Page 18 of Heir of Broken Souls

Dropping my hand, he stops before a large oil painting that’s housed in the middle of one of the walls of bookshelves. Stories, from all over the world and centuries past, are housed within their confines, surrounding the magnificent work of art.

The art that has Knox’s hands hanging limply at his sides as he stares at it in awe.

Ever so slowly, I turn to scrutinize the painting that has him so enthralled. Seven magical beings are depicted on it, a couple of them lounging on furniture, some staring at items in their hands lovingly, while others are adorned head to toe in armor and appear ready for a battle.

It isn’t their beauty that has snagged my attention, although it is something to behold. But their faces, the colors?—

One figure stands off to the side, their clothing as dark as a demon hound’s leathery skin contradicting the soft luminescent skin of their face. It’s the one that inflicted the torturous pain I felt in my dream. But it couldn’t be, if everything here is so accurate to what I saw.

I gasp. “It was a vision.”

Usually, I know how they feel by now but I haven’t had one since it showed me the end of Aloriah—Peter and another mysterious robed figure torching our world into ash. “This felt different, though. Like…a memory.”

Knox’s eyes assess me, then snag on the painting above my shoulder. “They died centuries ago. That would be impossible.”

“Then why do you look so afraid?” I ask, noting the fear taking its course.

His Adam’s apple rises and falls as he swallows. “Because archangels, as powerful as they are, were thought to be extinct.”

With a soft frown, I admit, “I’m not following.”

Knox tips his chin at the oil painting. “The archangels were celestial warriors. They did not belong to this world. No one knows how they stumbled upon our lands but when they did, they came bearing gifts, ones that were entirely unique to them.”

“They had their own magic system? Just the seven of them?”

“Supposedly, according to them. But you have to keep in mind they were the only archangels to grace these lands. We have never in our history encountered another creature with similar gifts to theirs. We had nothing to compare it to and in that case…”

“No way of knowing if they were lying,” I whisper as I study the oil painting that so greatly captures the very essence of what I saw. “That still doesn’t answer my question.”

“In the last battle they fought, we were told that they would be gone forever, with no trace left. That whatever part of them died within these lands would stay that way.”

Sucking in a sharp breath, I ask, “What are you saying, Knox?”

“That I have a hard time believing you were sent a vision of the seven archangels when they told us their souls would vanish for eternity. I think the archangels are still alive, and I think your vision wasn’tofthem butfromthem.”

With every word from his lips comes the heady sensation of dread. So much so my body sways, my head growing faint with fog. “Why would they lie? Why leave us vulnerable to Peter? You said they were—arecelestial warriors. Why abandon these lands if they knew what was coming?”

Knox takes a seat on the edge of the brown leather sofa in the library, rubbing a frustrated hand through his disheveled raven-black hair. “When they died, it was after conquering a battle between pure elemental magic and dark demonic magic. Perhaps they left thinking that was the end. They might not have even known of Peter.” He shrugs, his eyes fixated on the oil painting. “It was so long ago it would be hard to find anyone who lived during that time. All we know now are the legends of the archangels and what they did for us.” His eyes narrow on something behind me. “I think the question to ask is why they are sending you this vision instead of coming back and helping us destroy him.”

I conjure up the memory, the seven archangels standing poised on those podiums. “What language were they speaking in?”

Knox shrugs. “Their language, I presume. It’s not one I’ve heard before.”

“Would we be able to translate it? After all, there has to be a reason behind it. All my visions have had one. And this one, as complicated as it is, feels the most dire.”

Knox rises to his full height, splaying a palm over my lower back. “I’ll have Harlow look into it.”

“What about her current leads?”

“She’s too prideful to announce this to the court, especially Lenox as of late, but she allowed me into her thoughts.” He lets out a deep sigh, one that gives way to the exhaustion wreaking havoc on his body and mind. “She has nothing to go off of.”

I snort without humor. “We certainly set her up to fail.Find the true face of our enemy,” I mock. “Gods, we were foolish to think we could find the knowledge to destroy him.”

“We will uncover his true identity one day, Angel.”

“Not before he kills us all.”

Knox stiffens, but he doesn’t disagree. A small part of him must believe it too.