“Ilsa isn’t a queen, Aria. She’s a horrid being who hasn’t lifted a finger in hundreds of years for anyone unless it was for her benefit. We’ve had to fend for ourselves. In fact, my entire life I have lived with your boyfriend hunting us down, and the one thing that kept him from reaching us was my mother, and whoever helped watch over our town. Then the mist came, and the palace went up seemingly overnight. All hell broke loose, and thousands died within the first few hours of the mists’ arrival. I watched my family, neighbors, and friends sucked into that stench, only to have their bones spat out.”
“I’m sorry,” I frowned, unable to stop the sadness that I knew showed on my face.
“You weren’t even here. Come, I want to show you something,” Esme stated, holding out her hand.
“No offense, but I won’t hold your hand through any portal,” I snorted as her lips curled into a smirk, and her eyes sparkled.
“Bitch,” she replied.
“Hooker,” I retorted.
“Nope, thanks to you, that isn’t one of the jobs I have ever done, or will,” she laughed, using her bloodied palm to open a new portal. “Not all of my friends are witches, and sometimes I forget when I am around others like us. It’s not often I find a witch that hasn’t caved and turned to the vile bitch ruling us.”
“Noted, but let’s hope there are enough of us left to make a change.” I stepped through the portal she’d made and paused.
The streets were in chaos as soldiers grabbed women and children, throwing them to the ground. Screams filled the area, and the scent of copper hung heavy in the air. I watched Esme rushing toward a soldier who lifted a blade, intending to harm a child. Calling my magic to me, I slammed him back through the crowd of men.
“Enough!” I screamed, the sound of my voice coming out in layers, giving pause to the warriors.
The witches, or at least I assumed that they were witches, gathered the little ones, and moved them away from the men who turned on me. I snorted, glaring at the warriors who had been picking on helpless women and children. Blood bathed the ground as I walked through the path, flinging my arm toward the men while my magic shoved them away from the women.
“Get back,” I demanded.
“You stupid bitch! We are here under the order of the Queen of Nymphs,” a soldier seethed.
“And?” I asked while one brow lifted with the question.
“By Her Majesty’s orders, all unmarked witches are to be slaughtered. Do you think to stop us? You will fail the same as all the others,” he growled, letting his eyes slide down my body with heat.
“Nymphs? Seriously? I thought you guys were supposed to be hot and seductive? My sisters are, and yet you’re… lacking in looks.”
“You think we care about your opinion?”
“I don’t think you think at all,” I snorted, smirking at the anger my words had caused him. “If you did, you’d have ran from me by now.”
A witch accompanying the guards stepped forward, removing her hood to expose a weak insignia on her forehead. Her eyes held mine as if she expected me to have balked from her mark. Her hands lifted, and more witches stepped into the line, adding to her power. I exhaled, igniting my symbol, causing her to pause and step back.
“It cannot be!” she whispered.
“I assure you, it can,” I smiled tightly. “You have two options here. Either you run or you die. Choose wisely,” I said, watching them through narrowing slits.
The warriors lifted their weapons, and I unleashed my magic. Slowly, I walked through the space beneath them as they hovered in the air above me. Weapons dropped to the ground, clunking against the earth as they landed.
I raised my other hand, twisting, and the soldiers and dark witches exploded, raining blood everywhere. Blinking, I wiped the blood away from my eyes before turning to look at the witches I’d just saved. They stood silently, staring at me with their mouths hanging open.
“Ew,” I whined, spitting pieces out on the ground. “It’s in my mouth!”
“Yeah, and you have something…” Esme stated, indicating all of me. “There.”
“You don’t say?” I asked, laughing. “Here?” I pointed to my dress, and then my face, before plucking a blood-covered braid from my head.
“Yup,” Esme laughed, turning to look out over the bloodied field. She lifted her hand, and more unmarked witches stepped forward, adding to her magic as the blood vanished. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”
Inside a cottage, I pushed a brush made of bone through my hair while watching the children, who sat wide-eyed, staring at me. There were wooden stars placed on the wall, held together with leather twine, hanging beside crystals. Sighing, I decided I needed to go outside to where the unmarked witches waited for me.
Esme moved forward, motioning toward a lattice-covered garden, and I followed, pausing when I got to the gate and looked at the earth embedded with miniature stars. Crystals surrounded each of them, carrying a single use. I took in the hundred or more stars, smiling at Esme, who nodded in agreement.
“Good, unmarked witches,” I swallowed, watching her dark head continue to nod as tears shone in her eyes.
A witch stepped forward, placing her hand on a large quartz tower. “Prove to us you are of the light, Aria Hecate. I will not allow a dark witch to lead us to our death. Nor a weak one,” she continued, exhaling. “You too, Esme. You know the drill.”
Esme smirked, rolling her eyes as she stepped forward. Her finger lifted and pricked on the tip of the quartz, and the star below it began to glow with a soft pulsing hum of magic. I noted Esme held her power back, but it was enough to please the witch who smiled at her softly.
I stepped forward, pricking my finger on the quartz tip, just as Esme had done, before standing back as power rushed through the garden while the crystals exploded with light. The witches whispered excitedly around me.
The entire garden lit up around us. The candles exploded with flames, while the lanterns glowed from the crystals within them. More crystals hung from trees, looking like something out of a fantasy as my power ignited them. Water that held crystals beneath the surface began to glow a bright, deep cerulean hue, illuminating the fish in the pond beside us. All around, magic ignited flames and crystals as the little ones danced around me.
I chewed my bottom lip as Esme bumped my hip. “Show off.”
“You’re a true descendant of the Hecate bloodline,” the witch whispered in awe. “The rumors are true then; you’ve returned to save us?”
“I intend to do my best to protect you all and stop the evil happening within the Nine Realms.”
“There’s only one of you?” she countered, and I puffed out an irritated breath. “I meant no disrespect, Princess Hecate. I only hoped there would be more of you.”
“There are,” I assured her. “I’m actually on my way to join them. Esme thought I should see what I am fighting to protect. She is wise, but also a wise-ass.”
Esme snorted, shaking her head as she rolled her eyes. I let my gaze linger over the assembly of unmarked witches before I swallowed the worry that came with an offering of protection.
“I have a shelter prepared for you all,” I admitted softly. “You can’t stay here now. The Nymph Queen will come to see why her warriors have not reported back. It isn’t much yet, but eventually, my family and I will have a House of Magic set up, and we intend to invite those who have not turned to the darkness or served the high queen in her quest to be a selfish bitch.
“Esme will be there with you, and she could use some strong witches to help reinforce the keep that I claimed from a dark coven. I’m about to do something seriously stupid, which means I may be away for a while. My family will check in on you and ensure that you’re all safe and protected. There are enough food and supplies to last through an apocalypse, and it’s safe. That’s all I can promise you for now.”
“She’s lying,” Esme snorted, causing me to stiffen. “It’s more than you have, and more than anyone has ev
er offered us. It’s not just safe; it’s a fortified keep held beneath Hecate bloodline power. I have never felt safer within it, not even beneath the watchful eye of my mother. Aria has made room for over one hundred witches to join her there. You will have beds to rest your weary bodies, food for your bellies, and protection against the evil, vile queen that rules us.” The witches all stared at Esme, frowning. “Oh, and I’ve collected incubus males for women to use, too.”
“We’re in,” the witch chortled. “You should have started with that, Esme.”
I smiled, turning to look at Esme, who rubbed her hand down her face in relief.
“Witches,” we said at the same time, snorting while we watched them collect their belongings.
“You slaughtered nymphs today. Neven will not let it go unchallenged,” Esme stated.
“Neven is the Queen of Nymphs?”
“Indeed. Neven is a powerful nymph, and if I were you, I’d be cautious with her. You’re making very powerful enemies, Aria Hecate.”
“I didn’t come here to make friends. I came here to change the world, and that isn’t going to make me a lot of friends.”
“You are something else, Aria. You are more than I expected when I saw you running into that alleyway. I didn’t think in my wildest dreams that a Hecate Princess would come running toward me or offer me protection. Honestly, I thought we were going to go extinct, and that would be it. There would be no more good witches or those who clung to the old ways with the hope that you and your line would return. I also thought you’d be a lot bigger. I guess beggars can’t be choosers, right?”
“I thought we were having a moment there, and then you went and ruined it. You’re a smartass. You know that, right? You’re lucky your mother didn’t swallow you,” I grinned.
“I’m lucky yours didn’t swallow you!”
I snorted softly as a smile spread across my face. At the sound of feet crunching against the gardens’ rocks, we turned, staring into the faces of the witches we’d invited to the keep. Frowning as a tiny hand slipped into mine, I stared down into beautiful turquoise eyes and smiled brightly.
“I really hope you know what you’re doing,” Esme whispered, swallowing past the emotion we both felt at seeing those who depended on us, looking as if we held all the answers of the world.
“I have no idea what the hell I am doing. I’m winging it. But so far, so good. Let’s hope everything goes well when I meet up with my family, and this plan we developed will work in our favor. If not, they’ll lead you. If anything happens to me, they’ll continue helping you to help others. I have a feeling that once Knox catches me, it will be quite some time before I can return to you. Continue collecting witches, but devise a way to ensure that they are good and belong with us. The only way that the keep falls is from within, and I fear there aren’t many of us, so everyone counts.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
My eyes slowly scanned the army that had amassed in front of us. My brow creased, and I narrowed my eyes, studying the largest warrior on the ground below. Turning in the saddle on the large, beautiful warhorse, I glared at up at my sisters.
The animal sensed my unease, tossing his head and stomping its feet onto the earth. I didn’t know how everyone else made it look so easy since the horse refused to hold still for me. Scanning the battlement, I found Kinvara watching everything happening below with keen interest.
This was the worst plan in the history of the Nine Realms. And if by some miracle it went off without a hitch, I’d be stuck apologizing to my sisters until I was too old to remember their names. That might have been the only win in that equation.
My attention went back to the male, slowly making his way to the front of the warriors who all looked ready to eat our faces. Knox’s eyes locked with mine, narrowing, before sliding over to Asil’s, the dark witch currently calling all the shots of this keep. Of course, I kept pronouncing her name asshole. It was a choice preference.
Asil made me want to word-vomit profanities more often than not when I was in her presence. Or shove something very sharp down her over-opinionated throat, violently. She was one of the worst people I’d encountered since coming to the Nine Realms.
She was a self-appointed expert on every topic, not to mention the most self-righteous bitch who felt the need to shove her opinions down everyone’s throats. Those who disagreed, she murdered or tortured with her droll nonsense until they wanted to die to escape her.
I was pretty sure my play on her name was correct. Asil was an intolerable asshole. Her newest hobby was to point out how often I’d said her name incorrectly, which I did on purpose, just to piss her off.
I also found it funny to watch her cringe when I used words like moist and flesh, so of course, I used them together as often as I could, even though her high, nasally voice grated my nerves when she corrected me, like nails dragging across a chalkboard.
I dismissed Asil, letting my attention slide through the murderous gazes of the army before me. Knox wasn’t messing around this time and had brought many more troops than he’d brought to the last speed bump of a keep where we’d previously faced off.
These soldiers were rougher; their hard, merciless stares promised death the moment they broke through the weak barrier holding them at bay.
Nervousness rushed through me, causing sweat to bead on the back of my neck. My horse danced sideways beneath Knox’s murderous glare that was holding mine captive.
No one spoke, and my body flooded with apprehension beneath his rage-filled eyes. The knowledge that I was sitting on the opposing side with a murderous bitch made me feel ill.
The damnation burning in Knox’s eyes, mingled with judgment, filled me with the need to tell him that it wasn’t what it looked like, and yet if I did that, I’d ruin the plan and the entire reason we were here.
Warriors pulled huge machines to the front of the line, setting them up as the army stood motionless, watching, waiting for the order to attack. Looking out over the field, I took in the impressive army, strategically spread as far as the eye could see, out over the gorge.
It had taken Knox three days to reach us, and I’d known he would come with a formidable force once he’d realized I hid within the stronghold. The entire time we’d been here, I’d witnessed things playing out in front of me that turned my stomach upside down.
The only reason we hadn’t slaughtered these witches earlier in the week was that the moon had to reach its zenith in the sky for the spell I’d crafted to be powerful enough to work correctly, if it worked at all.
I felt Knox’s stern gaze studying me, noting the nervousness that I couldn’t manage to hide. The horse I was on danced sideways again, sensing my discomfort while I tried to keep it still without unseating me.
Fear was running rampant through me, making everything seem more intense. My heartbeat pounded louder than the war drums of Knox’s army. It sounded in my ears, mirroring the drum solo at a rock concert, echoing through me, creating so much unease that I knew Knox could sense it.
I wasn’t worried about my life. I could get myself out of this if I was alone, but my sisters and aunt were in the same vicinity, and I could not abandon them. Their being here complicated everything, and yet I couldn’t do this without them. I understood the necessity of allowing others to help when needed, but the cost of failure would be more than I was willing to pay. Not that I hadn’t enjoyed spending time with my family.
Over the last week, I’d gotten to hug and visit with all my sisters and aunt, listening to news and plans about the new House of Magic, and discussing everything we still needed to procure. It was blissful to see them without fear trickling down my spine, worrying about Knox finding us and capturing them.
The only downside was Asil. She had almost ruined it by implementing herself in the middle of everything we’d done. I hadn’t slept more than an hour or two at a time since we were camped inside this murdering bitch’s stronghold, sleeping with one eye open among our enemies.
&nb
sp; Now Knox was here, and that would end our time together. Too much was on the line now.
No pressure…
Just breathe and remember who the fuck you are, Aria.
Right?
Sit straight, show no fear, and be a rock in a storm; unmovable and unbreakable.
“King Karnavious,” Asil sneered.
Her lips pulled back as she spoke, revealing blackening teeth. Evil had a cost, and this bitch was deep into her payment. Her blonde hair was graying, something that wouldn’t have happened had she not used the dark magic she wielded. Her yellowing skin looked jaundiced and taut on her bones.
“Asil, are you prepared to surrender? How many more innocent lives have you ended this month to pay for that magic you use so freely?” Knox asked coldly, sliding accusing eyes to mine before slowly dragging them down my scantily dressed body.
Knox rattled low, letting the sound ease out of him, watching me with a knowing grin. My core tightened, and my nipples grew into perky peaks as his lips twisted into a wicked smirk. Slowly dismissing me, his attention slid back to Asil.
“I have the high queen endorsing my hold to this land. You dare march an army against me?” Asil growled as her power slithered through the clearing, pushing through the thin barrier. “You will be punished greatly for this, King Karnavious. I knew we should have moved on you sooner. You’re lucky our hands were tied, or you’d be secured to a post and used for nothing more than pleasure when I wanted it.”
I turned my narrowing eyes toward Asil. Like hell, she’d use him for pleasure. That dick was mine, even if I didn’t plan to use it anytime soon.
Knox rattled again, low in his chest, forcing my eyes to close against the sound. Silently praying he would stop before he gave me away. My head bowed while I squirmed on the horse, silently pleading for him to stop, but he continued, and the vibrations sent heat rushing through me, causing my body to work against me.
What the hell was he thinking? This wasn’t the time to beat his chest, not with armies waiting to clash together in a bloody battle. Yet, I had no disillusion that his rattle had meant to arch my spine, creating a throbbing pain that forced me to adjust on the saddle, attempting to clench my thighs.
Ashes of Chaos (Legacy of the Nine Realms Book 2) Page 20
