Ruins of Chaos (Legacy of the Nine Realms #3) - Amelia Hutchins Page 0,189

sit upon his throne, Aria. He murdered your mother and her sister, yet you spread your legs for him, oh so willingly. He abused you, has treated you like the trash you are, and you still allowed him to claim you as his bride, giving him your power to wield against your people? You belong with him, but you will never sit on the throne of Vãkya. We will never allow it, choosing to leave you to your fate. King Karnavious has told you of your brilliance, but you’re not even smart enough to see the truth staring you right in the face. He intended to murder you for the magic that runs through your veins. He only had to claim you as his mate to do so. He took you as his wife as an easy way to get the throne and to make the witches bend their knee to you. Your days are numbered, traitor. When Hecate rises, she’ll come for your head first; you, who betrayed the line, and your husband, who declared war upon her daughters,” she laughed soundlessly. “I’d bless you, but you’re fucked.” The witch threw down a crystal, and her body burned. I turned away, closing my eyes from the carnage of the incineration spell as it claimed a life.

A soldier approached the burning witch behind me, reflecting in his eyes. He swallowed the bile at the sight of burning flesh that singed, smothering the air with the putrid scent.

“There are no bodies of any witches in the woods, My King,” he announced.

Knox turned, staring at him before he looked at me with something worrisome burning in his stare.

“The forgotten witch,” I whispered. “Kamara vanished and was forgotten.”

“Indeed, it would seem she’s the only Hecate witch missing,” he growled. “Brander, my wife seems to have harmed herself in battle. See that her hands are wrapped and treated. We wouldn’t want her getting an infection, now would we?” he asked, stepping back as Brander moved into his place. Staring at my hands, Brander turned, watching Knox walk away from us.

“How did this happen?” he asked as Lore and Killian moved in closer.

“I removed one thumb with my teeth and ripped the other away to protect Knox from Ilsa,” I admitted, watching Killian flinching before he turned to follow Knox. “I couldn’t let her kill him. I couldn’t stand there and watch him die, even knowing he intends to murder me.”

“He doesn’t intend to murder you, Aria. He intends to keep you as his pet. There’s a difference. Besides, I know you watched him fight and did the math on his true nature.”

“A conduit for magic,” I swallowed, turning to see that Knox stopped, staring back at me as Brander held my bloodied hands. “He doesn’t intend to wield me as a weapon. He needs me to fuel the weapon that he is by being able to direct an attack where he wants it, without having to place his people in danger.”

“Let’s get inside, away from the dead.” Brander pulled me with him, and I locked eyes with the warrior who had knowingly tried to kill me.

Knox may not have intended to kill me, but his people did. According to the witches I’d met in camp, his people had suffered similar fates as Knox, beneath the witches’ rule. All the Nine Realms hated us, which meant everyone wanted us dead.

Knox didn’t avert his gaze, and I glared at him while walking past. I didn’t even pretend to care that I pissed him off. I was used to it, so numb to the way he treated me that it didn’t bother me anymore. I knew half of it was to protect himself, and the other half was because his enemies had eyes everywhere. The witch had given that away since Knox had never spoken about me being smart outside of when we were in private.

The more I studied him, the more I figured out most of what he did was to guard himself and others being used against him. Witches utilized rodents and anything small to watch him through cracks in stone structures. I knew Knox fought what was happening between us, but how much of what he had done was to protect me? And how much pain had he meant to inflict?

Knox was the picture of broken. He had so many cracks it was hard to get through to him. But what if I had, and he was afraid to admit it? His enemies would