Page 87 of Heir of Broken Souls

“No,” I interrupt, my chest finally relaxing as if the conclusion I’ve come to is the answer to everything. “When the time comes—because it will—I do not want him to have a swift death. I want it to hurt, I want him to suffer, I want him to feel the unending pain he has caused me. I want him to beg for hell because it will be far kinder than what I have planned for him.”

Knox pauses for a moment, allowing my words to swirl in the air before he peppers a kiss against my forehead. He cups my jaw, forcing me to look up at him.

“I will do anything for you. In fact, I’ll take great pleasure in taking out my revenge on the man who hurt you.” He winks. “You’re not the only one with fantasies.”

“Why?”

His brow furrows. “Why what?”

“Why are you willing to turn into a monster for me?”

“Angel, you are the furthest thing from a monster.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

He sighs, moving both of his hands to my cheeks. “Maybe you still don’t get it, Delilah. I wouldburnthe world for you.” The sharp inhale of my breath draws out his sly grin as he drawls, “And do it with a smile on my face.”

Throwing my head back on a deep belly laugh, I savor the warmth flooding my veins through the bond. As my chuckle slowly dwindles, I gaze up at the man that I’d do anything for.

I lift my hand, trailing soft gentle fingers across his cheek, feeling the warmth of his skin, listening to the pounding of his heart and the rush of blood flowing through his veins.

And then the feelings flood my heart. Ones that match what he can’t hide, not with the bond we share.

Swallowing thickly, I note how Knox holds his breath, taking in all that I do.

My heart beats furiously and my lips part with a sharp intake of air as I prepare myself to face the one thing I fear most. The thing that drew me outside in the first place.

Losing Knox is the one thing I couldn’t bear. But the look on his face, the openness, the hope—how can I not share with him the deep emotions I have for his beautiful soul?

Before I can talk myself out of it, and before fear can take hold, I whisper, “Knox, I?—”

Screams erupt from the cabin below, snapping my and Knox’s attention away.

We’re already running when Axel breaches the deck, his skin ashen, his chest heaving. Our previous argument flies out the window.

The last time I saw him like this was?—

“It’s Elysia.”

Chapter31

Knox

Axel’s power slithers around our heels, urging us with blasts of air to move faster. Even that, and my Fae speed, can’t keep up with the Fae hellbent on returning to his mate’s side.

If Axel still had any lingering doubts about the authenticity of the mating bond between Elysia and himself, I believe those worries and thoughts are vanishing this very moment.

Delilah’s a step behind me as we pass Harlow stepping into the hallway rubbing sleep from her eyes. She looks ready to rip flesh from bone, but her attitude drops entirely once she sees us, and she rushes in the opposite direction. “I’ll go find Lenox!”

I make a note to question why Lenox wasn’t in his room in the middle of the night but for now, I have to cast my worries about that aside because as Delilah and I come to a skidding halt at Elysia and Axel’s room, I find Axel pacing like a wild man at the end of their bed. He pulls at the long shaggy black hair that brushes the back of his nape.

When I take a step toward him, I hear him.

“Not again, not again, not again.”

The words stop me, utterly freeze me to the spot, until I realize Delilah isn’t behind me. She gasps, and the sound draws my attention to the bed, where Delilah stands over a figure slumped within the sheets.

Bypassing Axel, I’m beside Delilah in an instant.