Heir of Broken Fate: Chapter 40

I wake up exhilarated from my dream. Rushing from bed, I throw on my fighting leathers and knives in a haste, as elation rushes through my veins. Dawn is hours away; I should be asleep, yet my dream had other plans.

After consoling Knox for hours, he seemed to come around, returning to his normal teasing and flirting. Yet I could tell the pain still simmered within, trying to drag him down. I knew Knox could read my thoughts, so I allowed him to roam freely. I didn’t want our first time to be after a revelation that caused him such pain. I didn’t want to become an emotional crutch, or to be a distraction. I can’t say no to him, especially after that kiss, and if he truly pushed me, I wouldn’t have stopped him, so he kindly set me into my own bed for the night, returning to his after a toe-curling kiss.

Next time, I won’t be able to say no to him. I can’t continue pushing him away as my body screams every moment of the day for what it wants. I’ve decided that even though I have to leave when all of this is over and say goodbye, it’s okay. I can cherish my time here, the friendships I’ve made, this city, and I can cherish Knox—for whatever time we have left together.

I barrel down the hallway toward Knox.

I can’t believe I didn’t think of it sooner.

Not caring with pleasantries, I storm through Knox’s bedroom door, waking him with a jolt. His raven black hair is for once not perfectly styled, except even his tousled bed hair looks divine. He sits up in bed, revealing his stunning bare chest.

I scan his room; I was in such a rush to leave it this morning, and it was encased in darkness and flames the previous night, that I never truly looked around. It’s larger than mine, almost twice the size. It houses a seating area, with white-cushioned couches in front of a crackling fireplace. Rows upon rows of bookshelves line the wall beside it. An open archway leads to what appears to be his dressing and bathing suite. A small bar cart sits behind the couch, various wine and whiskey glasses atop it. His bed is the largest I’ve ever seen, and now I know, also the most comfortable.

I rip my gaze away from Knox’s glorious naked chest, completely ignoring him as I walk past into his dressing room. Knox’s sleepy drawl follows me as I rummage through his clothes. “I love you in my room, Angel, but care to explain to me what you’re doing?”

A shiver runs down my spine at his deep husky voice. It’s so thick it makes liquid heat pool in my stomach. I chastise my body—not right now, this is not the time, there are more important things to deal with. I walk out of his dressing room, his clothes and weapons ladening my arms. I dump them on the bed, placing my hands on my hips. “Get dressed,” I demand.

Knox’s head pulls back in shock before his lips widen into a grin. “Playing a different type of game are we, Angel?”

“You can deal with your own issues later. Get dressed.”

He cocks a brow. “The next time I do, you’ll be under me.” His smile turns predatory. “Or on top, whichever makes you scream the loudest.”

My eyes widen, cheeks heating. “Get dressed!”

Knox chuckles as he slides out of bed, my eyes widening for another reason entirely. He’s only wearing boxers, white boxers, that do absolutely nothing to hide the glorious package hidden behind the material. My stomach clenches as I watch him get changed.

“Are you going to tell me what we’re doing or are you going to continue fantasizing about what my cock will feel like inside you?” he drawls casually.

I suck in a breath. Knox has taken away all pretenses about his intentions. No longer is he pretending not to be interested, only his blunt desire and need come out of his mouth now.

“I had a dream,” I blurt.

Knox straps his twin swords across his back, waiting for me to continue, no judgment on his face, just pure openness.

“We need to track where the beasts are being summoned from and where they’re hiding the dark magic books, correct?”

“Correct.”

“It would take weeks to track down where they’re all hiding…” I trail off.

Knox walks into the bathroom. I hear water splash before he walks back out with a toothbrush in his mouth. “Go on.”

“Griffins won’t fly near land where demonic creatures reside. If we fly with a griffin, we’ll know where they’re located without even having to land.”

Knox’s eyes widen before he walks back into the bathroom. When he returns he doesn’t stop until he’s a hair’s breadth away, leaning down to place a gentle kiss on my forehead. “Brilliant idea.”

I smile sheepishly. It’s going to take time for me to accept being openly praised for speaking about court matters. Even after all these weeks it still feels abnormal. My father’s words and beatings are something I’ll never be able to shake.

I lift my chin. “I want to ride the black griffin.”

Knox’s lips spread into a grin. “I’ll fly us there.”

Knox stops into his study to write a note for the others, explaining where we’re going but not why. Knox also gives his court orders for the day. He keeps Ace from resuming his usual duties, allowing him to remain close to Hazel. I find it sweet that he knows Ace still won’t leave Hazel here alone, giving him the task of helping her with the potion antidote.

Taking off into the night sky, I lay my head on Knox’s chest, letting his steady heartbeat calm my senses.

Landing at the aerial legion hours later at sunrise is an eerie feeling. Not only can you sense the creatures and riders asleep, but it feels as if the island itself hasn’t awoken.

Knox and I tiptoe through the compound. The black griffin doesn’t have a permanent rider, so technically we’re not stealing her, but by the quiet way Knox navigates the area, we’re probably breaking some sort of protocol.

The minute I walk into the enclosure, the beautiful black griffin locks those golden eyes on mine. She rushes over, bouncing with energy. I can’t stop the giggle that escapes me, happiness filling my heart that she’s excited to see me.

I pat her behind her ears, her soft feline purr making my heart melt. I know the moment Knox walks through the gate because she snaps her head to him, her eyes sharpening. “This is Knox,” I whisper.

She juts out her snout, sniffing once, twice, before turning her head away.

I laugh. “I don’t think you got the approval.”

A chuckle slips from Knox’s mouth as he comes up beside me. “Perhaps she’s jealous.”

“Are you jealous?” I ask her.

She drags her head to mine, her eyes flat, as if to say, Really?

I roll my eyes. “We need your help today. Care for another ride?” If I told myself months ago that I would not only be having a conversation with a griffin but that the griffin would understand me, I would have thought I lost my mind. She lowers her head in submission. I stroke her ears in return, as a thank you. “We really need to give you a name,” I mutter to myself.

Knox leaves the pen, returning with saddle equipment. His sapphire eyes sparkle as he stares at me, yet it’s not heat that I find in his eyes, but something akin to endearment.

We fly for hours, scouring Earth Court lands without seeing a single demonic creature. At least all this empty time allowed me to think up a name for the griffin. Aurora. I think it suits her strong feline personality.

As we’re passing over endless sand dunes, I see a city glinting in the distance. Knox’s voice floats through my mind a second later.

We’ll stop here for lunch. The griffin needs a break.

The city looms before us, the intricate details of Ornx, the Fire Court’s main city, greeting us. Buildings upon buildings line the streets, some small while others tower over the land. It’s beautiful and yet nothing like Azalea. The city is fast-paced, dry as stone, with no colors beside red and black as Fae rush to and from buildings. Hundreds walk the streets as they go about their day. I don’t hear lively music playing from the streets. Instead, I hear boots, endless stomping of boots. Almost every male and female Fae wear matching black and red clothing.

Warriors.

A city of warriors.

Knox flies in front of me, signaling Aurora to follow. She’s kept her distance from him the entire journey, albeit listening to his directional commands, yet nothing else. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say she’s distrustful of men.

Knox lands on the only large patch of grass in the vast city, a designated area for riders’ companions. Aurora lands on all fours, strolling to a corner. I dismount her, stretching my sore, stiff legs as Knox appears with a bucket of water, carrots, and by the smell of it, goat carcass. Aurora stares Knox down, watching his hands as he slowly places the bucket of water and food in front of her.

“Are the riders cruel to the animals?” I ask, frowning at her distrust.

“Not usually, but some people get around the system,” Knox answers, earning a huff from Aurora.

I stroke behind her ears, wondering what her story is and my heart breaking that she can’t tell me. “We’ll be back after lunch,” I say, giving one last pat on her fluffy head before I trail off after Knox, Aurora digging into her food without another glance.

We approach an old, shackled building, debris lining the steps. Entering the bar isn’t any better. It’s a seedy tavern, flickering candles placed haphazardly around the room, my boots sticking to the floor as we walk past people milling about drunk.

Why on earth are we eating here?

“I don’t trust leaving Aurora here alone, and this is the only spot large enough for her to rest,” Knox whispers as we take a seat in a red-lined booth.

At least the smell of food is half decent, although the true test will be in eight hours’ time of whether we get food poisoning or not.

“What can I get for you folks?” a squeaky voice asks beside me.

I turn to find a small man peering up at us. His wide smile stretches across more than half of his diamond-shaped face. His enormous round brown eyes appear to glow in the dark lighting, and his round nose twitches as he sniffles. He’s wearing an adorable checkered green shirt with matching green pants, and a faded worn brown hat upon his head, the tips of his large ears flaring from underneath it.

A house brownie.

“What’s the best thing to eat here?” Knox asks.

The brownie scratches his head, his eyes looking up at the ceiling as he mulls over the question. “Honestly, go with the stew. It’s the safest option.”

I chuckle.

“We’ll have two of those and water please.”

The brownie snaps his fingers, scuttling away. “On it!”

“He is the most adorable creature I’ve ever seen,” I whisper once he’s disappeared behind the tavern kitchen doors.

“I think Aurora would be offended.”

“Aurora is beautiful and strong; she’d hate being called adorable.”

Knox’s lips twitch. “Very true.”

“Why do you think she’s so distrustful of men?” I ask.

Knox leans his forearms on the table. “She could have been a wild griffin. Most of the aerial legion is bred and raised on the island, yet sometimes we find wild ones flying.” He cocks his head. “I can find out for you if you like.”

“Please.”

I look around the room to make sure no unwanted ears are listening, but most everyone is either swaying or passed out drunk. No one is paying us a lick of attention. “It’s as if the demons have disappeared entirely. We should have come across one by now,” I whisper.

Knox nods. “We should be encountering at least ten a day on scouting missions. They’ve taken over the forests and woods for decades and now they’re suddenly gone. It’s unusual.”

I grimace. “It makes me nervous.”

Knox mirrors my expression. “We should be more on guard and tread lightly as we search the remaining courts.”

I rub my temples as a headache begins to form.

Knox places his hand on my knee. “We’ll figure it out.”

“I have this horrible feeling that we’re running out of time.”

Knox’s lips flatten, not voicing that he feels the same way.

The top of the brownie’s hat appears over the table, his brown hands placing two pots of stew and two glass bottles of water on the table. “Let me know if you need anything else!” he chirps, the top of his hat disappearing between tables.

I chuckle as I pull my bowl of stew toward me. It surprisingly smells delicious. I try a small heaping, my stomach grumbling at its emptiness. Knox and I look at each other in unison, both wearing expressions of delighted shock. “It’s actually good,” I whisper.

“I just hope it stays down,” he grumbles.

We scarf down our food and water, renewed energy warming my body.

Knox lays five gold coins on the bar bench in front of the brownie. I smile when his eyes go wide as he snatches the coins. “Thank you,” he squeaks.

Knox returns the warm smile. “Is there a bathroom?”

“Down the hall, second door on the left,” the brownie chirps, his eyes glued to his new coins.

“I’ll meet you out back,” Knox whispers in my ear, strolling for the hallway.

I exit the tavern door, squinting as the sun beats down my face, needing a moment to adjust from the dark tavern. As I head down the crumbling stairs my heart stops cold, the sounds of snarling whimpers and laughter reaching my ears.

Aurora.

She’s backed into the corner of the yard, five Fae men hollering and cheering as they whip her with a tree branch. They all sway from side to side, absolutely drunk. The sound of the thick tree branch hitting Aurora and her cry of pain makes me snap out of my haze.

My canines flare on a growl. “Back the fuck off.”

Aurora’s fear-filled eyes find mine, making my heart burn and guilt lace my body. The men pay me no attention. One steps forward, lifting the branch to bring it down on Aurora again. I don’t let it get that far.

I fling my hand out, fire erupting as it flies for the tree branch, turning it to ash and burning the man’s hand. “I said, back the fuck off!” I roar. Fierce protectiveness rushes through my body, screaming for me to harm them like they’ve harmed her.

The men turn to me, their faces full of rage that I interrupted their entertainment. They’re all stocky and tall, wearing leather fighting clothes. Just what we need—shitty warriors who don’t care about innocent lives. The thought makes my body burn, fire erupting from my fingertips.

“What did you just say to me?” the leader of the men sneers, swaying forward.

The group of pathetic drunks follow his lead as they storm up to me. My relief of their attention off Aurora is short-lived as they quickly surround me, caging me in a circle.

Channeling my courage, I cock my head at the one who spoke to me. “Do you get off on torturing? Do you need someone to scream in order to feel anything below the waist?”

I can’t believe I said that.

I’m never one to start anything, never with a group of drunk men, let alone Fae. Yet I couldn’t stop the words, my anger controlling my tongue.

Disgust ripples across his face as he bares his teeth. “How fucking dare you disrespect a city warrior.” No sooner does he spit the words does his palm connect with my cheek, my head flying back with the force. But it’s what he says that make my ears ring, not the slap.

Disrespect.

The word clangs through my mind. That horrible word my father spat at me daily, screamed at me, as his boot came down on my ribs. I hate myself for it, utterly hate myself in that moment, as my entire body freezes. Every ounce of fight I felt coursing through me moments earlier disappears. My heart abandoning me once more, until I’m nothing but an empty doll, just as my father created me to be. My vision blurs as they close in on me. I feel nothing, absolutely nothing. I swear I can hear Aurora’s roar in the distance, yet nothing is making sense. My mind can’t process what’s happening around me.

Pinewood fills my nose, my eyes shuttering closed as it soothes me, comforts me.

My heart sings one word over and over, as it starts to float back toward me.

Safe. Safe. Safe.

I blink rapidly as my body starts to tingle, the numbness wearing off.

“If you breathe in her direction again, I’ll murder you without so much as blinking,” Knox growls.

The icy rage in his voice snaps me out of my trance completely, slamming back into my own body.

“You’re not our king,” the drunk seethes.

“I may not be your king,” Knox spits, “but mark my words. If you lay a finger on one of my own ever again, I will hunt you down and kill you.”

Knox’s entire body trembles with the force of restraining himself and his anger.

The drunk man must truly be stupid because he takes a step forward, sealing his and his friend’s fate. The second his foot lifts off the ground, power blasts around the area, knocking every single drunk Fae surrounding us to the ground, rendering them unconscious, without Knox so much as blinking. It never touches me or Aurora.

Knox takes my hand, pulling me to where Aurora is crouched in the corner, blood trickling down her side from where they whipped her. Her fearful eyes look between Knox and I, her small whimper of pain spurs me into action. Kneeling before her, I stroke her soft ears, snout, and head as I apologize profusely for leaving her alone out here.

“Can you heal her?” I ask Knox, my voice shaking.

He takes one step toward Aurora, but she bristles at the movement.

I stroke her soothingly. “He’s going to heal you. I promise he won’t hurt you.”

Aurora stares at him so intently I’m about to ask Knox to teach me how to heal when she lowers her head in submission and acceptance of his help.

Knox slowly approaches her. Aurora flinches when he lays his hand gently over her open wound, stroking her unharmed coat with his free hand as his other begins to work. Blue light shines between his fingers, pouring his magic into the wound. I watch in awe as the wound begins to heal, the skin stitching together until there’s only dried blood and a thick white scar marring her skin.

I place a gentle kiss on her forehead, apologizing over and over for letting her down. She huffs into my shirt, as if to tell me to get a grip. “Perhaps we need to face our fear of intimidating men together,” I whisper, for her ears only. My words earn me a small spark of understanding in her eyes.

“She’s going to be okay. Luckily she has a thick coat of fur and skin. It was only a surface-level wound,” Knox murmurs to me.

I nod. “Do you still want to fly?” I ask Aurora.

I swear she rolls her eyes at me for asking such a stupid question. She may have fear, yet that doesn’t diminish her strength. The thought sears hope into my heart, hope for myself.

Knox huffs. “I’ll be damned.”

“What?”

Knox cocks his head, staring intently at the griffin. A spark of surprise flashes across his features. “You two are each other’s soul pair.”

I frown. “How do you know?”

I’m not the only one searching for answers. Aurora looks at me with questioning eyes, wondering if Knox’s statement rings true.

Knox takes a step closer, coming to stand behind me. “I can feel it.”

Perhaps I can too. Peering into Aurora’s golden eyes, my heart grows the longer I stare at her. My love for her unending.

Aurora is my soul pair.

Easton would have loved this.

I huff out a laugh. “Okay, let’s get out of this dump.”

“Do you want to go home?” Knox asks gently.

I look at him, his open face, the warmth and kindness in his eyes shining from his heart, and I realize that my earlier thoughts are true. He is the definition of safety. Being around Knox makes me feel safe.

I mount Aurora, patting her fur as I get settled into the saddle. “No, we have a job to do today. Let’s scout the other courts.” With new conviction in my voice, I lean forward, whispering to Aurora, “Let’s go.”

After hours of flying, scouring Fire Court lands, it isn’t until the sun has set and we’re returning to Azalea does Aurora react. We’re flying straight toward Azalea, Knox at my back, when Aurora banks, taking a left turn so sharp I yelp, grabbing onto the reins to stop myself from plummeting to the ground.

Knox lands on the saddle behind me, his front plastered to my back. “What is it?”

“I don’t know, she just banked on her own.”

Knox reaches around me, taking control of the reins and trying to steer Aurora back onto course, yet she ignores him, outright refusing to listen to his commands. She takes off in the opposite direction.

“She’s showing us. See? She’s circling the same area,” he says in awe.

I lean forward, whispering into Aurora’s ear, “Show me what you see.”

It isn’t until I place my hand in Knox’s, the other buried in Aurora’s fur, my body tingling as I make us invisible, does Aurora descend lower, flying over the treetops. I feel it before I see it, the wrongness emanating from the forest below. My magic withdraws, shrinking away from it, as it screams for me to run, to hide.

I look below, seeing nothing but forest, trees, and—

There are dozens of guards posted around a tree so large it would tower over the buildings in Ornx. Knox’s sudden sharp inhale tells me he sees them too. Their uniforms match those from the night the Fae were injected at the ball, the same guards who murdered Knox’s men, the red emblem patched onto the gray sleeve. Dozens stand around the tree trunk, none of them moving or speaking, completely lifeless.

My breastbone heats, pulsing as we near the guards. I shove my hand in my shirt, pulling out the pendant at my neck, its faint white glow illuminating my face. “Something’s veiled. My pendant is glowing,” I whisper.

Aurora keeps her slow pace around the area, letting us assess it from all angles. My stomach drops as the tree trunk opens. It’s not a real tree—the inside of it is black, hollowed out and rotten. An underground tunnel. The four guards standing at the base of it step aside, allowing a pack of sniveling demon hounds to pass through the tree trunk.

Where the hell did they come from?

I turn to Knox, moving as fast as I can to take the pendant off myself and hang it over his neck. His body tenses behind mine, his hands tightening around my waist. With the veiling pendant off my neck, all I can see are the lifeless guards standing watch around the tree. My heart sinks to my stomach; this is going to make it harder to steal the book they’re guarding.

Knox and I continue to circle the tree, taking turns wearing the pendant, noting every detail we can. Wordlessly, I take Aurora’s reins, gently tugging to the right, indicating for her to take us back to Azalea. Knox and I are silent the entire ride. There are no words for what we’ve uncovered.

After insisting that Aurora stays on Knox’s grounds in the old stables, albeit it didn’t take too much convincing on Knox’s part, we enter the house. Everyone’s already waiting in the sitting room. The moment he closes the door, the silencing shield snaps around the room, making everyone stand to attention.

“We found the compound where the beasts are hiding.”

“Holy fucking shit,” Lenox mutters.

Harlow flicks her hand in his direction. “Not now, you idiot.”

Lenox throws his hands in the air. “This is huge! I’m allowed to have a moment to freak out!”

Axel rolls his eyes. “Both of you shut up.”

As serious as the situation is, humor softens Knox’s eyes at their exchange. “As much as we’ve missed you today, Lenox, finding the compound seems to have been the easier task.”

Lenox frowns. “Where is it?”

“It’s more of a what is it question,” I mumble.

Knox strolls through the room, plopping down into the two-seat sofa, his eyes on mine as he waits for me to join him. I’ve sat much closer to him in the past, so I don’t know why my heart is thumping wildly at the idea of sitting next to him on a couch. For heaven’s sake, he was plastered to my back no more than an hour ago. Chastising myself, I perch next to him, his thigh grazing mine.

“It’s veiled. We could only see it with Delilah’s pendant,” Knox says.

“Still not seeing the problem,” Lenox mutters.

“It’s underground. The only entry and exit point is through an old, rotted tree trunk, guarded by thirty of the queen’s guards, who appear to not be present mentally.”

The room falls silent.

Lenox’s brows furrow, his eyes downcast. Axel’s face is in his palm, his expression mirroring the deep concentration of Lenox’s. I pick up the glass in front of me, needing some wine after the long day. I take a sip, and over the rim, I lock eyes with Harlow and sputter. Her smile is so devilish it makes me laugh.

“Of course you’re getting a kick out of this.”

Harlow loves every type of challenge thrown her way. I think that’s why she verbally spares with Lenox; he dishes it out as much as she does. She flicks her red-streaked hair over her shoulder. “We’ve had the same measly tracking duties for decades. Of course I’m delighted to finally know where our enemy sleeps,” she croons.

I chuckle. Looking around the room, I frown when I notice who isn’t present. “Where’s Nolan?”

Axel leans back in his chair, swirling the amber liquid in his glass. “There’s apparently an issue in the legion camp that has grown out of control. He’s gone to sort it out for the next few days.”

Knox frowns. “I didn’t hear about any problems.”

“Because you weren’t here,” Lenox drawls flatly.

Axel drops his head into his hands. “No shit. He means he hasn’t heard of any issues within the camps prior to this.”

“I knew that, I’m not stupid,” Lenox mumbles into his glass.

Harlow coos, “Aw, poor baby. Did the big bad man hurt your feelings?”

“Jealous that I can feel?” Lenox quips.

Harlow clicks her tongue. “Come up with something original.”

On the other side of the room, Hazel giggles. I’m glad to see her color has fully returned to her face. She seems to be back to normal as she sits beside Ace.

Knox lays his arm behind the sofa, his fingers twirling the ends of my hair. “Can we get back to more pressing matters, or should we leave you two to bicker like children?”

Lenox and Harlow snap their mouths closed. Everyone abandons their drinks as Knox has food brought to the room, devouring whatever they can get their hands on to sober up as we discuss a plan to get into the compound. We sit in that room until midnight, discussing every course of action on how to steal the dark magic book that doomed them all one hundred and forty-eight years ago. We don’t know if it’s there for sure, but they wouldn’t build an entire compound, surrounded by beasts and warriors, if it wasn’t guarding something important. Everyone agrees that our best chance of finding the dark magic book lays within the walls they’ve masked as a tree.