Ashes of Chaos (Legacy of the Nine Realms #2) - Amelia Hutchins Page 0,145

while I fucked your corpse because he took control and murdered you in his need to savage your soft body.”

“I’m not even sure what to say to that.” I offered, moving back to the altar as he stared at me with a look burning in his eyes that both terrified and intrigued.

Whatever had just happened between us, it had spooked him. Knox had just lost control, and I didn’t know how to react to it, or him.

Smoke billowed from the cottages, along with the sage that grew naturally within the valley. I closed my eyes as the blood ignited, and the chanting changed to what was replaying within my mind.

“We do not die. Do not stand at my grave and weep for me, for my soul is now finally free. I am not there. I do not sleep. I rejoice in the freedom that death has granted me. I am now the wind that fills your sails, that echoes through the valley as it wails. I am the glint within the snow. I am the sun that feeds warmth into your blessed soul. I am the rain that grows your crops, for I am everything that feeds the realm and heals your ails. I am not here, nor am I there, for I have moved on to strengthen your air. I am released from curses of flesh. I am released from curses left. I am free of this living realm. Go now to where witches freely dwell. I am the magic that will feed the land. I am she who releases you from this place of sadness where you dwelled. Blessed be, sisters.”

I turned, staring at the witches as tears burned my eyes, watching as they turned to ash, carried with the wind that rushed through the valley.

Knox didn’t watch them returning to the earth. Instead, he watched me as tears rolled down my cheeks for the dead. His hand grabbed my wrist, carefully replacing the cuff to one before repeating it with the other as candles extinguished around us, and the circle broke.

“You cry for the dead?” he asked carefully, lifting his hands to rub away my tears with his thumbs.

“I cry because they’ve been here a very long time. I feel their pain and relief that it is finally over for them. They’re now free. I did that for them,” I said thickly, turning to look at Knox. “And the sage fucking stinks. It’s burning my eyes and making them water, asshole.”

He smiled before using his hand to hide his grin as he turned away from me. “Come on, woman. Let’s get you to the healing pool. I don’t enjoy seeing you bruised and hurt.”

Knox escorted me through the increasing smoke toward a tunnel built into the amethyst cliffside. The moment we crossed to the other side, I gasped at the sparkling crystal cove filled with a turquoise pool and a sprawling forest that stretched further than my eyes could see.

We entered it silently, moving over a citrine pathway that time hadn’t touched, still shining brilliantly as the sun beat down on the clear yellow stones. Once we reached the pool, I paused, shaking my head at Knox.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. My vagina is not getting in that pool!” I snapped, glaring at Lore, who laughed outright as Greer choked on air.

“You’re getting into that water. We have hundreds of miles to travel before we reach the next place to camp for Beltane celebrations. You’re wounded, and I am not watching you continue to endure pain, Aria. Strip and get into the damn pool.”

“Beltane too? Damn. You’re doubling down on the vagina mojo, huh? That is a fertility pool. You bath in it and then create a life with the blessing of the fertility goddess, and for the record, it isn’t Hecate. It’s Hora, which I do believe is your goddess, is she not?”

“Do you plan to fuck me?” he asked pointedly as he searched my face.

“No, but that isn’t the point. Accidents happen!” Growling erupted, and I shivered as shadows slithered out of the woods. “Dire wolves! Are you fucking kidding me right now?” I snapped as Knox pushed me behind his body protectively. “I told you we weren’t supposed to be here!”

“I don’t do dogs!” Lore snapped, drawing his sword as the others followed his lead.

“Aria, why would they be here?” Knox asked icily.

“Because we’re not supposed to be, which I keep saying, but what the hell would I know?” I asked, peeking