hefted over his broad, magnificent shoulders, and kept in chains?” I returned, watching Greer wince with each word that came out of my mouth. “Let’s not pretend we all haven’t heard how much you enjoy what he does to you, Peasant. I’ve heard you screaming for him to—what was it you said? Oh, that’s right. ‘Please, Knox, fuck me like a dirty little bitch and make my pussy so sore it weeps for days.’” “I have never said such shit before in my entire life, Greer. If anybody has a weeping pussy, whoever it may be, they should get to a doctor and get that shit checked out. She probably has gonorrhea or some shit.” He chuckled. “Or maybe she’s just filled with her lovers—” “Nope, don’t go there,” I warned crossly, knowing he was about to point out how Knox had oozed his scent into my vagina. His hands lifted in acquiesce as he conceded. Pain shot through my head, and I jumped, only just now realizing that Brander was working on my injury. He paused, but then his fingers began sliding over my scalp again. It made my teeth snap closed, and I couldn’t hold back my wince of pain. “She’s got a pretty deep laceration on her scalp. Her skull is tender, but she did take a few nasty blows from the mace. It’ll need to be sewn closed so it can heal properly. I’ll go get my med kit from the other room,” Brander stated, pointing at the bed before saying, “You should lie down. It’ll lessen the amount of blood you’re losing.” He handed me a cloth, and I pressed it to the wound before allowing Greer to help me lie back onto the bed. Esme screamed in pleasure, and Greer smiled. “Your friend is rather vibrant.” “Who’s making her scream like a banshee?” I asked him. “That would be by her fingers. Esme’s unwilling to allow the men to help ease her ache. While she has let them watch, she’s been very clear that she’d rather choke on a Minotaur’s knotted cock then to betray you with them. That girl’s loyal to you, Aria. That’s something you’ve earned from her, I’m sure. I don’t suspect she would deny alpha cock for just anyone— gods know, I wouldn’t for you.” “That’s an asshole thing to say, Meat Suit,” I muttered, closing my eyes. I felt the pressure on the bed easing as he left it. It surprised me that Esme was refusing them in her moment of need. The bed dipped again under
additional weight, and my eyes slipped open, finding Knox in the spot Greer had vacated. “Relax, Aria.” He adjusted the top of my shirt, which caused my heart to thunder dangerously. His touch had my nipples pebbling with anticipation. My core tightened, and I exhaled a shaky breath. He knew exactly what his touch was doing to my insides. Specifically, that it was turning them into the hot liquid that moved south toward my pussy. Knox pushed the fabric up and clamped his mouth around my nipple, sucking the puckered flesh. A whispered moan slid from my throat as his teeth scraped against the raised tip. Sucking hard, he pulled it deeper into his sweltering mouth while his tongue lavished it erotically. A moan reverberated in my chest, but his hand covered my lips, stopping the noise from escaping. Knox’s head moved, slowly kissing the valley between my breasts before he traveled lower. My core clamped down with need, forcing arousal to heat the junction between my thighs. My leg lifted, and he drifted his fingertips against the back of my thigh, drawing my scent deeply into his lungs. His heated palm covered my exposed breast a second before Brander appeared in the open doorway. Brander paused, silently watching us, and Knox sat back, pulling me into his arms and settling my back against his body. Something about the action soothed me and sent warmth down the connection we had. Knox rattled, but it was to warn Brander to tread carefully, and I could feel Lennox’s claws holding my stomach. His breath fanned my shoulder, raining soft kisses over it with the promise of teeth. Brander expelled the air from his chest, moving into the room. “You’d think a head wound would cool your ardor,” Brander muttered while placing the bag on the bed. His gaze slid between us, and Knox snorted, as if to say that a little blood never bothered him. “It’s been a while since I’ve fed my other needs, and they’re starving,” I replied, feeling Knox tensing behind me. His hands lowered, wrapping tightly around my waist as Brander guided my head to the side. “You’re not the only one starving, Little Monster,” Knox purred against my ear, catching the lobe between his teeth before he rattled softly. Brander cleared his throat before giving Knox a pointed look over my head. “Unfortunately, I used all my pain medicine on Esme, unaware that you weren’t healing swiftly. So, I can’t numb the pain, Aria. I’m sorry.”
“That’s fine, Brander. Pain is quickly becoming the only constant thing in my life,” I whispered before biting back a cry as he pushed the needle into the flesh of my head and then tied a knot in the nylon thread. Knox’s arms tensed around me as he held me still while Brander continued to add stitches to the wound. Tears swam in my vision, and Knox’s soothing purr erupted against my ear. I allowed him to take away the sensation Brander was creating as he tried to fix the damage I’d sustained. I sank into his heated embrace, feeling my wet lashes brushing against my cheek. One brother gave pain while the other offered comfort. It was a push and pull, and each fought to come out on top. At least, that was what I was focusing on instead of the sound of Esme’s moans hitting a crescendo. Her sultry rattle and whimpering caused Brander to pause and glare at the wall. “At least she’s able to self-soothe during her heat cycle. I’m not that lucky anymore, or so it seems,” I muttered under my breath. Knox’s purring changed octave for a moment, as if he were laughing at my expense, and I rolled my eyes. “There’s a vast difference between you and Esme,” Knox informed while stroking his fingertips against my sides as Brander went back to stitching me up. “She’s a beta, and you’re an alpha. You’d be considered a unicorn, which is fitting considering you dressed like one to wage war.” “I’d be a unicorn?” I asked, wondering if they were about to give me shit about my battle gear again. “Yes, because alpha females are rare and always have been in our world. Back when the realms were ruled by the hierarchy in which packs abide by, alpha females were prized and coveted. Alpha’s protected the pack, betas were the brains, and omegas were the ones they depended on to provide numbers to the pack. Alpha females were hard to tame and had to be earned. Either by hunting, taming, fighting, or fucking them until they offered the male alpha their throat,” Knox stated, keeping me mesmerized with his raspy tone while Brander sewed the wound close. “Ember is a prime example. I had to fight her before I could fuck her, and even then, she continued to challenge me.” Brander made a strangled sound in his throat, forcing my brow to push together until Knox continued. “Betas were sought after for their sharp minds, willingness to trust an alpha, and their focus on details. They are always the eyes, ears, and cunning companion to an alpha. However, they’re not sought after for breeding
because they tend not to want the offspring a union produces and would often leave them with the father or an omega.” “Omega?” I asked, genuinely curious, and interested in what he was telling me. But, I was also aware that he was giving me the information as a way to distract me from the pain. “Omegas were needed and desired by those not wanting to settle for one woman. Unlike alphas and betas, omegas merely wanted to spend their time being bred. It was common for packs to capture and enslave omegas. Of course, they didn’t mind it much. They were worshipped and showered with gifts, protection, and food. In return, they took many lovers to their beds and produced children for them often.” “How did they tell who the father was?” I questioned, picturing it inside my head. “I mean, not judging here, but what the fuck? I don’t think I’d be able to do that. I’d want to know who had planted my babe, and I’d go insane not knowing.” Knox released a raspy rumble of approval at my musing. “It mattered little who’d sired the babe, as long as the child was both strong and healthy,” Brander answered, snipping the thread before beginning another suture. “You’re also an alpha, and they’re very possessive of their man. Alphas didn’t share women unless that woman was an omega.” “Indeed,” Knox agreed, and I winced as Brander tugged a bit too hard on my skin. Knox’s lips drifted over my shoulder, pressing against the mark he’d left when he’d claimed me. He frowned against my skin, turning to smile against it while he watched the heat burning in my cheeks. “Are you imaging being an omega who satisfied multiple men at once?” Brander questioned before his face cracked and laughter exploded from his lips. “You’re a dirty girl, Aria. Knox will need to up his game now, isn’t he?” “I am not,” I argued vehemently, hating that my ears were heating with embarrassment. My head tilted as a whine bubbled up from my chest. Knox’s hands bit into my sides, and he yanked me closer while Brander smiled impishly. “I mean, I can sort of see the appeal.” “If you’re curious about alphas, discuss what happens when Lennox expands and seals your entrance. I bet Knox would enjoy showing you exactly how that feels. He’s sampled your seal, but he’s not added the male counter of it, has he?”
“She doesn’t need to know that yet, asshole. Finish up and go make sure her friend doesn’t need your help.” The brothers shared a look over my head, but Brander’s lips curved into a smile as he finished his work on my head in silence. When he was done, he stood from the bed, pulled a small bottle from his bag, and handed it to Knox. “That will help ease the pain a little. I suggest you wait a while and allow your body to heal more damage before drinking it.” Brander tilted his head, and Esme’s groan echoed through the corridor before he vanished without another word. Lennox had pulled back once no other male was inside the room, and Knox’s fingers rubbed my belly, absently circling the rune for father and his name concealed within it. Not that I’d ever tell him that or admit that I’d included him in my protection spell. It meant if I couldn’t have his children, I wouldn’t have any. His lips brushed over my shoulder while we silently sat together, watching the fire that warmed the room. “You’re almost to your final stage, aren’t you?” he questioned softly, his voice full of pent-up lust and need. His fingertips continued drawing invisible patterns over my belly. I wanted to scream in frustration because, despite what I could hear in his voice, I felt his restraint. His slow motions and calculated touches were driving me insane. His mouth against my shoulder, promising pleasure with his bite, was toying with me. A shiver rushed through me, and I considered turning and biting him to start this rodeo and do exactly as Ember had suggested. I’d ride him like I was in a championship match at the rodeo, and fuck if he wouldn’t give me the trophy when I left his cock. “Almost, but not there yet.” Carefully, he pushed the hair away from my neck, kissing above the shifting spine. His hand moved, cupping my breast before he squeezed it until I gasped, and the other hand drifted lower. I continued to watch the flames dancing in perfect harmony with the ones inside my belly. His fingers skimmed over my naked pussy, making me shudder violently. “Soon, though,” he promised silkily, as an approving growl escaped him. He pushed his fingertips through the arousal he was creating, sliding my pussy apart with two fingers while dragging another one against the most sensitive middle. “Your cunt smells delicious, Aria.” The deep rumble of his words vibrated through my pussy, drenching it and tempting him to
take what we both wanted. My body clenched against the finger leisurely exploring my aching core, demanding more. “Please,” I begged, rocking against his fingers. “Very soon, judging by the arousal coating your silken heat, Aria,” he rumbled, nipping my earlobe. “If we existed when we hunted our mates down, you’d be so fucked right now. Your pussy’s luring me to it by scent. It’s fostering my need to toss you onto the ground, part your legs, and savagely claim you until you submit. And I would fucking savage you, woman. I wouldn’t stop until you admitted defeat and claimed me back.” “Holy shit, Knox,” I whimpered breathlessly. If that was what being an alpha meant, then sign me the fuck up. I would not say no because, hot damn, my pussy was trying to fly a white flag of surrender, so he’d do as he’d stated. “My brother was correct in assuming you were imagining men slaking their carnal hunger in your tight pussy, wasn’t he? Fair warning, Aria. I don’t give a fuck about knotting, and the only reverse harem you’d get would be what was left of them after I’d finished ripping them to pieces. But I’m not a complete bastard. I’d fuck you on their corpses and teach you just how fucking filthy you are because you’d enjoy me between your silky thighs, plowing your needy pussy until you admitted you were a dirty bitch who enjoyed being brutally fucked.” “You’re the only one I want between my thighs, Knox. I’d eviscerate them and leave a pile of bodies on my way to choose you, and only you.” “That right there? That’s what makes you a fucking unicorn. It’s also why you are an alpha to your core, Aria Primrose. You fuck me as hard as I fuck you, and you aren’t nearly as delicate as you appear to be. You’re a carnal, red-blooded woman who isn’t afraid to fight between the sheets.” “Are you looking to fight me or fuck me, Knox?” I queried in a raspy tone that sounded like sex in the purest form. “Neither at the moment. You’re wounded and I prefer to fight you fairly. However, I enjoy teasing you and holding your tight body against mine. You melt so easily against me, almost like you belong in my arms, isn’t it?” I sighed, leaning deeper into his embrace, wiggling a bit when his hard cock pressed against my lower back. “Mmm, just like that. You fit against me perfectly.” His fingers lazily rubbed through the arousal paying no attention to my clit. Instead, he growled a low rumble at my readiness. His other hand
loosened its hold on my breast, flicking his thumb against the hard tip. I whimpered as his magical finger unhurriedly dipped deeper into my opening. His knuckles brushed against my clit, and I closed my eyes, dropping my legs farther apart for more. The purring that escaped his chest forced my body to prepare for him, but he didn’t seem to be in a hurry to ease the painful ache he was creating. Knox’s fingertips slipped between my lower lips. Without warning, two entered my pussy, ripping a moan from my throat as I arched against the pleasure. The hand on my breast tightened, holding me in place against him, and his fingers pinched the hard, needy tip of my breast. He did it at the same moment he withdrew his fingers, forcing them back in with a hard thrust. I whimpered, rocking my body against his with the fiery need he built within me. He withdrew his fingers and then pushed them into his mouth, sucking each one clean as I watched. “You taste fucking delicious, Aria.” He groaned before he moved his fingers back, bringing me to the edge of a precipice and then leaving me there to dangle. “It is soaking wet for me, isn’t it?” “Knox, please.” I panted through a moan. His rich, dark laughter sent a shiver racing down my spine and straight to my cunt. The hand caressing my breast lifted, slowly pressing against my throat in silent warning. Lips skimmed over my shoulder, and I swallowed the words meant to beg him to bite me like a wanton bitch in heat. “Please, what? Please drink your messy cunt, or fuck it? You’re dripping all over the covers, aren’t you? Such a messy girl, wife.” He was staring at my core with naked hunger sparkling in his gaze. “Tell me who owns this messy cunt? Beg me to toss you down and wreck you until my name is the only one you know. Or are you begging me to bite you and reaffirm my mark? Give me words, woman.” “I need you to do it all,” I confessed. I didn’t care about the head wound. My body was on a roller-coaster, and the highs and lows were too much. I wanted him to end the ache, to ease the need that was coiled in my belly. “Is that what you want?” he whispered, slowly curling his finger within me. “I want you to fuck and bite me, Knox. Please?” I whispered, waiting for him to do as I was begging.
His hand left my aching, clenching cunt, and his lips danced toward the white scars he’d left before. I angled my head, inviting him to mark me again, but he merely placed soft kisses over the curve of my shoulder. The hand against my throat tightened, and I closed my eyes to the pleasure that it sparked. The gesture didn’t make me feel trapped or threatened. It made me feel protected. It was rare to feel anything other than pain lately, and before I could stop it, words tumbled from my lips. “I crave you right now, here. My body desires to feel you within it and on it. And I need to feel your teeth sinking into me and how you stretch me and savage my tender flesh until we’re fucking boneless. Please, I want your hands everywhere on me, Knox. I want you to give me everything. So give it to me.” “Drink, Aria.” He chuckled deeply, grabbing the bottle he’d dropped beside my leg and then holding it out for me to take. That was not at all what I expected after my admission. Accepting the bottle, I sat in the comfort of his body while peering into the flames and wondering what I had done wrong. He didn’t speak again for some time, and the uncertainty finally got the better of me. “Nothing?” I whispered, fighting the swelling in my throat when he failed to reply. “I—” It came out choked and desperate. My words stilled, and I fought the pathetic pull of desperation settling into my bones. How was he ignoring me? I had begged him. My body was pliant and available. He was ignoring it and me and wasn’t giving us what we both craved. “You lose the ability to speak in full sentences, sweet girl?” “And think straight.” And draw a deep breath or keep my emotions in check. “Let me go, Knox.” “I think not. You’re not leaving my arms tonight,” he warned thickly, rolling his hips until I felt his erection against my spine. “Is that so?” I whispered, turning to peer into the ocean-colored depths that churned with need, creating waves within them. “I don’t think you’re able to argue with me, Little Monster. I saved your pretty ass today, and I’m only asking to hold you. So, take a fucking drink of the whisky and get the fuck back where you belong,” he ordered in a dominant tone that had my eyes widening. A scream of pain sounded from the wall, and my eyes slipped toward the door. The men’s grunts of pain followed, causing my lips to curl into a smirk. Bodies thudded against the wall, and her soft-yet-fierce, snarl
warned them to back off. He chuckled, feeling me tense as Esme belted out a string of violent cussing before she howled. The sound of masculine groans exploded. I blinked as something started thumping against the wall while she rattled. “Fuck around and find out, assholes!” she snarled, and my lips twitched. “That’s my best friend,” I murmured, watching Knox smirk. “She won’t admit to it yet, but she’s my person. We’ll be digging holes to hide bodies in any day now.” “Your concussion is showing, Aria,” he stated, taking the bottle back so he could remove the top. Then he handed it back to me. “Drink slowly so you don’t end up retching.” I licked my lips, brought the bottle to my mouth, and drank deeply from the delicious whisky. I moaned against the taste that exploded on my tongue and lowered it while he continued watching my mouth. Slowly, his eyes lifted and locked with mine. “Take another,” he ordered, which caused my lips to lift in a smile before I did as he’d asked. I held it out for him, but he shook his head as warmth began spreading through me. I blinked, fighting the warm sensation of weightlessness settling into my muscles. Warning bells echoed inside my head, but the harder I fought, the stronger the pull became. “What did you do to me?” I slurred, fear spiking through my mind. Shoving against his legs, I tried to rise from the bed, but Knox didn’t allow it. He just held me as he lowered us to the mattress. “I trusted you,” I muttered weakly. “You’re safe, Aria. Stop fighting me and just sleep. I will keep you safe while you rest and gather your strength,” he promised, holding tighter. “You’re safe with me. I promise you that.”
Chapter Forty-Five My eyes popped open, and I slid my hand over the empty bed. I was alone inside the room and still dressed in only an oversized shirt. Beside my pillow sat three black roses, which eased the sting of waking up alone a fraction. I bristled with the knowledge that he’d drugged me. Why the hell had he done it? I blinked away the sleep from my eyes, scouring the room for the asshole to let him have my opinion on what he’d done. Only, I didn’t see, or sense him nearby anymore. Slowly, I slid from the bed and stretched, inhaling Knox’s scent that clung to my skin and perfumed the air in the room. I eyed the clothes he’d left on the chair and wondered how he’d gotten them clean before morning. Lifting them to my nose, I drank deeply from his scent, smiling at the heady perfume of his skin. I dropped his shirt onto a chair before pulling on my own clothes, wincing at the slight pain that pulled on my scalp. My head pounded, and there was a pulse throbbing behind my eyeball that wouldn’t stop, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as it had been the night before. Once dressed, I moved to the door and paused, cocking my head to the side as I listened. The silence that filled the air was deafening and had me hurrying to exit the room filled with the scent of desperation while also making me forget I wasn’t a desperate, weak bitch. Knox had left me unsatisfied, and I had no idea why. He’d never have done that before. Unless he thought he was going to edge me again, in which case, I’d edge his ass off a high cliff. My room opened into a windowless hallway, and I stepped out, moving swiftly to the room Esme had to have been in last night. The door was cracked open, so I peeked in and found a very naked, very passed out Esme contorted awkwardly on the mattress. Satisfied that she was alive and safe, I kept moving down the hallway. My bare feet made no sound over the wooden floor, and the farther I went down the hall, the more eerie the stillness became. Pushing the next door open I found, I revealed a very spacious room that was empty of guests. I leisurely took in the rustic furniture and the paintings on the walls. In one, a beautiful woman stood beside a horse. Her dark, sand-colored hair reminded me of Knox’s, but her eyes were more like Brander’s. Wondering
who she was, I backed out of the room and tried door number three. This one opened to a breathtaking view of the mountains. Leaving the security of the cabin, I moved into the open meadow where the cabin sat. There was no sign of Knox—or anyone else, for that matter. Sucking my bottom lip between my teeth, I chewed it absently as the sound of groaning escaped the cottage. Esme stumbled outside, her cheeks stained red with embarrassment. I scowled, fighting back the disappointment in Knox leaving me unsatisfied. The bastard had drugged me, forced me to sleep in his arms, and left before I woke. It pissed me off that he’d primed my body and then only asked to hold me in his arms. “Last night was . . .” Esme started, stopping when I spun to look at her pointedly. Her hair was everywhere, and she looked freshly fucked. The outfit she pulled on was halfway untucked, and I could smell Killian and Lore on her, but not as strongly as I’d assumed I would. It was as if they’d merely scented the air around her as she’d soothed her needs. “I don’t remember most of it,” she started again, fumbling for words. “I drank something that Brander said would ease the pain. Only, I don’t remember shit after that.” “Yeah, I’m pretty sure they drugged us,” I muttered, scrubbing a hand over my face before turning to the cascading waterfalls. “This place is breathtaking.” It was the truth. In front of the cottage was an enormous pool of water surrounded by large, smooth stones you could sit or lounge on. I could see steam wafting from the water, which meant it was a natural hot spring. They had set bottles of shampoo and conditioner on the smooth rocks beside another black rose. Frowning in thought, I replayed last night, wondering why Knox had washed me with plain scented soap when he had this. There was a clean outfit left as well, which must have been for Esme. The additional black rose made my heart beat erratically against my ribs, and I told it to shut up as I undid the clasp on my dress and stepped into the warm water. A moan escaped my throat, and I smiled as I turned, picking up the rose. I heard the whoosh of fabric before Esme stepped in, sinking to her neck in the heavenly scented water before she sniffed the air. “Someone left food for us, too,” she stated with a moan that I matched.
“He’s an excellent hunter,” I admitted, smiling at the idea that he’d left the items for us. Brushing my nose against the rose one last time before setting it back on the rock, I stared around the high cliffs that hid the cottage from the outside world, wondering if he was out there watching us. “He left you food and roses?” she asked. “Guess you put out, huh?” “No, I didn’t. He left me needing more and snuck away like I’d imagined him. They saved us,” I admitted, leaning back against the smooth rock. The warmth that washed over me had my eyes rolling back with pleasure. Talk about a natural retreat. The air was clean and held hints of chamomile and lavender that tickled my heightened senses. Esme swallowed, turning to look at me from where she leaned against the other rock. “I felt you,” she admitted softly. “You saved me first, and then we both went down. Even when it wasn’t safe, you came for me. You know that I’m nothing, right? I’m not the one this world needs to save it. Aria, you can’t place your life in danger for mine.” “I can. I did. And I will again if I have to. You don’t get to tell me you’re nothing, Esmeralda. You’re my friend, and that means a lot to me. There’s also the fact that, if it was me, you’d have saved me, right?” I questioned, ignoring her disgruntled huff and eye roll. “Of course, I’d come for you. You’re to be queen one day, and the perks I’ll be able to ask for will be endless,” she informed in a haughty tone. “Best friends,” I whispered, smiling at her while she glared at me. “What’s the difference between friends and best friends?” she asked as I grabbed the shampoo bottle. After I dunked my head, I dumped a generous amount into my palm and handed her the bottle, which she cautiously sniffed. “A friend is someone you can count on if you need them, but a best friend is the one person who knows when she’s supposed to be there. Most often, she can sense that you need her and she drops everything and runs to you. She’s the person you know will always be beside you, no questions asked, and there isn’t anyone else you’d want beside you when disaster strikes. If you commit a crime, she’ll hold your secretes and take them to the grave. If you murdered someone, she’ll help you dig the unmarked grave for the body.” “I still fail to see why we’d need to a hide a body. We could just eat them and call it good.” She exhaled, lathering the shampoo into her hair.
“It’s metaphorical,” I snorted, rolling my eyes before her words replayed in my head. “So, best friends?” “Nope. Not even close.” Esme set aside the shampoo and then moved onto a rock that formed a seat. Her eyes shifted from violet to amethyst while she peered at the surrounding area suspiciously. The wind was blowing softer today, and the multitude of scents of the serene setting were comforting to both myself, and Esme. Shivering, Esme settled and returned to washing. “When did you notice you were different?” I asked Esme, using the conditioner, which she snubbed her nose up at. “It makes it easier to brush your hair,” I explained, watching her smell the contents of the bottle. “It was the first time I was around the silver-haired men. The first time the creature inside me spoke, I thought I was losing my mind. I was so busy trying to take everything in that it took me a while to notice the physical changes. My teeth and claws changed, which bothered me. Then there were the heat cycles. It wasn’t a need or a slight ache. It was this throbbing one that didn’t stop, not even after I fucked someone. I still have yet to feel fully satisfied after I sleep with someone during the cycle. You?” “Almost an entire year ago,” I admitted and then snorted as her jaw dropped. I slowly explained the events that led up to Ember’s appearance and her response to Knox being a good fuck but shitty provider. She cackled with laughter until she was in tears. When she finally calmed down, she blinked away the remaining moisture and turned her face up toward the sunlight, which bathed the meadow in warmth. I mirrored her, catching sight of dust rising in the distance. “Someone is coming.” Standing, I climbed from the pool and started grabbing our clothes. “That’s not Knox. We need to go now.” Esme rushed from the water, and I tossed her the outfit that had been left for her before I dressed quickly in my own clothes. I grabbed the shoes Knox had left and groaned when I saw the rose had been knocked into the water when I climbed out and was wilted. After moving it back onto a boulder, I followed Esme through the yard and rushed into the camouflage the forest offered at the edge of the clearing the cottage sat in. “You’re positive it isn’t him?” she asked. “He wouldn’t be so obvious on his approach,” I muttered, rushing toward the large hill that moved deeper into the mountain behind the cottage.
We barely reached the shelter of thick vegetation that bracketed the trail at the mouth of the woods when horses and riders came into view. They made no effort to conceal their approach, and when they pulled to a stop in front of the cabin, anger snaked its way through my system. Sabine and another witch I didn’t know slid from their saddles, strode to the front door, and walked inside as if they owned the place. “Is it just me, or did she just walk into that place like she owned it, Aria,” Esme whispered, putting my observation into words. The sound of men chuckling preceded a small group of the women’s escorts as they rounded the cabin and headed to the shed behind it. I swallowed past the lump that swelled in my throat, peering at the coat of arms on their chainmail. Slowly, I sank deeper into the undergrowth as confusion filled my head. The crazy scenario about how Knox had given her this location so she could restrain me after I’d been drugged was the only thing that explained her showing up with guards bearing his crest. “Let’s go,” I stated, not wanting to be present if anyone else showed up —especially Knox, since I didn’t want to hear anything he had to say right now. “Why does your sister’s horse have the royal crest of Norvalla etched on the saddle? She’s riding with the insignia meant for the queen of Norvalla.” “So she is,” I whispered, fighting the churning in my stomach. “Guess he found a new queen, after all.” It felt like my heart was being pulverized. I swallowed the tears but allowed the bitter resentment to churn within me. I viewed Sabine calmly coming back outside and scan the area around the cottage. After a moment, her shoulders slumped, and she moved to the pool we’d vacated. Kneeling, she picked up the wilted rose and frowned, lifting her gaze to slide it over the rocky terrain and thick greenery. My eyes tightened on her, exposed in the open terrain, and I considered how easy it would be to end her life. The soldiers she’d brought with her wouldn’t stand a chance if I unleashed myself on them. The one thing saving her was my conscience because I wasn’t certain I’d be able to live with ending her life. Startling blue eyes slid toward us, and I backed up farther into the woods. My heart pounded inside my ears, drowning out Esme’s words as she whispered. Betrayal was becoming expected of those I’d once loved. It wasn’t such a difficult thing for them to stab me in the heart and leave me bleeding out anymore.
“Aria!” Sabine called, causing my emotions to boil. “Aria, we need to talk!” She stepped away from the pool, roaming her eyes over the woods. “Please, it’s important.” “It was pretty ballsy of her to come here with only a handful of guards. What do you think she wants to talk about?” Esme whispered, but I was too busy staring at my sister, who I had thought would be one of the last people ever to betray me. And she was wearing the insignia of the man I’d asked to fuck me last night. “It doesn’t matter,” I ground out, standing straight up and turning on my heel. “She’s not my sister, cousin, or anyone I know anymore. I don’t care what she has to say or what she wants. They chose their safety over doing what was right and have to live with the consequences of it.” It hurt to know they’d willingly tossed me away, choosing to remain beside Aurora. It hurt even more that Sabine had shown riding a horse with the seal that showed she’d soon become the queen of Norvalla. Knox had some explaining to do because, if he thought he could play with my emotions more than he’d already done, he was wrong. Several hours later, I waited beside a pool of water that was fed by a natural spring. I tossed a rock into the pond, hating that Esme had to go into the village by herself. But the wanted posters plastered on buildings and posts had changed yet again. They no longer depicted me as a poorly drawn sketch. No, for this round, they’d actually used one of the last photos I’d been in and had spelled my likeness onto the parchments. Thank you, evil spawns of Hecate, for that one. I threw another rock, which skipped five times before a three-headed fish jumped up and swallowed it. I blinked at the atrocious-looking creature and stepped back from the otherwise calm pool. The shit in the Nine Realms would make the monsters from Lord of the Rings look fluffy. All I needed now was for something to jump out screaming, “My Precious.” The sound of feet crunching over dry vegetation drew my attention toward the worn path we followed to find the pool. Esme wasn’t even trying to be quiet, and when she got a bit closer, she grinned and held up a loaf of bread. “I brought lunch!” She chuckled, watching as I frowned. “Stolen food tastes just as good as the shit we pay for. Stop looking at me like that,” she muttered irritably.
“Looking at you like what, Esmeralda?” I asked as I tossed the remaining rocks to the ground. Esme snorted before plopping her ass down on a boulder. “Like I’m a thief who left some poor wee child starving.” “Did you?” I countered with amusement and a smile in my eyes, settling onto the boulder next to hers. The sun was soothing today, warming my face against the cold front moving into the realm. It wasn’t too hot or too cold, and it felt amazing against my face. “Not that I am aware of. Believe it or not, I didn’t ask them before I pilfered it and ran,” she replied, closing her eyes and leaning back. Without looking, she bit off a sizeable chunk of the stale, dried bread. Her teeth were needle-like things that made quick work of the meal. The moment she finished, her teeth returned to blunt, perfectly straight white teeth. I’d noticed mine did the same lately, but normally I ended up fighting Ember to maintain control. “We need to eat too, you know? Not just grubby little monsters. I’m sure the kids weren’t starving,” she offered, sitting up to turn toward me. She held the paper out, forcing my brow to crease. I glanced at the paper before accepting it from her. My heart clenched as my stomach soured in my stomach, threatening to empty. Tears immediately pricked my eyes, and I opened my mouth to speak but nothing came out. The King of Norvalla had accepted a match to Princess Sabine of the Hecate Bloodline. I stared at the paper, unseeing the words as they blurred from the emotion tearing through me. “They’re to be wed at the High King’s Court in a few weeks,” she stated gently. “There were also notices that promised any witch who joins them against Hecate . . . and you will be given a place within the newly constructed Palace of Witches, which is being built on the edge of Norvalla. Any witch who sees that poster will agree and join them simply because being a witch out here is deadly. Only the more insane or powerful ones will hesitate to join a Hecate witch who crowned herself as queen.” Swallowing the sharp pain that lanced through my heart, I forced out. “Knox is marrying Sabine, Aurora is being trumpeted as a savior, and I’m being declared an enemy of both kingdoms.” “All Nine of the Realms have declared you an enemy,” she corrected, wincing as my eyes flicked to hers. “It says that you’re to be taken alive and brought to the border where the new palace is being built for witches.” I nodded, crumpling the wedding announcement.
“That explains why he wouldn’t fuck me, even though I pathetically begged him to.” I swallowed the bile that burned the back of my throat. Sliding off the rock to turn, I gazed at Esme. “We should get moving. We’ve stayed here too long.” “You’re not okay,” she pointed out. “If what that says is true. If he’s marrying your sister and declaring you an enemy, then why did he save us? Why didn’t they keep us locked up?” “Maybe he felt bad? How am I to know his mind? I thought I meant something to him, but I should have known better. Knox told me we were mates, and that it meant more to him than any vow spoken. Yet, I am still marked his enemy, and he’s still going to marry my sister.” I turned away from her so she wouldn’t see the weakness I showed. I tossed the wedding announcement into the pond, watching the fish eat it the moment it touched the water. “What are you going to do?” Esme asked, joining me at the edge of the pond. “About them? Nothing.” The fact that Knox had agreed and kept it from me clenched a vise around my heart, squeezing it painfully. “I’m going to continue gathering the elements, and then you and I are going to find the cave where the trials begin. After that, we’re going to talk to my father and figure out what I am once and for all. I need to find out what I am becoming and worry about myself for once. I’ve spent my entire life worrying about others and hiding off to the side. Now, I need to focus on what I am and where I truly belong in this world.” I’d spent last night begging like a bitch in heat for him to fuck me, and I was furious that he’d touched me and worshiped me while he knew he couldn’t have me. I was no one’s side piece, and I’d told him that many times before. I continued forgiving him for shit he did when he didn’t deserve it or earn it. Yet, time after time, I forgave him. So, in hindsight, I guess I should be thankful he’d shown restraint and hadn’t turned me into a whore. I wasn’t sure if I should thank him or murder him. Both of the options carried merit. Sabine had ridden right up to that cabin door, riding the queen’s horse, flying his colors, and protected by his men. It was something he’d never offered me. Sabine was marrying the man I claimed as my mate and would get everything I wanted merely by decree. At least all those twisted-as-shit future walks made more sense now.
I was the enemy of the realms and placed into the same category as Hecate. They wanted me taken alive because they wanted to try to drain my magic. Try being the operative word. I had no intention of allowing them to entomb me at all. “I think it’s time we remind this fucking place who they’re fucking with,” I muttered, spinning to look at Esme. “I need to gather supplies, and then we’ll scout out the stronghold where the next elemental is located. Each element I take will weaken Hecate and force her to use more power from the grid she’s made. So, what do you say about taking a trip to peek at how that thing functions and what we’ll need to break the flow?” Esme’s lips curled into a mischievous smirk, and she stepped closer. “I think I like evil, bitter Aria more than the other versions.”
Chapter Forty-Six One month later . . . The stronghold was intimidating to see in person. I’d never waged war against anything this fortified before. The high walls encircled a castle and a sprawling village. It had a large, double-tiered gatehouse in front of a thick, winding wall, which had me doing a double-take when I’d first seen it. Instead of one portcullis, there was one on either side of the twin towers that marked the front of the castle. The gates themselves were made of either thick iron or steel, which wasn’t discernable from where I stood. The torches burned even though night hadn’t settled over the realm yet. I could sense the runes and didn’t need to know how well-placed they were. I could feel their power from a quarter of a mile away. The most daunting part of this, though? The sheer number of citizens living behind that gate. I couldn’t turn the whole place to ruins without also ending thousands of innocent lives. That wasn’t something I was willing to do. My senses could pick up the aroma of freshly baked break and the sound of livestock, proving that this place could withstand a siege. It had guards that patrolled the outer wall in units of two and three, this place could withstand a siege, and still more guards moved to the smaller wall that ringed the actual castle. Exhaling the frustration, I sent my senses deeper into the place, allowing the magic within me to search for a weakness. Swallowing down the anxiousness that flowed through me, I continually discovered blocked passageways. Frustration rushed through me, and I pushed my senses harder, driving them through the multiple passageways that intertwined beneath the kingdom like a network of underground tunnels. Smiling with victory, I opened my eyes and tilted my head, taking it in with normal vision. The stronghold sat within Norvalla, which meant Knox wouldn’t be happy. But what else could he do to me? He’d allowed the council to strip me of my titles and protection, he’d labeled me a criminal for the attack carried out, and he’d agreed to marry my cousin.
Really, that last thing was kind of my doing as well since I had actually told him to marry her because she’d be able to handle him in bed. I just never thought he’d actually go and ask her. “If that bell goes off, they’ll be on us before we stand a chance to fight them properly,” Esme pointed out carefully. “We have Aria to throw at them,” Soraya countered, her blue gaze watching the men pulling horses toward a stable. Runes covered the outer walls of the stronghold and were painted in the native language of Hecate. That indicated a powerful witch had placed them, preventing magic from being cast on the stronghold. Higher above the walkway, an arched roof that had more runes covering it, glinting the sun’s ray to scatter them into the field before the extensive structure. In the grassy field, the reflection continually burnt the runes in to the earth to create a natural barrier from magic. “This castle is a beast,” I admitted as a line of witches walked over the tower wall. “I have never seen anything like it before, other than the palace in Dorcha, but that place is a fortress.” The runes would prevent magic from being cast in the walls and were going to be a bitch to get past, but not impossible. The merlons were each marked with a single rune, with the outline of a raven in flight etched on the saw-tooth like square that sat between the crenels. It wasn’t just a beast of a castle. It was an impressive show of strength, which if I didn’t need to attack, I wouldn’t. The sheer magnitude of the place gave me pause. Sliding my stare over the witches being walked toward the rounded, vastly larger-braziers and the body shaped dome cages that were being pushed behind each woman, I frowned. They’d attached thick chains to the tops of the cages, and manacles hung from them, chinking loud enough that I could hear them from where I stood. The witches were wet, as if the guards had poured something over them, and when they were pulled to a stop, they were in front of the large, wide pan-looking version of a brazier which had been lit to ignite the coals. Guards removed what looked to be grates from the pan, which sent smoke into the air. Wood was added, and the flames leaped higher, adding darker smoke to the lighter plumes that reached high into the sky, and another guard added something to the flames, causing them to die down a bit. My eyebrows pressed together, and it took a moment to realize what the hell I was seeing.
“It’s a fucking iron torture chair, but with a cage instead of the chair.” I was unable to suppress my horror, but the witches didn’t appear worried. We all went silent as they removed the ropes from their hands. The guard in front of each one secured their hands in the manacles they’d retrieved from the cages, and then reattached it to the chain dangling from the top. I waited for the witches to fight, or protest. Shit, anything would be better than the silence and acceptance of what was happening right now. A powerful witch —probably the same one who had painted all the wards and runes over the buildings—had painted runes on their foreheads and dirty gowns. “What are they waiting for?” Esme asked. “Why aren’t they fighting?” “Why light the braziers when it’s still day?” Soraya countered, her mouth tugging into a frown. “Do you think they’re going to—” Siobhan went silent as the chained witches willingly stepped forward onto the glowing coals. “Oh my God,” she whispered softly. The moment the witches were all on the coals, the guards slid the cages forward, locked the doors, and then yanked the manacle chain to hoist the witch from the coals. Relief shot through me, but it was stomped down when I realized they only lifted the witches so they could reposition them and lower them into the cauldron-like bowls. Screaming began, and the smoke billowing up changed into something much more acrid. “What the fuck?” I breathed, fighting the urge to rush to their aid. The agonizing shrieks echoed through the mountains, sending birds and other carrion creatures shooting into the air. A raven landed inches from me, his head tilting as if it were considering me. The intelligence in its stare made my blood boil, and I sneered at it, rattling in warning. “Fuck off, Knox,” I muttered before shooing the raven away with my foot. “We’ve been located. It’s time to move.” “What’s the plan?” Siobhan asked, her eyes turning to where hundreds of ravens were landing around us. “What in the actual fuck are they doing?” she whispered, her question filled with fear and apprehension. Turning to glare at them, I snorted. It wasn’t an unkindness, it was an army of them. I inhaled deeply, unsettled by the number of scents in the air that were blocking me from locating the one I was searching for. “They’re his spies and allow him to see us through their eyes and listen through their ears. It’s how he kept his eye on me as I moved through the
Nine Realms before. His tattoo tracked, and they were his fucking eyes to watch everything I did.” “That’s reassuring,” Esme pointed out with a chuckle that scared a few of the ravens away. “So, what is the plan?” Soraya asked, grimacing as the witches howled from the wall of the stronghold. “That’s so fucked up. I’ve heard of torture devices and horror stories of how they worked, but that shit is a new level of twisted.” “We need to regroup and figure out a way to nullify the runes. This won’t be as easy as I thought it would be. Knox’s defensive strategy for this place is both impressive and daunting. This is where the keeper of the wind is, which means we have to figure out a way to get in there. The problem is, there are too many people inside there for me to do it easily. I can’t just murder everyone.” “Why not?” Esme asked. “They’re allowing those men to torture the witches. They’re not bothered by it in the slightest. Look at the children. They’re cheering them on!” “So they are,” I stated with a pitiful frown as I rubbed my temples, trying to ease the stress just being here was creating. “I can’t use too much magic because I have a feeling that, the moment I reach for the keeper, Hecate will show up.” “So, we can’t stop this?” Soraya demanded, her question causing a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. “No, not unless we kill everyone we see quickly and brutally. Even then, the whole place in blanketed in wards to prevent magic from being used within the walls. Whoever laid them is as powerful as she is skilled.” I nodded to where the witches still screamed. “Look at their clothes. You can still see the remnants of the spell work that kept them docile until their feet hit the fire. We have two options. We can try to figure out how she’s bypassing the wards and casting inside the walls and then do the same thing, but my guess is she’s wearing something that exempts her from the wards. Since we can’t use magic inside, that’s going to be a bitch to get. Our second option is to remove them, which would take time, but is possible so long as we do it swiftly enough that she doesn’t have time to cast against us.” “I can go,” Avyanna announced, her wide green eyes holding mine. “Look, I am not dependent on magic and I’m no longer considered a witch.
I’m just a healer, and if questioned, I could appear to be one. I’ll just tell the gate guards I’m here to purchase more ingredients to heal patients.” “If you get into trouble, we can’t promise to get you out,” I warned, glancing back to the castle only to suck in a sharp breath. “Look”—I gestured toward the single woman moving from one cage to the next —“found the witch we need to talk—” Thundering hoofbeats cut me off, and I groaned in irritation. An army of troops was coming through the large arched entrance that led into the valley. “That asshole should really just take a vacation already,” I muttered, pondering the ethicality of setting every single one of his raven spies on fire. “King of Norvalla has graced us with his presence, ladies.” I watched Knox and then slid my gaze to the female riding beside him and then to the rest of the treacherous bitches riding behind her. Sabine pointed me out to them. Did she think to stop me? Did they think I’d stop what I’d started already? Or were they here to pretend to be on my side? None of those things were happening. Sabine dismounted with Knox, and they started toward me. I turned away from them and watched as men swarmed the outer wall. Their weapons were being drawn and aimed at the unmarked army, which wasn’t flying Knox’s emblem from their banners. They were ruining the element of surprise as well as my ability to back away to formulate an actual plan of attack. “Change of plans,” I announced. “We’re attacking now.” “There are five of us!” Esme gasped, her eyes wide. Yup, she knew it was a piss-poor plan, too, but it was the only plan left open to us. “You can’t cast magic past the walls, which means they just have to make five lucky shots and we’re done. If we go down there, we will die.” “Who wants to live forever?” I shrugged, turning to study the fear on their faces. “Do you prefer to wait here for me? I don’t advise it, since an entire army is coming this way already. There’s also the man trying to sneak closer to us from the other side, but he’s failing horridly to be quiet about it. Killian, maybe take the boots off and then approach the unsuspecting women on the cliff,” I called, even though he wasn’t who was sneaking up on us. I didn’t need crayons to figure out Killian had sent the troops one way to force us toward where he was hiding behind us with more. “We’re surrounded?” Soraya said, likely seconds away from hyperventilating. I laughed, which caught her off guard just enough to snap
her out of it. “I fail to see the humor in that, Aria. We’re not promised good dick and a soft bed when we’re prisoners.” “We’re totally not surrounded.” “You can’t mean—” “Bottoms up, bitches!” I laughed, leaping over the edge, hooting as I fell. I did not know how deep the water was or if we’d survive the fall, but it looked deep enough to handle our drop, and I was praying I didn’t die. That wouldn’t make the statement I’d been trying to make here, after all. “Aria!” Esme screamed, peering over the edge. “You’re insane! Shit like this is why we can’t be best friends. You do stupid shit, and then I have to follow you!” she barked angrily, but leaped over the edge, waving her arms in the air. “Best friends don’t let best friends jump alone. You’re my best friend —” I slammed into the water feet first. The moment I felt the riverbed, I pushed against it and swam to the surface. Esme landed a handful of second behind me, and I gulped in a lungful of air before diving under to get her. “I can’t swim!” she shrieked as I pulled her above the surface. She slapped the water, flailing her arms and legs wildly. Silently, I promised her that if we made it through this, I would teach her to swim. But first, I had to get her to the shore. “I’m aware. Remember? I’m your person? And as your person, it is my duty to know these things!” I stated in a singsong voice as she tried to drown me. She wrapped her arms around my neck, and her legs locked around my waist. “You’re going to drown us both, asshole. I need to swim for us.” “I hate you.” “No you don’t.” I chuckled. “Oh, I really do right now.” “Nope!” I laughed as screaming sounded above us. “Lie back and stop flailing. If you don’t, you’re about to get . . .” Soraya slammed into the water beside us, popping back up to stare at where I was treading water while holding Esme above the surface. “You two making out or planning to get to the shore? Knox’s army is coming down the valley. Avyanna isn’t willing to jump.” Another scream sounded, and we all looked up. “Apparently, she’s been pushed off the edge by Siobhan. I did not see that one coming.” “It’s raining witches.” Esme groaned while tightening her hold on me.
“Which means we should go before it starts raining men.” I laughed, waiting for someone to laugh at the joke. No one did. “No one? Tough crowd.” We crawled onto the shore and found men from the castle already coming toward us. Frowning, I did a double-take at the castle, wondering how they’d gotten down so quickly. Pausing, I peered up the cliff and then toward the deafening sound of the army moving into the wide valley. It was going to be a long night. I lifted my hands, forcing magic into my fingertips before I sent it sailing through the field. Men dropped to their knees as they screamed in agony. I smiled, moving closer to where they howled and rolled on the ground. I made them feel exactly what the witches they were burning felt. The sounds of pain filled the air. It continued swelling around us while they felt every horrid sensation of being cooked alive. We leisurely moved over the field, and I pricked my fingertip with my teeth and let a drip of my blood fall. With that, I called the army of the dead to me, but only a small percentage of it. I didn’t want Knox or Aurora knowing just how many dead creatures I’d gathered to wage war with. “There are dead things crawling up from the ground,” Avyanna whimpered as she danced away from a set of hands emerging by her feet. “Don’t worry, they’re on our side, love.” I snorted, gathering the power and magic I needed to erect a barrier large enough to surround the beast of a castle. It slammed down, and I grinned as my hair lifted with the breeze it created. Power rushed to my fingertips generously, and I moaned as it slithered into my soul. I greedily yanked more from the world around me. I could hear Knox shouting my name. My sisters were echoing his cry. I didn’t trust a damn one of them enough to let them through, not with how easily they’d turned against me. They’d had my trust and had rubbed my face into the muck while they betrayed me. The spineless bitches had destroyed our bond and discarded me like trash. Knox wasn’t any better since he’d replaced me so readily with Sabine. I didn’t need any of them. I didn’t want to feel what they’d forced me to feel anymore. The not knowing who to trust and then discovering everyone I should’ve been able to rely on had turned against me? I couldn’t do that anymore. My hands lifted, strengthening the barrier behind me with an added layer of powerful magic. I spun around, smiling coldly as Knox dismounted and rushed toward where I stood. His eyes were narrow slits, and he
slammed his hand against the invisible wall, rattling in warning. I grinned at him before turning to watch the drawbridge close and spikes push through the wooden doors. The idiocy of them closing and sealing everyone inside was immense. “You’re not doing this, Aria,” Knox hissed, forcing me to turn toward him, but I ended up glaring at Sabine, who stood beside him. “I am, and you and your fucking army can’t stop me. I hear congratulations are in order. Honestly, though, I wish you both the best. Now, if you and your fiancée will excuse me, I have a castle to render to rubble.” I dismissed them and walked to the front of the undead army. “At me,” I screamed, hearing the answer in the form of their battle cry. “March forward.” “Don’t do this, Aria!” Sabine demanded. “Do what, Sabine?” “You can’t do this,” she whispered, but I leveled her with a withering look. The blood drained from Sabine’s face and was replaced with unfiltered horror. We both knew I’d only ever gazed upon one person with the look I now aimed at her. “Oh, but I can,” I stated, laughing coldly as I turned back to the army of dead creatures I’d raised. “Hello, my pretties, I’ve missed you.”
Chapter Forty-Seven They had removed the witches from the battlement walkway to bring out large wooden catapults. The issue they were having was, Knox’s army was the only one within a striking distance of their missiles. At least they assumed that to be what would happen, since they couldn’t feel the barrier I’d placed. We were entirely too close to the wall for them to be used against us. Now that Knox had lifted banners, they knew they couldn’t attack without risking harming the high king. As dusk settled in, fires were lit and torches were being placed evenly apart along the battlement. Tents had gone up behind us, and the din of people running around echoed through the wide, sprawling valley. All the while, I’d stood and watched, seemingly not doing much at all when really I’d been waiting for over an hour for my army to get into position. Had I had more to do what I’d wanted, then people wouldn’t be standing around waiting for the sky to fall and the stronghold would’ve been razed to rubble already. The undead army wasn’t impressed, which might have more to do with them being dead and not impressed by anything anymore. Either way, I was mirroring their sentiment over the entire debacle. Esme approached, bypassing the motionless army that waited for a command. In her hands were the bags we’d brought with us from the library. Unfortunately, it appeared to be dripping water. She handed mine off to me, and the others gathered around, silently sliding worried gazes to the dead as they closed around our group. “They don’t sound as if they intend to stop soon,” Soraya said, referring to the shouts of Knox and my cousins’ still coming from the other side of the barrier. “I’ll handle it in a moment,” I replied, withdrawing the low-waist leather pants and the tight top from the bag. “This would be a lot easier if everything wasn’t soaking wet.” “Had we not jumped off a cliff, we wouldn’t be soaking wet,” Esme snapped back, pointedly glaring at me. “If we hadn’t jumped off that cliff, we’d be prisoners of war,” I returned. “Touché.” She sighed, rolling her eyes around the undead. “They’re fucking creepy.”
“I brought them here so they could get revenge,” I stated, feeling my cheek clenching with the memories of how I’d gained this particular group of undead. “They’re creepy as hell,” Avyanna whispered while glancing uneasily at the dead surrounding us. “It’s rather sadistic, but also pretty cool,” Esme stated, already changing into the baggy clothes she brought. Having an outfit was one thing. Getting into the outfit when it was wet was another thing entirely. It took a lot of jumping and wiggling to get the leather pants on, and the soft cotton top ended up showing off the girls more than it hid them. I slipped back into my boots, frowning as water squished between my toes. Siobhan stared at my hair before grabbing the brush. I sat on the ground and allowed her to work out the tangles and then manipulate it into a war braid that started in the middle of my forehead and wrapped around the back. Once she’d got it that far, she added the rest of the hair into it until it looked decent. At least, I thought it did since there wasn’t a mirror handy at the moment. Around my neck, I clasped chains that were enhanced with grounding crystals and small smokey quartz shards that jangled when I moved. I added silver bands that contained ground quartz around my biceps, and then thin silver bands that carried other crystals around my waist. “Damn, wish I looked that good when preparing to fight,” Esme said as she pulled on the dark robe that matched the ones I’d dressed the undead army in. If Hecate showed up, I wanted the girls to blend in with the crowd and disappear. “The moment I call the keeper of the wind, all hell is going to break loose. You need to be spread out amongst the dead and away from the area that I’m in,” I reminded them. “I don’t think we should separate,” Esme argued for the fifth time. “What if you go down?” “If I go down, I’m dead. It’s that simple.” “Nothing about what you’re about to do is simple,” she countered. “If the plan survives first contact, then it will be. I intend to call the keep, take the element, and leave. If Hecate shows up, then I’ll have to fight her. We know I cannot kill her, and in order to hurt her, I have to get past her defenses. If that happens, we have a chance here.”
“And if it doesn’t work?” Esme asked, her violet eyes locking with mine. “Then you run like hell and survive. In the event that I go down, you’ll all be blended in with the army. You’ll have roughly five minutes to escape before they return to corpses. You should be able to open a portal if you stick together, and place enough distance between you and the army. When you’re safe, find Knox, and tell him my only request is that you all are protected and looked after.” While I knew Knox wouldn’t kill them, he’d blame them for helping me wage battle against this keep on his land. “This is bullshit,” she argued while placing her hands on her hips. “I don’t like this plan.” “Yeah, but it’s the only one we got right now. The only two things that absolutely cannot happen are Hecate taking the element or Aurora trying to take it. Well, really only one because the element would kill Aurora so . . . problem solved. If I claim the element before either of those two assholes show up and manage to get to me, I need one of you to remove my head and send the element back into the Nine Realms where it belongs. They cannot be allowed to claim it, do you understand?” “How about we figure out a plan that doesn’t end with us ever doing that,” Esme demanded with pinched features and fear burning in the violet depths. “Do you have a better one?” I asked, laughing softly. “We get the fuck out of here,” Soraya offered through trembling lips. “We’re surrounded, and the only thing protecting us right now is a barrier. If we step outside of it, Knox and his newly found fiancée will capture us. If we enter the castle, we’re magic-less and fucked—and not in the good way. We’ve caused too much of a spectacle for Hecate not to catch wind of it. If she doesn’t already know that I’m going after the element, she’ll know soon enough. That means I can’t even rip open a portal, bypass all the idiots trying to murder us or lock us up, and skip away into the sunset without it. It’s too late to run.” I had a feeling the moment I called the keeper, she’d be here to play with me. That was why I’d left her a way in because I had a chance to hurt her, and if I was leaving for the Kingdom of Fire, I needed her down and hurt enough that it would prevent her from going after Knox or the witches I’d grown close to. Blinking slowly, I nodded as the somberness moved through the group. I rubbed my hands together, glancing to where Knox waited in full battle
armor. Aurora was to his left, but her focus was wholly on the morbid army of undead that encircled my group. Sabine stood to his right, and it made me want to murder her. I wanted to shred her pretty face apart and ensure he never looked fondly on her beauty. They should count themselves lucky that I wasn’t a murderous prick—at least not yet. The night was still young, though. The sound of drums started, and then the undead sang Halestorm’s “I Miss the Misery.” I smiled as the voices echoed through the valley while I fed them the words and instrumental portion of the song. They were a multi-talented bunch. What could I say? They had endless possibilities in their future. Knowing I shouldn’t but doing it anyway, I walked toward Knox. My boots sloshed with every step I took, and when I reached him, I hooked my fingers through the belt loops of my pants and smiled coldly at him. “What the fuck could you possibly have to say to me I’d want to hear?” I asked in a clipped, angry tone. “You can’t attack this place, Aria. Hecate will come to prevent you from gathering more power,” Sabine said, rushing her words out. I didn’t look at her or bother to acknowledge that she’d even spoken. I just waited for Knox to answer my question. He removed his helmet and tossed it to the ground. He opened his mouth as if he intended to speak, but pressed his lips together, and the muscle in his jaw ticked as he shook his head before sliding his gaze to Aurora. I knew his rattle was coming. I’d known he’d try to bring me to my knees to prevent me from attacking. After all, the castle was on his land. His hand slammed against the barrier, and his eyes turned obsidian and sparked with embers. “Don’t make me do this,” he whispered as his angry rattle built within him. I steeled my spine as a soft smile of challenge played on my lips. The rattle got louder, and my spine arched. With every single octave it climbed, my resolve strengthened. Esme, on the other hand, was on her knees gasping for air like a fish that’d been removed from her tank. My answer was to bring my fingernails up to my lips. I puffed air over them, smirked, and then buffed them on my camisole top. Brander joined, and then Killian added to the call to bow before the king. I wasn’t bowing to any son of a bitch who could throw me away as easily as Knox had. I waited until it died down, and Knox’s angry gaze to
slide over me and then peered around as if I wasn’t me. Not that I blamed him after the shit I pulled on Aurora with a clay double. I brought my finger up and nicked it against my tooth so he could scent the blood and the truth of it being me. When the undead smoothly changed to singing Bishop Briggs “White Flag,” I tilted my head before rubbing my bloody finger against the barrier. Clearly and legibly, I wrote, “Go fuck yourself.” “How the fuck are you ignoring me?” he demanded, incredulous that I’d resisted the call to bow my spine to him and Lennox. My lips moved with the lyrics until the chorus ended, and then I laughed. “I do not bow to anyone anymore, especially not a man who could so easily throw me to the wolves. My loyalty belongs to the pack of rabid bitches behind me. You and your people have beaten, broken, and battered the witches of the Nine Realms. Hell”—I snorted and gave Aurora a smile that was all teeth—“even our own want us dead and aren’t afraid to use and murder us,” I explained, gradually bringing my gaze back to Knox. “You and those like you fuel us with your hatred and force us to rise stronger and more determined to fight against you. We are the witches who’ll never burn, and I’ll set fire to anyone who thinks to light a match against us. So, go rattle for someone who fucking cares because that person is no longer me. I am the reigning queen of chaos, and my throne is the ground in which you buried all those who were deemed not good enough to live.” Shrill cries exploded, beginning in the stronghold’s bailey, and my lips slid into a cocky smile. “Do you hear that?” I whispered, canting my head as screaming continued within the castle walls. “And so it begins.” I turned toward the stronghold, which looked like an anthill that someone had kicked. Men were rushing all along the battlement, frantic and disorganized. The wind carried the rich, coppery scent of blood across the valley, and the wet sounds of death ripped through the darkening night. The dead had breached the chapel, and I’d wasted enough time on disabling the runes and bypassing their witch’s bullshit nulling spells. At least it sounded as if the enhancement I’d used on the ones who still had all their body parts was holding, which was a win in my book. “Ding-dong, the witches have come calling,” I announced in a singsong tone. I laughed, watching as men began jumping from the battlements, only to die as they slammed down on the earthen floor. “Do you still think
monsters are born, or do you finally agree that wars and those who start them create monsters?” I asked, turning back to Knox. Beneath the stronghold there was an extensive network of tunnels that were likely intended to be used to escape should anyone ever lay siege. Ironically, I’d used them against the denizens in the keep. Removing the runes had been easier than I’d thought, which allowed the army to breach the tunnels and follow the glowing tendrils of magic that used to lead them to where I needed them. The best thing was the weapons my undead army now wielded were the stores the lord had stockpiled in the passageway to keep from corroding in the salty air. The army had flooded out through the chapel, sweeping through the bailey and courtyard to prohibit the army within from seeking to escape through the portcullises. Of course, I was preventing them from just slaughtering the entire place. They fought only those who moved against them, while dispatching those who rushed to the wall, intending to fight us. No children would be harmed, as the spell I’d cast on the army prohibited it, keeping my hands from being covered with more innocent blood. “You’re not strong enough to do this,” he whispered. “Don’t do this, Aria. Hecate won’t hesitate to end your life. Do you hear me? Don’t add your name to my ghost. Please,” he growled, pressing a palm against the barrier. “Like you’d fucking care? Go marry your fiancée and make whatever fucking life the council demands of you, Knox. Don’t worry about me. They literally created me to be a sacrifice so they could take my powers. I’ve made peace with what can happen here. But, for the record, I’m not the asshole who fucked this up. You are. I’m petty enough to call you out on it before I finish this.” “Aria, stop!” he demanded, but I kept walking. “Fuck! Get this thing down, now!” “We can’t,” Sabine whispered thickly. “She’s more powerful than all of us combined.” “Aria, please?” Kinvara begged. My feet almost faltered, but I managed to keep going, chin tilted in defiance as I ignored their pleas. Knox argued with Aurora and the others, and I blocked that out, too. It was time for me to summon the keeper of the wind element, and if I allowed them to keep splitting my focus, it may end up being the last thing I ever did.
I’d constructed this plan, and while I wasn’t certain it would work, I was praying it would. I knew that the moment I touched the element and called forth the keeper, Hecate would know. I’d spent several days pulling enough magic for me to unleash at the event she showed up, but I really had no idea if it would be enough. I wasn’t sure any amount would be enough to handle what I intended to do. But, with a little luck and whole lot of praying, I might survive this shit show long enough to meet my father, right?
Chapter Forty-Eight The screams had tapered off, and the plumes of smoke were spiraling high into the air. It created a foreboding backdrop that had my lips twisting into a wicked smirk. The army behind us stood in silence while listening to my undead slaughter the ones hiding inside the stronghold. I’d observed the fight through the eyes of the undead, switching between several to see what was unfolding within the barriers. The group I’d sent to sweep the village and castle for innocents moved quickly. They’d done a good job of moving them to safety or ensuring they wouldn’t be caught in the crossfire. Not all would survive the night, but I was trying to spare as many as possible. Men rushed back and forth, fighting and dodging the army that had swarmed in through their hidden tunnels. Every exit—save for the main gates—was blocked, and those with blood on their hands were being dispatched easily. The castle was handled, and now came the hard part. About a month ago, Esme and I had taken a trip to visit Hecate’s tomb. Inside it, we’d found the real Liliana, and I’d slowly examined the meticulous way they had placed her and presented on the altar of magic and rebirth. It had been right there the entire time. I’d, of course, dropped Liliana’s remains off inside the library with a note for Knox. Then I’d spent hours looking over the vast knowledge the library held about Hecate and her daughters. The library had supplied books, one after another, as I’d lounged about, kicking back beside Liliana’s lifeless corpse. If the lore in the Library of Knowledge was correct, I would need to lock her in the body she currently inhabited, which meant I needed the real one to show up here. If it was her true form, I’d know it by the barrier around her body. It was a thick layer of protection like the barrier holding Knox and his army back right now. It had to be removed, and I had to lock her into the body it protected. If I could do that, it would prevent her from healing or her moving into another, more powerful body. When her daughters had tried to seal her away, they had actually sealed Liliana’s body in Hecate’s place without knowing it. I wasn’t ignorant enough to believe that I would succeed where Aurora and Freya had failed, at least not yet, not today. But I hadn’t come here with
that as my plan. I just had to be strong enough to best her in combat and seal the bitch inside the body she had been born with, which was weakening and needed a constant flow of power and magic to maintain. I knew she was weakening because the number of witches within the Nine Realms was dwindling. I’d ruined her continual feed of magic when I’d fractured the flow and taken lightning. I’d fractured it even more when I took water. Sure, it fed her power still, but not as much as her greedy soul needed to be all powerful, and that was more than anyone else had ever achieved. My stare slid over my undead army, and I tried to pick out where my girls were hidden. All but one was invisible amongst the sea of black cloaks. Avyanna’s horns were too distinguishable, but I’d loathed the idea of asking her to cut them just to fit in with dead creatures. As assured as I could be that they were safe, I turned to Knox, who was still watching me. Worry etched his face, and dark circles marred the skin beneath his ocean-colored eyes. At some point, he’d peeled off his chest plate and started his ceaseless pacing. His fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles were white, his breathing was erratic, and tension rolled off him with every step he took. In another lifetime, we’d have been happy. I needed to believe that. I wanted to think that we could have loved one another and done things normally, even if the idea of dating him seemed unrealistic. It was because of that pathetic scrap of delusion that I also hoped Knox knew that Aurora intended to end his reign. She wanted his throne and had already proven she was willing to do horrendous things to achieve her goals. The sight of Kinny’s hands pushing against the barrier and the tears rolling down her cheeks made me pause. Only, she had betrayed me as surely as the others did, so I allowed my attention to slip past her. The others had huddled around her, but Callista was missing. Asking them would be useless. They’d just feed me whatever lie served their purpose. Staring at the vacant road that cut down the middle of the field, I shivered violently and silently whispered prayers to any god or goddess willing to hear my pleas. If I messed this up, I would leave the Nine Realms in the hands of a petty, sadistic, murderous goddess who enjoyed being evil. If I died here tonight, I wouldn’t get the chance to know love or see those I cared for again—not in this lifetime or the next. No one would orchestrate any rites or blessings to move my soul into the next lifetime to
be reborn. If Hecate showed up and ended my life, it would be permanent. So, I had to believe that, even if I didn’t have the power to end her, I had enough power to bind her. That decided, I lifted my hands before placing my palms toward the ground and ripped the keeper of the wind toward me with my fingertips and then immediately released it. A loud, unsettling rumble rushed through the meadow like an earthquake, and my lashes dusted against my cheeks. Shouting began and then turned to panic when they felt the power rushing through the earth, disturbing the being hidden deep within the ground below. An ivy-colored altar rose, shining with green jewels embedded in the stand. I didn’t approach or move a muscle closer to it as her power slithered through the clearing, searching for me. The wind turn punishing, whipping against my face and causing my eyes to water. The hair that came loose from the braids thrashed against my cheeks hard enough to leave red welts. People on the battlements screamed to the army behind us, pleading for mercy. I blocked all of that out, gradually sending my magic to hunt the goddess who attempted to stalk me. Shadows slithered and formed before becoming dark, wispy forms that solidified into eyeless witches who stood with their backs to the stronghold’s wall. Their heads tilted to an odd angle before their jaws opened inhumanly wide. Their deafeningly shrill shrieks cut through the area, and I swallowed past the eerie sound and sensation they created as they released inky smoke from their lungs. A lone figure stood between them, poised in front of the solid wall in the middle of the large, wooden portcullis. Her glowing, green gaze inspected me and then slid to where Knox stood on the far side of the barrier behind me. The smile she gave him made me uneasy, and I pulled magic into my fingertips, calling on the elements I’d already taken. The land answered, rolling copious amounts of power into my reserves. Hecate continued eyeing Knox with obsession burning in her eyes. I didn’t look away from her, knowing her witches were creeping through the dead, inching closer. When Hecate eventually slid her attention away from him and to my undead army, her eyes widened and she hissed. I almost laughed as she realized I’d used her magic against her when I’d called the dead from their graves to stand at my side.
Her dress whipped in the wind, and she snapped her fingers. The dress vanished, changing into pants that looked better suited for reading in a lounge chair rather than fighting. Who she was trying to lure or distract by putting her curves on display was beyond me. I fought the impulse to roll my eyes at the stupidity of dressing in something unfit to battle in. Of course, Hecate wasn’t great at hand-to-hand combat, which was why Reign had tried to physically attack her. It was also what had gotten Reign killed. Magic beats bruit force every time. My vision swam, and Ember peered through our eyes. She scanned the barrier, which glowed and shimmered in a golden hue and surrounded Hecate. Magic leaked through it, filling the air with wispy tendrils of shimmering ink. There was also a thin thread unfolding, which attached to the dark witches slowly surrounding me. “Do you actually think you’re strong enough to face me in my true form, child? Didn’t you learn anything the last two times you faced me like this?” she asked as she stepped away from the wall. “Third time is a charm, right? I learn nothing the easy way. I’m more of a ‘hands on’ learner,” I returned sharply, shrugging while she narrowed her eyes on me, and then snorted loudly. She smirked coldly while crossing her arms, and then she tapped her finger against the armlet she wore, gathering magic. Ember was deathly silent, too busy searching for the weakness in the goddess who examined us for the same thing. I didn’t have any for her to find by sight or magic. Every one of my weaknesses had fallen victim to their own betrayal and were no longer of any consequence to me. Hecate’s weakness lay within her inability to fight without magic, hence the barrier she’d wrapped around herself. It made her cockier than she ought to be, considering I knew how to bring that thing down. Ember was working on a backup plan, while I focused on the actual plan. Apparently, she had little faith of me being the brains of our duo. “You think he likes you? I heard he’s marrying your sister. Isn’t that a bitch? Or is she the bitch? Did he tire of your pussy so easily, Aria? Pity, I know he can be such a savage lover. I heard you with him once and watched from the shadows. Of course, he then told you how worthless you were. If you were smart, you’d forget him and join me.” “Join you? Hard pass,” I hooted without emotion. “You can have him. In fact, take them all home with you, Hecate. I don’t give a fuck. They’re not
handing them out today, and I’ve run out of them, unfortunately.” Her head tilted, and she roved her gaze over my face, smiling when she discovered the truth burning within me. “You don’t, do you?” she muttered as she casually slid her lime-green eyes over the unmoving army. While she’d been talking and wasting time, they’d neutralized half her dark witches. I wasn’t certain if she was aware or it or if she didn’t care, but she had done nothing about it yet. “You’re much like me, Aria Primrose. You want the same thing that I want for our people.” “I don’t want them as a battery to fuel my magic. You do. That’s a big difference. I merely want to free them to live without being abused or drained by you or others whom you allow to torture and prey on them. Our desires aren’t the same in the slightest bit, Grandmother.” My fingers slowly curled into fists. I’d taken all I could hold without it becoming unstable and deadly. If I couldn’t bring her down with what I’d taken, I’d be fucked. She was pulling magic from her grid of mangled bodies, and when she found the source lacking, her eyes narrowed for a split second. It was only a second, and then the tell was wiped clean as if she’d never exposed her shock. But I knew, I knew exactly what she’d discovered, and her arrogance was going to be her downfall. Removing the grid had been a calculated risk since there was a chance of her fixing it before I’d forced this confrontation, but I had taken that into account, too. I didn’t want to die here like some fucking martyr. That wasn’t, and had never been, my intention. “What have you done, Aria?” she questioned softly, trying to pinpoint my other half. “Something wrong, Grandmother? I warned you, didn’t I? I’m a little bit of fuck around and find out, and a whole can of sass, which normally has my mouth writing checks that my ass can’t cash. What can I say? I enjoy living on the edge and taking chances. So, here we are. Your move, age before beauty and brains, right?” She tossed her head back and laughed. “I wish I’d met you before we had become enemies, Granddaughter. You amuse me, but you’re also quite frank with your words. It’s rather refreshing. I think we could’ve fought on the same side, but you’re weak and believe I created witches to live. I
assure you, I didn’t. I merely needed them to house what was rightfully mine. I am the one who gave them the power, and it’s mine to take back.” “Let’s agree to disagree again.” I studied the way her hands moved, searching for any magic she could find to take into her body. She was preparing to unleash it, and I was fighting to remain in place, knowing it was coming. Throwing down with a goddess who had lived without challenge within the Nine Realms for over a thousand years was a fun idea. Actually doing it? Terrifying and exhilarating at the same time. Adrenaline rushed through me, and the fear melted away because, in a few moments, it wouldn’t matter. “I enjoy talking to you.” She was aloof and unfazed by my rebuff. “And I enjoy short walks that lead to me reading a fantasy book until I fall asleep. We all have our guilty pleasures. I won’t judge you on yours.” Her eyes flashed with anger, and I braced for impact. Her hands lifted, and the undead army lunged, rushing toward her. Hecate’s magic sent body pieces scattering and opened gaps that I used to throw crackling balls of lightning magic toward her. I was relentless in my assaults as I slowly closed the gap between us, and no matter how many of my undead she destroyed, new ones moved in to take their place. The moment her shield dropped, I flipped onto her shoulders, twisting over her back. My claws sank into her flesh to anchor my moving weight and speed, using the momentum to send her up into the air. She howled in anger, and I allowed Ember to speed forward and slam Hecate’s body into the barrier that prevented her from reaching Aurora or the others outside of it. She came up faster than I expected, lifted her blue, glowing hands, and fired magic at me. I dodged, and the orb slammed into one of the undead, who exploded the moment it hit him. The undead swarmed into the space between Hecate and me, acting as a shield for her to batter against and deplete her reserves. Power ripped around the goddess. Her hands lifted and aimed to attack, forcing me to drop before rolling on the ground as she slammed a wave of power through the air, severing a huge number of the undead army in one spell. Dead warriors started plummeting from the battlement, creating just enough of a distraction that she took her eyes off me. It was all I needed. I slammed a ball of lightning into her, sending her crashing against the barrier for a second time. She slid down it, and before
she could climb back to her feet, my fist cracked against her jaw, sending a spray of blood to speckle across the message I’d left Knox. My elbow connected next, and I heard the very satisfying snap of cartilage. Blood exploded from her nose, and I turned and then pivoted back to smash my fist into her face over and over and over again, just wanting her to stay the fuck down. She finally dropped, and I shackled her in the realms magic, forcing her to stay prone and preventing Hecate from retreating into a different shell. She twisted, bucking against me as I screamed with the effort it took to hold her. If she got up, this fight would be finished. I slid my fingers into her hair as she struggled to escape. Her body twisted, forcing me to straddle it before I slammed her head hard against the ground, gasping as her magic flowed through me, shocking me while I fought to subdue her. She bucked, reaching back to dig her nails into me, but I rose a little, grabbing both hands before the sound of snapping bone met my ears. Her body clattered to the ground, and she remained there. The moment she stilled, I turned her over and slammed my hand against the mark on her forehead. My power ignited, pressing flames from my palm to seal her mark and stop her from escaping the body I’d just battered and trounced into the dirt. Nails shoved into my side, and I screeched as red-hot pain shot through me. My vision eddied, but I refused to relent. I couldn’t. It was either hold her down or die. Hecate wailed as my hand continued to glow against her forehead, causing her lime-green eyes to glow. Her razor-sharp nails dug deeper. The bitch was trying to force her way through my chest to rip out my heart, and she was doing a damn good job of it. If I could have, I would have screamed when I felt my body shaking with her shield of protection returning. Reaching down beside her head, I grabbed a rock with my bloodied hand and bashed it into her head, screaming as tears rushed down my cheeks. Her claws retreated, and I struck her again in the same spot, knowing she was becoming disoriented. The hand against her head continued to burn as it worked to destroy the mark she bore. She shrieked, fighting against what was happening. Her legs kicked and her hips bucked, trying to unseat me from where I straddled her. Her eyes slid to a ghastly
white color, and she snarled as she bucked and howled against the magic holding her down. The world stopped around us. Utter silence filled the meadow, only broken by the combined whimpers and gasps of pain Hecate and I released. I felt my bones trembling, and it was as if my head were splintering as I continued burning the mark. Sobs exploded from my lips, and blood splattered against her face, painting it red. My entire hand glowed bright red, and I screamed as the scent of burning flesh filled the surrounding air. My hands changed from the color of burning flames, to a blinding golden light that forced me to shield my eyes from the intensity. Then . . . Hecate vanished, and my body collapsed onto the spot she had been. I sucked in air, pressing a shaking hand against my shredded side. My breathing was labored and wrong as it escaped my lungs. I flipped onto my back and sucked in air. The stars sparkled, moving in a hazy pattern above me. I watched them shooting across the sky until the sound of people screaming echoed its way into my awareness. I couldn’t discern who they were or what they said, but then Esme was next to me. “Get up!” Esme demanded, crashing to her knees. “Aria, say something!” She shook me, physically pulling me up to do so. “She fucked around, and she found out,” I whispered before coughing up blood, which ended up splattering over Esme, who ignored it while relief flooded her features. “You asshole.” She sobbed, leaning over me before she yanked me up, sliding her eyes over my battered, bruised body. “Ouch, bitch. Careful, she tried to rip out my heart. Obviously, she wasn’t paying attention to what I was saying.” I wheezed and then coughed up blood before smiling at Esme, uncaring that my teeth were red and covered in blood. “We did it, bitch. We fucking did it, Esme.” “You did it, and you’re fucking bleeding from everywhere.” Her eyes shone with genuine concern as she helped me sit up. “She’s trapped in one body, and that body is weakening. We can kill her now.” “If we can find her, which isn’t likely. I doubt she’s going to make finding her easy, or seek you out until she’s healed. You did a number on her face, too. You trapped her in that form and you fucked it up as a parting
gift.” She laughed and patted me on the back, which had me glowering over at her. “Celebrate when she’s dead, okay?” I whimpered and was thankful when Avyanna knelt beside me. “Sew it up. I have a keeper to call and an element to collect. I don’t intend to stop now.” “You’re bleeding out of your eyes, nose, ears, lips, and boob.” Avyanna grunted, shaking her head. “Aria,” Aurora whispered, but I refused to look at anyone watching from beyond the barrier. “You almost died.” “What’s the matter, Mother? Pissed because she’d have taken what you think is yours? Don’t worry, Aurora. You’ll get your shot at me, too. And when you do, you’re going to wish you’d fucking swallowed me.”
Chapter Forty-Nine Ayanna had amazing sewing skills. If we ever needed a seamstress, I knew where to find one. By the time I’d stopped bleeding all over the ground, sunlight was lightening the horizon. They’d plopped me up on one of the undead warriors, who stunk to high heaven, but it beat the cold ground. I glowered at the army that was still searching for a way to break through the barrier. Knox had knelt, shoving against the barrier to search for the weakness in the spell. Every time he caught me glancing his way, his eyes burned with a storm of relief and murderous rage that left me spiraling. “You realize you had the outline of the sun on your forehead, right?” Esme inquired, gently thrusting water into my hands. I accepted the animal bladder, which sounded a lot worse than it was, and drank from the nozzle. It leaked down my chin ungracefully, but I didn’t care. I’d seen the glow of whatever she spoke of when I’d fought Hecate, but I hadn’t known what appeared. “A sun?” I asked, peering back at Knox, who refused to look away from me. The others were walking back and forth, speaking in hushed tones. I couldn’t make out what they were whispering, but then, I could still hear my heartbeat pounding in my ears. Everything ached. My side was sewn shut, and I still had to face the keeper of the wind and take the elemental he held. It could mean another fight, but at least Hecate wasn’t coming back anytime soon. She had been terrified when she realized what I was doing, and by then it had been too late. It didn’t mean she wasn’t dangerous. She was. I’d merely trapped the Goddess of Magic in a body that could be killed. I hadn’t actually killed her. “You had a swirling golden sun symbol on your forehead. Oh, and your eyes were glowing, too.” “I thought that was just my hand.” “Nope. Your eyes and your hands lit up with fire, and then turned into a golden light. It looked like it moved up your arms and that maybe you had some more marks on your back, but you were wearing a shirt, so I can’t be sure. But your entire back looked as if it were glowing along your spine.
I’ve never known anything like it before,” Esme stated softly, wiping the blood off my cheek. “You’re a mess, Aria.” “And a glow bug, apparently.” I smiled tightly before looking at Avyanna. “You think the stitches will stay in place if I have to fight?” I asked, and she huffed. “Will it matter if I say they won’t?” Aw, she knew me too well. “No, at least not in this case.” Forcing myself up to my feet, I tested my limbs and stretched to see how badly I was screwed up. They had pushed moss against the hole in my chest, but I assured Avyanna I’d suffered worse. She’d merely gawked at me before throwing her arms into the air. Laughing, I studied her ramrod straight spine as she muttered about obtuse women and their brain-dead reactions to pain. I stretched my legs before marching toward the altar, while cutting my hand, and let the blood drip to the earthen floor. The wind shifted and picked up speed, so I snapped a mental order for the undead army to create wind barriers for me. It only forced the wind to come from the other direction, slamming Knox and his army against the barrier. Snickering, I winced as his eyes widened while his men crashed against him from behind. Oh well, he deserved that shit. My attention moved over the girls and then lifted to where a single witch was being held. The undead soldier covering her mouth with a hand was missing half his fingers, which she’d probably bitten off. Not that he would have felt her bite, though. I nodded subtly, my signal to let the warrior know I was ready for the witch. He leaped from the high wall and landed ungracefully on the bodies of the others below him. The witch looked furious as she broke free and scrambled down the pile of bodies. She rushed toward the barrier, likely intending to throw herself on the mercy of the army instead of facing me. I considered telling her she was barking up the wrong leg if she thought he had any mercy to offer, but instead, I just watched as she bounced face-first off the barrier and fell backward screaming. Dismissing her, I turned my attention back to where the star and circle insignia were forming on the ground around the altar. Why couldn’t this asshole assist me? It would be nice if he just yanked me into whatever paradox shit they had forced him to live in. It would have been so much easier and far less bloody. But no, someone was playing hard
to get. The cross lifted from the ground, and I elevated my finger, hearing her horrified scream ripping through the air. “We wouldn’t be at this point of our relationship if you hadn’t been a murderous, backstabbing asshole,” I snapped over my shoulder. “I don’t know why you would even want to help those bastards in the first place. So he would make you some prized witch and toot his horn about how powerful you are? Plot twist, you’re not. I am not even all powerful, and yet, here I am, sacrificing your ass.” The snort escaped my lips, and I flicked my wrist, dragging her to me. “Come on now, you weren’t playing hard to get for the lord, were you?” She just kept screaming, and I shook my head as I answered my own question. “No, so don’t act like you don’t want to play with me.” The moment she slammed against the cross, leather straps wrapped around her arms and secured her in place. Her blabbering of profanities at me didn’t slow, but when I stepped closer to her, they changed to shrieks. The hilt of a dagger was slapped into my waiting palm, and I sliced her throat just to shut her up. “We have charged you with being a murderous bitch. How do you plea? I say guilty. You, on the other hand, cannot speak. Oops, my bad.” Blood was gushing from the wound and into the circle, spreading out on the ground. “Thank you for your sacrifice. It will not be in vain. Blah, blah, blah, and no, we’ll not be asking the goddess to protect you because she’s a bitch!” The symbol was almost full and had started closing around me. The others remained outside of it, studying me as I operated. I didn’t blame them, and I knew they worried—Siobhan, especially since she’d watched it happen before. Of course, I’d been much weaker back then. Directing the magic to place the dying witch on the altar, I watched the last of the blood droplets seep in to the ground. When I was sure enough time had passed, I stepped forward and touched the altar. The power erupted around me immediately, and when I turned to see who—or what— had joined me, I froze. “Holy demon, I think I want to be a sinner,” I murmured. The man standing behind me wasn’t pretty. He was fucking terrifying and utterly naked. My eyes lowered, and my head canted to the side. A low whistle escaped my lips as I ogled his appendage. To say he was packing a weapon that could do some serious damage to a woman would be an
understatement. His lips jerked back, revealing sharp white teeth that made me do a double-take. Maybe he was one enormous weapon? “Damn, wasn’t expecting something so . . . wicked?” I continued sliding my attention over the wealth of sinewy muscles that covered his entire body and the wispy tendrils of ink that curved around his waist and down his thighs. The wind became merciless, whipping my hair and shirt while he stared unabashedly. Slowly, he approached, and my hackles rose in warning. He paused the moment I gathered power to me. “You’re not Hecate.” His timbre was raspy and seductive, slamming over every feminine part of me abrasively. “Please don’t be stupid. I have no more crayons on me,” I muttered, groaning as his vibrant blue eyes gradually slid over me. “Hecate is my grandmother. I need your power to end her. So, help a girl out.” “I cannot give it to you so easily, Little Mouse.” “What is it with the pet names? My name is Aria, and yours is?” I countered, wanting to hurry this up. “Elias, Prince of the Incubi,” he stated while smiling tightly. “And Hecate probably threw a wingding because you withheld that dick from her?” I probed, and his eyes narrowed to slits. “You’re very forward, woman. Aren’t you? Please tell me you’re not like that during sex.” He moved closer to where I leaned against the altar to remain upright. “And yes, Hecate and my father brokered an agreement to place me here. They gave me the option of serving her, or enduring this punishment for the rest of my life. And since I’m immortal, it meant I’d hunger and suffer this torture forever.” “Damn, you really know how to old out on the D? You should teach me your tricks,” I said, but he merely gave me a funny look before I went on. People in this place had no sense of humor, or enjoyment. “Shocker, and such a waste,” I mumbled while hungrily taking in the strength, and sinewy muscle covering his body. “Although, I can see why she’d want you as a pet. Honestly, in the gist of it all, I’m seeing the appeal of offering you a similar, less dire offer.” He laughed darkly, and allowed his eyes to sparkle with mirth. “You’re coloring is strange but beautiful. You have the look of those who age, and yet, you’re flawless everywhere else.”
“It’s silver, not gray. And why shouldn’t women be forward? This isn’t the Middle Ages and life is way too short to play games about what we want.” Everything from my tone to my expression screamed that I was bored with the banter already. His hands landed either side of my hips so he was caging me against the altar. Elias’s lips lowered, grazing my cheek. My heartbeat skyrocketed, and the enticing scent of spices and aged whisky slammed into me, making me tremble. The incubus chuckled, cupping my jaw to turn my face toward his. “You smell nice,” he whispered. “What are you wearing?” “Oh, my blood mixed with some of Hecate’s and mud thrown in for a little added earthy undertones.” I offered with a smile. My eyes slid to Knox, who was glaring at me with obsidian-colored eyes. “Do you intend to kiss me or stand here all day sniffing me?” I asked purely because I knew Knox was reading my lips. His mouth crushed against mine, and I groaned as pleasure washed through me. Without breaking the kiss, he shoved the witch from the altar, gripped my hips roughly, and set me on it. My fingers glided through his hair, and I moaned loudly as he devoured my lips. My legs wrapped around his waist, and I gasped as he pulled his lips from mine. “You don’t taste like a witch.” “Try again. Maybe it’ll change?” I offered breathlessly, enjoying the anger burning in Knox’s dark scowl. “You’re not strong enough to hold what I have, Little Mouse.” “I’m not a fucking mouse, and that’s exactly what the last two said. I have lightning and water already within me. Give me yours and let me free you. I promise you I can handle it.” “First, I must show you your paths.” He chuckled, clearly delighted that I was so willing to free him. “Spare me, they all suck.” He laughed louder and shook his head. “I can’t believe you have the blood of a goddess running through you and speak as you do. You must house her blood, though, because without it, the elements would have ended the keeper’s life before ever allowing you to take them,” he stated, cupping my waist and jerking me against the monster rising between us. “That’s a penis.” I laughed nervously as Ember peeked through my eyes. Of course, she came alive at the mention of penis and nothing else. “Down girl.”
“I assure you, I am all male.” He’d assumed I was speaking to him, which told me he had no idea she was inside me. “Give me your hand, and I’ll show you the paths you may choose to follow.” “Maybe I should embrace my inner monster, and we could stick with the penis? It’s probably more educational than the shit shows you’re about to offer me.” “Mmm, it’s been a long time since I’ve fed. Are you sure you can handle it?” His eyes sparkled, and I suppressed the disappointment that slithered through me that they weren’t more . . . like Knox’s. “Let’s see what’s behind curtain number one, shall we?” I flicked my eyes to Knox, who clenched his hands at his sides. Clearly, he didn’t like the idea of a demon known for giving pleasure pressing against me naked, offering to fulfil my needs. Good, he could swallow his own damn children next time. I hesitated, not because I didn’t want the freaky nature-walk but because I didn’t want to see more future versions of myself. I would not end up with what I wanted, which was made clear in every one they forced me to see. Resigning myself to the experience anyway because he wouldn’t allow me to receive the element without enduring it, I placed my hand into his.
Chapter Fifty The entire world spun around us, and I closed my eyes to keep from passing out or vomiting on his really nice chest. A soft hand touched my cheek, and I almost groaned. I missed Knox’s rough hands, ones that had helped him earn his place in this world by working for it. Elias’s were soft, as if he’d never known a hard day of work over his lifetimes. When I opened my eyes, there was nothing. Shadows filled the entire chamber, giving a doom-and-gloom feeling to the entire place. I stepped away from him, crunching something beneath my booted foot. When I looked to see what it was, there was nothing but bones. They covered every inch of the floor that I could see, and I grimaced, setting my foot back down. Something screeched in the darkness, and my eyes slid to glowing eyes. “This one doesn’t seem great to me. Maybe we should head to the next quickly?” I requested hesitantly, feeling a pull toward those glowing eyes. Against my better judgment, I strolled toward it, gently steeling my spine. It inhaled loudly, huffing into the air, and I paused. The acrid scent of fires and smoke burned my eyes and lungs as I forced myself to take shallow breaths. The creature hissed, sending a wealth of flames toward me, but they didn’t touch me. A soft chuffing sound forced me to turn toward it, discovering a darker, sinister version of myself sitting on a throne, bouncing a skull in my hand as if it were a bouncy ball. The creature was inching closer, and I got my first real look at it. A dragon! My heartbeat thundered, and a smile played on my lips. He rattled and hissed loudly, moving out from the shadowy clove that had hidden him. “Calm down, beast. They’re being good today.” I chuckled, smiling before someone new entered the vision and knelt so the bones of the dead bit into their knees. “What do you want?” “Your family is outside, My Queen.” He whimpered, which caused the beast to snarl. The man quivered visibly, bowing his head lower. “They stated that you’re needed to handle a situation that is developing in the village.” “And what is happening in the village?” I countered in a cruel tone before lifting my hand, buffing my black nails on the top I wore.
“They’re trying to raise Hecate again,” he explained through the chattering in his teeth “Damn, I must be terrifying.” I folded my arms over my chest, glaring at Elias, who shrugged. No, I didn’t suppose a demon would fear the evil version of me. “Didn’t they just try that last week?” I stood, nodding toward the dragon. He was a huge red dragon, and now that he was out of the shadows, I had no idea how he’d managed to hide within them. “Come, beast. You can eat them this time. We must teach these fools that one does not simply raise the goddess to handle the monster they created.” “Great, I became the villain again,” I exhaled, echoing the future version of me. “Who would’ve guessed it?” “You don’t seem surprised that you’re the one they wish to end instead of Hecate,” he stated carefully. “I’m enemy number one in the realms at the moment. Here’s the thing, though, I’m trying to be the good guy, but it’s just not working out for me. My mother, who wants to drain me, has declared me an enemy because I won’t let her. So no, I’m not shocked that you’d show me a version where I’m evil as hell. I’d have been more shocked if you hadn’t. But, the dragon is pretty cool. Who doesn’t want a dragon they can sic on their enemies?” “Next vision.” He snorted, grabbing my hand. We appeared in a sweeping valley with rolling green hills, and children’s laughter drew my attention. I spun toward the sound, searching the area. A silver-haired boy was rushing through the clearing with a small girl close behind him. My lips spread, and a soft gasp escaped my lips. I laughed, not hiding the happiness at seeing their chubby, smiling faces and silver hair. “You want children.” He observed, slowly scanning my face, which had tightened to conceal the emotion his question stirred. “I had children,” I admitted, calmly stepping closer to where they played together, plucking flowers from the field. “I lost them because of Hecate, and that wound is still fresh.” My eyes slid to the path as Knox and I walked toward the meadow where the children were. My heart thundered against my rib cage, causing unexpected pain to rip through me. I pressed my hand against the moss, watching as he peered back over his shoulder. Aden and Sabine exited behind us, and I paused, frowning. Sabine was pregnant, and Knox turned, offering her a hand while