Ruins of Chaos (Legacy of the Nine Realms #3) - Amelia Hutchins Page 0,122

the warriors dismantle the camp. My stomach tightened with the reality of the situation my family had come back to correct. The Nine Realms was a bloodbath and unhinged, and it sucked big time.

“Do you want to talk about what happened tonight?” he asked, settling in beside me.

“I held too much unstable power within me. I think yours was too much, too soon. I went from horny to psycho in a nanosecond. It wasn’t safe, especially with them harming one of our own with so much power still rushing through me.”

“But you stopped before you acted out of anger. I’ve never met anyone who could use or wield my magic, and yet you did tonight.”

“It’s called a power merge, which normally only certain beings can do. Hecate tried it once and almost died. She hated anyone who could do what she couldn’t achieve, even with her goddess status. Aurora mentioned it once, stating that the first creatures of the Nine Realms could do it, but only the true mates of the species. Luckily, we didn’t merge correctly, which means we’re not mates or even close to being anything similar. Rest assured, you will be able to walk away from me once we finish this war or whatever it is you’re planning to do with me.” I turned, studying how Knox swallowed as if he felt bad for the deception he was playing. “I mean, we’ll be married still, but you’ll be free of this wicked Hecate witch you’re saddling yourself to.”

“If only it were so simple, my little beauty. You’re much too powerful to escape me. Not while breathing, at least. The only way out of this for you is death. I wish it were otherwise, or that I had the answer to what I intend for you, but I don’t,” Knox whispered in his language. He frowned, staring up at the stars, and then stood to head toward where his men were loading his things into a large wagon.

I silently watched Knox walk toward the army. I exhaled slowly, fighting the anger and pain that his word sent rushing through me. The man had more issues than any entire race within the Nine Realms combined. The thing was, Knox was the key to creating the new Realm of Magic, and I had to see this through to get to the one thing I needed.

Chapter Thirty-One

The ride into the Beltane Circle was breathtaking but terrifying, considering what was about to happen here. We’d entered a forest that spread deep into the mountains before opening up to reveal a heart-stopping view of ethereal beauty.

A long, winding trail took us out of the mountains and deep into a rolling valley of lush greenery. A vibrant sunset of violet, deep orange, and red hues painted the sky as a backdrop to an enormous, cascading waterfall. Its beauty caused tears to prick my eyes, overwhelmed by the unreal setting on which my eyes feasted.

We turned a corner on the trail, and Knox stopped the line. Dismounting, he held his hand up for me, helping me down from the large warhorse. I allowed him to drag me with him as a boy took the horse, leading it behind us while we moved forward with his men.

Knox paused, staring at me as my gaze slid over the crimson horizon. My breath caught in my throat as I stepped forward on the edge of the trail. Knox tightened his hold, turning my body in his arms to show me the giant Hecate-marked skull shooting water from its mouth into the air.

He smiled as my attention moving back to the mist, painting a rainbow in front of the skull. It was the size of a giant from legends, and in the eye sockets were huge golden healer crystals that looked like they’d trapped the sun within them, glinting and reflecting it.

In front of us was a gigantic statue of a male, his hand poised in the air like he held the sinking sun in his palm. A crown marked him as a king, and at each point of his crown were large banded carnelian boulders. Birds flew around them, filling the bustling valley with their song as hordes of deer ran through it, rushing away from the approaching army.

My attention slid back to the statue, noting the male’s lack of clothing, and a blush filled my cheeks. Bel, Beltane’s deity, who blessed fertility, watched over the valley where his celebration marked the coming summer months.

Several circular stone structures