Ashes of Chaos (Legacy of the Nine Realms #2) - Amelia Hutchins Page 0,83
that you and your line would return. I also thought you’d be a lot bigger. I guess beggars can’t be choosers, right?”
“I thought we were having a moment there, and then you went and ruined it. You’re a smartass. You know that, right? You’re lucky your mother didn’t swallow you,” I grinned.
“I’m lucky yours didn’t swallow you!”
I snorted softly as a smile spread across my face. At the sound of feet crunching against the gardens’ rocks, we turned, staring into the faces of the witches we’d invited to the keep. Frowning as a tiny hand slipped into mine, I stared down into beautiful turquoise eyes and smiled brightly.
“I really hope you know what you’re doing,” Esme whispered, swallowing past the emotion we both felt at seeing those who depended on us, looking as if we held all the answers of the world.
“I have no idea what the hell I am doing. I’m winging it. But so far, so good. Let’s hope everything goes well when I meet up with my family, and this plan we developed will work in our favor. If not, they’ll lead you. If anything happens to me, they’ll continue helping you to help others. I have a feeling that once Knox catches me, it will be quite some time before I can return to you. Continue collecting witches, but devise a way to ensure that they are good and belong with us. The only way that the keep falls is from within, and I fear there aren’t many of us, so everyone counts.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
My eyes slowly scanned the army that had amassed in front of us. My brow creased, and I narrowed my eyes, studying the largest warrior on the ground below. Turning in the saddle on the large, beautiful warhorse, I glared at up at my sisters.
The animal sensed my unease, tossing his head and stomping its feet onto the earth. I didn’t know how everyone else made it look so easy since the horse refused to hold still for me. Scanning the battlement, I found Kinvara watching everything happening below with keen interest.
This was the worst plan in the history of the Nine Realms. And if by some miracle it went off without a hitch, I’d be stuck apologizing to my sisters until I was too old to remember their names. That might have been the only win in that equation.
My attention went back to the male, slowly making his way to the front of the warriors who all looked ready to eat our faces. Knox’s eyes locked with mine, narrowing, before sliding over to Asil’s, the dark witch currently calling all the shots of this keep. Of course, I kept pronouncing her name asshole. It was a choice preference.
Asil made me want to word-vomit profanities more often than not when I was in her presence. Or shove something very sharp down her over-opinionated throat, violently. She was one of the worst people I’d encountered since coming to the Nine Realms.
She was a self-appointed expert on every topic, not to mention the most self-righteous bitch who felt the need to shove her opinions down everyone’s throats. Those who disagreed, she murdered or tortured with her droll nonsense until they wanted to die to escape her.
I was pretty sure my play on her name was correct. Asil was an intolerable asshole. Her newest hobby was to point out how often I’d said her name incorrectly, which I did on purpose, just to piss her off.
I also found it funny to watch her cringe when I used words like moist and flesh, so of course, I used them together as often as I could, even though her high, nasally voice grated my nerves when she corrected me, like nails dragging across a chalkboard.
I dismissed Asil, letting my attention slide through the murderous gazes of the army before me. Knox wasn’t messing around this time and had brought many more troops than he’d brought to the last speed bump of a keep where we’d previously faced off.
These soldiers were rougher; their hard, merciless stares promised death the moment they broke through the weak barrier holding them at bay.
Nervousness rushed through me, causing sweat to bead on the back of my neck. My horse danced sideways beneath Knox’s murderous glare that was holding mine captive.
No one spoke, and my body flooded with apprehension beneath his rage-filled eyes. The knowledge that I was sitting on the opposing side with a murderous bitch made me feel ill.