Page 88 of Heir of Broken Souls

Elysia lies motionless in the bed, her long blonde strands fanned out across the pillow. I can’t hear a heartbeat, and her chest doesn’t rise. It takes an immense amount of strength to step into the role Axel needs from me now.

He needs his king. He needs someone to turn to. He needs someone to…check for him.

Stepping in front of a stunned Delilah, I tentatively reach out, placing two of my fingers against Elysia’s neck.

My own heart stops because I can’t find?—

My back straightens.

“There’s a pulse. It’s slow,extremelyslow, but it’s there.”

“Then why isn’t she waking up?” Axel bursts out.

“What happened?” I ask.

My heart pinches as the usually stoic Fae stutters.

“I-I was in the kitchens searching—” His cheeks tint pink, and his guilty look confirms what I feared. I wasn’t even trying to eavesdrop on Delilah and their fight, but with Fae hearing it’s hard not to. It doesn’t shock me that he turned to liquor.

“And when I couldn’t find it, I came back up here to find her”—he waves his hand in her direction helplessly—“like this.”

Peering down at the still Fae, I tentatively reach out with my power, my shadows sliding through the gates of her mind to find?—

My magic comes to a screeching halt.

Axel, who was watching me like a hawk, pounces. “What is it? Is there something wrong with her?” He takes a menacing step toward me. “What did you see?”

Delilah moves in front of me, her hand brushing my own as she tips her chin toward Axel.

It’s not the time to laugh but I wish I could. Her show of protection is adorable.

Clearing my throat, I shake the distracting thoughts away and turn my gaze to Elysia once again, far more prepared to go within her mind this time. I saw it last time when I walked the halls of her memories, but this is…

Delilah meets me along the bridge between our minds. She can already tell something’s wrong.

What is it? What did you see?

I shake my head in astonishment.Nothing.

Delilah rears back.Nothing?

Nothing. I didn’t even feel her lock me out. It’s like she isn’t even there.

A growl pulls me from my mind.

Spinning, I find Axel pointing an incredulous finger between Delilah and me. “Stop talking in your minds and startsharing. I have a right to know why my mate isn’t waking up!”

I bite the inside of my cheek to contain the shock over his confession, mostly because of how distraught and out of control he is right now. It’s as if his entire being is alive and wired, pumped full of adrenaline. The mating bond he so vehemently rejected is undoubtedly taking full effect and screaming at him to dosomething.

Clearing my throat, I try to approach this gently. “I didn’t see?—”

Boots stomp down the hallway and then Harlow, still wearing pajamas, strides into the room with a look of pure death on her face as Lenox trails closely behind, soaked to the bone.

“What the fuck happened to you?” Axel barks.

Harlow spins, so consumed with rage that she doesn’t notice Elysia lying unconscious.

“Yes, Lenox, why don’t you go ahead and tell them why you’re wet,hmm?”