Ashes of Chaos (Legacy of the Nine Realms #2) - Amelia Hutchins Page 0,71

me? Do you have any idea who I am?” he demanded, causing spittle to escape past his yellowing teeth.

His hair was slicked back with a days’ worth of oil coating each slimy strand. His shirt was open to the waist, revealing a large, protruding belly covered in dark hair. Tristan, the slumlord of the End of the World as Esme had called it, was an overweight, middle-aged male who enjoyed raping witches.

I could see lust burning in his eyes as he took in my dress, now bathed in blood. The sheer material clung to my body, exposing my curves to his beady eyes. Tristan’s pants tented, proving he was interested in me even though I’d dispatched his soldiers onto the next life, removing their heads to make sure I’d driven home my point.

“I have an idea who you are. You’re a slumlord. A horrible person who enjoys dominating the weaker sex, and you need a toothbrush, stat.” I smiled as rage filled his face, turning it red as he glared at me.

Men grabbed me from behind, holding my arms as I continued smiling. Esme hiding in the shadows caught my eye, and I worked to keep the smile in place as worry entered my mind. What the hell was she still doing here? The men shoved me to my knees as warriors entered the street. My gaze slid toward them, brightening a twinge at the sight of the enraged male who glared at me.

Knox dismounted swiftly, moving through a crowd of onlookers to stand in front of me. He inhaled deeply, smiling coldly as he removed his gauntlets and brushed the back of his knuckles against my cheek. Knox’s attention slid to the men who held me down with swords aimed at my neck.

“Get your fucking swords away from her throat,” he hissed. “Now, or mine will be at yours before you fucking blink.”

Knox grabbed me, pulling me up to my feet. His fingers pushed the dress from my shoulder as he continued holding my stare, only moving the fabric to check for damage. Looking to see if he had marked me in my dream, or maybe he was worried someone else had savaged it? His fingers slid over the unmarred skin as heat burned in his oceanic depths.

“Fancy meeting you here, Knox,” I purred, letting the noise vibrate through me as his eyes narrowed to angry slits. “I hope you had a pleasant dream last night?”

“No, but I will have one tonight with you, Aria. I may even do a repeat to make sure you understood the seriousness of your slight against me.”

“Is that right?” I smiled demurely as he scrutinized me.

“Indeed, it is. I’m pleased to smell you’ve hidden your need better, witch. It still isn’t enough that I cannot scent your heat, Little One. Move, we’re leaving now.”

I deliberately stepped closer to Knox, feeling the lord’s anger, realizing that Knox planned to march me right out of town with no repercussions for my actions.

It was curious that Knox had found the slum’s location so easily, as if he’d known it was here all along. Or, Esme had been right, and he’d found another witch to connect the dots for him. Swallowing, my gaze slid to the hiding place, finding Esme still concealed within the shadows, watching everything unfold.

“She slaughtered my men, My King. I am owed reparations for what she has done here. It is the law. Is it not? Or does the law only apply to those who are in your favor these days?” This idiot man jutted his chin forward, challenging Knox. He must have a death wish.

“I am the fucking law, Tristan,” Knox growled, peering over his shoulder at the middle-aged, bulging-belly slumlord. “Do you question my right to take this witch from here?”

“I want to be repaid for the men she slaughtered. I cannot maintain control without them,” Tristan whined. “I am owed compensation for what she has done to my army!”

Lore grunted, peering around at the bodies of soldiers littering the ground in a tangled mess of limbs and positions. Some lost their heads, had broken necks and missing limbs. I cut the others into pieces; their organs hung about the cobblestone street among the refuse and trash. Lore’s gaze slid to me, his lips twitching with mirth, and I winced, slowly taking in the carnage.

“You should have hired better men to guard your shitty little town,” Brander snorted, glaring at me as his eyes slid down my body. “One tiny little