Page 49 of Crown of Chaos

Esme pegged me with a peculiar expression before turning her attention back to a woman stepping from an elegant coach just as her layers of skirts caught on the steps. “What are you speaking about?” she pried, proceeding to examine the woman who’d began browbeating the driver as if he’d caused the steps to abuse her.

“You don’t know what a renaissance fair is?” I laughed while the woman began fretting, resenting the gown she wore. When Esme didn’t answer, I continued, “It’s this event where everybody dresses up and acts as if they are from the medieval ages.” A troubled lavender stare moved to lock with mine, and her eyebrows wrinkled. “If you’re about to ask what medieval means, save your breath. It’s basically this place, only here, they added steroids.”

A strangled noise escaped from between her lips and she grinned. “Steroids sound cool enough.”

The longer we lingered in place studying the crowd, the more uneasy I became. Fear and uncertainty swirled through me, curling talons into my heart at the prospect of confronting Aurora. Those emotions mixed with the rising trepidation and suspicion that they’d purposefully betrayed me niggled in my mind. It was simpler to think they were in there being abused, than to imagine them inside enjoying the celebration. A couple appeared out of thin air on the landing of the stairs. The guard stepped forward, opened the door, and bowed as the couple passed. Those arriving via portals opened by their personal witches didn’t seem afraid or at all hesitant to join the revelry unfolding within, either.

“It’s like they’re unaware of just how close the Realm is to all-out war,” Esme mumbled bitterly, fidgeting over the tightly fitted dress we’d snatched from the library.

Siobhan chortled, easing her palms down the emerald-green ball gown that hugged her luscious curves. My dress was blood-red and displayed the arches of my hips. Its simple design allowed the delicate silver daggers, which were strapped to my upper thighs to remain indiscernible. A crisscross pattern of thick silk strands covered the bodice, offering only a hint of cleavage. I had braided my hair into a Viking-style braid that began at my temples and met on the crown of my head to form a single, larger braid.

We’d all dressed extravagantly for the event and looked amazingly feminine. That hadn’t been a smooth task, considering Esme whined and bellowed about having to wear a dress. She wasn’t into playing dress-up, evidently. My finger touched my lips, and my focus zeroed in on the doors, wondering if Aurora was already inside.

“Where the hell are they?” I muttered absently, hating the idea of them being here, and what that would mean.

“They’re probably already inside.” Esme rolled her eyes as she wrenched the waistline of her gown to adjust it better. “I look like a nitwit in this atrocity.”

“You’re hot in that gown, Esmeralda.” My attention slid over her curves.

“Whatever,” she said around a groan. “Are we going, or not?” she complained while crossing her arms over her breast, scowling at the heavy doors, as if she could will my sisters and aunt to appear.

Blinking rapidly as they appeared, I turned to glance at Esme before sliding my focus back to where the women we’d been waiting for appeared. “Show time, ladies,” I uttered faintly, narrowing my attention as my family continued stepping out from the new portal that had opened on the landing. They smiled and laughed while they waited to be granted entry, and my eyes narrowed. So, if they weren’t here already, why had the spell said they’d be here tonight? I scrunched my nose, studying the behavior while they beamed at and teased their escorts who grinned back readily.

My stomach churned when the guard whispered against their ears before swinging the doors wide, allowing them entrance. If I’d had any doubts about them plotting and constructing alliances with others, they’d just crushed them.

“They did not appear to hesitate before letting them inside,” Soraya pointed out. “It’s almost as if they’re invited.”

I swallowed the confusion, slowly adding steel to my spine while I mentally prepared to confront my family. Not that I expected a fight, but I’d prepared for one all the same. My coming here was for more than to notify them about what had transpired and our losses. I also intended to confront Aurora and demand to know if what I suspected was true.

“Are we expected to hike to that door in heels?” Esme asked disgustedly. “That isn’t realistic, Aria. We’ll break our bloody necks for them before we arrive at the gates!”

“Of course not, we’ll open a portal like everyone else, so you don’t break your pretty neck, Esme. After we get through the door, I’ll need fewer than thirty seconds between the time we enter and when I establish the barrier restricting the gathering monsters from intervening. Once I have my answers, we’ll open a portal and withdraw back into the shelter. Everyone understand?”

“What if they attack you?” Soraya queried, her perceptive stare reading my face.

“I don’t think they’d try to harm me,” I muttered softly, knowing it was a possibility. “If they do, they’d be on their own against Hecate.”

“No, they’d be standing with the other royals against you and Hecate,” Soraya pointed out in a strained tone.

“Yes, that would be correct. I guess we prepare for the worst and hope for the best. I wouldn’t think they’d be foolish or gullible enough to assume the council would simply welcome back. I mean, they might if they had something to offer that would appease them or something the council needed to fight against Hecate, sure. That is partly why I don’t think they’ll attack me. Without me, they can’t stand against Hecate.”

Siobhan grunted and slowly rocked on her heels. “What do we do if they attack?”

“You stand back to allow me to defuse the situation without anyone dying. I need everyone to stay focused and follow the strategy. No one veers off course and this should all go smoothly.” I glanced at the hooded figure that stood in the shadows. Closing my eyes, I swallowed the fear of what awaited us inside. I couldn’t shake the feeling that this was going to go sideways, and I’d be walking my only friends into a hostile environment filled with people who wanted us all either enslaved or dead.

“What could go awry?” Esme questioned in a grim humor. Her comment had me wincing and counting the infinite number of ways in which this could go horridly wrong.

Then I pulled magic to me and ripped open a portal. Smiling as it opened wider than normal and with less magic deployed to accomplish it. Slipping through it, I seized the guards standing in front of the door and yanked them back through with me. Esme and Soraya moved hastily, striking both over the skull with the hilt of their blades. Once we had them gagged and secured to separate trees, we traveled through the portal. My hand landed on the doorknob, but I hesitated, sent out a quick prayer that I wasn’t mistaken about my family’s motives, and then twisted the knob. When I pushed open the door, several armed guards turned toward us. I hurled my magic toward them, following as they rolled down stairs and into full view of everyone in the ballroom.

By the time my feet hit the last step, I’d collected more magic than I would need, and I smiled. Flicking my wrist, I barred the exits. Then I slammed my hands down, erecting a barrier of magic protection, and I slid my attention to my sisters, who looked at me with guilt sparkling in their gazes. Another breath of magic forced them through the inviable wall. Unfortunately, Aurora had been close to lip-locking a male, which had forced him into the center as well.

“I see you survived, Aria. I don’t believe we’ve invited you here, though.” Her condescending tone grated on my ears, forcing my stomach to churn with resentment.

“I’m harder to kill than most girls these days,” I stated, giggling while batting my lashes. “You’re a hard woman to track down,Mommy.” I snorted as her face tensed and she gasped. It had taken me a few weeks to piece together what Knox hadn’t been telling me that night, and the only conclusion was that Aurora was my mother, not Freya. Sure, I was seeing if she denied it, but she didn’t appear to be in a hurry to do so. My stomach clenched with the complications of what that would mean, and I felt my heart twisting when she merely stared at me with a loathing look blazing in her softer blue eyes.

“Who’s this, darling?” the male asked, his harsh look drifting down my frame with passion before rattling sounded from outside the barrier.

My attention drifted toward Knox, who was standing beside Celia, Brander, Killian, Lore, and Fade. He moved to step toward me, but Celia gripped his arm to stop him. Then I turned away dismissively.

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