Chapter Twelve
Two weeks later, back in the Nine Realms
I stood outside the witch’s stronghold I had watched for the past two days, preparing myself for the fight to take their keep and claim the prize they were guarding. My eyes shifted from the castle to a large war party, slowly making their way down the long, winding trail leading them deep into the valley. They marched in four, single-file lines, moving like a well-oiled machine on the road that would eventually reach my line of defenses.
Taking a deep breath to calm my nerves, I scanned the oncoming army. Knox led his men, sitting confidently on his midnight-colored stallion, exuding dominance that demanded your undivided, full attention. He was a sight to see dressed in his war uniform, and I sighed, noting how sexy he looked in his dark, wickedly designed armor. The man knew how to intimidate and plunder your senses.
The sound of men marching, horse hooves stomping on gravel, and the war drums, all bounced off the gorge’s high cliff walls, echoing like music flowing through the valley in warning. Combined, they were intimidating, sending a chill rushing down my spine with a foreboding that I couldn’t shake.
Large horses, some with two heads and unlike anything I had ever seen, pulled huge machinery behind them. Enormous, terrifying birds with fiery red and orange feathers flew above, shrieking as they flapped their vast, beautiful wings.
The baying of dogs, or something similar, joined the other cacophony of sounds, forcing my attention to the back of the army. There, housed in enormous cages, were dog-like creatures with large, pointed ears and tails resembling a bird’s tail feathers, pacing anxiously as they howled to be released.
Knox had brought creatures of legends and myths to wage war against this speed-bump of a keep. His numbers weren’t as impressive as what I’d seen when I’d followed him days ago, which meant the rest of the army camped some place near to here. The single fact that he’d not brought his entire army eased my anxiety a bit, but not entirely. The man knew how to make an entrance, creating inner doubt and turmoil in those who entertained the thought of waging war against him.
My gaze settled back on the King of Norvalla, seeing him clearer now that he was closer. Halting his army’s progression, Knox placed a helmet and mask combination on his head, the same one he previously used to obscure his identity. He righted himself on his horse as he signaled for the army to proceed. The black skeletal mask was the shit of nightmares, mine, mainly. Of course, he’d chased me down in it and tried to choke me to death while wearing it, so there was a legit reason for those dreams that haunted me.
Knox sat tall on the largest warhorse, watching the keep nestled up against the high cliff walls surrounding it. It wasn’t a strategic location in the least bit. It was a bold statement, indicating that the witches living there feared nothing and no one.
Lifting my eyes to the startling blue, clear sky, I closed them, silently praying to Hecate that I made it through this fight without ending up in Knox’s bed by nightfall. As much as my body wanted him to punish it, soothing the dark lust and desire he created, I wasn’t ready for that to happen. I’d barely slipped out of the sanctuary before Knox could find it since the crystals’ power had diminished. Luckily, my sisters and aunt had left soon after, placing the protection wards, leaving Dimitri there alone to guard me in the event I was disturbed.
Knox, though, he’d been relentless in his need to reach and claim me. It was becoming impossible to remain ahead of him. Knox didn’t need rest, nor did he tire of pursuing me, as if the chase exhilarated and renewed his energy. The stones upon the ground trembled as the war party entered the valley, closing the distance between us.
I stood in a sea of witches I had recently gathered and turned, silently observing the approaching warriors. All of us wore white silk cloaks splattered in blood, adorned with a red Hecate insignia stitched on the hood and back. Knox approached the barrier that protected us, and I smirked, watching as he swiftly dismounted and strode toward it with purpose. A moment before he would have walked through the warded shield, he paused. My breath caught in my throat as he swung his gaze directly to where I stood, concealed under the hood of my cloak.
My chest tightened, and my heart sped up, clenching with anticipation and need, thundering against my ribs, threatening to give me away. Heat slid through me, pooling in my stomach as Knox’s pretty blue eyes lifted to the silent keep behind me. I’d fought the relentless heat and need, my body becoming a solid ache that never eased. My hands balled into tight fists as I closed my eyes, slowly exhaling to calm the army of butterflies assaulting my insides.
A handful of witches that examined the barrier joined Knox, shaking their heads at whatever he’d just said. Angry eyes slid through our ranks as he turned to speak to Brander. One witch grabbed his gloved hand, flirting shamelessly with him. She was brazen and uncaring of the eyes watching them together. Knox didn’t acknowledge her touch, not at first. The dark-haired witch’s hand touched his chest plate, and his hand lifted, holding hers to his armor.
Anger sliced through me without warning. My blood pounded in my ears, while magic grew dangerous and sharp through the air between us. Knox’s eyes slid back through our numbers, slowly narrowing, searching for me. Had he felt my anger?
My heart thundered with unease. I forced the anger down, willing myself to calm, knowing that overthinking things was my super-power. Being alone in a strange world, you learned a lot about yourself. Mostly, you learned your flaws and strengths in the worst ways imaginable, usually figuring it out at the most inopportune times possible.
Knox continued touching the witch beside him as my power rushed to the forefront, driven by jealousy that shouldn’t even exist. Slowly, I released it and exhaled, calming my reaction to them. The man was infuriating. He confused me, and yet every part of my body heated for him. This wasn’t the first time the sight of Knox with another woman had made me a little unhinged.
My creature perked up, noting his presence. Her attention focused on the hand touching Knox, and I fought against the rattle that threatened to explode from my chest. Closing my eyes to prevent her from going bat-shit-crazy, I shoved the noise she wanted us to make in warning, down. Managing her was hard enough without Knox nearby. We wanted to murder in him in one breath and ride him like a pony in the next. It was part of my bipolar sparkling personality I was cursed to bear.
“Not cursed, blessed! Knox was blessed with a nice cock and the skill to wield it perfectly!” my creature crooned. “Remember the cobwebs and spiders? We don’t want that, do we?”
“Cursed! You are random as fuck, Creature. We also talked about spiders and the fact that we never talk about spiders, remember?”
“He touches her again; we eat her face! He only touches us! He is ours.”
“Quiet, Creature. Knox doesn’t know we’re here yet. Let’s keep it that way.”
“I am hungry and horny, and he is right there. He fucks good. We need a good fuck, Aria. Let’s fuck him and then eat him! It’s a win, Aria. Feed me his dick!” She was excited, vivaciously so, at the idea of being so close to that arrogant prick. She did not understand how toxic he was or how deadly he could be.
“He also wants our head, which he’d probably take while he fucked us. He doesn’t need our head attached to our body to use us. Remember? It’s a perfect head, Creature! We like our head, and we need it to keep breathing. Therefore, Knox is bad, very bad for our health and life expectancy.”