Crown of Chaos (Legacy of the Nine Realms Book 4) (Amelia Hutchins)

Crown of Chaos By Amelia Hutchins

ISBN: 978-1-952712-13-5 Copyright ©February2022 Amelia Hutchins This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual events or locales is entirely coincidental. This book in its entirety and in portions is the sole property of Amelia Hutchins. Crown of Chaos Copyright©2022 by Amelia Hutchins. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic, paperback or mechanical without the express written permission of the author. The scanning, uploading and distribution of this book via the internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. This eBook/Paperback is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to the place of purchase and buy your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. Authored By: Amelia Hutchins Cover Art Design: Eerily Book Designs Copy edited by: AW Editing Edited by: AW Editing Published by: Amelia Hutchins Published in (United States of America) 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Table of Contents Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen Chapter Nineteen Chapter Twenty Chapter Twenty-One Chapter Twenty-Two Chapter Twenty-Three Chapter Twenty-Four Chapter Twenty-Five Chapter Twenty-Six Part II Chapter Twenty-Seven Chapter Twenty-Eight Chapter Twenty-Nine Chapter Thirty Chapter Thirty-One Chapter Thirty-Two Chapter Thirty-Three Chapter Thirty-Four Chapter Thirty-Five Chapter Thirty-Six Chapter Thirty-Seven Chapter Thirty-Eight Chapter Thirty-Nine Chapter Forty Chapter Forty-One Chapter Forty-Two Chapter Forty-Three Chapter Forty-Four Chapter Forty-Five Chapter Forty-Six Chapter Forty-Seven Chapter Forty-Eight

Chapter Forty-Nine Chapter Fifty Chapter Fifty-One Chapter Fifty-Two Chapter Fifty-Three Chapter Fifty-Four Chapter Fifty-Five Chapter Fifty-Six Chapter Fifty-Seven Chapter Fifty-Eight Chapter Fifty-Nine Chapter Sixty Chapter Sixty-One Nine Realms’ Compendium About the Author

Warning: This book is dark. It’s sexy, hot, and intense. The author is human, just as you are. Is the book perfect? It’s as perfect as I could make it. Are there mistakes? Probably, then again, even New York Times top published books have minimal mistakes because, like me, they have human editors. There are words in this book that are not in the standard dictionary because they set the stage for a paranormal-urban fantasy world. Words in this novel are common in paranormal books and give better descriptions of the action in the story than other words found in standard dictionaries. They are intentional and not mistakes. About the hero: chances are you may not fall instantly in love with him, that’s because I don’t write men you instantly love; you grow to love them. I don’t believe in instant love. I write flawed, raw, caveman-like assholes that eventually let you see their redeeming qualities. They are aggressive assholes, one step above a caveman when we meet them. You may not even like him by the time you finish this book, but I promise you will love him by the end of this series. About the heroine: There is a chance you might think she’s naïve or weak, but then again, who starts out as a badass? Badass women are a product of growth, and I am going to put her through hell, and you get to watch her come up swinging every time I knock her on her ass. That’s just how I do things. How she reacts to the set of circumstances she is put through may not be how you, as the reader, or I, as the author, would react to that same situation. Everyone reacts differently to circumstances and how she responds to her challenges is how I see her as a character and as a person. I don’t write love stories: I write fast-paced, knock you on your ass, make you sit on the edge of your seat wondering what is going to happen next in the books. If you’re looking for cookie-cutter romance, this isn’t for you. If you can’t handle the ride, unbuckle your seatbelt and get out of the roller-coaster car now. If not, you’ve been warned. If nothing outlined above bothers you, carry on and enjoy the ride! FYI, this is not a romance novel. They’re going to kick the shit out of each other, and if they end up together, well, that’s their choice. If you are going into this blind, and you complain about abuse between two creatures that are NOT human, well, that’s on you. I have done my job and given a warning.

Dedication To the broken things, who are trying to seal those cracks? Stop, they’re what makes you who you are. They may seem huge, and ugly, but they’re what separate you from everyone else. Never change you to fit what society thinks you should be. Shine on beautiful chaos. To Ashley, thank you so much for saving my ass! You’re a unicorn, and you whooped this book’s ass! M and M, I love you both. You are both amazing, and I couldn’t imagine a world without you in it. Big M, write the damn book. You don’t need classes, you are brilliant and can do this. I know you can, and it’s time you read the book D got you, and just write that fucker. IF THIS BOOK FALLS APART, return it to whichever platform you purchased it from and get them to replace it. It’s a big book, and bound to have some issues. To the tribe, and those who make my world a better place. You’re noticed, and you’re beautiful. To my small group of authors who build one another up while others seek to tear us down. I freaking love you, ladies. To those who read this, and hate it because they can’t stand Knox . . . This is a true enemy to lover’s book. It is a journey of emotional and physical trauma that doesn’t simply vanish because you want it to. Traumatic stress disorder and other mentally inflicted damages don’t leave easily. Healing from anything takes time, and patience. I designed Knox after a true, genuine step-by-step layered healing that normally is associated with mental or traumatic damage done over a long period of time. Trust the process, and imagine things from his point of view, and if you still hate him? There are thousands of other books waiting for you to love. I hope you find one that sets your mind and soul on fire. Signed, that tired author person. XoXo

Books by Amelia Hutchins along with reading order for series LEGACY OF THE NINE REALMS Flames of Chaos Ashes of Chaos Ruins of Chaos Crown of Chaos Coming Soon Queen of Chaos 2022 King of Chaos Reign of Chaos THE FAE CHRONICLES Fighting Destiny Taunting Destiny Escaping Destiny Seducing Destiny Unraveling Destiny Embracing Destiny Crowning Destiny Finished Series THE ELITE GUARDS A Demon’s Dark Embrace Claiming the Dragon King The Winter Court A Demon’s Plaything A GUARDIAN’S DIARY Darkest Before Dawn Death before Dawn Midnight Rising -TBA MONSTERS SERIES Playing with Monsters Sleeping with Monsters Becoming his Monster Revealing the Monster Finished Series

WICKED KNIGHTS Oh, Holy Knight If She’s Wicked Book Three -TBA MIDNIGHT COVEN BOOKS Forever Immortal Immortal Hexes Midnight Coven Finished Series BULLETPROOF DAMSEL SERIES Bulletproof Damsel Coming Soon Silverproof Damsel Fireproof Damsel Alpha’s Claim Standalone THE DARKEST FAE King of the Shadow Fae Coming Soon King of the Night Fae Queen of the Stars Fate Series Whispers of Fate (Intro to Kahleena’s book) If you’re following the Fae Chronicles, Elite Guards, and Monsters series, the reading order is as follows. Fighting Destiny Taunting Destiny Escaping Destiny Seducing Destiny A Demon’s Dark Embrace Playing with Monsters Unraveling Destiny Sleeping with Monsters Claiming the Dragon King Oh, Holy Knight Becoming his Monster A Demon’s Plaything The Winter Court If She’s Wicked Embracing Destiny Crowning Destiny

Revealing the Monster Whispers of Fate

Chapter One Unable to sleep, I turned over in bed and groaned as my mind whirled with thoughts of the last few keeps we’d attacked. A worrisome feeling slithered through me, tightening like a vice around my heart, and I gave myself a minute to wonder what this place would have been like had Hecate never waged war against the realms. I fluffed my pillow, but the sense of weightlessness seized me. Then I was standing, which had me yelping in shock as I glanced around for the culprit, or a reason someone had yanked me from my warm bed and dropped me into a frozen . . . graveyard? Scanning the bodies strewn everywhere, I grimaced. I mean, who didn’t desire to be plucked from their bed and plopped right into a field of dead bodies? Ignoring the rocks that bit into the soles of my feet and the chilled air that forced me to rub my arms, I decided the remains were the ruins of what appeared to be a town, nestled at the bottom of a sprawling, massive palace. I moved onward, hesitantly taking a ruined staircase down to a trail, which cut an overgrown line through the abandoned city. There were no signs of activity in the shadows and buildings I passed, so I aimed my attention at the ruins spreading throughout the sweeping valley. Unease and the sensation of being watched caused my adrenaline to rocket through me, putting me on high-alert, minus Ember, who was snoring undisturbed within me. Of all the times she ignored what was unfolding outside of her Aria-cocoon, now wasn’t ideal. Her senses were far more advanced than mine, and she could smell a meal from a mile away. I quietly took in the beauty of the ruined houses and churches that were decrepit with moss coating the roofs. Signs of a battle marred the houses and structures off in the distance. There were more remains here than had been at the bottom of the hill, as if this had been where the people had fled, trying to escape whatever had happened here. The corpses above had held no obvious signs of wounds, but these that rested on the edge of the city did. An unsettling stillness filled the ruins as blood echoed in my ears, pounding relentlessly while I shuffled barefoot over the gravel walkway. Everywhere I looked, there were skeletal remains scattered on the ground, charred and blackened as if they’d tasted flames during death. I ignored the

chill on my feet and how the wind screamed through the narrow cliff walls that protected the city. But the shrill cry that echoed through the ruins and sounded as if it were slowly nearing demanded my focus. Sound sliced through the air, squealing directly above me, forcing my focus to lift. A gigantic serpent-type creature cut through the sky like shears through silk. The moonlight kissed its scales, bathing the enormous dragon in its soothing light. A gentle smile flitted over my face as alarm rushed through me. “Dragons,” I murmured, afraid I’d disturb the scaled serpent sailing through the clouds with grace and beauty. I briefly wondered if I’d created the fantasy, or if someone else had brought it here to me. I’d discovered that I held the capability to transfer my image into dreams, but it was taxing to accomplish. This one seemed different, and I sensed I wasn’t alone here. I could feel eyes on my spine, and the state in which I’d been yanked into this place suggested this wasn’t by my design. Hearing the noise of surging water, I hesitated at a substantial wooden bridge that was suspended between two cliffs. I glanced below, where a swift river glowed an eerie green, similar to the emerald orbs of the dragon. On the far side of the bridge there was a valley that led to a sprawling palace built in the mountains that would have been beautiful had it not been destroyed during the wars. High on the cliff, a palace sparkled with crystals and clear quartz embedded in it from the base of the walls to the lofty, obsidian towers. Intricately carved bridges and walkways adorned the crystal mountainside, winding and intermingling as they led higher and closer to the top. Massive gates sat closed, barring intruders, with colossal statues of dragons and phoenixes posed as if landing on either side of the enormous gates that opened deeper into the town. Their wings stretched out beautifully with graceful purpose, and their wide jaws were open to reveal sharp, serrated fangs. The dragon landed on a perch, howling his displeasure at my presence in the ruins, causing everything within me to tighten with panic as I clenched my hands into fists. Still, I pushed on as if drawn into the ruins by an invisible thread. Wood creaked beneath my slight weight, whining from being weakened and weathered by time. Keeping my focus on the dragon, I inhaled the earthy scent of the wood mixing with moss that my steps displaced from the boards.

I lost my footing on the decaying bridge, and as I steadied myself, I caught a hint of freshly baked bread and meat from the direction of the castle. Yet, there wasn’t any life visible other than the sage plants, which added splashes of vibrant color to the dreary backdrop of muted grays. I gripped the ropes tightly and gradually walked farther across the bridge. The wind howled, adding a foreboding sensation as my hair whipped against my cheek. Halfway to the other side, my foot slid and sent my body careening toward the edge. I tightened my grip on the ropes, and a thin cry broke from my chest. Fighting to catch my breath and calm the anxiety rushing through me, I closed my eyes. Nausea churned in my stomach as I struggled to find purchase against the terror threatening to swallow my mind. A bright light exploded overhead, lighting against my eyelids and tempting them to open. Above me, there was a fiery creature flapping its wide, red-orange-and-blue wings. I was in awe as its feathers dropped toward the bridge, catching fire where they fell. I forced my body to rise, knowing that I had to clear the wooden bridge before the flames took it into the river below. A fiery feather landed on my arm, and I cried out as I shook it off. Slowly, uncertain of why I sensed the need to do so, I kneeled to pick it up. Grasping the plume in my fingers, I lifted it to inspect. Holding it to my nose, I inhaled the faint whiff of bergamot and sage that smelled heavenly as I drank it into my lungs. The phoenix squawked, rapidly flapping its wings and making the bridge swing wildly. I ran headlong, rushing deftly over the slippery, mosscovered planks. The moment I reached solid ground, I spun to scan the sky where the enormous, beautiful bird had been. It was empty, and if it weren’t for the feather I still held, which burned with mesmerizing flames, I would have thought I’d imagined it all. Turning toward the passageway, I narrowed my gaze on a tall silver torch arranged on the battlement, which had probably lit the way of weary, tired travelers. Padding forward, I placed the plume onto the silver top, and the lantern whooshed to life. The fire leaped from brazier to brazier, spreading the golden flames and illuminating the buildings. Runes sparked to life everywhere the gentle glow of firelight touched, and a multitude of kaleidoscopic prisms exploded across the village, chasing away the darkness from the areas in which they lay. Forcing myself to continue, I strode down what would have been the main road. Cobblestone crunched

beneath my feet, which no longer ached without shoes. Windows to the shops had melted and sat in murky pools beneath the sills. The structures looked sketchy, as if a strong breeze could render them to rubble. At the start of the walkway, I surveyed the massive gate that blocked entrance to the trail leading higher. Rainbow prisms caught my eye, and I smirked at the way they danced over the surfaces and offered light into the dark, dreary abandoned ruins. Someone had exquisitely crafted the palace so the crystals reflected light, turning the structure and everything near it ethereal and dreamlike. I slid my concern to the castle, to where the phoenix had settled beside the dragon, and found them both watching my approach from their lofty perches. My heartbeat was the only noise breaking the silence as I stared at them. I made my way to the gates, pausing at the torn and tattered banner discarded before them. On it was the emblem of the sun with a dragon and phoenix clutching onto it; their wings expanded as if they sought to seize the light.  “It is the symbol of our people,” a masculine voice whispered. I whirled in a small circle, searching the shadows for the man who had spoken. Swallowing the urge to drop the banner and run away, I shivered from the cold biting my flesh. “Do not fear me, for I wish you no harm, daughter,” the male promised, his voice brushing against me with a sensation of warmth and protection. “Where am I?” I asked, knowing they had led here me for a reason. “This is the Kingdom of Fire.” “This is where we are from, Aria. The inferno blazing inside you came from this realm and proves you’re one of us. Few can withstand fire, but only those truly from this kingdom can wield it in both battle and in their bed.” He made a sound in his throat before covering his mouth with his palm. Tossing a curious glance toward where the sound of his voice came from, I wondered if he was privy to the knowledge that I’d almost burned down Knox’s bedroom and the tent we’d wrecked when I’d reached my heat. “This kingdom was once a glorious place that knew only peace until the gods locked Hecate within the realms. She destroyed our kingdom in her quest to rule the Nine Realms.” The entire scene changed, becoming vibrant and bustling with people. The ghostly images of children laughing, and running after each other as people chuckled at their antics, appeared. Women hung clothes on lines to

dry or rocked babes in their arms while chatting with others as they proceeded down the pathway. The town was full of carts with sellers, peddling goods to those who passed. The enticing whiff of baked goods and cured meat caused my mouth to salivate at the thought of tasting their fares. Above the village, the castle sparkled with vibrancy and color. The sun glinting off the palace produced vibrant prisms and heated the valley housing the kingdom. Dragons and phoenixes filled the skies above it, sailing through the air. They mingled above me, swooping and sliding between one another while they played. A pair dropped precariously low to the ground, gliding together. The closer they got, the faster my pulse thundered, but they lifted before they collided with me, chuffing as I gasped and twisted to follow them ascending into the sky once more. “I’m dreaming,” I said more to myself than to him. It was also the only thing I could think to say to what I had witnessed. “Are you, daughter?” he asked, laughing from directly behind me. Worry and confusion coursed through me, telling me that, if I spun around, no one would be there. “I’ve been waiting for you to be curious about us. We needed you to find your center and understand where you truly belong. You’re a part of me, and I’m glad you’ve opened your mind to allow me access to you, and the ability to show you my world without endangering either of us.” “I had been wondering what the world would be like if war had never touched the Nine Realms, and it allowed you to bring me here, didn’t it?” I countered through trembling lips, lifting my attention back to the skies filled with ethereal creatures. A hand touched my shoulder, and I turned to peer into eyes the same color as mine. My birth father’s hair was dark silver with black tips that dusted his shoulders, twin swirls of ink drifted in wispy lines encircling his arms to his blackened fingertips, and a kind smile played on his mouth. “Yes, your mind was open to learning, which allowed me to draw you to me,” he informed, scanning my face. We sized one another up, before he continued. “We can speak here without being overheard by those who would wish to taint your mind,” he mused, nodding to where a giant phoenix had landed. The creature shifted, power humming in the air as it changed into a man. I narrowed my eyes at Aden as he stepped to me and stroked his knuckles

over my cheek. “Aden,” I murmured, and his lips jerked back, revealing white teeth that made his bronzed flesh appear darker. “Hello, Little One,” he returned, leaning forward to brush his lips against mine. “Welcome home.” Emotion churned through me as I glanced away from him and to the creatures dancing through the skies. “Why am I here?” I asked, fighting the tremble trying to shake my soul. “This is where you are from. These ruins are your forefather’s legacy and your birthright. One day, you and I shall rule this land together,” Aden answered as he moved to stand beside me. “At one time, this was where the king and queen of the Nine Realms lived while ruling over the other realms. There was peace, and the realms lived without the fear of being destroyed or murdered. If we win the war, it is where you and I will rule over our people once more, Aria.” Swallowing the rebuttal and denial of his words, I remained silent. Then, with no warning, I started forward, moving toward the palace that stood high and mighty amongst the smaller buildings that surrounded the structure. The gates swung open, and I entered the courtyard, only to pause as the echo of flowing water drew my focus. The air was damp with water droplets being splashed from the fountains that lined the path leading up the incline. Drifting to the waterfalls that flowed over the steep cliffs, I peered through them to where a shadow appeared behind the water. A quiet whimper left my lungs as a large, fiery red dragon rushed through the water, shrieking as it glided higher, and then slowly spiraled down until he landed, shaking the ground before me with the sheer magnitude of the glorious beast. My heart stopped beating, and my breath hitched in my lungs. Its head dipped, as if he were studying me while he crept to where I stood. My fingers curled against my palms, forming fists to prevent myself from reaching out and attempting to stroke him as if he were a domesticated animal. It pawed the ground, scratching sizable holes in the pavers. I gawked at its elongated claws, rolling my eyes back to where it watched me through oceanic depths. Unlike Aden, it didn’t transform into anyone. It merely chuffed and made a soft rattling noise that sang to my soul.

“Your path will either lead us to victory or destroy everything and everyone within the Nine Realms, Aria,” my father whispered, touching my hair before tucking wayward strands behind my ear. “You’re from me, and that means this world is where you belong now. I merely planted the seed from which you sprouted, but you surpassed my expectations. The Nine Realms senses you and knows the true queen has returned to remove the taint that stains the land. I know you feel it too, daughter. This is where you fit, and belong with us. Together, we will take back our world, and return to this realm to see life flourishing in it once more.” “You make it sound easy to accomplish,” I whispered before facing the dragon, which was studying me. The dragon’s snarl of displeasure sent heated air along my body. Silently and slowly, I inched toward the dragon’s red scales. Its eyes turned to obsidian with flickering embers burning within them. I lifted my trembling fingers and brushed the chest of the gigantic beast. “You’re a beautiful creature, aren’t you?” I whispered barely loud enough for the words to be carried on the wind. The dragon rattled, lowering its head as if inviting me to climb onto his back. For just a second, I entertained the thought, wondering what it would feel like to fly, but then the dragon shifted, and my entire focus fell to the pendant on the ground by its claws. I grabbed it and blew the dirt from the raven etched on the medallion. My eyes narrowed on the outstretched wings and how the bird’s beak was open as if cawing out in warning. Forcing my senses outward, I sought what had disturbed the dragon and watched as skeletal fingers shot through the ground. The mangled corpse struggled to break free of the dirt, and once it had, it crawled over the earthen floor toward me. It started moving faster than my mind could process and then rose, continuing to jerk as if it had slipped out from some horror movie, snarling and shaking until it became whole. I frowned when it finally straightened and looked directly at me. Aurora turned her head, a frown deepening on her mouth while creasing her forehead. She continued to gaze over the scenery before moving toward the dragon that stood near me. I stepped in front of it, staring at her as she walked closer. Fear shot through me, and the dragon chuffed loudly before it rattled a warning that I understood well. It sensed me defending it, and understood I would. Heat slid down my spine as it breathed behind me, watching Aurora with the intelligence of a predator bred to savagely

slaughter its prey. I understood that need viscerally and barely prevented the rattle from leaving my lungs. “You will betray us all for him,” she hissed before lunging. A flash of silver glinted in the light, and I brought my fist up to prevent the blade from piercing my chest. I screamed in pain, shooting up from the bed. I was disoriented, trying to separate fact from fiction, which was why it took a moment to realize my palm was bleeding. The cut was shallow and already beginning to heal, but the ability to be injured in a dream was unsettling. It took me another moment to realize I clutched the silver medallion in my other hand. Glancing around the room, I fought the ragged breathing that threatened to make me hyperventilate. Sliding my feet over the edge, I looked at the mud coating them and then inhaled, still smelling the freshly baked goods from the village. I pushed the pendant into the pocket of my nightgown and headed to the portal that opened into the library. If the necklace was from my father, then I needed to prevent anyone else from finding it or seeing the symbol until I figured out what it meant. It felt far too important to carry with me. I’d thought it merely a dream, but I’d been injured inside it, which wasn’t right. That shouldn’t have been any more possible than pulling something from it. Yet, I had proof of both. The first time I’d entered Knox’s dreamscape, he’d savaged my throat, but when I woke, there hadn’t been so much as a scratch. I had entered his dreams after that more than once, emerging unscathed each time even though he’d brutally taken me with a savagery that his anger and the betrayal he’d endured had fueled. My father’s words replayed inside my mind, forcing me to consider that he’d used something different from merely a dreamscape. The entire thing had felt real, and my feet still bore the dirt and muck. If he could summon me with his magic, was it possible for someone else to catch a ride through a rift left behind from the spell? It wouldn’t be unheard of, and it wasn’t impossible for dreams to enter the magical rift, either. So, had I conjured her to us, or had she reached me there? Had it even really been Aurora? Since dream magic meant anything was possible, there was no way of telling. But whoever it had been had sought to end me. That much was clear, and meant I had to guard my rear end. If my father wanted me, he’d find me. I had too much shit to deal with as it was. My list always grew and never seemed to shrink lately. It was a

constant battle to ignore the allure of Knox and his intoxicating scent while he lingered in the library. Plus, while I’d missed my sisters terribly, they were a lot to handle for more than a couple of hours. I’d kept distance from them more frequently. If they noticed, they kept it to themselves as I drifted closer to the girls I’d saved and became friends with since escaping Knox. It was those same friends I’d trusted now, which meant I’d need to inform them of the events that occurred tonight. Whoever wanted me pushing up daisies would need to get in line with the others seeking my blood. I fully intended to disappoint them all by remaining alive long enough to bring this place to its knees and see it restored to its full potential.

Chapter Two Knox The palace in Laveran, the capital of the Nine Realms, was already buzzing with rumors about today’s events and the group of witches currently entering the town. Every set of eyes was on them, yet they didn’t appear discouraged or afraid of coming into enemy territory. “That bitch out front has some balls on her.” Brander grunted, eyeing the witches with barely contained hatred. The council had voted, and done so without my knowledge. I’d formed the council with leaders, and subjects of every class throughout their kingdoms. Unlike the last council, I’d wanted one where people got a say in their future. It allowed the rulers a seat, and those beneath them to speak freely and allow their voices to be heard. It allowed us to know when rulers overstepped, or crushed people unjustly. Lately, they’d gotten braver, excluding me from the votes and making choices without me. I didn’t like the thought, but I’d promised to hear them out and see it from their side. If they persisted, they’d end up headless like the last council had. “Not balls,” I muttered while churning the council’s urging over in my mind. “Since they returned, they’ve been making deals to secure their seat on the council. Someone here whispered to the others and got them an audience tonight. It begs the question, did they use that ear to shield Aria before now, or is there someone else on it who intends to use her for their own agenda?” Disgust clung heavily to my words. People moved aside as the witches made their way toward the stairs leading up to the palace. Tensely, I scanned the crowd for Aria. I hadn’t caught her scent in over a month, and everything within me needed to find her. It was a visceral drive that I couldn’t eradicate from my soul. I’d spent weeks ignoring the desire to rip the realms apart to locate her. Lennox wanted her, and nothing I did or tried had eased his demand. Inhaling deeply, I fought the disappointment when I discovered her subtle rose scent was not within the courtyard. “I hate to say it, but this will not end as the council thinks.” Killian snorted, and his grip on the railing tightened before he pushed up, gazing

out over the crowd, all vying for a look at the untethered, unclaimed witches moving about freely. “No, it won’t. The council has organized moves without including me. If I disagree with their decision, they’ll regard it as a slight against them. A king is only as good as the men who stand with him,” I mused, hating that they’d deadlocked us into a position I didn’t want to be in. “We need to at least pretend to fall in line if we hope to learn who has been helping the witches broker the deals they’ve been making. I want to know who the hell is trying to get them back into the fold. I don’t care if you have to fuck the answer out of someone. Just do it.” “Daddy gets to play.” Lore chuckled, gradually turning to grin at me. “You don’t need to fuck them to get the answers you seek.” Greer scoffed, but then a male below caught his attention and he smiled with a hooded expression. “I’ll ask my companion for the evening. He adores court intrigue and is skilled in obtaining information for me. I will see you all tonight in the library.” Greer fixed his shirt before walking to the open balcony doors. Lore made a strangled sound as he caught sight of a woman watching him from the crowd. “Daddy found his snack for the night. I will meet you later, brothers.” Then he vanished, only to reappear below a second later. Unimpressed by the fact that he hadn’t waited for the council meeting to unfold, I turned to level the others with a look of unease. “This will break her,” I stated, not sure why it hurt me so much to express the truth. I hated that people were turning against Aria, but I’d warned her to trust no one and that not even those closest to her would remain by her side. That they’d do whatever it took to save themselves, which was exactly what they were doing. “I’m not worried about her. Aria is smarter than most people we know, and she is ahead of her enemies. Unfortunately, that includes us,” Brander returned coolly. He stepped back, joining me in the shadows as the witches moved beyond sight. Aria was brilliant, but that wasn’t what worried me. Betrayal was hard to swallow, even when you were prepared for it. She was kindhearted and soft in areas where this would cut her the deepest.

I preferred she never knew that pain, and that revelation caused a great need to rise within me. It demanded I find out where she was so I could keep her safe. Aria wasn’t alone in her plans, either. The witches from my army had assisted her, setting things into motion to free her from my grasp. Siobhan, a powerful witch in her own right, had spelled another witch to attack Aria while we’d been in camp. The assault had led to Aria removing her rib, which held my mark and name. It eliminated my ability to merely think about her and be able to hunt her down through the invisible thread that I’d linked her to me with. She and Soraya had known who Aria was and had implemented a plan to get her out without being tracked. The only thing that kept that plan from being discovered was that Aria hadn’t been aware of what was happening. They hadn’t expected her to sustain that much damage or for Bekkah to have cast her own spell on the men within the camp. It had taken me weeks to put the pieces together and question the few witches who hadn’t escaped us. None of them felt bad for betraying Siobhan once she was away, and each pined for the chance to take her place in my army. Plus, none wanted to pass on Killian’s offer for a night with him in exchange for information. I strode down the vacant hallway that led to the throne room. All council members were here tonight—each having been summoned to explain why their course of action had changed. They’d demanded I bring the Hecate bloodline back to the Nine Realms to be executed. Now they wanted to bring them back onto the council? I’d demand answers from them, but not in front of the witches. If the council didn’t want to end up like the last one, they needed to remember how to use their fucking heads before I removed them. My wall was looking bare lately, and my blade was thirsty for blood. There was also their attempt to control me and force me to be their puppet king. I probably deserved it for doing that exact thing to Aria, but that didn’t mean I’d actually allow them to continue pulling my strings. I’d allowed them to believe they held my reins, and if they wanted the witches to sit on the council, I’d let them assume they had won. I could pretend to fall in line and be whatever they wished until they hung themselves with their own ropes.

“We remain a united front in that room,” I informed over my shoulder, knowing that Killian and Brander followed me. “We’ll let them think they’ve won and decline to vote on the witches rejoining the council. I need everyone to monitor the chamber and watch for someone to give away that they’re in league with the witches. Once we figure that out, we can start moving pieces and securing the council once more.” What Dimitri had said to Aria hadn’t been far from my mind. Unfortunately, he was still on ice, healing from what Aria had done to him, and I couldn’t demand he explain. My dick twitched at the memory, and the skin on my forehead smoothed with thoughts of the bloodthirsty vixen who’d ripped Dimitri’s heart out. “Political shit gives me a headache,” Brander announced grouchily. “So, what’s the plan if they demand Aria’s life?” Killian asked. “She isn’t dying,” I snapped, unable to keep the anger from my words. “She is my wife, and that hasn’t changed. I doubt they’ll come in asking for blood. Especially knowing I claimed her and she bears my mark.” They could ask for her life, but I wouldn’t allow that to happen. In no world was Aria dying or being taken by anyone other than me. I intended to discover where she was hiding and reclaim what was rightfully mine. I wouldn’t make the same mistakes with Aria, and it mattered little what anyone said. Not a single one of them could face me in battle and win, and they knew it. The only creature within all the realms that could take me on was Hecate, and that spineless bitch was in hiding.  Pushing through the doors, I entered without being announced. I cared little for or about their social protocols. Politics and the sliminess that came with them drove me batshit crazy. There were serpents amongst them that had been directing and using me as their blade. Not that I had minded, but I was over their bullshit backstabbing antics. I glanced around the circular room, noting that they packed it full tonight. The crimson chairs that sat higher up were crammed with lords hoping to gain footing in the hierarchy with the coming changes. They flooded the middle rows with lords and ladies seeking to please their king or queen by adding numbers to their votes. The bottom rows were filled with the royalty, who relaxed in plush, royal-blue winged-back chairs that made up the widest circle. My seat, however, was closest to the dais where those who wished to voice their opinion or call for a vote would stand to announce it. Smaller chairs composed the lines of seating behind my spot, a nod to the stature and reputation of the men I held in my circle. Two chairs

sat beside mine, one that would eventually be for my queen and the other for Killian, my closest friend and advisor to the king. Currently, Brander used the one for the queen while Killian settled into his. I took my seat, the one marking me as high king, and frowned at the hooded figures huddled in the center of the area. They pulled their cloaks back, and the witch standing closest to the podium held my stare, her mouth curving into a cold smirk. “Welcome to the council of those who protect the Nine Realms,” Lord Brandyn stated, bowing his head while the witch’s stare remained locked with mine. “It’s been a long time since witches were allowed within the chambers,” he continued, standing to clap as others joined him. I didn’t stand, but then, no one expected me to, either. Smiling coldly, I refused to look away from the woman who fully intended to remove me from my throne. She could try, but she wasn’t strong enough to lead the army, and while she may not know it, everyone else here did. She tore her eyes from me, and the grin on her lips faltered as she took in the stares narrowing on her and the witches she’d brought. Unease slithered through the room as the voting ensued, and me and my men were the only nays cast against allowing the witches back onto the sacred council that controlled the laws of the Nine Realms. Once that decision was completed and the ayes won the tally, she stood, strolling to the middle of the room. My attention zeroed in on her, wondering what she intended to add, or voice for her first order of business as a member of the council. “We need to discuss Aria Hecate, and the danger she poses to every kingdom within the Nine Realms. It’s not without pain or a heaviness that I pose this vote, but with her power and the unhinged magic she pulls from the realms so easily, we must prevent her from continuing her current path. I ask you, each of you, to vote in favor of capturing and caging Aria Hecate so that she is no longer free to create chaos and destruction to any of the kingdoms that diligently guard and defend innocent lives within the realms,” she said softly, emotion dripping from her words. “I concur,” the nymph queen cried, rising from her chair to address the assembly. “Since we cannot eject her back to the Tenth Realm, we must end her life force and ensure we restore her power to the land.” Arguing erupted in the room while I glared at the witch who had tossed one of her own to the mercy of the council. That the witch’s first plan of

action was to remove Aria from the playing field made little sense. Sure, they hadn’t proposed her death, just her capture and containment, but that wasn’t going to be good enough for half the council members seated in the room. They were making it clear they wanted Aria dead. If that happened, she wouldn’t be accessible to use if shit hit the fan. The witches being here now had been strange, but now more pieces of the puzzle surrounding Aria were settling into place, and my earlier suspicions were correct. I silently stood, lifting my chin before I jerked it toward the exit, knowing Killian and Brander would understand they were to follow. Pulling on Aria’s magic, I felt it rushing to my fingertips. It was a perk of marrying her and made calling it to me much easier. Since she’d fled, I had been testing it and storing it as she did, which allowed me to wield greater force without ever needing to refill my reserves. Thrusting my hands upward, I opened a portal into the library and then slammed it closed as soon as Brander and Killian stepped through. My attention immediately slid to her section, and unease tightened in my stomach. How long before those same witches joined her and walked Aria into a trap? Aria always strived to see, and discover, the good in beings, but she was surrounded by enemies right now, and none of them gave a fuck if she lived or died. “We have to locate her,” I demanded, slamming my hand onto the round table in the middle of the room. “That witch won’t hesitate to sacrifice Aria to save her own ass,” I said as anger bubbled up within me. “I can’t lose her.” I hated admitting how my heart clenched when I’d learned that those closest to Aria wanted to destroy her. The council was turning, and even with my being the highest-ranking member, they’d chosen to ignore how I’d voted. It made me consider the possibilities that they’d spelled the council and other leaders or somehow gotten them to turn against me during the time I had been with Aria. Even though it wasn’t unheard of for kings and queens to change sides or shift views, they’d apparently forgotten who the fuck I was and who’d protected them during the wars we’d waged against Asil and Ilsa’s reign of terror. Without me, they’d be sitting on thrones of rubble, and that was irrefutably true. “The scouts are out looking for any sign of her, Knox. Wherever Aria is hiding, she’s covering her tracks. The hounds aren’t picking up on her

scent, and they’ve never failed us before,” Killian admitted, settling in the chair to rub his temples. “This is a clusterfuck.” “Aria warned me of the snakes in my nest, but she has an entire nest of them slithering around her, too, waiting to wring the life out of her,” I muttered as I took the seat opposite of Killian. “You two should go see about gathering information to use against the council.” “You’re not joining us for the fun tonight?” Killian asked pointedly. “No,” I informed with a sigh, craving to find the one woman who I could fully unleash on without needing to hold back my savagery and vicious hunger to destroy. “They’ve allowed the witches to return, and we all know what happens when they join the revelry. They’re going to end up turning the gathering into one large orgy, and I intend to be elsewhere before it begins.” I didn’t want anyone else. I craved my wife with a thirst that I had never felt before. Aria was wild in bed, and her passion was unmatched, but I wanted more than emotionless sex. I longed to feel her flames licking over my flesh. Could I indulge in meaningless sex? Yes. Did I want to? Nope. “That’s the fun part, asshole.” Killian snorted, pushing up to his full height. “Besides, if these women would lower their guard and disclose intelligence to anyone, it would be you. I think you should reconsider and join in the fun. It might soothe that tension you’re permeating the air with.” “No,” I answered after a moment. “Go enjoy the entertainment the lords and ladies have planned for me tonight. Someone should get to relish in the party.” I chuckled, turning to peer at the room beyond the barrier. “Report here in the morning and keep an eye on Greer and Lore. Ensure the newest additions to the council don’t harm them.” I waited for Brander and Killian to exit, heading to where the party would begin once the meeting adjourned. The moment they were gone, I once again looked toward the shield barring me from seeing her side of the library. Her space was tidy and appeared untouched, making it easy to determine that I was looking at a projected image. Even though I couldn’t see past the illusion, I knew she wasn’t there. She hadn’t been hiding behind it for quite some time. Moving toward the fireplace, I stared down at the burning log with Aria’s ethereal features being etched into the lumber. Over time, I had fed several of them to the ifrit I’d stolen and hidden away, and it had crafted the image into the wood.

The council had made plans before ever bringing Aria into the realms, and once she was here, other witches and creatures had attached themselves to her side. They’d planned to cross paths with her, knowing that something as powerful and merciless as her would be the key to their chance of surviving this war. She was a weapon to be wielded and used. Did it make me better than the ones who wished to use her in the same manner? No, but I needed that light in her eyes not to die out, either. In the beginning, I’d been a heartless prick to her. Now, I didn’t crave her pain or suffering. There was a fire that burned within her that warmed even the coldest of hearts. Others wouldn’t care if she was abused or hurt while wielding her against their foes. I wanted to locate her and shelter her from this world, even if she was still my enemy. If I were being truthful, I’d admit that my needs for her went deeper than I understood. She deserved the world and the future I saw inside her pretty eyes as she had claimed me. Fuck, I wanted it all, but I didn’t deserve it with her. I was the product of hundreds of years of torture, and she was a chaotic beauty in motion that still believed in happy endings. The question was, would Aria allow me to divert her from the path she was on? Or, if I was even the one to do that considering the choices I’d made recently. Afterall, I had been the one to allow Celia to guide the council in my stead. I’d been the one who assured them she was part of my inner circle and could be trusted. I’d handed the bitch the keys to my kingdom and had gone off to play war while she’d pretended to be a queen. The issue was, Celia wasn’t queen material, which was something I’d known when I’d given her that power, but I hadn’t cared. I needed to remedy that quickly. I also needed to decide what was best for Aria, because I sure in the fuck wasn’t it, either.

Chapter Three Aria Solace didn’t come easily during wartime, but I was learning to enjoy the small moments. It had been two months since I’d spoken to Knox. I’d seen him plenty of times in the library, but I’d remained hidden behind the barrier. I’d chosen to let him go, for now, to move on from the pain he’d inflicted on me because I couldn’t save him and the Nine Realms. Not when both were actively trying to kill me. I looked out over the slice of heaven we’d claimed as our sanctuary. High mountains hid the small palace that connected to a tiny village nestled around it. Little cottages were hidden beneath the thick greenery that covered the mountainside and moss that had grown over the rooftops. To anyone passing by, the hauntingly beautiful palace looked like something out of a horror story. The once proud, lofty towers had been rendered useless from stones flung from catapults. Smaller holes peppered the walls, allowing light to flood into the palace’s interior. Moss clung to the northern side of the ruins, and skulls hung from the walls by rope through their eye sockets. Entire skeletons dangled from the larger walls that enclosed the vast courtyard, a warning to those who passed the once lavish palace. The remains were twisted with rich, emerald-colored foliage. It climbed through the bones, wrapping around the legs and torsos before budding flowers escaped their mouths and rib cages. Between the back of the palace and the lofty cliffs, a thin wall of magic held back the hemlock, preventing it from sending poisonous gases and spores into the air to reach us. Water flowed over the outer cliff, creating a breathtakingly beautiful backdrop for the countryside. The waterfall poured into a swift-moving river ripe with fish for us to catch. It helped feed the overflow of witches flocking to us for protection against the dark magic flourishing within the realms. Several people were laughing below my vantage point, forcing my attention to where my sisters tossed runes onto a triple-moon cloth. Kinvara smiled, barking a loud clap of laughter at something Sabine whispered to her. Callista was sitting beside her, pointing to some runes with a sad

expression on her gentle face. It caused the others to go silent and matching frowns to tug on their mouths. My other sisters mingled with the new witches who had turned up last week, and children moved about playing, unafraid for the first time in I didn’t know how long. It seemed as if everyone was settling here, except me. Even though I was with my family, I still felt displaced and alone. I had been dealing with a lot of things that had left me struggling to understand the future—like Celia spelling Amara. I’d murdered my twin, and even though the pain was there, I refused to allow it out of the tight restraint I held it under. “You should be down there with your sisters.” Esme snorted, settling in beside me and popping a slice of apple into her mouth. “You hold yourself at arm’s length from everything and everyone. I get it, but keeping yourself separate won’t do anything to help protect anyone. That isn’t how life works. You’ll just end up alienating yourself from the people who love you.” “You realize that this won’t work out as we want it to, right?” I asked, waving my hand at the sanctuary that was too good to last. “Eventually, Hecate or Knox will find us, and this place will end up no better than the village that was slaughtered in the mountains between Norvalla and Vãkya.” “Maybe, but we have five escape routes. Plus, you can warn us if Knox gets close.” Esme shrugged as if it wasn’t a big deal to uproot and run. “You’re new in the realms, but this is how we live. We’re always moving, and we hardly ever get a warning before we have to flee to a safer location. Not one person here has unpacked their bags, Aria. No one trusts we are safe, no matter how much you think otherwise. You’re powerful, but so are our enemies.” Esme nodded at a mother who fed her baby while pondering the courtyard filled with witches. “She looks at peace, doesn’t she? Yet, she’s scanning every face for darkness or any hint of trouble that might hurt her child. The children are laughing and playing in the water, but they, too, are looking and watching for threats that could harm them.” “This isn’t any way for people to live.” I paused, remembering myself as a small child, being just as vigilant. Freya had been a constant threat, and I’d never forgotten that she wished me dead. I’d lived with one foot out the door and the other poised to run the moment I caught sight of my mother.

“No one should have to go through life looking over their shoulder for a knife aimed at their back.” “No, they shouldn’t. However, not everyone’s powerful enough to stand against those who want to destroy us simply for existing.” Esme tossed the apple core aside before cleaning the blade on her pants and pushing it back into the sheath on her thigh. “So, we’ve learned that staying on the move means staying alive.” Considering her words, I snorted at the accuracy of them. “How does that work for creatures like us? What happens when we are in a cycle and can no longer avoid the need of the creatures within us?” I countered with a crease sliding between my brows. “You make the best of it and learn to roll with what happens. Personally, I find someone, use them, and vanish the moment the cycle ends.” “Can I ask you something? How often do you go into heat?” I asked. “I just had my third cycle, and it was rather brutal. I’m mated now, and I fear I won’t be capable of stopping Ember from going to Knox when my next cycle hits. Knox hates me, and I don’t blame him. Hecate destroyed his life, and she made certain he felt pain so deep and visceral that I doubt he’ll ever stop hating me.” “It’s normally every few months for me.” She exhaled, staring out over the mist rolling in with the promise of a storm in the valley. “Have you ever been late, or successfully ignored a cycle?” My mind continually churned with what I’d allowed before leaving the library. I’d opened my womb to Knox, permitting him to mate with me, and I hadn’t started my heat cycle yet. I was late, and the possible reason for that was terrifying. I tried to tell myself that I’d been through a lot, which had affected me before, and this was just stress-related lateness. “No.” Esme laughed mirthlessly, an iciness entering her tone. “I don’t expect that we would be able to, not with the creatures seeking to satisfy their particular needs. Our cycle isn’t like shifters, Aria. It doesn’t end until our creatures get what they need. You either feed them what they crave or you lose control and they take over.” “I noticed that,” I admitted. “I think it is worse because Ember is an alpha—or, at least, that’s what I assume.” “She is,” Esme affirmed. “I am not an alpha. It appeases my creature to follow you, and she doesn’t want me to go against you. That means I am beneath you in the animal hierarchy.”

“Like a beta?” I asked, and her head bobbed in silent agreement. I shifted my attention back to the people milling about below. Aurora had joined my sisters and was speaking with them. All at once, they turned to stare up at Esme and me. Aurora’s face tightened with some emotion I couldn’t decipher, and then they all looked at the runes Kinny had thrown onto the cloth. Slowly, I read the ones I could see, and they foretold a coming loss. Shivers rushed down my spine because the notion of losing anyone terrified me, and I didn’t want to imagine it happening. I’d sacrificed too much to lose them now, and I wouldn’t allow it to happen. If they died, I’d be alone in my fight to protect my people while cleaning our house. It should have terrified me, but it only created a dull ache in my chest. Expelling the air in a soft puff, I wondered why they didn’t seem spooked by the idea of losing someone. Were our reactions just another difference I could tally between my family and me? They just assumed the risk of loss as something that was acceptable while I viewed it as abhorrent. Or were they just so sure that I would save them they didn’t think they had to worry? Yes, I felt responsible for them and protective of them, but that didn’t mean they should dismiss the runes warning. It was yet another reason I found myself pulling away from them. “Surrounded by people, I still feel so alone,” I admitted, turning to Esme. “I’ve always been with my sisters, standing on the outside, looking in as a stranger. My twin, Amara, tried her best to make me feel accepted, but something always told me to maintain a safe distance. Now with them here, I only feel trapped and responsible for their lives and keeping their hearts beating.” “I am like that with Siobhan. I love her to pieces, and I would do whatever it took to protect her, but I know I am not like her. She is a witch, first and foremost. I am not. Like you, my other half is more dominant. We don’t fit in because we don’t have their needs. They thrive in nature, which we can do as well, but they want peace and simple lives, whereas we crave chaos and war. We’re also predators, which they sense because they’re nature, and we’re savage beings that disturb that nature.” I blinked a few times and frowned. It was the truth, and it startled me. When we’d arrived in this valley, the first thing Esme and I did was come up to this wall and look down at the witches entering the territory.

“I know.” She nodded before chuckling with sparkling eyes. “It fucked me up in the head when I figured it out, too. It took me a long time to accept that I was marking my sister, tracking her as if she was purely prey. Eventually, I learned it wasn’t entirely what I was doing, though. We love them, and our creatures understand that. From this vantage, we can see the threats coming and easily respond in time to help them,” Esme admitted, leaning more weight on the wall as she spoke. “It started when the king of Norvalla took her from our village after an attack had occurred. Multiple attacks had happened in a short time, and I feared Knox was attacking us. I ran into the woods to hide and ended up seized by those who’d slaughtered our village days before. Siobhan ended up with Knox and his army, who had come to aid us, and she was protected. They reminded me of why I was unclean, and it had taken me some time to escape their camp. When I got free, I sought Siobhan out, needing to be close to her. I would watch the army moving from the highest peak I could find, following them to try to determine if she was still with them. I had to stop, though, because I wasn’t the biggest predator out there and I was cautious of him catching my scent.” “But your sister was safe with him.” “I didn’t know that at first,” she muttered softly, her tone distant and filled with a self-loathing I knew well. “I’d heard rumors of him, but we’d also been raised with the warning of what people did to our kind. I feared he would be no different, but he was. To those who served him, Knox wasn’t the bad guy. Sure, the rumors surrounding him weren’t all unfounded. He slaughtered dark witches in masses. Knox is ruthless against his enemies, but he wasn’t our monster. Had I realized that before running, I’d have gladly joined his army. I might have gone searching for them had I known she survived, but I didn’t learn that until much later. One day, I was within an apothecary shop, seeking blue vervain, and she walked in the door. I thought I’d died where I stood, or that she was merely a ghost drawn to me from memories I held. It scared me enough that I hid within the fireplace, watching her picking up and inspecting glass jars. After some time, I decided to speak to her. I’d ended up covered in soot, and she bashed a jar over my skull, assuming I was the one haunting her.” “I imagine it amazed her to see your stubborn ass was alive.” I offered as a smile entered her eyes, even though it didn’t touch her lips. “She was shocked, but happier that I’d survived and was alive. I thought I’d lost her forever or that she’d ended up raped and discarded like trash,

which is usually what happens to women like us seized in battle. I’d changed since we were little. She wanted me to come with her, to join Knox’s army, but at first, I refused. She explained how he treated the witches in the ranks, and I called her a liar and other choice words. It didn’t matter what she said because I’d felt the thing within me stirring and knew that I wouldn’t be able to hide it from the men of Norvalla.” “How long have you sensed that you have something within you?” I asked, finding a new camaraderie with Esme. “Since the onset of puberty, I guess. And you?” she countered, probing me as I was doing with her. “Not long at all.” I considered her words and pondered why I hadn’t discovered mine until Knox had shown up and I’d slipped on his cock. “Do you use traditional magic, or do you pull from the realms?” “I use natural magic from nature. You don’t?” “No, I don’t. When I use magic, it’s like there’s a well of it surrounding me I can draw from. My sisters chant and pull magic from others around them, and while I can do that, too, I don’t need to. They have to find a balance with nature to focus on remaining stable. When I need magic, the well opens and offers me an endless supply. I don’t require the strength of anyone else to ground me when I cast. I also don’t grow stronger with a connection to other witches unless I call on Hecate’s magic. I try never to use it because I’ve always feared she would sense me doing so and seek to destroy me.” “Why would you think that?” Esme asked, studying me as the wind picked up, sending debris flittering around the courtyard. “My family claims they called Hecate to them before I was born and she demanded my mother murder me while I was still in her womb. But I don’t see how they could’ve summoned her spirit, considering she isn’t in her eternal sleep.” That question had been picking away at me, and I still didn’t have an answer. “Anyway, Hecate disapproved of Freya’s choice of bedmates because she forbade creatures that could wield flame from breeding or existing in their true forms.” A clap of thunder rumbled through the ruins, and I peered up at the churning storm. “You can’t remember anything about the man who instructed you to find the others like us?” “No, nothing more than turquoise eyes and silver hair like yours. I believe he removed the knowledge to protect him and the others. I just don’t know why he told me to do it. A storm is coming,” Esme announced,

frowning while she peered at the clouds that turned darker with every passing moment. “It feels strange, doesn’t it?” I narrowed my gaze on the clouds over the mountains and sent magic into them, searching and discovering nothing unusual. “I cannot sense anything. Are we so paranoid that we no longer trust a normal storm front on the horizon?” I asked softly as the people hurried toward shelter. I tracked their movements, noting each one as I inhaled their scents deeply into my lungs. “Apparently.” She chuckled. “Stop sniffing them. You wanted them here. Unless you want to say fuck it and eat some?” she continued, wiggling her brows with mirth. The wind whipped my hair against my cheek as I turned to smile at her. Pushing the hair from my face to laugh at her antics, I slowly turned. “I need to look for that book and figure out how to erect the realm quickly. I should head there now, and see if I can find anything useful while there’s a lull in activity.” “You mean to ensure that your mate isn’t fucking that heartless bitch of a sister-in-law who’s sniffing his ass?” She chortled, peering down at the kid who had tripped and was crying for its mother. “Go, I will keep everyone safe while you’re away, Aria. Do yourself a favor, though. Don’t lose your footing and fall on that dick. I need your head on straight to help me protect these wayward witchlings and witches.” “If Knox is fucking Celia, it won’t be my head you need to worry about. If he wants her, then I won’t stand in his way. Lennox wouldn’t let that happen—or, I don’t think he would, anyway. He assured me I am his, and while he’s trapped inside Knox. And that makes his pretty wrapper mine, too. Wish me luck. I will more than likely need it.” “You don’t need luck. You need sage and a handful of salt to perform an exorcism of his ghosts.”

Chapter Four I stepped through the portal linked to my bedroom at the sanctuary and arrived in the library’s vast space already knowing I didn’t need to fear being seen. It was part of the spell I’d used, and unless I whispered the words to tell it otherwise, the illusion held firm to keep my presence hidden. The sound of soft music filled the room, and I made my way to where Knox leaned over a table, studying a map. His muscles bunched together as his ocean-blue depths slid to where I paused. My heart hammered as he searched for me, pushing his knuckles onto the table while trying to peer through the image I hid behind. Knox lifted his nose, inhaling and then exhaling loudly in frustration. For the last two months, I hadn’t allowed Knox to know when I was here, and today was no different. All he knew was that my portion of the library appeared as it did any other day—tidy and void of the things I’d brought back to keep safe. I could allow him to see me, but if Hecate were actually alive and in play, then too much depended on me keeping my distance from him. If she were to find out who I was or where I was hiding, she’d be siphoning magic from the remaining witches, adding them to her endless supply of power, and coming to kill me. They were more than just a battery for a goddess on a power kick, and if I wanted to protect them, I needed to find the hidden tomes that would teach me how to create a new House of Magic in the Nine Realms. I knew the book that held those answers was within reach. I’d endured Knox’s anger and his frequent outbursts so that I could access this freaking library and find what I needed. I couldn’t honestly say that I regretted the time with him, though, because it hadn’t all been bad. Knox was complex and broken. He’d never argued that fact and had made sure I’d known I couldn’t save him. Only, I didn’t think he was unsalvageable or unworthy of the effort to reach him. If Knox could love his dead wife as fiercely as he had before he discovered the truth, what would it be like to have his love when there were no lies in the way? He gave every part of himself when he cared deeply for someone. He’d proven that by remaining faithful to a woman who hadn’t enjoyed his bed. He’d been an amazing father and had fought to save the boy he believed was his child. They had been doomed from the start and

nothing he did could’ve stopped the train wreck set into motion by one petty-as-fuck goddess who had been told no, but he never faltered. Silently, Knox moved closer to the barrier, placing his hands against it as it crackled and buzzed in warning. It had to hurt, but he smiled as if he found the pain soothing. He pushed against the invisible shield, and I lowered my gaze to the rippling muscles of his abdomen. Knox had been built to please the eye, and since it hid me behind the illusion, I appreciated the view without the guilt of Knox knowing I was staring. Reaching over to the shelf beside me, I plucked a volume from the catalogue I’d been scouring through and turned back to Knox. Keeping him in my sights, I padded over to sit in one of the cozy sapphire-blue chaise lounge chairs. After adjusting the pillows, I relaxed while Knox continued to probe the barrier for any weakness he could find. My need to find answers was warring against my desire to watch the male like some wild animal in his natural habitat. I shivered with need, and a blanket dropped from thin air. I smiled, knowing the library had assumed my response was from the chill instead of lust, and tugged the blanket over me. This place was a blessing, and I didn’t feel the slightest bit of guilt for stealing half of it from Knox. “Aria,” he whispered, barely above a breath. My stomach somersaulted, and a weight settled on my chest at the simple slip of my name from his lips. His sinewy muscles bunched in his abdomen, and he tilted his head with his ear pointing upward, which caused my heart rate to jump and then race. Quietly, he flicked a finger, revealing a razor-sharp nail. He pushed it into the barrier, which flexed under the pressure but grew firm again the moment he dropped his hand. I sat up, placing the book on the chair, and watched Knox with unease. He inhaled deeply, smiling wickedly as his gaze turned black as midnight with fiery-red embers floating in it. Again, he pressed his claw into the magic wall separating us. The barrier fixed itself faster this time, and I felt the library tense, waiting for the confrontation. “I can smell you, Aria,” Knox uttered. “You’re either staring at me or you just left. I think you’re here, right in front of me, though, watching. I can scent your fear and excitement. What has you so on edge? The fact that you know I will catch and cage you, or that I intend to fuck this need you created within me out on that tight body of yours?” His husky tone sent

chills down my frame as he shifted his gaze over to where I sat. “Say something, Little Monster. Talk to me, please.” I’d remained silent every time he’d done this, despite craving Knox in the worst way, because I would not let him punish me anymore. I’d allowed it before to get what I’d needed, but no more. Sure, I’d found peace within the violence we exchanged in bed, and maybe I was a masochist for wanting more, but that didn’t mean it was right. I deserved to be respected more than that. Knox craved the intensity we experienced when I’d reached the end of my heat cycle, but a normal person would have run from what we had, what we’d shared. I wasn’t stupid enough to think he would change for me, though. Knox was dipped in pain, coated in tragedy, and I had no intention of becoming Captain Save-A-Hoe. By not giving in to his demands to speak to him, I enforced my own demand that he treat me kindly and not as a weapon for him to use. I was not a victim, and I had read enough stories to know that women went back because they were afraid. Abusers took what we allowed them to have, but it was never enough. They made us feel frightened, unsafe, and unworthy of being loved by anyone else. I’d felt his need to control and to keep it at all costs. It was something traumatized people did, feeling safer when they controlled the world around them. Knox was wounded, and he’d been continually targeted for centuries. That he was still standing was a symbol of his strength and ability to endure. It wasn’t until I forced him to feel something that he attacked, and he struck hard and fast. If the man touched me with his guard down, I expected the lashing that followed. Knox was afraid to feel because feelings couldn’t be controlled, and that didn’t fit into the strict rules he held himself to. Knox was a victim here, and he’d chosen to make me his because of that fact. He survived a goddess hell-bent on breaking him and ripping the pieces to shreds. Every time he got back up, Hecate would intensify her attack, until it had reduced him to nothing but rage and the need for revenge. Knox didn’t represent the villain in my story any more than I did in his. He was just a creature who had endured hell and fought to stop others from experiencing the same fate. But then there was his rage. The man needed the anger to wage war, and I hadn’t been convinced of that until coming here.

“Aria, talk to me. Tell me you’re there at least,” Knox urged, which he’d continually done over the past few weeks. He exhaled, and I saw his throat bob as he stared through me. Knox stepped away, dropping his head back, and then rubbed his eyes before settling onto the chair that faced the fireplace. “I resealed Sven into the tomb,” he announced, leaning closer to the flame and resting his elbows on his knees. I stood and moved to the translucent barrier so I could again see him clearly. Dark circles were beneath his eyes, and the coldness in his stare made a shiver rush down my spine and race to my toes. “I removed your Aunt Kamara’s bones and tossed them to the dogs. I kept her skull, though, to remind me of what she was.” Sliding down the wall that faced the chair where Knox sat, I studied the anger pulsing through him and hugged my knees against my chest. Pain etched his features, but there was a rage right beneath the surface that terrified me. He looked calm, but I could tell that there wasn’t a single peaceful thing about him as he watched the flames. “He wasn’t my son. I know that,” he admitted before clearing his throat. “Your menstruation didn’t come, did it? You opened your womb and allowed me inside, where I had no right to be. Not because that was what you wanted but because the library forced you to do it so you could take what you were here to steal from me.” Knox’s words carried warning, but they also had been hesitant. The way he shifted and faced me exposed the confusion he felt that mirrored mine. Reaching up, I wiped the salty tears away. I didn’t blame Knox for questioning all the things happening around him. If I were in his shoes, having just discovered that everyone I’d ever loved was installed in my life, I’d be the same. “I dreamed of you heavy with our son growing within your womb. He was born faceless and dead before he could take his first breath. That’s not something I want. In fact, I want nothing from you. You’re one of them, even if you’re not yet evil. You were right. Marrying you like that was a mistake. Nothing good comes from the type of monsters we are, Aria. Creatures like us, we’re not allowed to dream or crave soft, gentle things. We don’t get a happy ending. That’s not our fate or destiny. We’re just fucking doomed to this nothingness that haunts us while taunting us with

the prettiest of objects we’ll never have.” He rose, took one last look in my direction, sighed, and then walked away, closing the door behind him. Tears continued to trail down my face long after he’d left. I stood after some time had passed, settling back on the chair to study the flames dancing on his side of the barrier. He was right, no matter how painful it had been to hear. I wasn’t evil yet, but I would probably become unrecognizable before this war ended. If I carried Knox’s son, there was still a possibility that he could be born as Knox warned, and never knowing the love I would hold for him. And I’d known Knox would regret marrying me, but I figured he would at least be happy with the consolation prize of access to my magic. Slowly, sleep claimed me, and with it came nightmares of faceless sons and endless pursuit. I missed the time when Knox was who held the monsters at bay and not the creature who haunted my dreams.

Chapter Five The sound of raised voices pulled me from sleep, and I forced away the last remnants of slumber to glare through the library shelves. Then, standing, I stretched my limbs and stifled a yawn as I turned to where Brander, Killian, Lore, and Knox all stood around the large, round table. They were talking over each other and pointing out locations on the map that was spread before them. I really wanted to rail about how they’d disturbed my rest, but that would reveal that I was here and watching them argue. Either Knox hadn’t slept or they had just woken him because he was only wearing sweatpants and had forgone a shirt. His hair was also a mess, which made him even sexier than he normally was. My bare feet padded over the marble floor toward the barrier so I could get a better look at what they were talking about. Killian moved something on the table, forcing my focus to the miniature queen pieces set throughout the map. Swallowing the bubble of laughter, I allowed myself a moment to take them in while they studied it intently. “That can’t be right,” Knox growled, stabbing his finger at the map. “I caught Aria’s scent here last time, and there’s no way that many witches covered that much distance over such a short amount of time.” “Maybe they’re using portals again?” Brander offered, pinning Knox with his sapphire-colored stare. His knuckles pushed on the surface, revealing fresh ink on his forearms and biceps. Men shouldn’t be able to add tattoos, not when just the sight of them made women weak in the knees. It was an unfair advantage against the opposite sex. Body art drew the eye, held you prisoner, and by the time you finished eye-fucking the man wearing the ink, you usually found yourself fulfilling your dreams of becoming a rodeo queen. Knox was a prime example of that. Considering one look at him made me want to lick every inch of his skin and taste the ink that marked his body. “I’d have felt it if the witches were using portals,” Knox admitted. “I haven’t sensed shit in days. The last one they created had the same fingerprint and magic trail as the one Aria traveled through two weeks ago. Unfortunately, by the time I made it to where I’d detected the magic, she was gone. The more people she pushes through them, the more magic she has to use, which makes them easier to track. Aria barely uses a trickle of

magic when she alone passes through a portal. It’s why I can’t find her or sense if she’s returned to the library since she left.” “So the only way to find the witches is to follow the path of bodies they’re leaving?” Killian asked. “They attacked here”—he pointed to the map—“but left men alive. Why? It makes no sense for them to leave witnesses.” “Because Rayford is a peaceful place.” Knox snorted while pushing his hands through his hair, looking as exhausted as I felt. “Aria didn’t decimate them because they weren’t a threat and they hadn’t committed crimes against anyone. Fenton was filled with murderous bastards that enjoyed slaughtering creatures, and the witches made a show of killing them. No one was left alive. Cairn was the same, and we found the inhabitants all headless and hanging from their cocks. From Aria’s point of view, she isn’t murdering those who don’t deserve it. Her leaving people alive in Rayford tells me she’s still holding to that philosophy.” “Obviously Aria isn’t aware of the treachery surrounding her yet,” Killian stated softly as his dark-blue stare lifted and held Knox’s. I frowned because I had no idea what treachery Killian was talking about. “You are afraid of what Aria will do when she finds out, aren’t you?” Brander asked cautiously, and a shiver of unease moved through me. “When she does, her entire world will shatter, and that’s dangerous. If she goes off the deep end, it’s game over,” he mused, frowning. What the hell did they think I didn’t know? What would be so bad that it would send me over the edge? I slid my attention to Knox, and his body language sent fear rushing through me. “Aria is resilient,” Knox said a second before someone knocked on the closed door. Killian moved the pieces on the map as if to hide the locations they were tracking, which was curious indeed. Celia entered the room, all but singing as she did. She’d dressed in a silver gown with a low bodice cinched so tightly over her breasts that they threatened to spill from it. Her blonde hair was braided in a way that was similar to how I’d worn mine when I’d arrived at the palace. Her thick, dark lashes batted against her rosy cheeks as she fixed her eyes on a shirtless Knox. “Good morning, gentlemen. I wasn’t aware there was a meeting today,” she said in a tight voice with a sharp edge lacing her words.

“There wasn’t one.” Killian snorted, turning away from her. “Celia, you look amazing today,” Brander offered, but his expression told another story. Her electric-blue eyes slid to Knox, as if she expected him to comment on her appearance as well, but he dropped his gaze back to the map, dismissing her without a second thought. I studied each man, noting they were tenser than they’d been before her arrival. An uncomfortable silence smothered the area, but Celia was quick to fill it. “Did you discover where your errant wife escaped off to?” she asked in a saccharine tone. “The kingdom is on eggshells, worrying about her wellbeing. In fact, I’m certain some have offered a bounty for her head to ensure it is returned, even if the rest of her cannot be.” “I suggest you don’t encourage them to hunt Aria down,” Killian answered, ignoring the angry glare she leveled at him. “It wouldn’t be wise to pick a fight with something like her, sister. Aria isn’t the same as other witches.” “That may be, but she cannot hurt our people,” she mocked through barely contained malice. “Isn’t that what you promised them, Knox?” “Indeed, but Aria never pledged loyalty to my people before she escaped. So, I’d tread carefully where she’s concerned, Celia. Very carefully,” Knox cautioned, moving to grab a discarded shirt. Celia’s hungry eyes followed him, and then she was beside him without me realizing she’d moved. I cringed as her hand brushed over his back, and he tensed, glaring at her over his shoulder. “If you prefer to pretend that Aria isn’t a vile monster, all you have to do is say so. But you cannot tell me one thing when we are alone and another in front of the court. Tell me what you want me to say or do, and I will do it for you, My King. I am your humble servant and will do anything you need.” I had to stop myself from gagging at her submissive façade, but Knox didn’t push her away as I’d thought he would. Instead, he lifted his hand and used his fingertips to brush back the stray strands of hair that had fallen from the braid. He skimmed his knuckles over her cheek, lowering his mouth to her ear, whispering something that didn’t penetrate the barrier. Silently, I stepped closer and glared across the room. Knox’s ocean-blue

eyes strayed to my part of the library before he turned back to Celia and grinned. “If that is your request, consider it done, Knox,” she murmured, capturing her bottom lip between her teeth before releasing it to smile. “Oh, I almost forgot the reason for my visit this morning.” She clapped her hands in excitement, and two men entered the bedroom to place a chest at the foot of Knox’s bed. “I had it restored for you after that bitch made you lose your temper and you destroyed it.” “You shouldn’t have,” Knox muttered without taking his focus from the chest. Celia lifted the lid and brushed her fingers over the image of Liliana and Sven. I noticed how she avoided bringing attention to the amulet around Liliana’s neck. Sven looked exactly like a miniature version of Knox, with the same sea-blue eyes and striking bone structure. And while I hated that she was shoving his loss down his throat, it piqued my interest that Knox clearly hadn’t told Celia the truth about Liliana really being Kamara in disguise. That told me he didn’t trust Celia and kept that secret from everyone other than his brothers and Killian. It made me wonder if she was also unaware that he and I were true mates. I was sure his men knew since they bore witness to the confrontation between Knox and me after I’d taken half the library, but had he admitted that we were true mates to anyone else? Knox was secretive, but after what he’d been through, that wasn’t a surprise. “Of course, I had to have it repaired,” she gushed with pride, carefully watching him like he was a snack she intended to devour. “I’d do anything for you.” Knox only smiled tightly. Then, after another awkward moment of silence, he exhaled a heavy sigh. “Please excuse us, gentlemen,” he stated firmly as he gestured to the door. As they filed out, my stomach somersaulted, and nausea churned until it burned against the back of my throat. Celia smiled demurely, holding her tongue until the last man had slipped from the room, closing the doors behind them. “I have missed you, Knox. I knew it would only be a matter of time before you realized we belong together,” she murmured, moving closer to where he stood.

I craved to run away. I wanted to scream and rip her apart. I needed to hide from what I suspected was about to happen mere steps from where I was. My heart twisted, and tears singed my eyes while I fought to keep my fangs from exploding through my gums and my nails from pushing through the tips of my fingers. Ember snarled, wanting control to put a stop to Celia’s advances. “It was a sweet gesture to have the chest repaired,” Knox admitted. Her eyes burned with heat and grew hooded with desire. Celia’s hips swayed, and her mouth curved into a sexy smile. When she reached Knox, she ran her fingertips over his cheek as his gaze roamed over her face. Celia rose on her toes, her lips moving toward his, and I closed my eyelids, unwilling to watch them together, but a strangled cry forced them back open. Knox held Celia by the hair, his mouth inches away from hers. “You’re fucking pathetic, and silver isn’t a flattering color on you. Your desperation is leaking from your pores, and it fucking stinks. Do you honestly believe I don’t know what you’re doing? That I wouldn’t notice you’ve dressed up like Aria to catch my eye? You’re nothing like her, but you wish to be, don’t you? Maybe I’ll let Lennox out to have a taste of you. I have a feeling he’d rip you apart for daring to sniff in his direction. What do you think? Shall we test that theory and see which he’d do?” he asked as his obsidian gaze flickered with red embers and slid over the oceanic-blue of his irises, and Lennox glared at the woman before him. “Knox, please stop. You don’t mean it. You know Lennox terrifies me,” she whimpered through trembling lips as tears rolled down her face. His growl caused my body to tighten with the promise it offered. “You’re wrong. I want to hurt everyone,” Knox hissed through a snarl, shoving Celia from him. He swung his gaze toward me, inhaling before his lips curled and his focus slid back to Celia with derision and scorn for mucking the air with her stale perfume. At least, that was what I figured was behind the sour look he was giving her. Hell, I wasn’t even close to where she stood, and I could smell the rank shit permeating the air from her cunt. For a bitch who wanted him so badly, she sure was waiting to take cock from anyone willing to head on into pound-town, currently located between her thighs.

In her haste to back away, Celia tripped over her own feet and landed on her ass before scooting back and away from Knox. She hadn’t understood that there was a physical difference between Knox and Lennox, I realized. He had to actually free Lennox to alter his appearance to scare her. Her fear excited me, sending heat rushing through my body, which I probably would never admit. Knox bared his serrated fangs that made my thighs clench tightly with desire. “She seeks to fuck what is ours, and you hide, and do nothing? We kill her, and fuck him on her corpse, now!” Ember’s voice exploded inside my head, almost forcing a gasp of shock past my lips. “Uh, how about no? I’m not fucking him anywhere near that bitch, not even her lifeless corpse. That isn’t sanitary. Sniff that bitch and tell me you’d be keen to stomach doing that, Ember.” “Fine, let’s fuck her up and wear her corpse as a warning to other bitches!” “You need to calm down and enjoy the show. I know I am. Just look at her panicking to get away from our guys. Pure, undisguised horror is such a beautiful thing to witness in the morning, isn’t it?” I purred, hoping she’d snicker in agreement. Only Ember snorted from within as her desire to murder Celia fought my need to remain hidden from Knox. I wouldn’t reach the bitch before he caught me, and I had too much shit to get done to play captive again. I also needed to decide my future because once I finished building the other realm and ending this war, I intended to settle down and live the long, boring life Knox had told me I would hate. I enjoyed proving him wrong. “Leave this room, Celia, before I give Lennox full control and allow him to show you his true self,” Knox warned, his tone laced with venom. “Stop thinking there’s any chance between us. You were a mistake that I made in a moment of weakness. Nothing more,” he finished, nodding at the door. “Get out and stay the fuck away from me. You’re not half the woman Aria is, and you never will be her.” I relished the anger and betrayal that burned in Celia’s gaze. She was a viper who wanted Knox, and she wasn’t finished fighting for him yet. I smiled, waiting until she left before I asked the library to run me a bath. The moment it filled, I slipped out of my clothes and slid beneath the enticingly scented bubbles.

I continued observing Knox from the tub as he made his way to the chest and opened it. His cheek jerked as emotion flooded through him. He inspected the lid before he closed it, silently heading for the armoire to grab his armor. “I’m going to find you, Aria,” he warned, forcing my brow to crease at the heaviness of his words. “You won’t like it when that happens, but then, you like nothing I do anyway. I hate that you’re out there alone. You’re unprotected and in danger, Little Monster. You do not truly know who is friend or foe. If you trust nothing else I say, trust this: Everyone is against you. Don’t rely on anyone, not even those closest to you.” He turned, looked around the room, and slammed his armor down on the table. Agony played over his face as he searched for me. In the library’s solace, he allowed his pain to be seen. Outside of here, though, he was the king he’d been born to become. Knox walked to the fireplace, grabbed a jar from the mantel, and tossed it into the fire. The flames billowed for just a moment before they calmed enough to reveal the ifrit within them. The grotesque face of the demon stared up at him, but Knox didn’t back away from the deadly blaze. He smiled at the creature, tilting his head before exhaling. “Where is Aria Primrose Hecate Karnavious hiding?” he demanded before stepping back from the fire. I held my breath as the flame slithered from the fireplace, moving toward the barrier. “Show me where she is.” The fire sizzled against the barrier, making the whole thing shimmer and sending my heart into a frantic thunder. I launched myself from the water, almost slipping in my haste to get to the vault’s heavy door, which doubled as a permanent portal. I opened it just enough to squeeze through and then pulled it shut behind me. Exhaling the shaky breath from my lungs, I turned to find Siobhan, Soraya, and Esme before me. Their mouths hung open in dismay at my nakedness. “You’re naked.” Esme snorted as she closed her book. “I hope that there’s an interesting story to go with this, Aria.” “I don’t wish to discuss it.” I groaned, heading toward the bed on the other side of the chamber. “Did you guys find anything in the books about creating a new realm?” I inquired, changing the subject to something safer than Knox and his sneaky tricks. “No, but we found other things that could be useful,” Siobhan offered. “You never know when you’ll need a spell to catch and control monsters

within the Nine Realms.” Esme rolled her eyes. “Your aunt was in here looking for you. She discovered another keep that she wants us to attack as punishment for their murder of witches. I told her you went to the healing pools, so she headed there to get you.” “You knew I wasn’t there.” I smirked. “But you were buying me time to rest. I guess it’s a good thing I’m soaking wet, huh? Should I head out to find her?” “I wouldn’t, but that’s me,” Esme admitted, standing to stretch. “But I guess it’s a good day to go murder things. It was getting dull around here, anyway.” The girls headed out of the room, but I remained in place. I wasn’t sure if the ifrit’s flame could follow me through the portal, but if it was seeking my current location, I’d been in the library when it began hunting me. If it wanted to track me, it could burn its way through the entire Nine Realms to find me. I never stuck around in the same spot for very long, and today wouldn’t be the day I started. Knox was, in fact, a damn excellent hunter, and I’d be damned if I ended up chained to his bed.

Chapter Six Mist covered the ground and curled up our legs. The acrid scent of death clung to it, causing my stomach to churn and threaten to empty its contents to the dirt at my feet. Slowly, I took in the anxious faces nearest to me. My heartbeat raced, pumping blood to my head as I wondered what Aurora had been thinking when she said we were headed to a small keep. The fort was far more fortified than what we’d been expecting. The outer battlements rose in spiraling formations that disappeared into the clouds. Black obsidian and snowflake obsidian were used to create the large, round columns. The lower outside wall consisted of smokey quartz that reflected the sun and made the stronghold hard to look at. Flags that held Knox’s insignia whipped in the high wings, giving me pause. It would have been a beautiful place if not for the stench and the bodies hanging from the walls. I didn’t need to be told that those hung were witches. I could see it in their clothes and the markings their tormentors had charred into their flesh. Upside-down crosses had been branded into their foreheads, and their eyes had been expunged. The needless loss of life was one thing, but to adorn the wall with their corpses like ornaments on a Christmas tree was fueling my rage. It wasn’t necessary, and they hadn’t been dark witches, either. If they had been, they would have been oozing the tell-tale tar-like substance from their injuries. My anger at the heinous crimes mingled with apprehension that something wasn’t right about the scene, and my unease was making the witches accompanying me jumpy. “They’re not coming back to life,” Kinvara whispered, disturbing the silence with the pain lacing her words. “They’re not going to since they weren’t immortal before death came for them,” Esme explained softly, her emotions hidden as we stared forward. “They are mere children.” “They look young,” Kinvara returned, pushing her strawberry-blonde hair away from her face. Hooking a wayward strand behind her ear, she swallowed loudly. “They were killed, and they burned their flesh to warn others. It isn’t even a witch symbol that was placed on their heads. This isn’t right; none of it is.”

“That doesn’t matter to them, Kinvara. Our lives mean nothing,” Esme muttered. Pulling my attention from the dead, I frowned as Aurora gathered power from the surrounding witches. The gentle tug she directed at me caused a shiver of oily magic to jolt my senses. Aurora tugged a bit harder on my magic, and a small frown pinched her brow when she couldn’t tap into my reserves. My walls slid into place, preventing her from seeking to use the magic I housed. She had the others to draw magic from, so why had she sought to take from me? I was the one about to unleash on the stronghold, and would need the magic I’d held in reserve to win today. The death of young witches sat like a heavy blanket, smothering us. I looked to the setting sun, sensing the coming night as it lowered, giving life to the moon. Before us, torches were being lit on the battlements to provide muchneeded light. Men and women moved around, slowly preparing to defend the fort against our attack, but they didn’t seem too worried, which only added to the wrongness of this situation. “Be prepared for an attack,” Aurora murmured as she came to a stop beside me. Her eyes were the color of a cloudless sky, brimming with worry. “Something about this place seems wrong.” I was glad that she felt it as well. I searched the shadows for witches, assuming there would be some hidden from view. If they were here, they were powerful enough to hide from us, so maybe that was what Aurora and I were sensing. Closing my eyes, I allowed Ember to listen to the sounds coming from the courtyard. But she just found more of the same as I had. There was no panic, and while heartbeats thundered beyond the walls, the cadence didn’t belong to fear. It belonged to anxious anticipation. There was a sense of victory within, as if they knew something we didn’t. “Our enemies are excited,” I said cautiously. Opening my eyes and carefully studying the men and the spikes they tried to keep from view. “They do not fear us. There’s an army on the other side, waiting to attack. They knew we were coming and are thrilled by the thought of fighting against us. I smell magic and something else in the air, which is making it difficult to tell what they’re planning. We were expected, and that gives them an advantage. I don’t like this at all.”