Ruins of Chaos (Legacy of the Nine Realms #3) - Amelia Hutchins Page 0,51

close it, but Knox followed behind me, pushing me onto the bed until I bounced in front of him.

“Never challenge one of my lords in front of me again, witch,” Knox snapped, his eyes searching my face as I struggled past the anger.

“Then get your lords under control, Knox. The last one betrayed you and tried to rape me. This one touched me after you explicitly told him not to. It isn’t me disrespecting you; it is them. I won’t allow him to abuse me, and you shouldn’t expect me to accept that behavior.”

“It’s not that easy, Aria. This world isn’t black and white. It’s gray and filled with corpses of those who weren’t strong enough to survive the beginning when the witches first made a play to take control of the world. They murdered Lord Carter’s family, and it was brutal. They hung his family from trees unto death, ripping his children into neat little piles, and leaving their remains beneath his naked wife as they raped her in life and death.”

“And again, I’m to blame for that too? I wasn’t even alive when it happened.”

“In the Nine Realms, if one inflicted terror, we punish them and the rest of their bloodline. It doesn’t matter if you were alive or not, Aria. The blood that runs through your veins condemned you.”

“That’s unfair and not right,” I whispered.

Knox kneeled between my thighs, placing his hands on them, smiling up at me with heat burning in his eyes. “Welcome home to the Nine Realms, where nothing is fair, and life is a battle to survive. I need to see what Lord Carter discovered about the keep taken over by the dark witches. Be a good girl for me and don’t bite anyone’s cock off and kiss them with it. I rather like knowing that your lips have only ever touched mine in such a manner.”

“Whatever you want, Knox.” I exhaled slowly. He leaned over, intending to kiss me, but I refused it, turning away before he could succeed. “Your lord is waiting for you.”

“Indeed, he is. Lore will be in to make sure you’re tucked in tightly tonight. I’ll be busy for most of the evening, if not longer.” Knox stood, moving to the chest at the end of the bed.

I watched him as he dressed for battle, his armor placed anywhere a blade would find purchase. Once on, he reached in the chest and grabbed a small box, placing it on the table. Opening it carefully, he retrieved a silver crown with black and red gems on the tips. Pulling his visor up, he placed the crown into the setting and turned, staring at me.

“Stand and fucking kiss me, Aria.”

“Why would I want to do that?” I asked, standing slowly. Walking toward me, Knox wrapped his arms around me carefully, without removing the wicked-looking visor.

“Because I’m trying to be patient, but it isn’t in my nature to be so. I have watched you laughing with others, braiding hair for little witches. I have never been jealous in my life until I heard you laughing with another person who wasn’t me. It pissed me off that I have never heard you laugh as you did with them before today, woman.”

“I have laughed with you, Knox,” I argued, uncertain why I felt the need to do so.

“So you have,” he smiled tightly, adjusting his visor to cover his mouth, but I reached out, grabbing his arm, which gave him pause. “I need to go.”

I pulled him back to me, lifting my hand to push his visor away from his mouth. Claiming it softly, I whispered my goodbye with my lips. His hand rose, chafing my skin to caress me with the gauntlet covering it. He smiled against my mouth, gripping my lip between his teeth, and I gasped softly at the unexpected pain.

“Be good, and don’t give Lore too much hell, Little Monster. I’ll return as soon as I can,” he promised, leaving me as he exited the tent.

It hadn’t really hit me that Knox was an honest-to-gods king. Not until he wore his crown, sending butterflies rushing through me. I knew he was the King of Norvalla, but he didn’t wear his crown or flaunt his title or importance in my face. I’d been here for months and never saw him wear it until today. I had glimpsed him wearing it once in Haven Falls but assumed I’d imagined it all. Now it was going to be hard to ignore who