Ruins of Chaos (Legacy of the Nine Realms #3) - Amelia Hutchins Page 0,142

will be the focal point of her dancing, among other things.” Siobhan stepped back, turning to go to the altar.

Knox held out his hands, placing his palms up. Slowly running my fingers through the scent of the oil I’d created, I placed it over his racing pulse. My eyes rose to his quickly, finding him watching me with a worried expression. It started a reaction within me, sensing his fear that fed my own. My chest rose and fell with labored breathing that hadn’t escaped his notice.

“You’re afraid Ember will choose Bel, aren’t you?” Knox whispered so softly that I thought my ears weren’t hearing him correctly.

“Yes,” I replied, sucking my lip between my teeth. “You weren’t wrong about me. I don’t want a baby from just anyone. I’d rather none than the one that would be created on this altar this morning.”

“You’re my girl, Aria. Whether you like it or not, you’re mine. You crave me as much as I crave you. Admit it to me, right here, right now,” he whispered, and I leaned forward, claiming his lips as the crowd cheered around us.

“No, asshole,” I announced against his lips. “I’ll see you after I seduce a deity, and maybe you’ll see the difference when I try to seduce someone. Watch and learn, King Karnavious. Then afterward, you can ask yourself if I’ve ever tried to seduce you. Believe it or not, I am trained in seduction, as are all witches.”

I pulled back to see a wolfish smile curving his lips. Standing, I moved back to the altar as power sung through the air, and his hiss of pain brought a smile to my lips. I stood in front of the stone slab, waiting for Siobhan to ignite the power of Beltane. Knox hadn’t removed my bracelets, which prevented me from doing the honor myself. Not that it mattered, since as long as a witch started it, the circle would ignite.

The moment it was lit around us, I lifted myself onto the altar, staring into Knox’s heated gaze. My sheer top barely covered my rose-colored nipples, and the tulle skirt flowed to my ankles, exposing my thighs while covering the lace thong they had given me to protect my sex against a deity made for sin. I was certain Knox had added the extra layer as a precautionary measure. Not that it would work.

The dancing was endless, and through it all, I never took my eyes from Knox, rocking and swaying to the drums’ heady beat. Sweat beaded on my brow, pooling between my breasts, causing the thin material to cling to my flesh. My thighs burned, aching from the fact that Bel hadn’t arrived yet, after three hours of endless dancing. I slid my hands over my body, touching nothing inappropriate while praying Siobhan got fucked instead of me.

The moment KALEO’s, Way Down We Go, started, I almost paused. It was the song playing within me, now filling the entire valley, and everyone stopped, looking to see from where it was coming. Power erupted behind me, and Knox’s eyes told me Bel was there.

Black obsidian with burning embers replaced the blue as Knox’s nails lengthened, and his rattle started low. I lifted my arms in the air, holding his stare. Arms wrapped around my waist, sliding up to cup my breasts, sending pleasure rippling through me. Bel yanked me back, kissing my shoulder, and I fought the tremor of desire that rushed through me.

Knox stood, even as his brothers yanked him back down. Bel turned my body, lifting me and forcing my legs to wrap around his waist. Bel wasn’t just pretty. He was the type of man that they sang ballads about, and angels pined to duplicate. He had thick blonde hair with matching golden eyes and bronzed skin. A full mouth leaned toward me, smiling as he claimed my lips in a kiss that sent everything within me, rushing toward the “O” zone.

Bel’s hands held my hips, forcing my apex against a large, very male organ that promised me pleasure. He pulled his lips from mine and opened his mouth, revealing perfectly white, blunt teeth that deflated the creature within me. I lifted my hands as he slowly lowered me to the ground. My body still moved as if on autopilot, rocking and swaying against him as he loomed over me, watching me.

“So pretty, but not witch entirely,” Bel crooned, leaning over to claim my lips. He chuckled as I chased them the moment he