Heir of Broken Fate: Chapter 30

“Where’s Hazel?” Knox asks, leaning against my bedroom door.

Putting down the sword I was cleaning, I look at him through the vanity mirror. “She’s started working on the books already.”

Knox scans me from head to toe. “I can’t give you any lessons today.”

“Oh, okay.”

I’m shocked to feel disappointment flutter through me. I’ve come to enjoy our lessons in the garden. Such a silly notion to get attached to them—I know better than that.

Knox kicks off the door, striding toward me. “I have to go with Nolan to the warrior island and smooth a few things over,” he explains.

I give him a small smile. “No problem.”

As Knox stands there staring at me, not saying anything, butterflies take flight in my stomach, my nerves making me want to fill the silence.

“What’s the warrior island?” I ask.

“It’s an island off the coast of Fire and Air Court. It’s where all of Aloriah’s warriors are sent to train. They live there for several years until they graduate from a trainee to a full-fledged warrior.”

I turn back to my dragon pommel sword, cleaning the silver with oil. “That sounds fascinating.”

“Delilah, I—”

“Knox!” Nolan blares from somewhere in the house.

Knox’s shoulders stiffen. He looks at me for a moment before walking to the door. “I’ll see you later this evening,” he calls over his shoulder.

After training for two hours, bathing while practicing water magic, and walking around Knox’s house aimlessly, I think it’s safe to say that I’m antsy today. If I stop moving, I’ll begin analyzing why I’m so fidgety and nervous, and if I do that, I’ll have to admit to myself why I miss Knox’s company.

Exactly like I am right now.

I’ve been sitting in Knox’s library trying to read the same paragraph for thirty minutes, yet my mind won’t let me relax. Slamming the book shut, I leap to my feet and head for the back garden. Just because Knox isn’t here doesn’t mean I shouldn’t be practicing magic; I don’t need him to run through simple exercises.

The moment I walk outside, I pause. Ace and Lenox are shirtless, dueling with swords and magic. Where one swipes with a sword the other strikes with a fire or air shield, alternating between magic and weapons to defend and attack.

They haven’t noticed my presence yet and with a single thought, I cloak myself.

I take a seat on the last of the veranda steps, placing my feet on the soft grass, marveling at how precise the men’s techniques are. They each run through various moves, trying to outdo the other, yet nobody is getting in any victory hits. My focus is drawn toward Ace, watching him move in black fighting leathers. He smiles each time after nearly striking Lenox, reminding me of Easton.

If he were still here, the twins would look like triplets.

Shaking myself out of my thoughts I uncloak myself. Leaning back on the steps I clap, laughter bubbling from me when the men jolt. Good to know that even the Fae can be scared.

“Holy shit,” Lenox exclaims. Lifting his sword, he points to me, a wolfish grin on his face. “Just for that, you’re tapping in.”

I smile internally. He doesn’t think I can fight.

Rising, I slouch my shoulders, wringing my hands. “I did some training at home. Obviously not at this level though.”

Lenox rolls his shoulders. “That’s fine, everyone starts somewhere.”

Ace eyes me curiously as he passes me his sword.

I make a show of concentrating on entering a defensive position, shuffling my foot this way and that, as if I rarely place my hips and feet in the position. I raise my sword, loosening my wrist as I stare into Lenox’s amber eyes.

Lenox lunges, his right foot stepping forward as he tries to strike my side. With his fire shield covering his front, his left is vulnerable. I grin as I whirl, spinning around to lunge forward, striking his open side. Surprise flares in Lenox’s eyes as he tries to right himself, but too late.

Crouching, I roll forward so fast Lenox doesn’t see me coming. I use all my strength to knock his legs out from under him. The moment his back connects with the grass, my blade is poised at his neck, an arrow of flame hovering above his heart.

My smile is serpentine as I peer down at him. “I win.”

Ace bursts out laughing behind me. “I can’t believe you fell for that crap, Lenox.”

Outrage fills Lenox’s expression. “You knew?”

“Who do you think was making all that noise in the training room this morning?”

Lenox shakes his head, muttering expletives under his breath.

I offer him my hand. “Regardless of your deceit, that was impressive,” Lenox admits as he stands.

I smile. “I would love for you to train me,” I say to Lenox.

Lenox’s mouth hangs open, his eyes widening.

I realize it’s highly inappropriate of me to ask. Just because Knox is teaching me magic doesn’t mean his court owes me anything. If I had asked my father’s court at home for any help I would have been yelled at for hours and whipped. They wouldn’t help me even if I was on fire.

“Sorry, I shouldn’t have asked,” I rush on.

Lenox runs his fingers through his dark hair. “No, it’s all right. I’m just—you seem to be able to hold your own. Clearly.” He chuckles.

‘I’ve had some trouble adjusting to the enhanced…abilities. After watching you two, I know there’s more to learn.”

Lenox beams. “I’d love to.”

That was surprisingly easy. I smile back. “Amazing!”

“What time do you train?” he asks, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Usually in the mornings before my lessons with Knox.”

Ace frowns. “Where is Knox? Aren’t you meant to train soon?”

“He’s with Nolan at the warrior island,” Lenox answers for me.

“We can teach you instead,” Ace offers, his kind eyes sparking with excitement.

Why is everyone so kind here?

It should make me feel welcome, but it’s so unusual that anyone in a court who isn’t Annie or Easton would show kindness to me. It makes me feel uneasy, as if I’m a burden.

“I already intruded on your—”

“We should teach her how to fly,” Ace says to Lenox, completely ignoring my protests.

That gets my attention. “I don’t have wings,” I point out.

“Yes you do,” they say in unison.

“Knox gave us a rundown of your magic,” Ace explains, a warm smile on his lips. “You have too much power not to have wings. You just don’t know how to make them appear yet.”

I blink. “Are you telling me that I have wings inside of me that I just…haven’t found yet?”

“It’s unheard of for a Fae to possess as much magic as you do and not have wings,” Lenox cuts in.

Knox said something similar to me, yet my mind can’t process the idea of ginormous wings hiding somewhere within me.

“Well, where the hell are they and what do they feel like?”

“It’s a form of shifting. You transform yourself,” Ace explains.

“Transform,” I state flatly.

Lenox crosses his arms over his chest. “Yes, you have to completely accept your Fae form.”

When all I do is look at Lenox blankly, Ace chimes in with his own explanation. “It feels like going from ninety percent Fae to one hundred percent Fae.”

I shake my head. “Still not understanding how I make wings flourish from my back.”

Lenox chuckles. “What makes you access your powers in the first place?”

I shrug. “I just use my imagination.”

“So imagine you have wings,” he says, as if it’s the easiest thing in the world.

I look between Lenox and Ace’s serious expression, making a mental note to never let them teach me about magic. They’re horrible at explaining.

I take a step back. There’s no harm in trying. Worst case, I become their entertainment for ten minutes. Taking a deep breath, I try to picture wings, imagining there’s a small opening in my back where they’re tucked away safely. Knox’s gorgeous face floats in my mind, his beautiful black wings blooming to life at his back.

Diving deep within myself, I find my well of magic. Instead of it looking at me with a sleepy eye like it did that first day in the forest with Hazel, it’s fully awake and ready to play. I dip my toes into the well, slowly submerging my entire body inside. It should feel like swimming in water, yet it feels like floating on a cloud. Iridescent white light surrounds me, swirling and twinkling with different colors as I move. I tilt my head back, letting my magic surround me, pulse through me, become me.

Lenox and Ace gasp before I feel the shift. A sudden weight is on my back, trying to drag me down. Shifting my stance and back muscles to accommodate the new weight, I open my eyes. On a deep exhalation, wings spread across my back, the shadow in front of me outlining my body with large wings to confirm what I’m feeling.

I have wings.

Ace falls back on his ass at the same time Lenox stumbles backward, more gracefully than Ace’s outright tumble. They both start swearing in unison, and my internal panic alights. I turn to see what’s behind me, the added weight of the wings making me slower than usual. My peripheral vision picks up a golden glow, but I can’t get a good look. They’re both staring at me with open mouths. I don’t think they’re even breathing.

I frown. “Did I do it wrong?”

Ace tries to speak. Nothing but mumbling nonsense comes out. Lenox is worse, his entire face stark white.

“Someone explain why you’re both freaking out!” I blurt.

“They…your…They’re gold,” Lenox stutters.

“Are they not supposed to be gold?” I ask, confused.

Ace slowly shakes his head, his mouth opening and closing as he tries to speak.

A white light flashes in the garden before Knox suddenly appears in front of me, his eyes wide and full of shock while Nolan trails behind him, frowning deeply at my wings. Knox couldn’t have come back at a better time, as if he could feel my distress.

“Can someone tell me why you’re all looking at me like I have three heads?”

“Nobody has gold wings,” Ace breathes, awe coating his every word.

I have never been more confused in my life. I turn to Knox for confirmation, finding his eyes locked behind me on my wings. “It’s impossible.”

I throw my hands in the air. “You’re not making any sense!” I snap.

“The only creatures that have gold wings are griffins and angels,” Knox murmurs.

My brows furrow. “Are you trying to tell me that I have angel wings?”

“No, they’ve been extinct for centuries.” He shakes his head. “The angel wings were different than the Faes’. They were feathered. Yours are the same material as ours, but gold.”

A feeling of familiarity washes over me—serenity.

My frown deepens. “Then why do I have gold wings?”

A smile spreads across Knox’s face. “I have no idea, but they’re beautiful.”

My cheeks heat. He didn’t call me beautiful, he called my wings beautiful. It feels the same nonetheless.

“They shimmer,” Ace whispers in awe.

Snapping out of the trance Knox’s declaration put me in, I slam my wings closed, the weight of them knocking together, making me stumble. I tuck that part of myself back into the deep well of magic. Ignoring the men’s whines and protests, I head back inside.

I have to see them for myself, without all the eyes on me.

Standing in front of the bathroom mirror, I prepare myself for what I’m about to see. Seeing my elongated ears every time I passed my reflection took some time to adjust to, but accepting wings seems like an entirely different thing.

I immerse within myself, to the part that contains and holds my magic. I fully submerge myself, letting the magic become me.

Peering at myself in the mirror as iridescent gold wings flutter across my back will be a memory I cherish as long as I live.

My breath leaves me on a gasp. Covering my hand over my mouth, I can’t stop staring. I twist to both sides, looking at them from every direction.

As the gold wings spread to their full width, I find they’re longer than my arm length. When I move, the leathery gold skin glows, twinkling where the sun shines through the window. They’re slightly different from the others’ wings. Where theirs slope at the top, mine curve to a point. The color starts off light at my torso, so bright it’s almost white, then darkens as it travels upward, the tips of the wings so dark it’s almost yellow.

I’m about to try and flap them when my bedroom door opens. In the next moment, Knox strolls through my bathroom, leaning against the door. He crosses one ankle over the other, sliding his hands in his pockets. He looks as amazed as I am.

“You truly don’t know why they’re gold?” I ask.

“I wish I had an answer for you. They’re truly magnificent.” He slides his sapphire eyes to mine. “I apologize if we made you uncomfortable. It isn’t every day someone has gold wings. Forgive us for being curious.”

I shrug. “I wanted to see them for myself.”

Knox stares at me intently, his eyes heating. I look away, not daring to read into it.

His husky voice caresses my spine as it echoes through the bathroom. “Getting them out is one thing. Leaning to fly is another thing entirely.”

“I figured. They’re surprisingly heavy,” I say, earning a dark chuckle from Knox. The sound sends goosebumps scattering down my arms.

The bathroom suddenly feels extremely small for two people to occupy. Retracting my wings, I edge past Knox, pinewood surrounding me as I take a seat on the futon at the end of my bed. “How exactly does one learn to fly?”

Knox twists his body to face mine, the heat I saw earlier gone. “We can work on that lesson later. I actually came to warn you.”

I blink. “Warn me?”

“Harlow is on her way up here, and she’s decided to make it her mission to take you shopping. Good luck saying no to her.”

I internally chastise myself. Of course he wouldn’t follow me up here to check on me. He just wanted to give a polite warning to a friend—are we friends? I think the lack of human decency in the palace back home has damaged me so thoroughly I have to overthink whether someone is truly a friend or not. How pathetically sad.

“I’m looking forward to going shopping actually,” I say.

I don’t mention the issue that I have no money. I don’t want him to think I want anything from him besides our deal to work with each other.

I plan to look at many stunning dresses, picture them in my mind and how beautiful it would be to wear them, and then pretend to not find anything I like with a smile on my face.

“That’s great news. I can’t be bothered to bargain with anyone today,” Harlow announces as she saunters into my room.

Speak of the devil and she appears.

Harlow looks stunning in tight-fitted leather pants and a cropped navy shirt.

“I’ll leave you to it,” Knox says.

“Tell Hazel we’ll be down in a moment!” Harlow calls out.

My gaze trails Knox as he strides out of the room, his large frame oozing sensual confidence. His arms sway beside his torso, the protruding veins making his muscles appear even more—

“Are you done ogling him?” Harlow croons.

My eyes widen. Shooting up, I walk past her. “Don’t be ridiculous,” I snap.

Harlow’s sultry laugh follows me all the way down to the foyer.

“You look absolutely beautiful, Hazel,” I say in awe. Hazel stands in front of Harlow and I in a gorgeous emerald green floor-length dress. The material hugs her curves in all the right places. She looks like a bombshell with the split running down her thigh, showing off her legs.

Harlow whistles. “God damn.”

“It’s not too much?” Hazel asks nervously.

Harlow and I shake our heads profusely. “Gods no, it’s perfect.”

“Ace will love it,” Harlow says flippantly as she rifles through the racks of dresses.

I guess I’m not the only one who’s caught onto the teasing smiles and blushes coming from the two of them.

Hazel’s eyes widen, the tips of her ears turning red.

“What about this one?” Harlow asks me, holding up a silver floor-length dress.

I shake my head even as my heart cries out in protest. “Not my thing.”

Harlow rolls her eyes. “Nothing is your thing.”

This has been the routine for every store. Harlow shows me numerous dresses I pretend to not be dying to try on and she gets irritated. I think Harlow and Hazel have forgotten that I come from the human lands and have no money.

I certainly haven’t.

Without Hazel and Knox, I probably would have died by now.

“We’ve gone into every decent store, and you still haven’t found anything you like!” Hazel protests, backing up Harlow.

“I’ll come look for something tomorrow before the ball.”

Harlow deadpans, “All the stores will be shut. Nothing is open during the eclipse.”

Shit.

“I’ll just wear one of Hazel’s dresses,” I blurt. They both wince in unison. I roll my eyes. “You’re both acting like it’s the end of the world. It’s just a ball.”

“An extraordinary ball,” Harlow mutters.

“I’ll find something to wear, I promise,” I say, smiling.

Hazel looks at me quizzically before moving on to pay for the dress she picked out while Harlow assesses me like I’ve grown another head.

Walking out of the store, I wait for them to join me. It’s peak dinnertime and the streets are nearly deserted. Everyone is apparently already prepared for the eclipse tomorrow or at home starting the celebrations early. The only thing to keep me company are the twinkling embers of fires dangling overhead, the salty breeze from the ocean, and the night sky shining down on me.

I’ve never felt this peaceful in a city before. Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever felt this peaceful. Besides my time with Easton and Annie, there was never a moment where I walked around the palace and thought, what a beautiful place to call home.

Standing in a silent street in Azalea, my chest feels warm, my heart safe, screaming for me to stay.

A bell chimes overhead as Harlow struts out of the store. I’ve yet to see her walk another way. Hazel joins us a moment later, a white bag dangling from her hand, her emerald green dress inside.

Walking beside the girls, I voice the question that’s been nagging me for days. “If the Queen of Air is the only one in power, why do the other courts have their titles of king and queen?”

Hazel shrugs. “I was raised with the courts having kings and queens. That’s how I view them.”

Harlow chimes in, “It’s respect. No matter what the Queen of Air says, the courts view the heirs as kings and queens. I know everyone in Azalea looks to Knox as their king. It has nothing to do with power and everything to do with loyalty and respect.”

I lower my gaze to the ground, Harlow’s explanation stunning me.

My people would spit on my father if it didn’t mean they’d be executed. Respect and loyalty have been lost in our lands since before I was born.

Harlow chuckles to herself. “Even the Air Court residents don’t agree with the old hag.”

Hazel gasps. “You can’t call her a hag!”

Harlow simply waves her hand, dismissing Hazel. “I can call her what I see fit. She’s old and still views the royal families as children. It’s preposterous.”

I frown. “When will the courts be reinstated to rule as a democracy again?”

Harlow rolls her eyes. “Probably not until the queen kicks the bucket.”

“You can’t say things like that!” Hazel snaps.

Harlow raises a brow, turning in a circle she splays her arms. “Who’s here to tell her?”

“She has spies everywhere,” Hazel whisper-yells.

I look between the two of them. “Why does she have spies?”

Harlow rolls her eyes. “She believes they’ll help her find out who cast the entrapment spell.”

“Clearly it’s not working,” I mutter.