Ruins of Chaos (Legacy of the Nine Realms #3) - Amelia Hutchins Page 0,232

the vault that opened as I stopped in front of it, pausing. My hands touched the necklace, and I turned, smiling at Knox, before yanking it off and tossing it at him. His eyes narrowed, noting that it hadn’t taken much effort to remove.

“Siobhan helped you make it, Knox. The thing about witches is this; light witches stick together because we’re sisters, no matter what blood rushes through our veins. I didn’t come here to hurt you or to give you pain. I came here to see if what I felt was right, and it is, but it isn’t the right time for us. I’ll find you when I go into heat, and if at that time, you decide to take my head, well, that’s on you.”

“You think you get to just walk away?” Knox snarled, breaking free and rushing the barrier as magic tore through the library. “You’re not going anywhere, mate.”

“Come and stop me, Knox,” I challenged, watching while he approached the barrier, pausing as he realized its power. “Every witch’s soul you took in the past five hundred years fueled this barrier. There were thousands of souls you failed to send to Hecate to be reborn. I had Esmerelda take me to the mass graves before you caught me. I siphoned the unclaimed souls before ever leaving to go to Asil’s castle. I didn’t put up that barrier that held you outside because I’d planned to run from you and escape. While I wasn’t ready for you to catch me, I knew it was probable that you would. I depleted my magic while draining my blood into the cauldron to use as an enhancer. It was our best chance for undoing most of the curses Hecate had placed on the people of the Nine Realms.”

“You expect me to believe that after what I just found? My son has the same symbol you have on your fucking head, bitch.”

“Someday, you’ll feel the truth. You will hold your own son in your arms, and the pain of Sven will fall away. We’ve already discussed the many reasons he couldn’t have been yours. Liliana wasn’t your mate. I am,” I swallowed, and pain lit in Knox’s eye as the truth hit him. “I do know that what happened between us wasn’t magic. It was real. I am real, Knox, and I am not alone. There are other females like me out there, and you know that to be true since you’ve met a few. There are more of us, and I intend to find them and join them. Aden wanted to breed with me, and I will ask him to do what you cannot if you decide you can’t stomach to be with me anymore. Again, I’m sorry that it happened like this.”

I spun on my heels, but Knox rattled, forcing me to the ground. Knox and his brothers watched me struggle beneath his dominance. My hands dropped to the floor as my legs spread, preparing for him to mate with me.

“I’ll be seeing you soon, wife. I intend to burn down your kingdom and paint the Nine Realms red with your blood.”

“I know you do,” I whispered, feeling my womb clenching with need. “That’s why I’m on this side of the barrier, and you’re not.”

“That won’t save you, woman.”

“I know because you rattle, and I purr. You’ll be the death of me or the reason I turn and become the real monster this world needs. But you won’t catch me before I create a place where young witches can hide from your rage. I am not Hecate, and I will defend them, Knox.”

I pushed off the floor, moving into the vault and closing it, leaning my head against the door. I turned, finding Esme, Siobhan, Kinvara, Sabine, and Aurora watching me.

“You have some serious fucking explaining to do,” I hissed at them.

“Luna is with Kamara,” Aurora whispered. “I can reach my sister and make her see how wrong this is. Kamara is reasonable.”

“No, you can’t because Kamara is dead. Hecate is the High Queen of Witches. And I’m going to rip her fucking head off for what she did to my mate and our people. She’s murdering babes, and Ilsa was her puppet, Aurora. She is the one running the Kingdom of Vãkya, torturing innocent people! You,” I stated, turning to glare at Esme, who sniffed me, wincing at my scent. “Spill it! Who is your father?” I noted Aurora jerk as she turned to look at Esme.

“That’s the