’s exactly what I’d like to know.”

It seems his grumpy attitude is in full swing again.

“Does he have bad memories here?” Elysia asks behind me. “Why did that make him mad?”

Harlow scoffs. “Everything makes him mad.”

I’d agree with Harlow, but we can’t focus on that now. “We don’t have time to put the puzzle pieces of Axel’s mood together. Let’s go inside and find some answers.”