“Run, Aria!” the man screamed, and I slowly stepped back. “You’re not immortal. Fucking run, Little One,” he hissed, and I turned, rushing toward the edge of town, turning to see them wield blades of glowing flames, fighting against the mist. A twig snapped beside me, and I yelped as Knox and his men surrounded me. I struggled to calm the anger that the sight of him erupted within me.
“Making new friends?”
“Funny, you should ask. You smell like well-used pussy, asshole,” I sneered, slowly walking backward toward the woods.
“Jealous?” Knox countered, canting his head as I directed my attention to the men who had just saved my life.
“Hardly. Do you want that? Have at it, but don’t think you get to have me afterward,” I laughed soundlessly, watching the silver-haired men in the village push the mist further back with their glowing blades.
Reaching into my pack, I tossed some quartz on the ground around me, as Knox’s eyes narrowed. Inhaling, I stopped. The smell of the tattoo artist’s stank on his skin offended everything within me. I wanted to run my nails over his chest, shredding him and ruining every inch of flesh she touched. His eyes dared me to do it, but I wouldn’t waste my energy.
“You think I fucked that woman while you watched?” Snorting, he studied my narrowed eyes as he continued. “Of course, I knew you were watching. No matter how hard you fight to hide that scent of yours, it’s still in the air, taunting me, woman. I knew you leaned against the wall across the street, same as the men who watched you from where they rested. Isn’t that right?” he asked, causing Brander and Lore to smirk.
My eyes slid from them to the sliver-haired men that had protected me. They had vanished once again. I frowned, chewing my lip as I scanned the streets, finding them emptied of people. It appeared as if everyone had scattered, retreating into their homes, closing their doors against the evil the night had sprung from the mist.
“Remove the quartz, Aria. The night isn’t safe. The revenants are starving for souls in which to feast. Whether or not you like it, you’re coming with me.”
“I’ve made other arrangements for the evening, and they don’t involve the smell of rank pussy,” I stated, watching Knox’s lips curve into a sinful smile.
He opened his mouth to speak, but the air filled with magic and violence. His men drew their swords, holding them at the ready, surrounding us. Tilting his head, Knox listened to the wind, trying to sense whatever they’d heard as the air thickened.
“It seems your other arrangements have arrived.” Knox’s smile became cruel. Turning his back on me, he drew his swords as the silver haired-men formed a circle around him and his men, weapons drawn and glowing with eerie flames.
Violence danced in the air, and I shook my head at my saviors. Knox’s men moved into defensive poses, and I watched as everyone prepared to attack.
“No,” I whispered, noting the silver-haired men tensed, and they nodded slowly, if a little begrudgingly, before stepping back, bowing their heads to me. Knox spun on me, narrowing his eyes.
As quickly as they appeared, my saviors vanished as if they were one with the shadows. Knox’s eyes filled with rage as he canted his head.
“Who the fuck was that?” he demanded.
“I don’t know,” I whispered, shaking my head. “That’s the second time they’ve saved me tonight.”
“Drop the fucking protection barrier, woman. I won’t tell you again.”
“You aren’t my boss, asshole. Besides, I got castles to destroy, and villages to pillage and plunder. See you soon?” His fierce gaze dropped to where my bloodied toe had drawn a portal onto the ground.
“Enough running, Aria,” he hissed vehemently. “You’re going to end up hurt or worse if you keep ignoring the dangers of the Nine Realms. You’re wasting my fucking time chasing you instead of doing the job required of me.”
“So stop chasing me and go handle your shit. I didn’t ask you to stalk me, asshole. Besides, the next time you see me, I will be beyond your reach, and you will watch me reign down hell upon the world, unlike anything you’ve seen before.”
“Never going to happen,” he seethed, letting his angry stare settle on my lips before his tongue snaked out, tracing his.
“Eventually, you’re going to tire of watching my ass walking away from you.”
“Not possible. I enjoy your tight ass, and actually like watching it,” he returned, trying to keep me close by, distracting me. I snorted, drinking in the sight and smell of Knox before I exhaled and stepped away from him, tossing him the bird over my shoulder.
Chapter Eleven
I entered the portal to my sanctuary, positioned outside of Hecate’s tomb before Knox could respond. The books I’d come for were securely in my pack, and they held all the information I needed to accomplish my task. It was time to put my money where my mouth was. The only thing I needed to do first was alert the others that I would be silent for a few weeks, gaining power and strength to do what was required.
It was time to prepare for the rising of a new House of Magic and put down roots in this cold, dismal land where even the fog would freaking kill you. So far, I’d seen shit that most horror shows couldn’t even dream up, learning that I’m stronger and more resourceful than I thought. Still, I needed to be cautious as I’d felt something wicked watching me often from within the shadows since arriving in the Nine Realms, observing my weaknesses and strengths, learning me.
I spent months figuring out the location for the next fight, and now it was time to gather my strength and power within the sanctuary where no one could track or reach me. It would give Knox a sense of nothingness once I vanished within my refuge, but it would allow me to sleep and prepare for what was coming next.
If I actually survived the next battle, I’d be stronger and more equipped to face him as well. I would do what no witch had ever done before and lived to tell it. Swallowing unease, I smiled as arms wrapped around me from behind.
“My Sweetest Girl,” Aurora whispered, kissing my cheek. “How I have missed you. Did you find the books?”
I turned, smiling. “Of course I did. You taught me well.”
“Then, let’s prepare for battle, shall we?” she asked, and I swallowed hard.
“This is my fight, and mine alone. You can come once I have obtained what we need. I can’t focus on the battle if I am worried about you and the others, Aurora. Knox will be on my trail the moment I step out of this sanctuary and back into the Nine Realms.
“I also have another problem. I allowed myself to be taken into a keep to bypass their warding spell. As I was laying siege from within, I found an odd skull and touched it. I believe it was once a phoenix or something similar. It projected me into the memory of a battle. Then, a silver-haired man with eyes the color of mine appeared, saving me from the witches that tried to harm me as I was locked in a vision of the past. Others like him appeared later in the village. They came through some form of teleport or portal that opened directly into a realm of magic. After leaving the keep, I followed Knox into a town where a mist filled with decay and husks from the dead entered the village, pulling victims into the fog and spit their rapidly decomposing bodies back out.”