“No,” he laughed, and my attention shifted back to the scene playing out before us as magic shot toward the monsters pushing through the witches’ ranks on the battlefield.
A moment before they would have clashed in battle, he pulled my hand away and crushed the skull, freeing the magic it had held. He stepped closer to me, watching as I backed up. His lips curved into a smile as he rattled, and mine answered his.
“You’re not even asking the right questions yet.”
“What is the right question?” I countered, continuing to move backward as he proceeded toward me.
“That’s not it either.”
“What am I?” I demanded, and his eyes danced with amusement.
“That’s closer.”
“Fucking answer me!” I hissed, digging in my heels, refusing to allow this man to back me against the wall.
“Such fire in one so young,” he laughed, smirking softly as his eyes searched mine. “Yet so much anger for what you don’t understand.” His other hand lifted, and a portal unlike one I’d ever felt before opened like a mirror into another realm, wavering, before returning to a solid backdrop. “Come with me, Aria. If you’re ready to know who and what you are, step into the portal and join me. We are the same, you and me. We have the same eyes, which I’m sure you noticed, but you know not why you were born with silver hair, nor why you rattle and wage war with the fire of a million stars burning within you. All you’d have to do to find those answers is to come with me. Are you ready?” More men stepped into sight. All with similar hair and eyes, waiting for me to join them on the portal’s other side.
“The wee little beast is terrified, is she not?” one man asked.
“I am not scared! I am pissed. There’s a huge difference,” I snapped, hiding the fact that I was indeed terrified.
“I can hear the thunder of your heart and smell the sweat dripping down the back of your neck. My creature is chuckling at your fear, Darling. Come with us. You don’t belong here, Aria. You’re one of us.”
The power of the portal felt different and yet pure. It was something I’d felt once before when Knox had stopped time around me on the cliff when we’d first met. It was as if he’d pulled me from my realm and into another, yet nothing around me had frozen in time. My attention moved around the room, noting that nothing moved, which meant I couldn’t know if time had stopped or not.
“Tell me who I am. I cannot fight this war alone and hope to win if I don’t even know who and what I am!”
“You’re not alone, Wee One. We are with you. When these witches captured you, we came. In the forest, when men sought to harm you, we killed them to protect you. You are one of us, so you are not alone unless we feel you wish it to be so. Come with us and let us show you the truth of who you are and why you are here.”
“I can’t,” I admitted through a lump forming in my throat.
“I told you she was not ready,” the warrior I’d first encountered stated, exhaling as a frown creased his brow. “When she is ready, she will find us and come to where she belongs. Maybe once she’s scratched her itch, and stops causing us issues with her scent, our time would be otherwise unhindered. Though, I do enjoy the sound of breaking bones when they come from men who would harm an unclaimed female.”
“Indeed, it is a beautiful sound, isn’t it? Still, she belongs with her people. Not with some king who mistreats her. Our warriors would duel each other if they caught a whiff of her, which admittedly, would offer some sport to the otherwise droll of the day.”
“When you’re ready, Aria Primrose, find us,” the warrior whispered, smiling as he bowed and stepped back, turning to speak to the others as he joined them through the portal.
The world went deafening, forcing my hands to my ears as all sound sucked out of the room. The place where they’d stood shimmered, and then a blinding light cut through the room with a surge of immense power. I held my arm up to protect my eyes as the shockwaves sent red-hot pain slicing through me. The moment I could see again, I peered around the room, finding it empty.
My nose lifted, and I inhaled, noting the subtle scent of sage and lemongrass. Not even a whiff of their scent remained. Swallowing past the unease that knowledge created, I worried my lip, as the sound of footsteps filled the hallway. Hurriedly, I started forward as familiar magic slithered through my body, igniting everything around me.
Corpses filled the hallway leading up the staircase. Whoever that man was, he’d sent his magic through me, clearing my path from witches. I paused, midway up the stairs, noting the carnage. The witches weren’t just dead; they were ripped apart and left in mangled heaps of flesh and bone. Snorting, I continued up the stairs until forced to stop, coming face-to-face with a group of black-eyed witches.
“Aren’t you pretty?” I asked, unleashing magic on them.
They recoiled, shrieking as I bathed in the chaos that ensued. My hands pulsed with magic, sending it rushing toward those who stood between me and exiting the keep with the books I’d come to retrieve.
I’d watched this place for over a week, unable to gain entry, and during that time, these withes had slaughtered people like they were cattle. I’d tried to get in, to no avail, so I’d made sure I was in a spot well patrolled, and that they’d bring me in through the front door, locking their death warrants soundly into place.
Witches detonated as I dropped my head back, enjoying the sounds of diminishing evil. My house was so freaking dirty that bleach wouldn’t cut it. It needed more than just elbow grease to rid the world of the evil that had taken root in the realm of my bloodline’s good intentions.
Fire leaped from the candles, rushing toward the curtains that barred the moonlight from entering their dark home. Rolling my head back, I heard Ciara’s rendition of Paint It, Black in my mind, humming the song as I moved through the witches. I watched them burn to nothing more than ashes as I passed by, the intensity of my flames burning too hot for the naked eye to see until it was too late.
“I see your red door…” I laughed before continuing to hum, pushing my tongue between my teeth. I sent fire sailing toward the strongest witch, watching as she combusted. My arms went wide as I twirled, slowly moving through the castle as my clothes disintegrated, and everything around me caught fire.
The flames danced seductively, echoing with a crackling sound that sung to my soul as my creature rejoiced from within, dancing to the song I sang as the surrounding witches melted. I grinned as she clapped, fueled by the flames that beckoned to us.
“We are like Oz!” My creature purred happily.
“Wait; what? No. Oz was the city… we’re the good witch. You know, the wicked witches melt and shit?”
“I want to be Ozzy and eat things.”
“Ew, no. Bats are a hard limit for me. Yucky,” I spat out before gagging, noting the shadows moving near me. “Time to go. We’re off to see the next evil witch on our hit list.”
“That didn’t rhyme.”
“Can you just give me one thing where you’re not making fun of me?” I asked.
“Not until I get Knox’s dick and make it sick! See, that rhymed.”
“No, it did not! Okay, maybe a little, but I’m afraid to ask what you meant by making it sick. It’s hot in here,” I muttered, staring down to the bones fusing to the floor as it bubbled from the intensity of the heat.
“So, did you enjoy my dream? I thought you would like him to find us and stripping… and things.”
“I see what you did there.”
“It was a nice touch, right? I even showed you his wee-wee, instead of just Barbie vag and cobwebs.”
“What are you? Five years old? Don’t ever say wee-wee again, ever. Also, I hate spiders.”
“You get pissy when I mention cock. Knox has a nice cock. We like his cock. It hits everywhere! So good. So thick. I crave his dick. Plus, now you know why we need dick… because spiders are bad! You hate spiders, so if you get his dicker, he will eat the spiders and our pussy. It’s a win f
or all of us!”
“I said no Knox’s cock!”
“Look at you, growing up and shit. You rhymed! You either get his dick into our happy pouch, or I’m going to take control, and you’re going to wake up choking on his cock. I will unlock my jaw that Lore loves, and you can stay locked on Knox’s cock forever!”
“And no more talk of spiders. You’re giving me the creeps. Wait, you can do that? Never do that to me! Ever. Promise me you won’t,” I muttered, staring at the flames as a hooded figure stepped out of the darkness, watching me through the inferno. I turned, moving in the opposite direction of the shadow. I wasn’t falling for that shit!
My bare feet padded across the floor. I moved into the cool evening air, peering at the dark sky before looking over my shoulder, staring through the flames, noting that something watched me. My heart echoed painfully in my chest, battering against my ribs as I swallowed. I inhaled, smelling only the scent of burning flesh through the blaze.
Exhaling, I shivered as the cold air touched my skin and sizzled, sending steam from my naked body. I forced myself to move into the woods where I’d hidden my clothing and pack before allowing the witches to capture me.
Digging through my pack, I grabbed some fresh clothes and dressed. Lifting my nose to the air, I caught a strange scent. Turning to scan the woods, I slipped my pack on, looking at my feet, then tossing an angry glare at the castle that was now a raging inferno. I whispered a spell for the dead, slowly melting into the darkness.
Strange men had invited me to god knows where. Strange men who claimed to know who and what I was. Should I have gone blindly? No. That was how people ended up on stakes, burning brightly into the night like a bonfire. Plus, I had no idea who or what they were. No one in the Nine Realms was honest, or friendly, so why would I willingly go into a portal with strange, but rather hot men? It was either a recipe for disaster or the start of an orgy, neither of which were on my schedule.
I had felt the men, though; felt them on a level I couldn’t understand, but I hadn’t caught their scent. It was as if they’d purposely concealed it from me. I stubbed my toe and paused, turning as I felt eyes heavy on my spine. Shadows moved, and I swallowed down the urge to tuck tail and run like a bitch.
My gaze slid into the shadows once more, and my nose lifted, catching the faint trace of Knox in the air. Smiling, I hid behind a tree, listening as feet moved on a road beside the copse of trees where I stood. Pulling my scent in and whispering the spell for invisibility, I hid within the shroud of it, as I moved toward the sound of horse hooves trampling cobblestone. Knox wasn’t the only hunter, nor was I the only prey.
Chapter Ten
I entered a town teeming with life. My gaze followed some of the men from Knox’s army, who had broken away to go deeper into the village. Men and women danced on the streets, drunk with wine that smelled sour, and not to my liking.
Knox spoke to Brander, who seemed distracted, looking over his shoulder and then spinning on his heel, catcalling to a woman that swayed her hips, licking her lips seductively as she moved toward him.
Knox shook his head and slipped into a building, but I didn’t dare follow, sensing the wards around the structure. Instead, I crossed the road carefully, dodging drunken villagers who danced to a flute that someone played deeper in town. Leaning against a wall, I rested my head while searching the windows across the road for any sign of Knox.
A candle lit within one of the many windows, and then Knox appeared, staring up at the stars as I took in his tired face. A dark-haired woman emerged behind him, and he removed his shirt, turning to sit in a chair. She moved around his back, running ruby-red fingernails over his shoulder before finding one of the ravens that adorned his skin, lowering her mouth to brush against it softly.
Anger pulsed within me, inciting a jealous rage that had my nails digging into the soft flesh of my palm while I fought the urge to enter the building and rip her lips from his body. She reached toward a table, producing a needle she dipped into a clear inkwell, before slowly poking it into his flesh. Knox didn’t so much as wince from the bite of her needle.
I watched them together, noting the way she continually touched him when it wasn’t warranted. Blood dripped from his raven, but if it pained him, he didn’t show it. His head turned, and he looked down at where I stood, noticing my anger. His nostrils flared, and then his eyes lowered to where the woman’s hand stroked his arm.
Dismissing Knox, I turned my attention to where Brander, Lore, Killian, and Greer sat outside the building, smiling at their antics. Lore was balancing himself on a chair, and Brander sat in another, holding a blonde on his lap, nuzzling her neck. The woman who thought to entertain Lore was failing miserably, and that caused me to chuckle. Giving up, she walked away with a stern frown, either from something he’d said, or her inability to lure him to her.
Greer spoke to a male who had his hair pulled back in braids, secured in a bun that would make many women jealous over its beauty. Killian, well, ever watchful Killian studied the drunken crowd of people who milled about, slopping ale over the stone street.
My eyes slid around the square, and it reminded me of Bourbon Street in New Orleans during Mardi Gras, the streets reeking of alcohol and spirits. Women were topless, but they weren’t requesting beads to see their tits.
Men hooted and grabbed for them, but the women denied their advances, holding out their hands instead, wanting money for their services. It was dark out, and yet the moon offered enough light, along with the torches, that I clearly saw my surroundings. The more I studied the crowd, the more I noticed the lack of clothing worn and the lewd, sexual acts taking place in public.
Down the street, a woman danced to the music playing. Her body swayed, hips adorned with chains rattling soothingly, adding to the song. Further down the road, another woman with dark kohl around her eyes and henna over her body was giving a lap dance to a warrior who watched her with lust burning in his eyes.
Intrigued by the dance, I lowered my gaze to her nether region, realizing it wasn’t a dance after all. Smiling at my naivety, I looked away from the couple and saw a girl with sad eyes following a boy.
They moved through the crowd, picking the pockets of drunken villagers before vanishing into a dark alleyway. Frowning, I noticed more children doing the same, each working in pairs, before sliding off into the shadows to disappear. Turning my attention back to Knox, I found the candle extinguished and the window empty.
I studied the other rooms, watching as a light appeared within another. Knox moved into view with the now very naked woman who ran her hands over his chest as he watched. A wicked smile curved his lips as my heart thundered in my chest. His hand slid around her side, creeping up her spine until he threaded his fingers into her hair, entangling them. Hot tears pricked my eyes, and I knew I should have looked away as he turned her from the window, lowering his head to the skin of her neck.
The room went dark, and I fought the emotion that burned through me. Bile pushed against my throat as denial and anger fought with my need to enter the protected building, ripping him away from her, and claiming him in a way that would leave no mistake of whom he belonged.
Instead, I pushed away from the wall, noting that Lore, Brander, Killian, and Greer were no longer there. I shook off the rage and emotion at seeing him with another woman, moving through the crowd still cloaked in invisibility, quickly draining my power.
I dodged couples, darting through them as I made my way to the center of town. Sensing that someone was watching me, I stepped into a dark alleyway, taking in my surroundings. On the opposite side of the road stood a man with silver hair and eyes of the clearest seas.
I moved toward him and stopped when I caught Knox’s scent and frowned. He appeared in the opposite direction from where he’d been, weaving through the people dancing in the square. Inhaling, I picked up another familiar scent and swung my attention to Brander, who was walking in the opposite direction of Knox, each one of them scanning the
crowd. I started forward, rushing to the silver-haired male, but he vanished the moment I reached him.
Spinning around, I watched Knox’s men as they closed in on me. Stepping back, I forced my magic to hold the thin barrier keeping me from their sight. Crows squawked above me, and I tilted my head to the sky, seeing it filled with them. Panicked, I ran toward the buildings’ shadows, seeking refuge in the darkened alleyway where the children had disappeared as screams filled the night.
Pausing at the mouth of the alley, I saw misty fog filling the streets. My heart thundered in my chest as gray, twisting figures emerged among the mist’s edge, snapping razor-sharp teeth and claws. I started forward, before stopping moments before the fog reached the first of the villagers, watching in horror as gray husks resembling corpses grabbed a shrieking woman and pulled her into the mist.
Dread entered my bloodstream as the putrid scent of death struck my nose, forcing my hand to cover it as more screams filled the square. My eyes burned from the stench, watering. I went to where the woman entered the mist. The sound of nails scraping the cobblestone filled the air, along with inhuman hisses and a chorus of unholy voices slithering through the night.
My heart thundered against my ribs at the gruesome scene, failing to register as the woman emerged from the mist. I fought the bile burning the back of my throat. I stared at the husk that was once a beautiful woman, now nothing more than a skinned corpse that stared sightlessly at the moon.
The dark magic filling the square pulsed to a heady beat, holding everyone in place. The villagers could not escape the deadly monsters that continually pulled victims into their grasps. I turned as something scraped and pierced my skin, staring down at the husked hand that dug talons into my ankle, yanking me toward the mist.
A glowing blade struck the hand, and then someone shoved me behind a large body. Turquoise eyes peered back at me over a broad shoulder, telling me without words to stay close. I placed my hand on the man’s shoulder as we stepped backward, watching as he struck the creatures down, one at a time, within the mist. Suddenly, I froze in place, unable to move.
Ashes of Chaos (Legacy of the Nine Realms Book 2) Page 8