Chapter Forty-Nine
I screamed out a warning as one of the dire wolves lunged toward Knox. His blade swung, severing the giant wolf into two large, decayed portions. The other wolves growled, spittle running from their blackened teeth while huge dark eyes tracked our movement.
We all stepped closer to the pool, knowing they couldn’t enter because of the magic within it. The drawback to this plan was that the wolves would have the upper hand by trapping us in the pool. That and they wouldn’t need to leave ever, which left us still having to escape them.
The wolves appeared as rotting corpses with matted hair clinging to their bones. The putrid scent of rotting meat filled the air thickly.
It forced my stomach to roil with the need to expel what little was there. Huge black fangs protruded from their mouths, while dark, deadly magic filled their eyes, slithering through the clearing.
Magic wrapped around us, and I shook my head at the wrongness of it. Dark magic that didn’t come from the wolves choked us with the vileness and taint of it on my flesh.
My blood thundered through my veins, pounding loudly in my ears while the wolves prowled closer, slowly lowering their heads while keeping us within sight. They were predators, preparing to savage their prey.
We were that prey.
Just freaking great. Couldn’t I get a break for five minutes? Was that really asking too damn much?
Every step they took closer, forced us toward the crystalline blue water. The men held their blades up, taking defensive positions, the wolves prowling forward, uncaring of the threatening swords. Knox turned, glaring at me over his shoulder like I’d conjured them from thin air. I held up my arms, proving I still wore the cuffs on my wrist.
Knox’s body rippled with raw, pulsing power, forcing me to step further away from him. He held the sheer authority at the moment as his power in the clearing mixed with the high voltage of his men. It was stifling, sending shivers of unease rushing down my spine.
Knox’s men created a crescent moon formation in front of the pool, with Greer and me behind them. I held my breath when Knox swung once more, and the wolves lunged into the air toward the men.
Knox moved fluidly with purpose. Every swing of his blade was like a dance, slicing through the wolves with fluidity and strength. He landed the first blow, severing the bones of three enormous wolves into six pieces.
I shook my head, watching the corpses multiply, rising almost instantly. Sucking my lip between my teeth, I peered down to find Greer holding my hand. My eyes slid to him, and he turned even whiter, if at all possible.
“Really?” I muttered.
“I don’t do dead dogs, Peasant.”
I expelled a breath and grimaced at the irony of Greer’s statement. Frowning, I silently watched the men swinging their swords in deft precision, dismembering the already dead wolves.
Knox and his men refused to hear me or listen to my previous warning, and every wolf they severed in half rose with another at its side.
This was going to suck, big time.
“Knox, free me,” I demanded, holding up my wrists.
He spun around, staring at me as a wolf leaped toward his back, but he sent his sword backward, severing it into two pieces without even looking at it.
Knox shook his head with a wicked grin marring his thinning mouth, his eyes flashing with anger as if he blamed me for this. He hissed from between clenched teeth.
“I don’t think so, witch,” he growled harshly. “Call off your dogs.”
“They’re not my dogs! They’re dead!” I snapped and fought the urge to kick him in his balls for the sheer audacity of his accusation.
“They’re fucking dire wolves, which are your family’s familiars!”
“They’re Hecate’s familiars, not the bloodline, jackass!”
“Call them off, now!”
“You call them off!” I snarled, crossing my arms over my chest to glare at him.
Knox spun, slicing through the wolves that lunged at his back. His men continued cutting them up, creating a mass of dire wolves that snapped deadly fangs at us. It was pointless because you couldn’t kill that which was already dead. We had to send them back to their resting place.
It felt like hours had passed since we’d entered the clearing with the pool, and as I watched, the men continued to slaughter the wolves until hundreds of them were yapping and biting at us. Men were such macho idiots.
Knox spun toward one that got around him, lifting his sword as the wolf turned toward me with hollowed black eyes. He turned back toward Knox, and I smirked.
Hecate bloodline one, Knox, zero.
“I send you now; I send you home. I send you back from which you’ve come. Heed my call; Heed me now. Return to your rest, for you are not of now.” I watched as all the wolves turned to look at me before they continued attacking the men. “You created too freaking many of them!” I accused, watching Knox turn his angry glare toward me. “Oh, screw you. I warned you!”
“I’d be very careful, woman,” he growled.
The men moved toward the pool, and I exhaled, clearing my mind. I faced the wolves, watching the angry horde of them that pushed closer, held only away from us by the men’s sheer strength and their will to prevail. The men were growing tired, and with every kill, more and more rose to fight against them. Eventually, they’d give in to exhaustion, trapping us in the pool for eternity.
I pushed the cloak off and stepped in front of the men, knowing the wolves couldn’t enter the pool, nor could they touch me.
Knox snarled, but I snapped my angry stare at him and snarled right back. His eyes lowered to where the wolves had stepped back the moment I stepped forward, damnation burning in his oceanic glare when they rose, locking eyes with mine until I dismissed him.
“You will hear me!” I screeched, listening to my voice echoing off the high walls of the cove where we stood. It echoed, bouncing around us while I swallowed to ease my tone, to pull forth the voice that would chant at a perfect harmony to their ears.
One lunged at Knox, and I screamed as my hair rose, and magic filled the space between the wolves and me. I lifted my hands, throwing up a shield to protect Knox and his men from becoming puppy chow.
The wolves slammed against the glowing barrier, yipping and snarling when they discovered they could no longer reach their prey. I floated from the ground, turning my hands over with the palms heavenward. The power of my blood ignited, and the wolves sensed it, whining.
“I forbid you from hurting him! You heed my call, you heed my line, and I send you away from this place and time.” I hissed as my power erupted, sizzling against my flesh. It was power Knox couldn’t touch because it wasn’t ours to take.
His heated glare burned into my spine while I stared down the largest wolf. He moved to lung toward Knox once more, and I hissed, rattling until the wolf whined. “I know your pain; I know it well. I release you from this place of hell. He is mine, and mine alone. You cannot have him, for I am owed. Find your peace. I bless you now for eternal sleep.” My feet touched the ground, and they jerked back from me.
The wolves bowed their heads, slowly backing up. I walked further away from the pool, threatening them with the power that hummed through me. It wasn’t my power, but it was that of the blood that pulsed through me, enough that it had overflowed and surpassed whoever had placed their remains here.
There were only a handful of witch lines powerful enough to raise the dead, but to raise a dire wolf from the tomb of Hecate, and place them here to protect the pool? It felt off. It felt like there was something else they were guarding.
I turned, finding Knox’s blade poised at my throat. “You have magic, Little Witch,” he murmured, studying the way I slowly allowed my hands to lower.
“Not entirely, Knox. I have the blood of the fucking Goddess of Magic in my veins. That is something that you cannot remove. I can chant, and I can speak. Therefore, I can break curses and enchantments. My magic doesn’t come only f
rom my grandmother. It comes from the Nine Realms, as you’re well aware. I used good magic to battle evil magic, which just drained me. I warned you we shouldn’t be here. You ignored me because you don’t trust me. That’s fine. But, for the record, I just saved your asses, twice. They were protecting the power of the dead witches, and whoever placed them here was very powerful. Had you brought any other witch here with you, you’d all be dead. So go ahead, take my head for saving your ass.”
“I don’t trust you,” he snapped harshly, slowly pulling his blade back while I continued walking toward him, daring him to push it through my throat.
“I don’t care if you trust me or not. Do you think if I had full access to my magic, that I’d still be here after what your man did to me today? Look at me, Knox!” I snapped, watching his eyes slide over the wounds on my face. “I promise you this: when I do get my magic back, and I will, I won’t play prisoner to you anymore. I’ll simply vanish into the night without a trace, asshole.” Knox lowered his blade, studying how I glared at him, before pushing it back into the scabbard at his waist.
“Get a perimeter set up around us. Make sure no other surprises arise.” Ocean-colored eyes watched me precariously, like he wasn’t certain he trusted me past where he could see me.
“No more dogs, right, Aria?” Lore asked, stepping out of the pool slowly.
“Don’t worry, Lore. I’ll protect you from the big, bad, dead dire wolves. You, I actually like,” I laughed as he smiled boyishly.
“You like me, Peasant,” Greer injected.
“You too, Greer,” I snorted, shaking my head while he exhaled, and his usual coloring filled his cheeks again.
Lore turned to the guys, hiking his thumb over his shoulder. “You guys can go, she likes me. I’ll tend to her bath and rub her real good. What can I say? It’s this pretty smile and amber eyes. They get the ladies every time.”
“Go set up a perimeter with the others, asshole,” Knox snorted, turning to stare at me as his men fanned out to do as he’d ordered. “Strip and get into the pool, Aria. We’ve wasted more time than we should have here.”
I snorted, rolling my eyes at him.
Chapter Fifty
Frowning, Brander hesitated, searching my wounded face as he set down a large pack. He was about to open his mouth to speak, but a deep rattle stopped him. Sapphire eyes slid over my shoulder to Knox, before slowly coming back to mine. Brander gave up and turned away from me, jogging to catch up with the others, leaving me alone with the overbearing, demanding, obstinate prick.
Lifting my head to the sky, I took in the splashes of vibrant colors signifying the change from day to evening. The sound of heavy armor clanging together as Knox removed it, peaked my awareness that he stood behind me.
I didn’t turn to look at him, knowing I’d find him naked or in the process of becoming so. Knox wasn’t a spark; he was the entire flame. He drew me to him, and the moment I got too close, he rendered me to nothing more than ashes.
I was about to enter a fertility pool with this man, and I feared it. It was reckless to be here with this dominant creature who exuded masculine intensity, shouting how virile and animalistic he was to every feminine part of me. Knox was everything I craved and wanted, and everything I couldn’t have.
When I was with Knox, the world faded away until only we existed. It all just stopped around us, or maybe it went on without us being a part of it for the time we were together. His eyes held mine until he was the only thing I knew or wanted to know. Our eyes spoke the words that our lips could never say out loud.
Together, there was no noise, no people, no thoughts or concerns, no yesterdays, no today, no worries for tomorrow or the day after. With Knox, the world just stopped turning, and we stood where nothing could reach us, within the beauty of it all.
Just him and me, both lost in the silence and stillness together. But when he was absent, when he wasn’t touching me, everything fell apart. I fell apart like I was missing a piece of myself. The world turned again, and we moved against one another. I didn’t like it, but I would live in it and always keep moving toward my goals. It was who I was, and who I needed to remain in this violate world and war.
I craved him, yet that could very well destroy me. Sometimes though, when I was alone, I yearned for the world to stop turning so he could wreck me. I craved the intensity of his stare, the silent conversations our eyes had together, and then I reminded myself that in the end, the world had to turn to go on, and wishing differently was selfish. What I craved was forbidden, and while beautiful, it was wrong. How could something that felt so right be so wrong?
The idea of climbing into the fertility pool with him, even to heal, screamed ‘bad fucking idea’. The pool was fed from the water cascading over crystals embedded within the design, spelled, heated, and filled with essential oils. It was here for healing, yes, but it was so much more.
Couples came here to have their unions blessed, signifying the beginning of their new lives together. The witches had designed the pool for seduction, blessing, healing, and creating life. I was about to strip naked and enter the water with this equally naked male that made my brain turn from brilliant to dense, faster than the speed of light. What could go wrong?
He was a savage who knew how to seduce your senses in all the right ways. Knox’s persona screamed, I’ll fuck you while killing you, and I’ll do it while making you come undone, and you’d happily do it, thinking both were your idea.
Knox oozed carnality, brutality, and savagery that called to my creature, telling me we were alike, while also so very different on so many levels. It was surprisingly shocking that he didn’t just look at a woman with the smoldering heat burning within him, and she’d wind up pregnant without even having to drop her panties.
I felt his fingers on my shoulders before the dress slid from my body, pooling at my feet, and a gasp escaped my lips as the cool evening air touched my flesh. Turning, I stepped back, swallowing past the tightening in my throat at finding him smiling roguishly.
His gaze lowered slowly, swallowing hard, and his smile faded as he inspected the red mark from where I’d scorched my wound on my abdomen closed earlier today. His blue eyes narrowed, slowly rising to search my face as he took in the rest of the damage.
Dismissing him, I bent over to remove my panties and strolled toward the pool. I let my gaze caress the waterfall, creating soothing noises. The moment I stepped into the water, it changed from crystalline blue to a peaceful, translucent blue-green of the Caribbean Ocean to match Knox’s eyes. The pool was reminding me of the male I’d allowed to mark me—stupid pool.
When I was deep enough, I dove into the water, trembling as it sent power rushing through me. The water’s magic sought the damage to my body and immediately went to work, fixing and repairing it.
Magic slithered over my nerves, soothing the aches and pain that echoed briefly before warmth washed over me. Every inch of my body came alive, heightening my senses and needs until I shot up from the water, peering around to search out Knox’s location. I scanned all around me, not finding him.
I touched my ribcage, finding the flesh smooth and unscarred. I could already tell my face had returned to normal, free of damage. My gaze moved across the surface of the water, not locating Knox.
It wasn’t until I’d turned in a full circle that he lifted from the water right in front of me, cupping my cheek before his thumb brushed over it softly. He studied the lack of damage with something tender in his gaze that threatened to undo the anger I’d stored up for him.
Knox lowered his mouth, and I turned away before his lips found mine. I felt him glaring at me, knowing I’d just given him the cold shoulder. He deserved it, and so much more. After a moment, I turned back to give him a biting look before sinking into the water once more.
He didn’t move, which caused me to open my eyes, realizing my mistake as something very masculine met my stare head-on. I sank toward the bottom, floating there leisurely with my eyes starin
g upward as Knox peered down, watching as I slowly sunk further into the depths weightlessly.
He didn’t join me, choosing to cross his arms over his chest while staring down at me. My hands touched the fire quartz bottom, spelled to supply sexual energy, enhancing virility and sexuality between couples.
I peered up at him, smiling as the magic rushed through me. I slowly righted my body, pushing off of the crystal floor to escape the water as my lungs ached with the need for oxygen.
“Do you intend to watch me bathe, or are you here for more sinister reasons? I can bathe myself, King Karnavious. I’m a big girl, you know?”
“How long do you intend to call me by my formal title?” he asked, glaring at me as I kept a safe distance between us.
“Until I escape you again,” I murmured, moving toward the waterfall, only for him to appear in front of me when he’d been several feet away.
Knox hadn’t disturbed the water, or so much as created a ripple on the surface as he’d moved. There was no warning to indicate he had moved. He was just suddenly standing before me, blocking my path.
The cocky smirk playing on Knox’s lips told me he’d done it on purpose. My breathing hitched in my throat as he gripped my hips, narrowing his eyes.
“You’re not escaping me, Aria. I will not allow it to happen.” He studied my face, running his fingers over my hipbones.
“That’s why we call it escaping. Normally, you’re not aware of your prisoner leaving, which is why they escape you,” I pointed out, smiling at the look of annoyance on his face.
The man wasn’t beautiful in a beguiling way. Knox was rugged and masculine, which called to every part of me. He was hard, sinewy muscles that made him appear more unbreakable than he was. His body was composed of hard lines created to lure the eye to leisurely caress the perfection of masculinity he displayed in spades.
Ashes of Chaos (Legacy of the Nine Realms Book 2) Page 35