Ashes of Chaos (Legacy of the Nine Realms Book 2)

by Amelia Hutchins

  “That power would kill anyone stupid enough to try to remove it! Upon their death, it would unleash the power into the Nine Realms, and yet I can grasp no power, Soraya! Tell me, how is that possible?”

  “The young woman, she didn’t die. She didn’t take all the power, though, just some. Another witch appeared from a portal and healed her. A call went out far and wide to heal the woman who had taken the lightning from King Oleander. I believe she is one of the Hecate bloodline witches who entered the Nine Realms.”

  “Where did she go?” Ilsa demanded, her rotting lips pulling back tautly over her decaying teeth.

  I schooled my features as her lip tore at the corner, and black sludge-like blood dripped from her mouth. Bile fought for purchase in my throat, and my stomach flipped as a shiver raced up my spine. The scent of rotting organs and chamber pots slammed into me all at once, as Ilsa forgot to cover her smell amid her anger.

  “Nowhere,” I admitted. “The witch didn’t get up. The King of Norvalla was with her, and I believe he sought to destroy her,” I announced, barely keeping the tears from falling as her scent burned my eyes, causing them to water.

  I didn’t look away from Ilsa. I wouldn’t ever give this monster my back, not without wanting her dagger sunk into it. Her head canted to the side and then turned toward the dark corner of the room.

  Ilsa’s body turned weirdly, slowly moving toward the wide-opened window before she rested her hands against the windowsill.

  Wailing started outside, indicating they had added more witches to the grid. I silently prayed that they’d find a painless death before placed among the others. Every time I returned, I prayed my sister Julia wasn’t the newest addition to the grid that pulsed with unimaginable power.

  “If the King of Norvalla is after this witch, then her days are numbered. Is she the same one who set siege to the keeps?” Ilsa asked, and I exhaled.

  “Indeed, it is she. She taunts the King of Norvalla and plays with him. She is powerful, and yet young and naïve in so many ways. I believe that he will capture her, and either keep her on a leash or end her existence. Either way, you will be unaffected by his choice. She won’t be your problem should he catch and null her powers,” I explained, watching Ilsa’s eyes sliding to the room’s dark shadows.

  A shiver rushed down my spine as I peered into the shadows, sensing nothing there. Ilsa nodded, forcing my stomach to churn with unease. Her skin was taut over bones, and yet in places, it had lost all elasticity and hung loosely. She slithered over toward me, staring into my eyes before lifting her hand, and I stifled the urge to recoil from her touch.

  “You will go infiltrate the King of Norvalla’s ranks,” she stated, and I dropped my composure.

  “That is suicide. He knows when a witch holds darkness,” I exclaimed.

  “And yet you have not allowed it in, which I have ignored. You can infiltrate his camp and get close to this witch, or you can accept the darkness, Soraya. Choose,” Ilsa sneered, her eyes filling with color that looked glossy and lifeless.

  “I will learn what I can for you, My Queen.”

  “Excellent. I know he won’t allow you to leave once you’re established as one of his many whores, or camp followers. There are other means of communication that we will use. If you get caught, you die. There will be no one who comes to save you. You’re not worth wasting my resources.”

  I swallowed, nodding slowly before I calmed the emotion her words sent churning through me. I wasn’t stupid enough to assume she’d even care if I died. To her, we were nothing more than tools in her armory that forged her true weapons.

  “Go! You’ll need time to figure out how to let them capture you and become a whore to one of his men. I suggest you lose the air of superiority you hold in my presence. The King of Norvalla would crush and enjoy the sound of your supple skin, tearing as he ripped you apart.” She smiled, dragging her blackened fingertips against my lips. “Such pretty skin, wasted on you and your kind. It will land you in some worthless male’s bed, on your backs where bitches like you belong. Do not fail me, or Julia will end up in the grid, left alive to be a slave to me forever, Soraya.” My eyes widened, and she smiled coldly, her glassy, dull eyes lighting with mirth. “Of course, I knew which line you both belonged. I am the fucking High Queen of the Witches, after all.”

  “I will not fail you.”

  “I know you won’t, Soraya. Julia is all you have left, and she belongs to me now. If you bring me back the head of this witch or the King of Norvalla’s, I would willingly allow you both to live freely under my rule.”

  There was no freedom under Ilsa’s rule. The chances of her freeing us were zero, and we all knew it. Her version of freedom was to be added to her grid, feeding her power. I won’t let her add my baby sister or me to that grid.

  My eyes slid toward Julia, who continued silently screaming in her mind, stuck in the darkness that fed on her soul. Tears pricked my eyes as I moved past her, not stopping to say goodbye, because if I did or if I showed an ounce of weakness, Ilsa would use it against me.

  I made it outside the doors of the palace before I emptied my stomach onto the debris-covered road. People moved around me, turning to glare at where I retched until nothing but bile escaped my lips.

  Wiping my mouth, I turned to the miles of tombs spread through the hillside’s expanse that peered out beyond the palace. It was a morbid reminder that we were nothing more than fodder for Ilsa to wield against her enemies, of which there were many.

  I’d escape this place with Julia one way or another, even if I had to bring Ilsa the heads of her enemies. Staring out over the endless killing fields, where bodies waited to fuel the grid, I shivered with the reality that we may all end up part of the grid fueling the evil bitch.

  Chapter Twenty

  Aria

  Something touched my fingers, and I groaned. Prying my heavy lids open, I peered up into startling blue eyes that threatened to drown me in their churning sea-colored depths. I smiled sleepily, sliding my fingers through Knox’s, pulling him closer. He hissed, and I yawned as sleep slowly slipped from my mind, releasing me.

  “Morning, Knox,” I said thickly, noting the aches and pains of my body. “Ouch,” I muttered groggily. His fingertips ran against mine again, and I laughed softly as it tickled.

  “Good morning, Little Lamb,” he smirked devilishly. I tugged on my hand, watching his eyes sparkling with amusement as his touch sent heat rocking through me. I lifted my spine, arching, focusing his attention to move hungrily down my body.

  I rolled onto my side as he pulled my hand closer toward him. His scent offered me comfort and created the familiar twinge between my thighs, clenching my stomach. He rattled the moment my eyes closed, forcing a soft smile to curve on my lips. I purred softly, and a groan escaped him.

  “Move closer to me,” he urged, and I lifted my eyes to him, wincing at the pain that flitted through me. “Come here, sweet girl, and let me hold you,” he whispered, tugging my arm again.

  “It’s coming down now,” a feminine voice announced, causing my attention to lift toward the witches who stood a few feet from us, casting a spell to bring down the weakened barrier.

  I stared up at the sky, noting it was no longer night, and the sun was beating down on my face. My eyelashes dusted against my cheek as I swallowed past the dryness of my mouth. I yanked on my hand, struggling to pull it away from his hold.

  Turning onto my knees, I whimpered, lifting my eyes to lock with his. I pulled back, crying out as pain rocked through me. Knox’s eyes narrowed, lowering to where my other hand clutched my stomach. Slowly, his gaze came back to rest on mine.

  “What’s wrong, Aria?” Knox demanded, his tone laced with worry that wasn’t like him.

  “I failed,” I said breathlessly. “Failing comes with consequences.”

  “You lived. What you attempted to do was suicide. You knew you could die, yet you still did it regardless of the cost,” Knox growled, his eyes vying between blue and
obsidian.

  I rolled without warning, crying out as pain rocked through me again. I felt the shield beginning to drop and groaned, holding my stomach. Standing up, I eyed Knox as he followed my lead, pacing like a caged beast.

  I reached down, grabbing my pack, and spun around, walking toward the keep. I rushed inside before shedding the dress I wore, entering the courtyard in nothing more than my panties.

  Inside, I tossed the dress into the first room I found and ran down a long, winding hallway. At the end of the hall, I skipped up the steps and made my way quickly to the next floor, pausing as I felt the barrier fall, dropping with a loud popping noise.

  I slipped my arms into my pack, running faster as the footsteps entering the keep echoed through the empty halls.

  Entering a large room, I moved to the wall, drawing the portal before I sliced through my palm, holding my hand out to slap it against the stone barrier.

  The portal shimmered as shouting sounded below. I stepped closer, holding my hand against the wall as nausea swirled through me, forcing me to wait precious moments before the portal would be ready.

  “Find her! She’s here,” Knox’s deep baritone slid over me as footsteps sounded near the door. The handle moved, and I closed the distance, slipping through the portal to stare as Knox entered the room, finding me already on the other side. “You’ve weakened, and in no condition to be on your own, Aria. You’re not even hiding your scent right now. You allowed Taren to remove my mark, which was a mistake. Without that mark, you are free game to any male who wants you.”

  “I didn’t want him to do that,” I admitted softly, hating the pain that entered my voice as the truth rushed from me.

  “Let me replace it, Aria. Come here, and I’ll make certain no one hurts you, or tries to place their mark on you,” he encouraged, holding out his hand while studying the way I swayed.

  I wavered on my feet as he slowly stepped forward. Turning my head, I gazed at the people on the busy street behind me where the portal had opened. When I slid my attention back to Knox, I found him inches from me, a wicked smile playing across his lips.

  “If you run, I’ll catch you. You’re unmated, unclaimed, and out-manned, Aria. I don’t even need to use the mark on your pretty thigh to bring you to heel. You’ll come to me, because everything within you wants the biggest, baddest monster in the realm, and that’s me.”

  I caught sight of the dark-haired witch behind Knox, and I lifted my hands as he lunged, slamming against the portal as it closed. Spinning around, I searched the signs on the buildings along the busy street before finding a dressmaker. I rushed through the crowds of people who had stopped to gape at the portal magic, moved aside to let me pass. There was no need to flash my mark for them to gauge who or what I was, which was sort of cool.

  Entering the shop, the metal keys on the door jingled like a wind chime or a medieval burglar alarm. I closed the door and turned, staring at the women inside who gaped in horror at me.

  I could feel the blood crusted to my face and hair and didn’t need a mirror to realize that I was rocking with my tits out since I was standing here in nothing but my panties. That explained the people gawking, which admittedly made me feel a lot less badass.

  “Witch!” a woman shrieked, and I groaned before I brought my hands up, freezing them in place.

  I exhaled slowly, inhaling even slower. I fought the pain still holding me in its thrall. I looked around the room, walking to the window, and peering out behind one dress on display. I forced my body to ignore the throbbing aches, spinning back to look at the women in the store.

  “I am a witch, but I’m not bad. I am not here to harm you. I have an asshole chasing me, and he sort of wants to make me his bitch. I need your help. You know, female power and all that jazz?” Tears slipped free from their eyes, causing my brows to crease in irritation. “Let’s try this again. You help me, you live? It’s a win for everyone. All you have to do is wear my dirty laundry! Not so bad, right?”

  I unfroze them, and they looked at one another before nodding. Tears aside, I wasn’t evil. Taren was evil, so maybe his vision wasn’t real. A female moved to run, and I slammed my hand down, slowly lifting her to hover in the air with the point of my finger.

  “You forgot to change your clothes before leaving.” I winced at the horror in her eyes. “Maybe I am the evil queen, but really, is she so bad? Normally they’re just misunderstood, right?”

  A stammering woman shook her head, her teeth chattering as she whispered, “They’re bad, because, well, they’re just bad.”

  “Thanks, I was having a personal conversation with myself here. I wasn’t actually asking you!” I stomped my foot, frowning as she recoiled from me like I’d intended to slaughter her over her opinion. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap. I’ve killed thousands of witches in the last few months, being chased all over the Nine Realms by an alpha asshole who thinks he can just caveman my ass over his shoulder and walk off into the sunset! That isn’t how it works, right?”

  “Generally speaking, that is how it works,” a blonde woman said sheepishly, her eyes darting toward the others who nodded their agreement. “My husband claimed me in the middle of the street, bred, and placed his mark on me. I am his now.”

  “Oyo, the state of things in this place is a mess. So, each of you takes a dress and puts it on. When you get outside, scatter, running in different directions from one another. That’s all I need from you. The moment you are away from the store, you’re free to live a normal… somewhat terrifyingly submissive life.”

  “That’s all you want us to do?” a raven-haired woman asked. “That’s it, and we can leave?”

  “Yes, I just need my scent to go every which way except in the direction that I will go. So, chop-chop,” I said, clapping my hands together quickly. “Everyone grab a dress and change, please,” I held my bag open for them to take my dirty dresses, which was a little disgusting, but desperate times left me few choices.

  After the women left the shop, I grabbed one of the light blue dresses from the rack and slipped it on, moving toward the dressmaker who had yet to move. He assumed I hadn’t noticed him behind the counter.

  I smiled. The man’s white bushy eyebrows shot to his frizzy, silver hair, and his hands lifted into the air as if he thought I intended to rob him.

  “I don’t intend to harm you, sir,” I stated, smiling tightly.

  I pulled jewels from my bag, placing them onto the counter. His eyes widened as I turned, pulling dresses from a rack, protected in plastic covers to guard them against dust.

  The shopkeeper observed me silently, nodding when I slid my gaze to him to see if he would object. His old, gnarled hands reached up, accepting the jewels while I pushed the few simple dresses into my bag. My attention returned to him, and he flinched.

  “I don’t have any shoes, sir. I lost mine when I slaughtered a castle of evil witches and woke up later than I intended. The man I’m running from almost caught me, so I had to grab my bag and go, leaving my shoes in the castle and me without them. He’s making it rather difficult for me to keep clothing and shoes on my person.” Looking around the shop, I felt a twinge of regret for the old shopkeeper. “I hate pilfering from drying lines, and I hope the jewels help repay your loss of sells from me coming in unannounced, running off all your paying customers, for which I apologize.”

  “May I see your foot?” he asked, and I smiled before lifting it for his inspection.

  He pushed his brows together but nodded, bending down beneath the counter to grab something. I tensed, slipping my attention to the women waiting by the door for my cue right outside of the shop doors, held there by magic.

  The old dressmaker cleared his throat, and I turned back, staring down at the slippers he held up. Frowning, I accepted them and offered him a quick awkwardly worded thanks, smiling briefly before moving toward the door as power rippled through the shop.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Opening the door, I watched the
women rush in all different directions away from the shop when I dropped the magical confinement holding them. I slid into the shadows, carrying the shoes. I whispered a spell to become hidden within the darkness. I crept deeper into the alley, allowing myself to exhale against the fear of being prematurely captured. I knew it would happen eventually, but it couldn’t be today.

  Inside the alleyway, I watched as Knox rushed toward one woman, grabbing her as she released a shrill scream of panic. He glared at the woman, grabbing her dress, and taking a long sniff of the material.

  A smile played on his lips as Knox lifted his head, peering around the crowd as my scent rushed in every direction. He found several more women, each having made it only a few feet away from the shop before he’d captured them, creating panic within them all.

  I stepped back as his eyes slid to where I stood. Knox’s head lowered, tilting as he listened for something. Too late, I realized he easily heard my rapid heartbeat. I saw him inhale deeply before starting in my direction in long, angry strides of his powerful legs.

  I turned, rushing into the passageway as heavy footfalls followed. Rounding a corner, I paused, noting several direction choices before me, choosing the darkest path available as I rushed forward.

  Knox’s rattle sounded through the alleyway, triggering my body to pulse and tighten, forcing me to lean against a wall until the wave of heat passed. A dark-haired woman surveyed me, smirking knowingly as her attention moved to the mouth of the alley where the sound of heavy footsteps approached.

  “You want to live, witch? Follow me,” she offered begrudgingly, her violet eyes studying me, noting I glanced between her and the sound coming closer by the moment.

  Freaking cheater.

  The rattling was straight up unfair, and Knox knew it!

  The woman opened a portal, and I narrowed my eyes on her as she turned, glaring at me like I was slow in the head. Apprehension slithered down my spine. I moved toward her, unhurriedly deciding my fate. I had only encountered bad people in the Nine Realms, which meant I was probably walking into a trap, weakened.