Page 5 of Heir of Broken Souls

“You will keep going, Knox.”

The words Knox once promised me, the soft-spoken vow of his devoted love, floats through my mind, and I allow the memory to glide down the bridge to his soul, too.

You must be strong as you face this, but on the days where you cannot find the courage, I’ll be strong for the both of us.

My voice lowers to a whisper, to a lover’s caress. “We will be strong for each other. We will share our strength so thatwhenthat day comes, we will destroy him. We will get the revenge we so rightfully deserve.” Dropping my forehead to his chest, I bask in his warmth. “We just have to keep going.”

His eyes fill with silver. “One day at a time,” he says, his voice thick and gravelly. He opens his mouth to speak again, but in his next breath, the floor beneath us vibrates, quaking so ferociously that my legs shake. A stampede of footfalls fill the cave’s tunnel to our right.

“They’re coming.”

Groaning, I pull my head back. “They’re faster today.”

This has been my and Knox’s new “normal,” hunting down demonic creatures in an attempt to locate the king. Usually it leads nowhere—if anything, it just gives them an opportunity to snatch me instead—but today, for once, is different.

“Maybe he knows the hounds coughed up where he’s been hiding,” I say. Knox’s palm comes to rest on my lower back, ushering me toward the cave’s mouth.

“Let’s pray he doesn’t. For once I want the element of surprise.”

The footfalls ring louder, the herd of demonic creatures fast approaching.

“We could take them,” I find myself blurting as the golden swirl of magic within me rises without my doing. Gods, it’s more forceful today, moving my tongue to get its way.

Gritting my teeth, I allow a little kernel of flame to shoot toward the firepit to appease it. Only, a large fireball bursts out instead.

I curse.See, this is the reason I cannot let you out!I scream in my mind.

Knox glances from the firepit then back to me, the hint of a smirk dancing across his lips. “Feeling a tad cocky today, are we?”

My chin rises. “You call it cocky, I call it confidence in my abilities.”

“And would that be your fighting or magic abilities?” he pries, pushing me along faster as the footfalls become deafening.

“I have been managing just fine without magic.” Although as I say this, it continues to hammer against my chest, roaring its outrage.

Knox wraps me in his arms, catapulting us forward to the exit. Below, the waves crash against the cliff, beckoning us as the stampede draws nearer.

“One of these days you’re going to have to use your powers again.”

“Well that day isn’t today,” I quip.

“Are you sure about that?” he asks and something about his voice has me bristling. “It seems to me as if it wants to escape.”

“Yes, and take me with it. Don’t do anything foolish.”

I can feel his cheeks pull into a smile along my skin. “I would never. But as concerned as I am with your growing powers, I’m more concerned with how you’re bottling it up. You need to release it.”

A roar of outrage comes from the cave system at our backs, probably the demons finding the hounds we scorched.

“I have been releasing it,” I say through gritted teeth, annoyance humming throughout my body as my magic screams at my lie. It wants large releases, not the pesky little ones I’ve been allowing it.

“Do you think I’m a good teacher?” Knox asks suddenly.

I frown. “This isn’t really the time, Knox.”

“Do you think I’m a good teacher?” he repeats.

“Seriously? We have demons chasing us and you want an ego boost?”