Ashes of Chaos (Legacy of the Nine Realms #2) - Amelia Hutchins Page 0,95

his as I prepared to fall to my death.

“Just breathe,” he growled, and I wasn’t certain if he spoke to himself or me in the urgency filled tone.

He shook his head, worry flashing in his eyes as he yanked me up, holding me against his shaking body as he slowly exhaled, running his hands over my arms as I trembled.

“I have you,” he whispered, kissing my forehead.

Another cracking noise filled the air, and I gasped as we both started free falling. I dropped through the air, my body slamming painfully against one slab of rock, only to be tossed onto another before I stopped moving. I stared at the cloudless sky above me, inhaling past the pain that erupted in my back. I sat up, staring around.

“Knox? Knox!” I screamed thickly. I stood slowly, leaning over the edge of my rock to watch others crashing down the cliff, slammed into the earth, shattering. “Knox!” I shrieked as tears pricked my eyes, burning them. My hands reached for my hair, pulling on it as pain ripped through my heart. Denial that he’d fallen to his death ripped through me. “Knox! Don’t be dead! Please, don’t be dead, you stupid asshole,” I sobbed, wrapping my arms around my middle to stop the pain rocking through me.

“Careful, Aria, I may start to think you actually care about me,” a deep voice chuckled from above me.

I peered up, exhaling with relief as he studied my reaction. Tears slid from my eyes, and I dropped my head backward, closing them.

“That would be a stupid thing to assume,” I whispered thickly, still fighting the tears in my throat. I opened my eyes, allowing him to see the relief burning in my gaze.

We stared at one another, both checking for any visible injuries from the fall. It was several moments of silence before we were satisfied that the other was okay. I started to speak, but the rock I stood on made a loud cracking sound.

Knox shouted for me to move, and I spun around, jumping to the next one, and then the next as the sound of rocks cracking followed me. I felt him behind me, following me over the rocks that threatened to give way beneath our weight. Neither of us spoke as we made our way down the deadly mountainside, racing against the rocks that cracked with every jump we made.

The moment I reached solid earth, I rushed forward, forcing my burning legs to move to the next cliff’s edge. I leaped into the air when I was close enough to go over the edge, but Knox grabbed the back of my shirt, stopping my movement and throwing me backward. I rolled across the earth several times before coming to a stop on my stomach.

My eyes lifted, watching Knox’s men as they walked toward us. I rolled to my back, jumping to my feet, staring at Knox. I fought to get air into my lungs while my body rebelled. Knox smiled, victory burning in his oceanic depths while he watched me.

“Submit, Aria,” he demanded as his muscles strained, anticipating a fight.

I moved, and he mirrored the action, blocking my way while he tensed and prepared to advance. His scent was rushing through me, causing my already tense body to tremble with need.

“Never going to happen,” I whispered breathlessly, crouching low to swing up at him the moment he moved closer to me.

Chapter Thirty-Two

Knox dodged me easily, sliding to the right to capture my arm midair. He held my wrist as I hissed. I kicked my foot out, which he easily stepped over as he noted the sluggish movements of my attack. We both knew I was losing this fight, but I didn’t intend to make it easy.

I swung my other hand and pulled back before he could grab that one too. I closed my eyes, taking a step back as he yanked my body against his solid form, and a moan escaped my lips. Knox took me to the ground, hard.

Silently, he stared into my eyes, and I searched his face as the fight left me. Both of us fought to regain control of our breathing, and the moment I had, he growled huskily. His mouth crushed against mine, claiming my lips in an earth-shattering kiss that caused everything around me to vanish but him and what he made me feel as he claimed ownership of my mouth.

I moaned against him, letting the heat of his body warm mine. His hand continued pinning mine