Ashes of Chaos (Legacy of the Nine Realms #2) - Amelia Hutchins Page 0,35

to mine. Knox found me, and he and his men surrounded me, but the men from the other realm surrounded them all, almost as if they intended to fight Knox to protect me.”

“You need to stay away from them, Aria.”

“Who are they?” I asked, her expression filled with worry. “You know who they are, don’t you?”

“No, but there are many within the Nine Realms who have similar coloring to you,” she whispered, pulling back to study my face. “If they ask you to come with them, you must never go. Do you understand me? They’re not who you think they are, Aria Primrose.”

“Who are they?” I insisted.

“Monsters. They’re monsters. You’re not like them, not even a little. If you go with them, that will change, Aria. If you go with them, everything will change. You can’t trust them. Do you hear me? You cannot trust anyone in this world.” She pushed the stray strands of my hair away from my face, frowning as tears swam in her eyes.

“What are they then?”

“I just told you.”

“No, you said they were monsters. Which kind of monster are they?” I demanded. “Is it so bad that you cannot put it into words?”

“The first people were a murderous, magical race that rattled, and made similar noises to what you and Knox create when you’re around one another. I think you’re the daughter of one of them, but which I could not say. Once, as a child, my mother told me about them and what the Nine Realms looked like when they ruled it. The realms were uninhabitable because of the fiery flames and the death they unleashed unto anyone who came here. They were a murderous race that delivered horrific deaths to anyone they didn’t allow in their lands.

“So, my mother, well, she unleashed her darkest magic, that of a goddess to rid the land of these monsters. It took her hundreds of years and nearly drained her of the magic within her soul. I’ve told you of the legends, and the fortune the other gods delivered unto her, sealing the fates of that race and all the creatures who lived when they drew breath in the Nine Realms.” She swallowed hard, searching my eyes.

“But what were they? Why won’t anyone just tell me what I am?” I countered softly. Worrying my lip, my gaze narrowed on Aurora’s concerned expression.

“Because within you, there is another being,” Aurora explained carefully, taking a step back. “It’s essential that she discovers who and what she is on her own. If I told you what I thought you were, and she heard, deciding to become that creature, it would end badly for both of you. One day, something will set her off, and she’ll evolve and reveal her true nature to protect you both from death. Monsters transcend into being, and she will, too, when the time is right.

“All I know is this, Aria. Your father walked among men and lay with your mother to create you. It wasn’t by accident that you’re here. Knox’s race is also from the first creatures of the Nine Realms, which is why he is a worthy adversary. It also explains how you both sense each other on a deeper level. That much is certain. The attraction may be of the flesh, but the connection you both feel lives within your souls. The monsters that live within each of you are the same, and I fear they created you to either lure Knox to his death or rule the Nine Realms at his side.”

“That’s two extremes with no middle ground. What if I wasn’t meant to be his?”

“If you weren’t created to take down a king or to show him that not all witches are vile, murderous beings, well, then you were born to bring the entirety of the Nine Realms to its knees. If that’s the case, then, gods save us all, because you’re almost strong enough to accomplish it now.”

“I’m not stronger than Knox, Aurora. I also can’t bring myself to hurt him.”

“Yet, Aria Hecate,” she whispered, thick with emotion. “You’ve chosen a path you intend to walk alone. The things you plan to do will only add to your power. You will walk beside him one way or another, how you choose to remain there is only your choice to make.”

“How will I know which to choose?” I swallowed, fighting against the anxiety rushing through me, causing me to fidget with my dress.

“You’ll follow your heart, and you will do