Heir of Broken Fate (HOBF Book 1)

Once the last of the Fae are injected, the guards pack up their black trunks and leave just as quickly as they appeared. I hold my breath, praying as I wait for life to resume in these beautiful people’s eyes. Just as quickly as their world stopped the music begins to play again, the Fae moving as if nothing ever happened.

Knox’s body stiffens, his head swinging from side to side, scanning the room for me, confusion swirling in those gorgeous sapphire eyes.

I put all my focus on Knox, onto that beautiful mind I thought had disappeared. Repeating the same words over and over, I pray with every piece of my heart that he hears.

We need to leave now. Act as normal as you can.

My entire body heaves a sigh of relief as his deep sensuous voice floats through my mind. I have never been more grateful to hear him intrude my thoughts.

What’s wrong?

We all need to leave, now. Don’t draw any attention to yourself.

I watch in amazement as each one of Knox’s court members, including Hazel, pause for a moment. Whatever Knox tells them mind to mind works. They each find a different time to leave—some retreating to the bathroom, some going outside to dance, others finding refreshments. It takes no longer than ten minutes before Knox and I are the only two left.

Knox begins stumbling through the crowd for the hallway, appearing to those who watch that he’s nothing but a drunk. The moment he enters the hallway I open my mouth, but he quickly places his hand across it, stopping me from speaking. No sooner has his hand touched my lips are we disappearing into nothing but white light. I cling to Knox as we teleport back to his house, as the depth of what I just witnessed slams into my body.

The depravity of freedom these people have experienced for decades. Being violated not only physically but mentally, without their knowledge. My stomach rolls as bile churns through it, my throat burning with the threat of my stomach’s contents coming up. Nobody deserves to be touched like that, to have their boundaries crossed. Their very self controlled unwillingly.

The moment my feet touch marble-tiled floors, all hell breaks loose. Knox’s court stands in the foyer, each one of them as pissed as the other that Knox cut their celebrations short.

“What the fuck, Knox?” Lenox bellows.

Harlow’s murderous gaze pierces Knox. “Are you trying to ruin—”

Harlow’s protests die the second Knox raises his hand, gesturing everyone to be silent. He turns those sapphire eyes to me. “Show me.”

I open my shield, a small gate in the beautiful sanctuary I built inside my mind.

Knox’s entire body freezes, changing from wary to tense to outright trembling with rage. Wave after wave of his power leaks from him, each pulse more intense than the last. It doesn’t harm anyone, yet his control completely snaps as his wings blast behind his back, the leash on his rage crumbling to nothing. He stumbles away from me—from what I showed him.

“Impossible,” he breathes.

He scans me from head to toe as if he can see right through me, see the fear that paralyzed me the moment Knox disappeared and those guards entered the ballroom. He sees everything.

“Knox?” Axel asks, curiosity and trepidation lining his green eyes.

Knox turns to his court and shows them all mind to mind what happened tonight.

Harlow’s face leaches of all color, Axel instinctively steps in front of Ace as he begins to tremble, Nolan is a shell of a person as shock mars his features, Lenox outright stumbles backward as if he was hit and Hazel… Loving, caring Hazel vomits right there in the foyer.

I lurch forward to help her, but Ace is quicker. He bends, holding her hair back as he rubs soothing strokes up and down her back. I don’t know what power it is or who uses it, but with a simple click of fingers, the vomit and smell disappear.

“Everyone in the study, now,” Knox demands.

One after the other, everyone suddenly sober from the memory Knox showed them, we silently file into the study. Knox lifts a silencing shield around the room. The second he shuts the door everyone explodes, talking over each other.

“Who the fuck is behind this?” Harlow bellows.

“How long has this been happening?” Hazel asks, her voice broken.

Nolan crosses his arms. “And why wasn’t Delilah mind controlled?”

“Because she cloaked herself,” Knox answers, his eyes narrowing. “No one knew she was there.”

“My name wasn’t on the entry list,” I breathe.

“Trust issues much?” Harlow sneers.

“It’s what’s making our magic slowly dissipate, isn’t it?” Lenox asks, rubbing the side of his neck where the needle was inserted.

Knox dips his head. “The orange liquid that was injected tonight is what the Fae in the In-between are being compelled to create.”

I gasp. “It’s the immunity from the pixies. That’s why they’re held separately. They’re turning the pixies’ immunity to magic into a potion for the Fae, making your own magic disappear.”

My statement silences everyone, the temperature in the room dropping as Knox’s power leaks throughout the room again.

Axel’s eyes harden. “Did you notice the guards’ attire?” Ace whips his head to his brother, their eyes connecting before Ace’s mouth drops open. Knox’s slow nod is his only answer.

“I’ve never seen that red emblem before. What is it?” I ask.

Knox turns to me, his next words making my heart stop. “The queen’s personal guards. I suppose we know why they went missing.”

Everyone freezes, utter shock silencing the room.

“The queen is behind this?” Harlow spits.

“We don’t know that for sure,” Nolan cuts in.

Harlow and Lenox, for once agreeing on something, shout at Nolan in unison. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

“He’s right,” Axel cuts in. “The queen’s men went missing, she doesn’t know where they went, and the queen wasn’t present. No one but the missing guards were injecting the Fae.”

“Either way, we need to proceed with caution,” Knox says smoothly. He looks everything like a king should, protective and loyal to his people, once again the epitome of calm and collected, but I can feel him. I can see through it. It’s a mask to keep everyone in the room calm while panic and fear run havoc through his mind.

“Everything is connected. Fae are trapped in the human lands creating potions that are injected into the Fae in this land. The Fae began going missing the day the entrapment spell was cast. Whoever is orchestrating the poisons created the entrapment spell,” I chime in.

“The demonic beasts as well.” Ace wraps an arm around Hazel. “They arrived the day the entrapment spell was cast.”

Knox nods. “If we can track down where they come from, it could lead to whoever is letting them in.”

“We’ve been trying to track them for years,” Harlow says dejectedly.

“They’ve never wanted one of us alive before,” I say softly.

Knox’s body goes taut. I think he even stops breathing. “What are you suggesting, Delilah?” he asks calmly. Too calmly.

I swallow my nerves, steeling my spine. “You heard them in the woods that day. Whoever sent them wants me alive.”

“No,” Hazel blurts.

I turn to her horrified face, my heart twisting with guilt for being the one to put that fearful look in her eyes.

“Absolutely not!” she continues. “We have other leads to follow, like the aerial legion.”

“And if that leads to nothing?” I ask gently.

“I’m not asking you to do this, Delilah. No one is,” Knox cuts in.

“No, but we don’t have many options at the moment,” I say.

Nolan steps forward, crossing his arms. “I think Delilah should do it.”

Of course he does. He hasn’t trusted me since the moment his eyes landed on me.

Knox snaps his head to Nolan, murderous rage contorting his face. Axel leans forward in his chair, preparing to stand, his hands clenching the arms of his seat.

“Why?” Knox growls.

“She can lead us right to the doorstep of whoever is letting the beasts in,” Nolan states flatly.

Knox’s shoulders rise on a deep inhale. “We will follow our current leads before doing anything drastic.”

Nolan’s jaw hardens. “It’s a waste of time. The two things we need are the dark magic book and the knowledge of who’s behind it all. Delilah can solve the biggest problem.”Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

Knox’s face hardens, his voice deadly quiet. “In all the years you have known me, when have I ever put another Fae in harm’s way?”

Nolan clicks his tongue. “She’s not Fae.”

His statement clangs through my mind.

I’m not Fae, not truly. I don’t belong in this world, yet I don’t belong in the human lands either. I belong nowhere. I’m not welcome anywhere.

Don’t ever say those words again, Angel.

Knox’s demanding growl snaps me out of my thoughts. When I look up, Axel is looming over Nolan, standing between him and Knox.

“Quit it with the pissing contest,” Harlow snaps. “We can revisit the idea after we’ve gone to the aerial legion.”

“Whatever, but mark my words, it’s a waste of time,” Nolan sneers.

Watching Nolan storm from the room I can’t help but think he’s right.

I tap on Hazel’s door, hearing her soft, “Come in.” I enter to find her sitting on her bed, her face red and splotchy.

My heart tugs as I sit beside her. “Are you okay?”

A tear rolls down her cheek. “It sickens me that someone who’s meant to protect their people could be the reason for Luna dying.”

“We’ll find whoever is doing this, Hazel,” I whisper.

Hazel sniffles, whipping away her tears. “Let’s talk about something else. I can’t bear to think about it any longer.” A smile tugs on her lips. “How’s Knox?”

“He’s fine,” I say flippantly. Avoiding her eyes, I lean back into silk-covered pillows.

The bed dips as Hazel worms her way in front of me. “I saw you both disappear into the hallway.”

The almost kiss that never happened. My heart catches at the memory. His promise to wait…I don’t know how I feel about it. Even if Knox is a good person, it doesn’t change the fact that when the time comes, I’ll have to go back to help my own people.

To face not only my past but my father.

Can I open my heart to another person, knowing I’ll have to leave? It’ll be difficult enough as it is. I’ve already grown attached to Hazel and I’m finding it hard not to care for Knox’s court as I get to know them.

The only good thing that came from tonight was that the kiss didn’t happen. I would have kissed him if he leaned forward. It was a lapse in judgment; my resolve had crumbled temporarily. Nothing can ever happen between us. I’m a human princess and he’s the King of Azalea, and when the spell is broken, I have to leave. We have to remain friends. I can ignore the feelings he invokes in my body—I have to.

“I needed fresh air. Knox thought something was wrong. He was simply checking on me, as friends do.”

Hazel quirks a brow. “Friends?”

“Friends,” I chirp.

Hazel looks at me dubiously but doesn’t push me further.