Ashes of Chaos (Legacy of the Nine Realms #2) - Amelia Hutchins Page 0,63
direction. He found several more women, each having made it only a few feet away from the shop before he’d captured them, creating panic within them all.
I stepped back as his eyes slid to where I stood. Knox’s head lowered, tilting as he listened for something. Too late, I realized he easily heard my rapid heartbeat. I saw him inhale deeply before starting in my direction in long, angry strides of his powerful legs.
I turned, rushing into the passageway as heavy footfalls followed. Rounding a corner, I paused, noting several direction choices before me, choosing the darkest path available as I rushed forward.
Knox’s rattle sounded through the alleyway, triggering my body to pulse and tighten, forcing me to lean against a wall until the wave of heat passed. A dark-haired woman surveyed me, smirking knowingly as her attention moved to the mouth of the alley where the sound of heavy footsteps approached.
“You want to live, witch? Follow me,” she offered begrudgingly, her violet eyes studying me, noting I glanced between her and the sound coming closer by the moment.
Freaking cheater.
The rattling was straight up unfair, and Knox knew it!
The woman opened a portal, and I narrowed my eyes on her as she turned, glaring at me like I was slow in the head. Apprehension slithered down my spine. I moved toward her, unhurriedly deciding my fate. I had only encountered bad people in the Nine Realms, which meant I was probably walking into a trap, weakened.
“You don’t trust me, which means you’re smart enough to live. That’s the King of Norvalla chasing your dainty-ass down, Silver. So, either stay and donate your skull to his throne, or come with me, and live. It’s a rather simple choice to make unless you get off on pain.”
I rushed forward, deciding to take my chances with the woman. Even weak, I was stronger than most witches in this realm. Knox’s scent hit me, and my body went tight like a bowstring as the woman reached forward, grabbing and pulling me through the portal.
Stepping through to the other side, she slapped her hand against the portal, and we both sank to our knees in the dirty refuge alley in a place I didn’t recognize.
“Welcome to the end of the world, where everyone is an asshole. What’s your name?” she asked, her brows wrinkling her forehead.
“Aria. Yours?”
“Esmerelda. My friends call me Esme, though.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Esme.”
“We’re not friends, Aria. You can call me, Esmerelda.”
“Noted,” I snorted, my lips curving into a smile. “You’re an asshole. I can respect that,” I snickered while a smile tugged at Esme’s lips.
Neither one of us moved to rise from where we kneeled on the cobblestone alleyway. I didn’t even try because I couldn’t yet. My core clenched and released several times with the need to go back through the portal and clobber Knox over the head and ride him. Esme didn’t move, probably because Knox’s rattle was enough to make a sane person go insane with fear.
“What did you do to catch his attention?” she asked, pushing herself up using the dirty building side to gain her footing.
“I pissed on his party, ruining his plans for the week,” I muttered, forcing my legs to work to follow her.
We moved from the alley into a bustling city that looked like the underbelly of a much larger city. People walked in rags through the street, pushing carts toward a large mine opening at the mouth of the town. A black, oily substance covered hands, clothes, and the rags that covered the faces of those traveling toward the mine.
The scent of rotting meat offended my nose, forcing my arm to move against it to stop the stench. My eyes burned from the fumes and smell of rotten food and something else. Women stood beside buildings in dirty dresses, calling to men who pushed larger carts toward the mine’s mouth. My gaze slid over their outfits, or what remained of them. Some women hadn’t bothered to cover their chests, allowing their tits to be bare, catching the attention of many men.
“This way, Aria,” Esme said, as we walked on a road lined with huts.
I skipped toward her, rushing past some of the women who called out, offering to ease the needs of males and females alike. My eyes lifted to a single dwelling that looked out over the town like an oversight building.
“This is us.” Esme nodded to a hut that was barely standing. I followed her inside, pausing as chubby