Ruins of Chaos (Legacy of the Nine Realms #3) - Amelia Hutchins Page 0,120

thought you were the enemy, Aria. I will survive. They’re innocent,” He grunted, tightening his hold on my arm.

“The only innocent people are the children,” I whispered, staring into his dark blue eyes while fighting to reign in the emotion driving my anger.

So much power pulsed through me that my entire body trembled violently. Killian tightened his hand on my shoulder, grounding me to the present. I was fighting for control, and I was fucking losing. My eyes lifted to find Knox studying me with a guarded expression.

I turned, staring toward the side of the castle where freedom beckoned me. My mind raced with the thought of running, but I’d be running blind and alone in Knox’s territory. The power I held diminished rapidly, and Killian’s hand released my shoulder. Knox rattled low in warning, his eyes narrowing on me as he gathered his power, ready to defend his people from me. Or maybe he was preparing to hunt me down.

Swallowing, I turned around to find him slowly moving toward me, allowing me to decide my course. I turned once more, studying the darkened path to freedom, and whispered a soft spell instead, since running wouldn’t accomplish what I was here to achieve.

Hands touched my wrist, and I looked up into oceanic eyes that studied me silently. We both knew how close I’d just come to murdering innocent people. I’d hesitated, but just freaking barely. I shivered as the power drain came from the cuffs that Knox returned to my wrists, feeling his men as they moved in around us.

“I have a fucking hard-on, yet I have never been so fucking terrified in my life! What the hell was that? You were literally making out as you destroyed people. I mean, Knox was like ‘come on up here, Aria, jump on. We’ll spin and shit, murder some bitches while we’re at it, yeah?’ How hot was that?” Lore demanded.

“Pretty damn hot,” Brander snorted. “I do believe it is the first time I’ve ever watched couples dancing while destroying an army. I think our entire army felt that fight in their dicks.”

I didn’t speak, holding Knox’s stare as his jaw flinched. He nodded to the men as they failed to grasp the gravity of what just happened. My breathing was labored as tears pricked my eyes, tightening my throat as I fought to control the reaction to what I’d almost done.

“She almost fucking murdered innocent lives because Knox’s power became unhinged within her,” Killian growled. “It was messy and reckless. Worse than that, she did it to defend me. Her anger was because they’d harmed me. She doesn’t even fucking like me.” Killian wasn’t speaking in a language that I should have understood, proving my spell had worked as one ear heard their language and the other the English equivalent.

“She isn’t at fault tonight. I am. I needed to know if she would live through our power merge. There’s a healing spring close. If she’d been wounded from the merge, we could have gotten her there in enough time to stop her death. Get your ass to that spring, Killian. Lore, make sure he makes it there before he passes out from blood loss. We don’t have time for him to heal naturally. This siege has already placed us behind schedule for my wedding, and we don’t want the bride getting cold feet, now do we?”

I wrapped my arms around my middle, staring at Knox as if I understood nothing he said, right in front of me. His eyes searched my face, pulling me closer until his heat stalled my trembling. His magic scorched against mine, heating me from within.

“I’m going to marry a Hecate witch and own her pretty ass. How many other kings can say they’ve managed that feat? She has no idea that no other woman in her bloodline has given their vow to another, and yet she’s offered me hers.”

“You told her it’s a vow for eternity, right?” Killian questioned, his eyes sliding over me as he held his bleeding side.

“Of course I did,” Knox muttered. “She’s one of the smartest women I have ever encountered. Her age limits her, but her innocence is genuine. She’s a rarity and the strongest witch ever to grace the Hecate line, other than Hecate herself. She’s going to win this war for us, and when it’s over, I’ll figure out what to do with her.”

I should’ve run from him. I hadn’t because Knox’s magic had been pulsing through me. I