Page 52 of Heir of Broken Souls

“Iwant to know how this happened!” Elaric, the prince of Cardania, bellows, the veins along his neck protruding.

Elodie, his sister and the princess, weeps by his side, but her tears might be more angry than sorrowful.

“How did they get past our wards?” The question is watery, but no mistake, Elodie is just a serpent waiting to strike.

“And where the fuck is the bitch?” Elaric snaps.

Delilah, with wide eyes, trails behind me, encountering her first royal meeting of the courts. I’d like to say it’s usually far tamer than this but…well, it never is. Their outburst is more justified this time, though.

“Elaric, don’t make this situation worse,” I say beneath my breath, not at all surprised when the Fae’s rage turns my way. I’ve known him since we were infants, so I can push his buttons more than most. I raise my hands in surrender but add, “She already hates you enough. Don’t go giving her a reason to punish you when?—”

“I’ve already lost my court, Holloway, I do not care what that airhead?—”

“Speaking out of turn once again, Elaric?” the queen of Air drawls as she makes her presence known.

Delilah stiffens beside me and by the way Elaric and Elodie’s bright blue eyes cut toward her, I wasn’t the only one to take note of it. I track the way his eyes rove over her form, assessing her for reasons I hate to admit I did myself the first time I met her. Everyone has heard the rumors of the human-turned-Fae residing in my court. I’m just appalled not a single one of them came to meet her or extend their gratitude, considering she freed us all. By the gods, they should’ve come crawling on their hands and knees, worshipping the ground at her feet.

A low snarl slips out before I can stop it, but it diverts their eyes away all the same.

The triplets are next to appear. With identical features of freckles and green eyes, along with fire-red hair that falls to their waist, I never can tell them apart.

Dipping my head, I address them broadly. “Daphne, Willow, Aspen.”

They offer me the same courtesy of a bow before moving on to Elaric and Elodie, whispering their sympathies. The queen of Air narrows her eyes at her royal neighbors who always, without fail, ignore her. We should be bowing to her exclusively, but nobody does. Not since she ignored our requests to reinstate our crowns.

I brush my fingers against Delilah’s hand, checking in, and I’m shocked to find her as stiff as a board. She can’t seem to tear her gaze away from the triplets, and it finally dawns on me why. They look like Hazel. I give her hand a squeeze, praying my touch can bring her back to the present, especially as the queen steps forward to us.

“Still with us, I see, Delilah.” The queen of Air’s brown eyes examine Delilah from top to bottom before landing on her pointed ears. “In more ways than one. You never turned back into a human?”

Delilah’s swallow is audible as everyone pauses, listening in on the conversation.

“A spell was placed over my body. I was never human, not truly.”

Low murmurs fill the room, along with curiosity so thick I can practically taste it upon my tongue.

“So, the rumors are true,” Daphne drawls. Or perhaps it’s Willow…Aspen maybe?

Delilah takes a steadying breath before lifting her chin. “They are.”

“Curiouser and curiouser.”

“Can we get back to what really fucking matters at this moment?” Elaric all but seethes. “Cardania has fallen and you best believe that insipid, foolish man will use our location to attack your courts next. He has easy access to the Tree of Life now!”

Elodie places a soft hand on her brother’s forearm to calm him, but her gaze sears the queen right to the spot. “Yes, what are you doing to stop this, Olivia?”

At the mention of the queen’s first name, a muscle ticks in her jaw. She wants nothing but to be treated like a royal pain in my ass. Speaking out of turn will not get us far in this situation, but I can understand their hatred. They just lost their home, their people are hurt, and their city has been conquered because the queen once again failed to stop a plague from invading our lands.

All the while sitting atop a throne she refuses to relinquish.

“My men?—”

“Are fighting along the front lines, we know,” Elaric cuts her off, ignoring the way the queen’s eyes gleam with fury. “But what are you doingnowto get them out of our home?”

Her answer falters as the doors behind the meeting room bang open. The royals of Ornx, sun-kissed and leather-clad, saunter in with grim expressions.

“Finally,” one of the triplets murmurs.

“Sorry, just busy trying to defend the lands and all that,” Kaius quips, the younger of the two brothers and the most hot-headed.