Ruins of Chaos (Legacy of the Nine Realms #3) - Amelia Hutchins Page 0,20

entered the tent, looking at me before turning his attention to Knox, dismissing me.

“Lore has stabilized, and Greer is up but still in a great deal of pain,” Brander announced, and the men exhaled. “They’ll survive, but it will take a few days before they’re ready to be moved.”

“They lived?” I asked, feeling immense relief that they were alive. No one answered me, and I frowned before exhaling a shuddered breath of relief. Brander took a seat beside Killian, letting his sapphire stare slide over my mutilated shoulder.

“Is your name Aria Primrose Hecate?” Knox asked, and I slid my gaze to his.

“Yes,” I answered, wondering if he thought I was Kristal after all.

“Did Freya Hecate give the name to you?”

“No,” I said, frowning at the line of questions. “My mother left me on an altar to die. She didn’t name me or even care if I had a name before I left the world.”

His eyes held mine prisoner as if he wanted to say something about it but chose not to. “Do you enjoy riding my cock?”

I swallowed and tilted my head, opening my mouth to give him a solid hell no, but it wouldn’t come out. “A truth serum, really? Interesting choice for torture, King Karnavious,” I grunted, shaking my head. “I don’t think you’re going to like my answers, though.”

“Do you enjoy riding my cock, Aria?”

“Yes, which is probably a good thing since I’m only worth the scent it makes, right?” I frowned, picking at the invisible lint on the blanket I tucked around me. I chewed my lip, ignoring Knox’s condescending stare.

“Do you know what you are?” he asked carefully.

“No, nor do I even care anymore.”

“How you can be so strong at some things while weak at others?”

“I’m young, and I never allowed myself to use much magic in the human realm. I couldn’t test my limits there, and here they work exceedingly well unless they don’t. In those cases, I’m rather weak as fuck. Like when I’m wearing your jewelry, it leaves me weakened, yet I can feel the magic itching to get free. Care to take them off and have a real go at me, Knox?”

His eyes burned into me like he was considering it, or worse, craving the chance to kill me. I wasn’t stupid. I knew Knox was more powerful than I was, but then he’d had much longer to learn how to control and harness the magic and power he held. Hand to hand, he’d probably take my head before I’d even moved to stand from the chair. His lips curled into a smirk as if he were imagining doing just that.

“The creature in the cave, Eva, you’re like her. Aren’t you?”

“No. I’m much stronger and more advanced than Eva. I felt her when she rattled, and she felt me. She tested me, and I prevailed. She was proud of me, which is a little unsettling if I’m honest, and since you’re forcing that issue, I’d say it is.”

“Was it Hecate?” he countered.

“No.”

“Do you know who the men in the cavern were?” he asked, his eyes narrowing to angry slits while I swallowed hard.

“No, I don’t. I know Aden wants me and that he and the other silver-haired men are like us. His rattle made me ache, and I think I should explore that option once I escape you.”

Knox’s eyes slid to black bottomless pits with fiery embers floating within them before he snorted and sat forward. His tongue slid over his lip, revealing elongated teeth. It created an ache in my shoulder that burned, and my hands itched to rip it to shreds.

“Did you order the death of Lord Andres’s army and turn him dark to use against me?” I snorted until I realized he was serious.

“No.”

“Did you set up the ambush against my brothers, Aria? Did you slaughter my men and arrange your kidnapping to make me buy your lies about my wife?”

“No.”

“Did you plan for someone to kidnap you, knowing I would save you?” His fingers tapped against the table.

“No, I did not. In fact, I was certain you’d find some way to pin it all on me and that when you caught me, you’d kill me. I wasn’t far off, now was I?”

“Did you overhear them speaking about a woman I loved? One who they controlled with magic,” Knox asked as the tic in his jaw hammered.

“This is where you let me be your bad guy, Knox. You don’t want to know this answer. You need to hate