Ashes of Chaos (Legacy of the Nine Realms #2) - Amelia Hutchins Page 0,77

intend to allow him to achieve his goal,” I announced.

“We’re all in danger if he can trace you here!”

I nodded slowly. “Which is exactly why I won’t be staying here very long,” I grunted. Something crashed on the floor beside us, and I swung my head toward it.

“I don’t even know what to say right now.”

“So don’t.” I watched the coloring return to her face. “There is more too, which I’m sure will go over like a whore going down on a priest giving a sermon in Sunday church.”

“What could possibly be worse than you fucking our sworn enemy?”

I smiled, watching her eyes filling with worry.

“Shit.”

Chapter Twenty-Six

I stared at Esme while she counted out loud, fighting for calm at everything I kept dropping into her lap. I didn’t blame her, and admittedly, I should have warned Esme before bringing her and the others here to hide. It wasn’t as if we’d had much choice, though, and it was a safe place for them to hide for now.

“You are his lover.” she repeated, standing up to pace slowly in front of me. “You’re sleeping with the enemy!” She wasn’t going to let that one go.

“I was, yes. Knox protected me up until he saved me from my sister before she could sacrifice me to her father-in-law. I was supposed to die so that Amara could prove her loyalties to the King of Unwanted Beasts. Knox came to save me, or so I thought. Instead, he took me as his prisoner, exchanging one jail for another. Then, he told me to remain silent as he moved to assassinate my aunt, who is the only real mother I have ever known. I refused, opening a portal outside the House of Magic, and we escaped. I destroyed any chance we had of ever returning by smashing my grandfather’s skull, ensuring no one could ever go back. I sealed our fate, and now I have to fix that by erecting a new safe haven. A new House of Magic has to rise in the Nine Realms.”

“Why?”

“I destroyed the skull and the House of Magic, along with any chance of returning for a few reasons. One, we would wage an immortal war among the humans, and they’re not a part of this world. I didn’t want that. Not because humans are innocent, but because they’d want all of us dead, and we’d strived to keep our existence secret. But also, it is our responsibility to hide the discovery of the Nine Realms from outsiders. Had we waged war amongst ourselves, they’d have noticed. I took steps to protect my family from him and his people by igniting a spell to hide the House of Magic from the naked eye, but that wasn’t enough. When it became apparent that we would have to return to the Nine Realms, I had to destroy the house and the portal into that realm to protect the humans, preventing us from ever returning. Now I am going to raise a stronger, more powerful House of Magic here, and I intend to bring Knox and his creature to their knees.”

“The King of Norvalla is purging the Nine Realms of the evil that has spread throughout them, Aria. I stand with him on that account, but he is mostly blaming the witches, and we’re not all bad. He accepts witches into his army, but they must be pure of heart and minds, which some of us aren’t. Some of us had to do whatever it took to survive in this world, and he removes our heads because of those choices.”

“I don’t disagree with him either. I differ with the fact that it isn’t his mess to clean. It’s ours, Esme. The Hecate bloodline failed, and in doing so, others have suffered greatly. I have already slaughtered thousands of witches who sought to murder me because of whom I am. You’ve seen my army, haven’t you?” I asked, noting the color was draining from her face. “I thought so,” I laughed soundlessly.

“It’s hard to ignore them when they groan or make noises beneath our feet,” she pointed out, and I nodded in understanding, before rubbing my temples to ease an oncoming headache.

“They’re the witches who tried to hurt me or ones I found harming others. No good witches were harmed in the making of this army,” I boasted, smirking as she winced at the smile playing on my lips. “Anyway, I’m here to prepare and place protections around the castle because I won’t be