The Broken Blades Trilogy, #3
Three Shattered Souls
by Mai Corland
Contents
Chapter Sixty-Six
Overview
Royo carries an unresponsive Aeri back to Rose Palace as the city burns from Mikail’s attack. Aeri finally awakens with the Immortal Crown fused to her. Their apparent victory sours when Fallador reveals Sora and Tiyung were abducted from the palace, shifting the group from triumph to urgent crisis.
Summary
Royo gallops toward Jeul holding an unconscious Aeri while Mikail, bearing the relics, rides beside him and Teo and Duval follow. Despite the burning port and the death of King Joon, Royo feels hollow, fearing Aeri may never return. They arrive at Rose Palace, where Royo pleads for Aeri to come back.
Aeri’s eyelids flutter and she awakens, exhausted but aware that the Immortal Crown is fused to her brow. Mikail urges getting her inside, and Royo carries Aeri up the palace steps, relieved to feel her respond and nuzzle against him.
At the doors, a frantic, barefoot Fallador rushes out, barely hearing Mikail’s terse report that Joon is dead. Fallador instead demands to know what happened to Sora and Tiyung, explaining he heard intruders and a man’s scream while he was bathing; by the time he dressed, both were gone and the palace stood otherwise empty.
The realization that Sora and Tiyung have been abducted cuts through the party’s brief relief. Mikail storms into the palace as the group pivots from celebrating victory to confronting a fresh, urgent loss.
Who Appears
- RoyoPOV; carries unconscious Aeri, begs her to return, relieved when she awakens.
- AeriRevives after being saved by the Immortal Crown, which is fused to her forehead.
- MikailReturns with relics, confirms Joon’s death, leads entry, alarmed by the abduction news.
- FalladorPanicked resident; reports Sora and Tiyung were taken during his bath.
- TeoSurvivor of the assault; accompanies the group back to the palace.
- DuvalSurvivor returning with the group; silent but present support.
- SoraAlly abducted from Rose Palace by unknown intruders, off-page.
- TiyungAlly abducted from Rose Palace; disappearance triggers immediate alarm.