Ruins of Chaos (Legacy of the Nine Realms #3) - Amelia Hutchins Page 0,52

and what he was.

Lore entered the tent, and I smirked as he danced his way in, smiling. “You and me, and that damn jaw, all night long, pretty girl!”

“Lore!” Knox shouted through the side of the tent, causing us both to jump.

“Fine! No jaw time, Knox,” Lore yelled back through the tent’s opening, overly excited. “She excels at other things too!”

Knox entered the tent glaring at Lore and then noticed Lore was smiling, and I was hiding my grin behind my hand. Knox’s eyes heated as he shook his head at me. “Don’t make me bite Aria to ensure your teeth stay to yourself, asshole.”

“Dude, I think her teeth are bigger than mine. I’m not claiming that ass. She’d own me. I’m not into domination.”

“Good, remember that.” Knox walked to me, brushing his mouth against mine again. “Be good, beautiful.”

“You said that before when you left a minute ago. Miss me already, Knox?” I teased playfully, and he smiled, brushing his lips against mine passionately.

“Actually, I’m trying to get my scent on you, so you smell like me. I’m about to leave you with my youngest brother, who would hump a tree if it was wet enough.”

“I would not hump a tree. Now, find me a wet woman and game on, bro.”

I grinned at Knox, who closed his eyes against Lore’s teasing, then opening them. I lifted on my toes, kissing him hard as his hands ran down my spine. Grabbing my ass, Knox growled in approval.

“Now go be kingly or some shit,” I smirked, and his lips twitched. “I don’t know what it is I’m supposed to say here.”

“That works perfectly.” Knox turned on his heel, and he vanished from the tent without another backward glance.

“So, you and me, sugar.”

“You and me, Lore.” I sat on the bed while he poured whiskey into a glass, bringing it to me.

“Cheers to being left behind as the army marches on without us.”

“What?” I whispered, and my stomach dropped with his admission.

“They’re going to slaughter witches tonight. I’m stuck babysitting because I’m still mending. You know, I saw you take out the witch with the arrow aimed at me. It was poison-tipped, and that alone would have sucked. It wouldn’t have killed me, but fuck if it wouldn’t have hurt like hell healing. You keep protecting me, Aria Hecate. You’re supposed to be evil. You put flowers in the hair of little girls and laugh at their jokes, even if they’re not funny. You hold babies while looking at them as if you want one of your own someday. You have hope, and this world hasn’t had that since before I was born. Knox won’t ever love you; he’s incapable of it. He’ll flirt, and he’ll be whatever you need him to be, but he can’t love you. Don’t fall in love with him. Choose someone who will love you back because you deserve to keep your hope for the future.”

“Why are you telling me this?” I asked carefully.

“Because you saved my life once, and you tried to do it again, even at the cost of your own. Evil doesn’t care about the loss of innocent lives, Princess. You do, so consider it a fucking freebie and drink because I’m thirsty, and I hate drinking alone.”

“Cheers to not dying in this bloodbath of a land you guys love so much,” I muttered, downing the drink and holding it out for a refill.

“Damn. My kind of woman,” Lore smiled, refilling the glasses to the rim. I smirked at his endless flirting as Greer entered the tent.

“Men are assholes,” Greer announced.

“Amen,” I snorted, smiling at Greer. He tilted his head, dropping on the bed beside me as Lore stood to grab another glass for him. “Pull up a pillow, Meat Suit. Tell me all about it.”

Chapter Thirteen

Knox

I peered out over the blood-covered field with anger burning through me. Lifting my blade, I sent it down rapidly into the body of a minotaur. The moment his body dropped, I spun and swung the sword wide, sending his head across the field. Raising my blades, I crisscrossed them as another unwanted beast lunged toward me. His body severing into pieces before I followed it down, sending my sword to remove the head before the body hit the ground.

Brander jumped, flipping toward another monstrous beast. His blade sliced through the shoulder, turning his body as he sent the other creature in the opposite direction, removing the head in a fluid motion. Killian took down three at once,