Heir of Broken Fate (HOBF Book 1)

“Teach me how to teleport,” I say by way of greeting as Knox strolls down the steps to the back garden.

“Aiming to achieve great things today, are we?”

I roll my eyes. “Don’t tease me, I want to teleport.”

Knox stops in front of me. A tight-fitted black shirt stretches across the planes of his chest. “Not many can,” he says simply.

I frown. I thought everyone could teleport. Now that I think about it, Hazel has never done it, but I assumed it was by choice because she adores flying.

“It depends on how much power you possess. It’s a gift in itself,” Knox explains.

“How far can you teleport?” I ask.

“Not far. You can move in small bursts. The farthest I can go is from one end of Azalea to the other. It’s extremely taxing energy-wise. That’s why I prefer to fly. Saves more power.”

Interesting. “How do you teleport while flying?” I ask.

“It’s simple.” He shrugs.

I wave my hand around us. “Show me.”

Knox disappears before a tap on my shoulder makes me yelp. Now behind me, Knox’s infuriating face grins down at me.

“I didn’t mean literally.”

That only makes his smile widen. “I know.”

Groaning, I run a hand down my face. “Knox.”

“Yes, Angel?” he purrs.

“Teach me how to teleport,” I grit out.

Why is he being so insufferable today?

His eyes glitter with amusement, his lips tugging into a grin. “As you wish.”

Before I can move, water pummels me, and arrows from all directions target me as Knox teleports from one end of the garden to the other. I grit my teeth as I shield myself, groaning when he breaks through it with a split-second thought. I start jumping side to side, trying to dodge the arrows to no avail. It isn’t until they start hitting my face do I snap and vanish.

It’s an eerily similar feeling to flying, yet instead of the sky, I’m surrounded by white light. A small crack breaks through the surrounding white, a sliver of earth, a peek of where I want to go.

I can see Knox’s outline, and focusing on the area behind him, time and air stretches around me. My feet once again land on the plush grass as if nothing happened.

I kick the back of his knees, trying to make him kneel, but he’s too quick. He spins, yanking my arm as he tumbles to the ground, taking me with him. I land on top of his chest with a grunt.

Knox’s boisterous laugh floats between us, his chest shaking with the force, jostling me side to side.

“Insufferable cocky bastard,” I grit through my teeth.

My words only make Knox laugh harder. I go to scramble off his chest when my eyes widen. Suddenly, I’m aware of how we’re lying. I’m completely sprawled on top of him, every intimate part of myself aligned with his. Knox realizes my position at the same time, his laughter dying in an instant. I lift my gaze, focusing on the fountain at the far end of the garden. One moment I’m lying on Knox and in the next moment, I’m standing in front of the fountain.

My head spins as my body adjusts to teleporting.

When I turn, Knox has composed himself, standing as he dusts off blades of grass from his clothes. I stroll back toward him. “Is that all for today?” I ask calmly, feeling anything but.

Knox’s eyes harden. “I think we’ve covered enough,” he states, walking back toward the house.

I groan. He truly has the worst mood swings I’ve ever encountered.

Knox and I enter through into the foyer when the front doors blast open before us.

I freeze, watching as four incredibly handsome and large Fae men stroll through the room, a small Fae woman leading them. The men are all nearly as tall as Knox, their own bodies crafted by muscles. They all burst through the room with energy and life, smiling and laughing.

I watch in slow motion, horror filling my stomach as the female flings herself into Knox’s arms, Knox catching her seamlessly as they embrace. My skin itches as my heart sinks, something eerily similar to rage burning through me. The feeling intensifies the longer I stare at their close proximity, and I hate myself for it.

Hazel’s knowing face breaks through my vision as she enters the foyer from the study. I snap myself out of it, taking in the other four males that apparently have been watching me as I make a fool out of myself. Heat fills my cheeks.

This is ridiculous. I need to stop acting like a child. I join Hazel, needing comfort from someone I know, certainly not to get away from the apparent love birds.

Knox’s smile falters as his bright sapphire eyes meet mine, making me feel worse. He never openly flirted with me—he just has a teasing personality. I have absolutely nothing to be jealous about.

I plaster on the fakest smile I have ever worn, praying that he can’t see through it.

Knox welcomes each of the Fae males with pats on the back, his face beaming at seeing his friends. Turning to face Hazel and me, Knox gestures to us. His deep smile accompanied by his dimples. “This is Hazel and Delilah.”

“We have a lot to catch up on it seems,” a long blond-haired Fae male drawls.

“Indeed,” Knox says. Stepping into the middle of the group, a wide grin, accompanied by his dimples, spreads across his cheeks. “This is my court, my family.”

A dark-haired male steps forward, his tousled locks resting at his jawline. His roguish face and strong bone structure make his amber eyes stand out as they sear into Hazel and me while he smirks. “Are you going to introduce us, Knox?”

Knox’s eyes are on me, assessing, before he turns back to the group, waving his hand at the wolfish Fae that stepped forward. “This is Lenox. Ignore majority of the things he says,” Knox drones, making a show of ignoring Lenox’s protests.

The others in the group laugh at his grumbles. The blond-haired Fae male steps forward, his hazel eyes less friendly.

“This is Nolan,” Knox introduces.

When I turn to Nolan, he’s already staring me down, his hazel eyes unflinching.

Knox draws my attention to the two males at the back. The moment they step forward my heart drops. Twins.

They’re twins yet entirely different, the Fae version of yin and yang. One is covered in various black tattoos, a set of tattooed wings spanning the front of his neck, with black wavy hair curling around the tips of his ears and green eyes. It’s not that their faces are identical that surprises me; it’s that the other one looks eerily similar to Easton. He’s clean cut with short ash brown hair, golden tan skin, and forest green eyes. He smiles at me and it’s filled with genuine warmth—kindness.

That smile steals the breath from me.

Knox introduces them as Axel and Ace. I can’t stop staring at Ace, but I have to shake myself out of it. If I keep looking at him and his welcoming expression, I’ll cry. Turning to Knox, I see the question in his eyes at my unusual reaction, yet he doesn’t say anything. Instead, he gestures to the woman. Her straight black hair, with red streaks throughout, rests above her shoulders. She’s stunning, with honey-toned skin, round brown eyes, and pouty lips. She smiles at Hazel and me. “I’m Harlow.” She cocks her head to the side as a devious smile spreads across her lips. “Knox’s unofficial sister.”

My head snaps to Knox.

I’m an idiot.

A giant, hormone-crazed idiot.

Hazel looks between Knox and Harlow. “Unofficial?” she questions.

I breathe a sigh of relief, thankful that Hazel asked the question. I don’t think I can speak right now, unless it’s to call myself stupid. Gazing at Knox and Harlow, they look nothing alike. They couldn’t even pass as distant relatives.

“Knox took me in as a family member when we met,” Harlow says dismissively, as if it’s not important at all.

Lenox scoffs, a wolfish grin on his lips. “He’s the only one that could tolerate you.”

“Yet he kept you as a pet,” she taunts, making the men in the room burst into laughter as Lenox mutters vulgar words under his breath.

“Are you going to tell us what the hell happened while we were away?” Nolan asks, the most unwelcoming of them all.

Knox sighs. “Short version, Delilah is from the human lands, and we’re working together to free the entrapment spell,” he says casually, adjusting his shirt.

Hazel and I freeze as the air in the room shifts. No one’s laughing or teasing anymore.

Nolan stalks toward me, his face twisting into a sneer. “And you believed such a story?”

“Nolan, back down,” Axel demands, frowning at his behavior.

Hazel stays rooted to the spot. I, however, back up with each step Nolan takes. He ignores Axel and keeps coming. He’s shorter than Knox yet far more intimidating.

“She’s probably the queen’s spy and you’ve gone and told her everything,” he barks.

I flinch at his outburst.

No sooner do my shoulders lift does a body appear in front of me, the scent of pinewood surrounding me, soothing me.

“Back the fuck off,” Knox growls.

I don’t dare move. I don’t care if that makes me a coward. I’m not getting in the middle of a pissing contest with two grown Fae men.

“We’ll discuss everything over dinner. You’re welcome to join if you lose the piss-poor attitude,” Knox snaps.

I haven’t heard Knox use such a commanding voice before.

I don’t see whether Nolan backs away, as my view is engulfed by the taut muscles of Knox’s back.

The foyer remains silent for a moment. I look to Hazel who’s eyeing Nolan, assessing. The tension in the room dissipates as several footsteps echo throughout the foyer, retreating into the dining room.

Without a word, Knox follows his court.

In the dining room, Knox is at his usual seat. Mine and Hazel’s spots sit vacant. Axel and Ace sit to my right, while Harlow, Nolan, and Lenox are beside Hazel on her side of the table. Food appears once we’re all seated, more than I’ve ever seen on one table. And that’s saying something considering the spread at Mia’s.

Knox’s court wastes no time digging into it all as if they’ve been starved for weeks.

Lenox groans. “I missed this so fucking much.”

Harlow rolls her eyes. “What? Does the princess not like the food on the road?”

Lenox’s gaze sweeps Harlow from top to bottom. “Says the one with freshly washed and styled hair…Did the forest do that for you, Low?”

Harlow clicks her tongue as she throws her red-streaked hair over her shoulder. “Unlike you, I prefer to be clean. I don’t lick myself like a dog.”

Snickers ring out around the table. Even Hazel bites her lip, trying to hold her laughter in.

My palms are clammy as I serve myself seasoned roast and vegetables.

“How did you get through the border?” Axel’s deep voice asks beside me, the darker half of Easton’s doppelgänger.

His words halt all other conversations around the table.

I swallow through the dryness of my throat. “A pendant my mother gave me was cast with an unveiling spell. I walked right through.” I stare at Axel; his appearance is intimidating, yet I don’t feel afraid in his presence.

“When did you transform?” he asks, taking a sip of his wine.

“As I crossed over.”

“Fitting that the first person to be able to enter these lands since the spell was cast is a human who suddenly turned into a Fae,” Nolan grits out, his neck turning stark red against his light blond hair.

All eyes are on me now. Anxiety pulses through my body, my heart beating so fast it makes me feel like I’ve just gotten back from training.

Hazel narrows her eyes at Nolan, a slight sneer on her lips as she says, “I found her in a rowboat tied to my dock—” Hazel looks to Knox for confirmation to reveal the rest. At his shallow nod, she continues, “Delilah was brought to me by the mermaids.”

That silences everyone.

Harlow whistles, breaking the silence. “Damn, this shit gets more interesting by the second.”

“They gave Delilah riddles to complete. She found the first, which led to me, and the second we’re still working on,” Knox explains.

I focus on my plate as Knox catches everyone up on what’s happened over the past several weeks. When he finishes, nobody has a teasing remark or joke to break the ice.

“How do we know that her story is true?” Nolan asks from across the table.

Harlow openly frowns while Lenox shakes his head in disgust.

“I read her mind, Nolan, that’s how,” Knox says, his voice as cold as death.

Nolan turns to me, surprise flashing in his eyes before he lowers his gaze. His Adam’s apple bobs as he swallows. Hazel-colored eyes lift to mine, his face sheepish as he says, “I apologize. The queen has spies everywhere, and it’s unheard of anyone passing through the border.”

Not the best apology I’ve heard, yet I don’t feel like being scrutinized by him again. “I understand,” I say, returning to my food.

It feels weird to me that not only am I sitting in a court meeting and speaking, but that I’m eating dinner with them. It’s so different from how my father operated at the palace that it makes me fidgety.

“The entrapment spell was truly cast with dark magic?” Harlow asks.

Knox nods. “Unfortunately, yes. How did the scouting mission go?”

Harlow swirls her glass as she speaks. “The queen’s guards have been dwindling. Nobody knows where they’ve disappeared to.”

Lenox leans forward. “There were reports of the aerial legion acting out.”Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

Knox lowers his wine glass. “In what way?”

“The beasts refuse to fly near the northern end of the island,” Axel chimes in.

The memory of Creseda refusing to go near the In-between floats through my mind, along with the numerous times the animals in the forest vanished when a demonic creature was near. Perhaps animals can sense not only the demonic creatures but the dark magic they possess. I look around the room as they all cut each other off to offer their thoughts on why that could be. I bite my lip, wondering if I can—

We’re not formal here, Angel. If you have an idea you’re encouraged to speak.

I look over at Knox. His eyes are on me, not paying attention to his court in the slightest.

“What did you say, Delilah?” he asks casually, taking a sip of wine.

Bastard.

All eyes turn to me again.

Squaring my shoulders, I offer, “Perhaps the animals sense the demons and their dark magic. When the demonic creatures were present, it’s as if they all vanish entirely.”

Knox nods. “We’ll go to the aerial legion after the Eclipse Ball,” he says roughly.

Harlow claps her hands. “I’ve got the most stunning dress—”

“You say that every year,” Lenox mumbles

Harlow narrows her eyes. “And I have the best dress every year.”

“If you say so,” Lenox sing-songs, lifting his fork to his mouth.

“Excuse me for not taking fashion advice from the man who wore the same shirt for a year,” she taunts.

Ace spews his wine across the dining table, wetting Lenox and Nolan in the process. Everyone around the table bursts into a fit of laughter.

“You said that was just a rumor!” Ace blurts.

“They’re a loud bunch but you’ll get used to them,” Axel whispers beside me.

I turn to him with a small smile of appreciation. Besides speaking about court matters, Axel hasn’t talked much throughout dinner. His brother seems to be the chatty one of the two. If it isn’t about work Axel appears to remain silent.

Lenox’s scoffing draws me across the table.

“It is a rumor,” he grumbles, wiping wine off his shirt.

“What’s the Eclipse Ball?” I ask, wondering if it’s indeed the same ball all the royals were murdered at, and if so, why they would still celebrate considering what happened.

Harlow gasps. “Are you depriving her of the Eclipse Ball?” she whines to Knox.

Knox rolls his eyes. “No, Harlow.”

“Thank the heavens.” Focusing all her attention on me, she explains, “It’s an annual masked ball. Everyone is required to come, and it’s amazing.” She leans forward, placing her forearms on the table. “It’s held during the yearly eclipse. Twenty-four hours of darkness and more than half the time is spent partying…amongst other activities.”

I turn to Hazel. “Are you going?” I ask.

Hazel beams. “This year I am.”

“I’ll take you shopping.” Harlow winks, flicking her red-streaked hair.

Hazel rolls her eyes. “Good luck. I’ve been trying to take her shopping for weeks.”

Delight shines in Harlow’s eyes. “Challenge accepted!”

Knox rests his head in his hands. “Are you finished?”

Harlow waves her hand in the air. “Continue with talk of those pesky little things.”

Lenox chuckles. “I’d hardly call dragons little.”

My head snaps up, my heart pounding at the word. “Dragons?”

“Dragons and griffins make up the aerial legion,” Ace chimes in. “I have a beautiful white griffin. He stays on the island when I travel.”

They’re alive, Easton.

Lenox must take my silence for fear, smirking at me from across the table. “Scared of dragons?” he teases.

“I’m sitting at a table with you, aren’t I?” I say, taking a sip of my water.

Lenox howls with laughter as he turns to Knox. “I like her.”

Knox’s head falls into his palm, his shoulders shaking on a silent chuckle.

“You like anything that’s female and moves,” Harlow quips.

“At least I have a heart,” Lenox mocks, making Harlow roll her eyes.

“We’ve been through this, sweetie… I’m only half-witch.” She cocks her head. “Do you need a moment to understand?”

“You’re a witch?” I blurt. “But you’re nice.”

“On a good day,” Lenox mutters.

Harlow points a long red-manicured nail at me. “Half-witch.” She winks. “I have fire and shadow magic.”

Knox interrupts. “Harlow is my spy.”

Taking in her stunning looks, I can see how men would underestimate her. A slow smile spreads across her face as crackling embers of fire and shadow swirl around her.

Oh, they most certainly would underestimate her.

I open my mouth to ask why she doesn’t live with them, only for Harlow to cut me off. “They abandoned me. The bitches couldn’t deal with a half-breed Fae.”

That’s why Knox took her in…She had no one.

“Lenox is my third-in-command,” Knox cuts in, changing the subject.

Lenox’s eyes alight with red fire. “Don’t forget warrior—”

“Of course, because being a warrior is oh so highly important,” Harlow quips.

Knox cuts off their bickering. “Born warriors’ senses are more enhanced than a Fae’s. They’re built to weather through wars.”

“Do you have to be born a warrior to join?” I ask.

“No, anyone can join. Although those who are born warriors move up in the ranks quicker.”

“I’m the commander of Knox’s armies,” Nolan says around his fork.

That doesn’t surprise me at all.

I know he apologized, but he didn’t leave a good first impression on me, and it’ll take a lot more than a half-assed apology to feel comfortable around him.

“Who do the warriors serve?”

“Aloriah. The royals of each court have their own personal army, people serving them from their own court lands. However, the warriors from the Fire Court serve to protect Aloriah as a whole.”

I turn my gaze to the silent Fae beside me. “Where do you fit in here?”

“Axel is my second in command,” Knox explains.

“What powers do you possess?” I ask him.

“Air and Earth,” Axel replies casually, the wing tattoo on his neck bunching as his Adam’s apple bobs.

“What court are you from, Hazel?” Ace asks softly.

“Earth,” she states proudly.

I look over in time to see Ace give Hazel a gorgeous smile, making her cheeks heat. Oh, I am so going to tease her over this after all the nonsense she gives me about Knox.

Ace beams. “I’m Earth and Water.”

That’s interesting. How do identical twins end up with different powers? I slide my gaze to Hazel, catching a flash of pain in her eyes. Oh.

Ace has the same powers as Luna.

Knox’s deep husky voice drags my gaze away. “Ace is my emissary.”

Now that makes sense. Ace is the friendliest of all the males. I can see him spreading peace throughout a group; he’s too loveable to be angry at.

“Do you all live here?” I ask.

Knox said his court lived at the other end of the hall a level below us, but it doesn’t seem like the house is big enough for all their personalities.

Harlow shudders. “God no. Too much testosterone. I live in an apartment by the ocean.”

“The twins and Lenox live in the house,” Knox cuts in smoothly.

Nolan’s quiet when he speaks, sadness coating his words. “I live in my mother and sister’s house.”

“Who should go to the aerial legion?” Axel chimes in.

I frown at Axel’s sudden change in conversation, my eyes glued to Nolan’s face as sadness lines his eyes.

“You and Ace. I need Lenox and Harlow to scout for the demonic hounds.” Knox addresses me. “Delilah, care to join us?”

Everyone at the table besides Hazel stares at me, waiting for my answer.

Is this a test to them? To see if I’ll truly help them?

“Of course,” I reply smoothly.

Hazel chimes in, taking her eyes off Ace, “I’ll continue sorting through the dark magic books. I have three more to go.”

Knox nods, ending the discussion of work.

Harlow and Lenox waste no time as they begin taunting each other.

Bubbles of water float in front of me as I lay in the clawfoot tub, practicing my water magic. I tried going to sleep hours ago but was unable to shut my mind off. The more time I spend with Knox and the more I get to know him, the more my body seems to want him. Reacting before my mind can shut down the involuntary responses.

For heaven’s sake, I was jealous at the thought of Knox having a lover. Knox is nothing but a flirt, but apparently his flirting has confused my hormones.

Perhaps being in a Fae body heightens your emotions…After all, everything else is heightened. I certainly never used to feel hot and bothered while training with men.

Groaning, I slide my head under the water.

Knox is the least of my worries and shouldn’t be consuming my thoughts. So what if my body is attracted to him? Who wouldn’t be? The man’s practically a walking sex god, and my body is simply enjoying the sight.

I run my hands through my hair as I breach the water.

I need to have full concentration on the tasks at hand. So many lives depend on it, yet here I am obsessing over why I felt jealous over Knox. I can’t be distracted by his charm or good looks; I need to focus on learning magic, finding the dark magic book, helping my people and the trapped Fae.

I can make a difference here. I can help.

This is all temporary…I simply need to focus.