Ruins of Chaos (Legacy of the Nine Realms #3) - Amelia Hutchins Page 0,60

beneath it, or if you wear anything at all, witch.”

I swallowed hard, giving him my back. Reaching up, I untied the pink dress I’d worn, revealing nothing beneath. It wasn’t like they had a shopping outlet in the Nine Realms where I could go pick up some panties. Lowering the clean dress, I stepped into it, pulling it up and over my curves before straining to zip it. If Knox noticed my struggle, he ignored it, choosing not to offer help.

The dress was A-line with thin sleeves, and a flowing skirt adorned with beaded flowers reflecting the light. A long train flowed from the shoulder straps, giving it a regal appearance even though the back was low hanging, barely covering the base of my spine. I silently spun to face Knox. He ignored the dress, glaring into my eyes, standing closer than he’d been when I’d turned away from him.

“If you try to run from me tonight, I will capture you again. Then, I will hold you in chains for the rest of your days. I will decide how many of those remain, and only me. I don’t know what game you’re playing with your act of seduction, but it ends here. I’m no longer concerned about who marks you or eases your ache. You’ve crossed the line this time.”

“I didn’t do this, Knox. I don’t know why the queen wishes for me to be here, but I had nothing to with it. I wouldn’t end anyone’s life to get free from you. If I wanted to escape, I’d have called my sisters to me and vanished with them, harming no one in the process. It would be a simple matter of calling them here while you’re distracted by the fighting, allowing me to escape while you’re otherwise occupied. I could have had them hiding in the woods and ran away while you stood on the front line.” His eyes turned cold as steel, and his mouth went tight in an angry white line. “You want to assume the worst of me. It makes you feel better to hate me, doesn’t it? It allows you to paint me as a monster, and then you can hate yourself a little less for wanting me. And for the record, I wasn’t seducing you. You were trying to seduce me, and you fucking suck at it.” I righted my shoulders as he reached for me, yanking me toward him and twisting my arm.

“I have something I want to show you before I remove your cuffs.” He paused, smiling coldly, forcing me to look at him. “And if I wanted to seduce you, Aria, you’d be putty in my fucking hands, and I’d be buried in that tight body before the end of the night. The thing is, I just don’t give a shit to put effort into bedding a witch who is nothing more than a prisoner. And definitely not one I rattled to her knees, begging me to take her so easily that a simple noise was enough to get her panties wet. I’m the fucking King, and I don’t seduce anyone, let alone my enemies.”

I didn’t speak because I couldn’t past the lump in my throat. Knox studied my face, smiling as he leaned in, brushing his lips against mine. I pulled away from him, stepping back, needing distance as my heart cracked, and tears swam in my eyes while victory shone in his.

“No snappy comment? No witty comeback taking a jab at inflicting pain against me this time, Aria?”

“What’s the point, Knox? You’re nothing but a fucking heartless corpse who should have lain down and died with your family.” His eyes narrowed, threading his fingers through my hair and yanking me closer as he smiled coldly. My heart thundered against my chest and fear spiked into my soul.

“I can’t wait for you to see what I found outside the castle, deep in the woods. Imagine my surprise when I found the last thing I expected, standing sentinel, adding power to the assault unfolding here,” he whispered, as my heart began beating painfully against my ribs.

Knox pulled me from the tent, forcing me to run to keep up with him. He moved us through the people who milled about, rushing to help the others or heading toward the frontline. Knox didn’t bother talking to anyone who called his name or shouted for his attention over the sound of marching feet or the cries coming from the large keep. Torches high on