Page 31 of Crown of Chaos

Still, I had to look.

Peering down, I gazed at the blood that ran down my thighs as my heart shattered. Siobhan held me tightly, her own panicked words barely registering as the sanctuary castle trembled as if being attacked from outside. I used the blood from my legs to paint the doorway for the library while they watched.

“We must get her to a healer this instant,” Soraya demanded, searching for Esme and Siobhan, who watched in silence with horror shining in their eyes.

“We won’t make it to one,” I whispered weakly. “And even if we did, it wouldn’t matter. The babies are coming.”

“There’s too much blood, Aria. We need help.” Esme was frightened, and rightly so.

“No,” I argued, placing my hand over the symbol for the library. “It’s going to be okay,” I promised, knowing it was a lie. “You’re going to assist me in delivering my babes. We have no time to go to a healer, and we don’t know who we can trust anymore.”

“What?” Siobhan snapped, her eyes widening as she peered into the portal. “Oh, shit.”

I dropped into the library, landing hard on the floor as the first scream ripped from my lips. My body contorted, and Ember rattled her anguish from inside me.

Fluids covered the tiles, and blood painted my thighs. The pain ripping through my stomach wasn’t natural; something else fueled it, working against me. I could feel it. There was an evil undertone to the sensation.

My heartbeat pounded in my ears in warning as I cried out against the agony. Hands grabbed for me, pulling me onto my feet as I fought to keep the babes within my womb, aware it was too soon for them to be born.

Chapter Sixteen

I was bruised and batteredby Hecate’s relentless attacks. My dress was soaked in amniotic fluid and blood, and the latter was dripping from my nose due to pulling too much magic too fast. We’d fought her and lost. There was no disputing it any more than there was no denying we’d walked into an ambush.

Aurora may not have planned these events, but she’d been weak enough to become susceptible to her mother’s siren call. She hadn’t felt the difference in the runes, which was a novice mistake. She’d allowed their influence to guide her, and it ended with Reign and Rhaghana losing their lives and me losing the lives of my unborn babes.

Standing in the library, I yelled when another wave of pain flooded through me. It started in my back and moved to my stomach before settling in my lower abdomen. My scream turned into a broken, heart-wrenching sob as my friends gazed at me sadly. Everyone was searching for anything to help stop the blood flow, but continually returned, pausing at the proof of what was happening. I was losing them, and blood was steadily dripping to make a sickening sound on the marbled floor.

“You should lie down, Aria.” Esme yanked on her hair as I curled in on myself and cradled my swollen belly, and her fear and helplessness mirrored my own.

“This isn’t happening.” I barely breathed the words as I reached for a table so I wouldn’t fall. “I won’t do this. I refuse to let Hecate take them from me. I’ve lost too much already tonight to lose them, too.”

“You’re bleeding badly, Aria,” Siobhan whispered. “It’s too much.”

I shrieked as more tried to tear me apart from the inside. I heard boots on the library floor, stalling near the barrier. The table I held on to groaned in protest as I pressed my fingers into the wood. The girls looked at Knox, and I moaned as the pain finally relented. Turning, I locked gazes with storm-colored eyes before they slid down my ruined clothes to where my blood dripped on the tile. I gaped, noting he was actually looking at us. I didn’t have the time or the strength to figure out why the illusion spell had failed, though. It was too late anyway.

“Aria,” he spoke softly, moving toward me. “What the fuck happened?”

“She fought Hecate and lost,” Soraya replied in a tone full of emotion, and Knox stepped closer to the barrier, not taking his eyes off me.

“If you have them now, they won’t survive,” Esme whispered, her hand touching mine. “It’s too soon.”

“You faced Hecate?” Knox asked, but I screamed as another severe cramp hit and my hands slid to my abdomen, trying to apply pressure to counteract the pain. I felt the glamor fail, and his attention fixated on my stomach. “Havewhatright now?” His tone was haunted and flooded with confusion.

“Get the dress off her,” Siobhan commanded, peering around the room before releasing the air from her lungs. “We need you to lie down so we can try to slow the bleeding, Aria,”

Esme helped undress me, revealing my current state to Knox. A cry of denial rose within me, and I curled in on myself again. I wasn’t doing this yet. I was early, even by witch standards. Ember’s gestation period was unknown, but I wasn’t sure it would matter. I’d barely hit my fifth month, which meant I wasn’t far enough along to birth healthy babies.

“You’re expecting a child,” Knox asked, finally realizing what was taking place. “You fought with Hecate while pregnant?” His eyes grew wide as he searched my face for the answer and racked his fingers through his hair.

“Aria carries twins, which aren’t ready to be born, Knox. And yes, she fought Hecate, but it wasn’t her fault,” Siobhan snapped defensively, helping me out of the soiled slip before tossing it aside. “Aurora walked us all into an ambush, and Aria saved us by fighting long enough for us to open a portal, and if she hadn’t, we’d all be dead. Now, if you don’t mind, we have to stop the bleeding.” She looked at my bloody panties, and I covered my breasts with my arms, holding my belly as I trembled in pain.

I turned toward Siobhan, covering my nakedness as more heavy footsteps rushed into the library. One glance was enough for me to note that Lore and Brander were standing with Knox, all three staring at me. Brander quickly stepped into his position as a medic while Lore gaped at the situation, looking like he’d pass out at any moment.

“Where is she hurt?” Brander asked soothingly.

“She isn’t hurt. Aria is miscarrying my children, and the barrier is still separating us. She’s fucking bleeding out, and we can’t to her to help her,” Knox growled in a low voice as his eyes flicked uncontrollably between his sea blue and pitch-black with glowing embers. Knox’s eyes finally returned to their normal oceanic-blue, burning with agony. “You’re pregnant.” As he repeated the words, I nodded, struggling to control my crying. “How long have you known?”

“For just a little while,” I admitted before screaming out in pain. My body jerked from the intensity of the contraction ripping through my middle. “I don’t want to do this.” The cramping was violent enough to make me want to vomit. Every intense contraction sent fresh fluids rushing from within me, and I was certain my spine was being snapped in half. No matter how hard Ember tried to soothe me, she failed.

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