Ruins of Chaos (Legacy of the Nine Realms #3) - Amelia Hutchins Page 0,68

his hair. “Deal, King Karnavious?”

“You’ll bless the ceremony?” he asked huskily, staring at my mouth.

I licked my lips slowly, tilting my head to the side. Adjusting on his lap, I shivered at the feel of his erection through his sweatpants. Heat unfurled within me, and I wallowed past the lump in my throat as I smelled the arousal that oozed from him with my nearness.

“Is the land purified?” I countered.

“It’s purified, but no one has brought it to life in over four hundred years. I just need to provide my people with a semblance of hope of fertility. The ceremony gives them that, even if it is an empty hope.”

“What is wrong with the fertility of your people?” I asked, noting the slight twitch in his jaw.

“We believe Hecate cursed us to become sterile soon after we conceived Sven. He was among the last of our young to be born to our race.”

“Of course she did. She was seriously one evil, sadistic bitch,” I muttered as he smiled. “What? Don’t you think I know she was evil? I spent the first fifteen years of my life told how perfect and selfless my grandmother was. How she’d spent her entire life trying to better the Nine Realms, yet there was no proof of her deeds or anything to back it up, other than chaos and destruction left in her wake. They wanted us to ignore those things because, to find peace, one must first burn the world to the ground and rebuild what they desired. If that had happened, people would have suffered, and yet there was no talk of those who had lost everything because of Hecate’s plan to take control of all Nine Realms. Nobody asked those questions except for me, and they punished me for it. If you asked me, anyone demanding all Nine Realms learn about how giving and amazing Hecate was, has to have been one self-absorbed cunt.”

Knox smiled wider, and I swallowed. The air left my lungs at the beauty of something so rare and unguarded that it knocked me stupid, sending my body into a downward spiral that threatened to take my breath away.

“Are you sure you’re a Hecate witch, Aria?” he asked, narrowing his eyes on me.

“I am, I’m afraid. We have a deal, but considering who I am and things I have set into motion, your people might want to be careful.” His eyes narrowed. “I’m not saying what I did, so don’t ask me, Knox. I won’t chance jinxing it because too much depends on my plan, and too many people deserve it to become their reality. I used a lot of power to achieve what I have so far, but it also got me caught by you because I put the people before myself.” I studied his face for a moment. “So do we have a deal, and Callista goes free?”

“Kiss me,” he whispered thickly.

I leaned over, placing my lips softly against his before deepening the kiss, putting everything I had into the act. The kiss turned into something deeper, more turbulent. I moaned against him, whimpering as he gripped me behind the neck, holding me to his heated lips. His hands lowered to my hips, and I rocked against his hardened length. He devoured me until I was panting as he pulled away.

“Let’s go let her out,” I whispered breathlessly, and he smirked.

“Callista’s already gone, Aria. I gave the order for Killian, Lore, and Brander to escort her away from here. Siobhan and Soraya have opened a portal for her to put distance between us. She’s on her way back to your family.”

“But…” I paused as my stomach tightened. Worry entered my mind as his eyes narrowed, and something cold passed beneath his stare.

“I only needed her long enough to show you I had her. I needed your word that you would willingly help me and light the fires at Beltane. You’re not the type of woman who gives her word and then goes against it, Aria. You have a rare honor code that I respect. Today, I saw you kill with your grief, and I saw myself in it. I won’t make you into the monster your family has turned me into unless I have no choice. If you ever harm my people, I won’t hesitate to return it tenfold, but I won’t reach for your family unless that happens. When the time comes to handle them, I will do it without mercy because I made a promise