Ashes of Chaos (Legacy of the Nine Realms #2) - Amelia Hutchins Page 0,56

Nine Realms has found you worthy, and has spared your life, daughter of my heart.”

“It hurts so badly,” I confessed, releasing a sob before I could prevent it from escaping past my lips. “I’m dying.”

I fought against the pain as everything within me felt torn open and rearranged again. It was as if the world was trying to put me back together from the inside out. My eyes moved to Knox, allowing him to anchor me to him, and somehow the pain melted away. He was the last person who should have offered me comfort, and yet he was. His gaze told me I was strong enough to survive, even though everything around me said otherwise.

“We need to take her with us!” Kinvara sobbed, turning her attention to the army over her shoulder. “Jesus, shit-bricks, and sandals,” she choked on her words that came out too quickly while she gasped, noting Aurora’s lack of panic. She turned back to stare at the men, eyeing the warriors who watched us. “Why aren’t they attacking?”

“Aria erected a very powerful barrier with the souls of the witches she murdered. They’d need a lot more power and magic to get through it to reach us,” Aurora frowned, lifting her attention to Taren. “You are free, Taren. Go back to your wife, where you belong, you treacherous swine.”

“Are you still angry that I chose Maricela over you? You know I adored you, Aurora, but you didn’t put out, nor did you offer me the sons my monarchy needed and demanded I provide. Besides, King Karnavious murdered my sweet, gentle Maricela. He murdered her right before your mother placed me into this hell, but you knew what Hecate planned to do to me, didn’t you?”

“You were out of control and had gone insane!” Aurora hissed, sending her power rushing through the field in warning, igniting the protection barrier around us.

Kinvara lifted her hand, moving to wipe the blood from my face, but Aurora slapped her hand away before touching me.

“Do not touch her, Kinvara. The power of the Nine Realms holds Aria. If you touch her, she dies. It is healing her because it has found her worthy of its power. You cannot interrupt the process because she is dying, and the realm is fighting for her life against death.” Holding the pulsating stone containing the lightning, Aurora turned to glare at Taren. “Leave now, or you will be returned to that hell as a corpse to meet your dead wife.”

“You always did play hard to get, Aurora. I’ll see you around, Love. Plan on it,” Taren snorted, lifting his hand as a bolt of lightning shot from the sky, and he vanished in the blinding light with a pop, leaving only the scent of thick ozone.

“Aria,” Kinvara whispered as she gazed down at me. She ignored the army that watched us, hanging on our every word. “Why are her hands black? Look at her fingertips.”

“She murdered witches,” Aurora whispered thickly, staring at my fingers that had yet to return to their natural color. “Thousands of witches would be my guess, which caused the markings to appear in warning to others of her intent to gather power.” Aurora exhaled, smiling worriedly down at me, softly speaking in the ancient language of witches.

Aurora and Kinvara stood hand-in-hand beside me, right on the edge of the light that shone from the ground, holding me in place. Their whispered chants increased the energy pulsing through me.

I felt even more power from my sisters through the bond we shared as they joined hands, softly chanting together. The mantra would strengthen me to fight against death’s icy claws, trying to sink in and pull me under.

I could feel blood trickling from my nose. I watched my family, staring through them to find Knox silently gazing at me, his forehead creased tightly as his witches chanted together with my bloodline. I’d failed my initial plan big time. But I realized now that we hadn’t needed to take all the lightning, just enough to fill the skull, leaving a little of the lightning and the power of the realm within me.

Aurora lifted her hand, holding the skull high in the air as power arced into it. The chanting increased in speed and volume, and I realized we needed more than they had to give.

Suddenly, the chanting of hundreds of witches entered my mind, joining those who were here. I gasped, staring at Aurora in wonder, knowing she’d called upon those who still abided