Ashes of Chaos (Legacy of the Nine Realms #2) - Amelia Hutchins Page 0,90

through the portal. The barrier is down!”

“Come with us!” Kinny urged, and Reign agreed, nodding her head as they started through the portal.

“Come on, Aria,” Callista encouraged.

“I can’t. Knox has witches who have learned the signature of my portals, and they will follow you if you don’t go before they get here. I’ll be okay. Kinny, you guard that stronghold you promised me you would keep safe. I mean it! Now go!” I snapped, watching as one by one, they slipped through to the other side.

I didn’t release the breath I was holding until the portal closed behind them. I bent at the waist, exhaling deeply, thankful that my family had escaped safely.

I heard something scrape against the side of the castle wall, and I stepped back, narrowing my eyes as hands reached over the edge, followed by a very masculine body as it came over the stone wall.

Ocean eyes locked with mine as we stood face-to-face, taking each other in slowly. I lifted my hand to wipe the blood trickling from a cut on the side of my face.

Instantly, I realized my error. If Knox had any reservations about whether I was real or just another projected body-double, they vanished at the sight of my blood.

Knox smiled cruelly, and I shook my head. He didn’t move, didn’t twinge as he waited for me to realize just how much I was fucked. He was a lethal predator, knowing it was only a matter of time before he caught his prey. Unfortunately, I was that prey.

I eased back slowly as he prowled forward, a smile curving his lips. His muscles tensed, preparing to chase me as my heartbeat echoed in my ears with every step I took away from him. The world around us went silent, other than our heavy breathing, and the sound of gravel crunching under our footsteps as we continued our dance.

“You’re trapped, woman. On your knees,” he demanded huskily.

“That’s not happening,” I laughed nervously, as he continued to stalk toward me.

“I told you that you would be on your knees for me by the end of the night. The moon is rising, Little One. You aren’t escaping me this time. You kissed another man.”

“So, I did.” Swallowing, I stepped back once more, watching him take another step forward.

“You let another man touch what belongs to me,” he growled, and anger mixed with desire flared to life in his eyes.

“Only a little,” I countered, smiling at the heat burning in his gaze.

“That’s a little too much for me, woman.”

“What the fuck are you going to do about it?” I asked, noting the way his eyes slid over my shoulder.

“I’m going to reinforce my claim, and remind you who the fuck you belong to, witch. If I were you, I’d make it easier on myself and kneel like a good girl.”

“You’ll have to catch me first.” I took one last step backward, rushing toward the far edge of the battlement as Knox gave chase. The sound of his feet hitting the rough stone, filled my ears as I jumped onto the wall and leaped over the edge without looking, relieved to find a river below me.

“Aria!”

His scream of frustration caused a laugh to bubble within my chest until I glanced up to see him fly over the edge to follow me.

Well, shit.

Chapter Thirty

I hit the water hard, breaking its icy-cold surface with a gasped cry. I sank into the murky depths, my feet touching the slimy bottom before I sprung forward and shot up toward the light. I sucked in air greedily when I crested the surface.

Knox entered the water behind me, bubbles exploding around his form as he sank into the depths. Long, fast strokes took me toward the bank, and I crawled quickly from the frigid water, looking back to see how far Knox was from me. I swallowed past the cold, standing to stare at where he’d entered the river.

He didn’t emerge, so I sent my magic to find him. It only took moments to sense the issue. The magic I sent rushing toward the water caused heads to lift from the shimmering surface.

Blonde hair skimmed the top of the water before eerie, green eyes rose to stare coldly at me. I frowned, still waiting for Knox to emerge from the depths, and then sensed a bigger issue.

Still, he didn’t surface from its icy grasp, holding him beneath its watery grave. I watched in silence as a female head lifted from the water, spitting out liquid