Page 187 of Heir of Broken Souls

Without a passing glance, Delilah steps through the swirling mirror, bringing immense relief to Lenox’s features.

“Need someone else to go and ensure your safety, Harlow?” I ask mockingly.

She glowers at me. “I didn’t see you stopping her.”

I shrug, far too exhausted to deign a response before she walks through the portal. Axel gives me a look before turning his gaze past my shoulder to the burning castle behind me.

Adverting his eyes, I wait until I hear him walk through too, then before they can worry about me being lost, I crane my neck behind me and leap, making sure that nothing morbidly insane can follow us through the portal.

“She’sWHAT?” Lenox explodes the second I come through.

I pinch the bridge of my nose. “I see they filled you in.”

“Filled me in?” Lenox sputters. “H-how is this even possible?”

Before his endless stream of questions can pour out and make my headache bloom further, I step into his mind and show him exactly what we saw. It takes everything within me not to flinch as my parents come into view, and the moment Phoebe’s face—the queen of Air—is revealed.

Lenox doesn’t have the same success as I do. His body visibly shudders.

Surprisingly, Harlow lifts her hand to touch him in comfort, but drops it quickly, as if fully realizing what she’s doing.

“Can we trust anyone?” he whispers gutturally.

“No.”

The sharp response comes from Delilah, who stands behind us all, her gaze locked on the twin daggers impaled in the boulder keeping the portal open.

One thing I can always count on feeling these days is worry, and I’m in no short demand now that Delilah’s side of the bond fumes with anxiety and anger. It practically burns me, and I know nothing and no one can do anything to stop the whirlwind of thoughts, except one.

The death of Peter Maloone.

Delilah’s head finally rips away from the swords. “Oh my gods.”

Her tone of disbelief sets off an internal alarm within me, wailing a warning to be cautious. “What is it?”

“The campfire story.”

That’s not what I expected. “What campfire story?”

“When we were traveling through the human lands with the rebels, there was an evening where we all told stories around the fire. Nolan shared one?—”

“About a tale of a woman passing down a generational dark magic curse,” I cut in, awe and shock thundering through me once more as the final puzzle piece clicks into place.

Harlow gasps. “I’ve heard Nolan share the story before. It ended with the twins being banished.”

“Are you telling me that all this time the answer to all our questions was laid out before us in…a campfire story?”

Delilah barks out a laugh.

The sound is so sudden and jarring every member of my court whips their gaze to my mate.

She can’t stop.

The sound fills the room but holds not an ounce of humor.

“Of course it is,” she continues to laugh, wiping the corner of her eye.

Slowly stepping toward my mate, I raise my hands in surrender. “Delilah, what’s so funny, Angel?”