Ruins of Chaos (Legacy of the Nine Realms #3) - Amelia Hutchins Page 0,188

forward without magic or the strength of my beast. The only sound that entered my ears was the blood pumping through my veins as I ran blindly toward Knox. Men fought around me as heads rolled across the ground, forcing me to jump over them or chance tripping.

No one sensed me because I held nothing that could hurt them. Ilsa stepped behind Knox, lifting the blade to swing, and I screamed, rushing the last step to jump onto her back. I felt Ember adding what strength she could manage. My nails lengthened, and I wrenched Ilsa’s head from her shoulders. Knox spun around, staring at me until he realized who stood in front of him.

He lunged, sliding his sword through Ilsa’s chest as I fell backward. My gaze slid to Luna, who glared at me, then moved her attention to the group of sightless witches, who dropped the crystals that had forced the men to remain human. Luna tossed a crystal on the ground, and a portal exploded in front of her. She smiled coldly at me, lifting her fingers to her lips before she stepped through, vanishing.

Knox’s attention moved from Luna to me and then to where his men were dispatching the last of the beasts. The dark witches left behind shimmered and then slowly turned to ash, proving they were tied to Ilsa. Knox lifted his blade, moving toward me, and I closed my eyes, preparing for him to take my head. I whispered the prayer that would see me reborn and then peered up at him as the blade swung over my head, showering me with blood as something thumped against the ground.

Knox stared down at me, then lowered to his haunches and grabbed my hands. He held one up to inspect as his men formed a circle around us. I exhaled in relief, dropping my head back as he wiped the blood away from my cheek.

“You removed your fucking thumbs?” Knox’s voice was tense and filled with rage.

“There was a power grid in the clearing. If Ilsa had accessed it, she’d have been unbeatable. I build you up when others reach to tear you down, and I’ll take their spines to wear as my fucking crown.” I sagged onto the ground, holding my wounded hands closer to my body. “I am your mate.”

“Check and verify that there are bodies placed onto a grid,” Knox snapped.

“They’re—well, Ember sorta threw them everywhere to break the grid down. Aine is there, Knox. Her body was used to feed the grid. They removed her runes, which means she can become a host for Hecate. They were here for you, not me. I believe they’re attempting to raise the Goddess of Magic.”

“Find that body, now,” Knox growled, pulling me up from the ground as a shriek sounded, forcing him to spin with me in his arms.

A hooded witch moved into the clearing, screeching until my ears threatened to bleed. She pushed her hood back, and the noise ended. Her black eyes opened and leveled on me.

“You have not displaced the High Queen of Vãkya,” she hissed, her eyes oozing black liquid.

“You are mistaken. Aria is the new High Queen of Vãkya. She defeated Ilsa.” Knox’s tone was firm, holding all the authority of the high king.

“Aria didn’t defeat the high queen. She merely fought a puppet which is what you intended to make your wife, King Karnavious. A Hecate witch sits upon her rightful place as High Queen of Vãkya as we speak.”

Knox’s fingers bit into my skin as he glared down at me in anger. His eyes lifted and narrowed on the witch who watched us, smiling coldly at his response.

“Aurora Hecate isn’t strong enough to hold that throne, witch,” Knox sneered.

“Agreed, but it is not her of whom I speak.”

“The others are not stronger than Aria either. She is a blood-born Hecate witch, and she is the most powerful one within the Nine Realms. Aria is heir to that throne.”

“Aria isn’t stronger than the Hecate witch who sits upon the throne, sweet king.”

“She is the daughter of Freya Hecate. She is a third generation of the bloodline. We will take that throne from whoever sits upon it.”

“The high queen disagrees with you and found your whore unworthy of the name she carries. She thanks you for removing it from her,” the witch laughed as Knox let me down.

“There are no other Hecate witches alive inside the Nine Realms,” I whispered, staring at the witch.

“Ask your husband how many heads