Page 17 of Crown of Chaos

She chuckled before propping me up against the boulder outside the cave. “You’re pregnant and should only consume cooked meat now,” she chided, wiggling her finger at me. “Besides, it freaks everyone out when you eat people, Aria.”

“You don’t freak out,” I taunted, authorizing her permission to help me outside into the crisp, clean air.

“That’s because I’m off to the side devouring your leftovers.” Her eyes narrowed as I smirked at her admitting to eating people, too. “Don’t you dare laugh at me,” she grumbled, scouring her palm over her face. “My monster isn’t picky and is content to dine on your scraps. She also enjoys frolicking in prairies, fucking random men, and eating dead shit. It’s awesome,” she said, her tone dripping with mockery.

“Mine takes delight in slaying my opponents, banging our arch-nemesis, and supplying me with vivid hallucinations and dreams of cobwebs on my vagina because she feels it’s squandered on me,” I admitted around a shiver. “It is cold out.”

“Yeah, the weather is even conspiring against us.” Esme helped me disrobe and then to move deeper into the water before handing me a fragment of soap and stepping back. I sank beneath the frigid stream, still wearing dirty undies and a bralette that had seen better days.

I wasn’t stupid enough to strip naked and bathe, not with a powerful stranger only a couple feet away from where we’d crept into the stream. If this world had shown me nothing else, it was not to trust anyone or anything within it.

My entire body was shuddering violently as I tried to scrub the sweat and herbs from my skin. I bobbed beneath the surface, sliding beneath it to appear at the edge of the water and step from the arctic water. Forcing my way to the edge, I made it two steps before Esme and Avy stopped me.

“I can barely wash myself. I can’t believe we stood there and waited for her orders like sheep to the slaughter,” I whispered through quivering lips as a violent shudder rushed through me. “Aurora wouldn’t listen to me. I warned her I was drained, and she still demanded we go. She knew I was weakened already, but forced the choice from us. It doesn’t make sense.”

“You got shot in the abdomen with a hemlock-tipped arrow. You have a weakness, and our enemies used it against you. It happens, which we all understand. I don’t understand why you’re allowing her to lead us though. It’s clear which of you is the more powerful witch.”

“I gave my word that I’d help put her on the throne,” I conceded. “I know she can’t hold the throne, Esme. I know that.”

“Yeah, well clearly, she isn’t strong enough to hold a toilet without you to ensure her arse remains on it, Aria. When your strongest warrior says we need to pull out, it shouldn’t be overlooked or challenged, and if you have to point that shit out, then you’re higher in the hierarchy than Aurora.” Esme scrubbed me roughly. Her anger and fear were evident in the way her hands shook.

“I agree, but she’s changed. I don’t know how I missed it, but I should have seen it before now. I warned her, and she refused to listen,” I muttered before wincing at the force she used on my flesh. “I need the skin to remain on the bone, Esme.”

“Sorry, but I am pissed right now.” Her scrubbing softened a bit. “She shouldn’t talk over you, let alone argue with your assessments. You noticed that something wasn’t right, and you vocalized your apprehension. That disregard to heed your warning is what damn near ended us. I vowed to stand withyou. The others are here because ofyou, not her.”

She spun me around, scrubbing my back softer. “She’s my blood. My mother didn’t want me and tried to murder me. Aurora saved me and kept me protected. On the hierarchy, she’s higher because of the blood she houses.”

“That Hecate blood rushing through Aurora’s veins doesn’t call to us, but yours does. When we’re in battle, you think of us first, and you analyze the outcome over the lives it’ll cost to win the battle. You care about us, and she just confirmed she doesn’t. A leader leads by example and never looks at her followers as acceptable losses. She’s not a leader, no matter how much you dress her up to appear like one. I witnessed an egotistical person placing her ambition to win before her people. That’s how kingdoms are taken, not gained.” Esme tossed the cloth into the water and then moved to stand in front of me.

“I get it, Esme,” I growled, swaying as Avyanna silently took over and began washing my trembling frame. “They’re my family though, and I don’t want to lose them, either.”

Did I intend to see her crowned? No, because I wholly intended to dismantle the monarchy that the witches worshipped. I didn’t expect her to concede initially, but I’d persuade her. The witches within the realm had been dehumanized and broken down. They would need time to trust us anew, and in order for that to happen, we had to be equals and teach them we were different and wished to protect them.

“Tell me right now if you intend to give that woman the throne and walk away from it. Give me a reason to stay beside you, Aria,” Esme hissed, her remark interwoven with fury even though I’d never implied that I would take a throne—not the witch’s and not the high queen.

“I do not intend to hand her anything. I plan to incinerate the entire kingdom to nothing more than ashes. I don’t mean to establish anyone on the throne, myself included. Our sisters need us to be with them, not above them. The whole monarchy’s swimming in poison from what Hecate’s done to them while occupying the Throne of Witches. To start it anew, we must dismantle it to rubble.”

“They’ll falter without someone to lead them,” she stated, exhaling anger while scowling at me as if she’d lost all confidence.

“Who says they won’t have a leader? You follow me, Esme. I don’t carry a crown to compel you to do so, do I? There are many aspects of leading that don’t include ruling over populations.” Departing from the stream, I fought through lethargy the icy water caused and longed for the hot weather of Norvalla.

I allowed Avyanna to dress me in the vile-smelling clothes once more, and we started toward the heavenly scent of roasted meat within the cave. Once inside, I smiled at discovering the domesticated view of Rhett cooking over the spit. His warm golden-brown stare rose, and a smile played on his lips while we settled near the cozy fire.

“I figured you ladies would be chilled after you bathed,” he clarified, passing out plates loaded with meat. “Unfortunately, it’s not much, but if I hunted larger prey, the orcs would have an issue with my presence here.”

“It’s fantastic,” I reassured him, ripping a portion of the fatty meat and cramming it between my lips. The meat melted in my mouth, generating a low rattle of bliss to escape. I could feel Ember waking, but she was lethargic from whatever they’d used against us. We ate in silence, devouring the fare until I sensed panic blossoming within me.

“Throw it up, now!”

“What?”I demanded, but my vision blurred and the room began darkening around me.

My stomach heaved and emptied its contents onto the ground in front of me. I gagged, fighting whatever was happening to me. Angling my head, I watched as Esme collapsed sideways before Avyanna accompanied her into unconsciousness.

“What did you do to us?” I mumbled, but my words were slurred and scarcely decipherable.

“I lied about cashing in on that bounty,” Rhett admitted smoothly, not a shred of remorse in his statement. “As I mentioned, it’s substantial.”

“I’ll bu-butcher you f-for this,” I stammered, barely capable of speaking past the saliva pooling in my mouth before retching again.

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