Page 71 of Crown of Chaos

“You’re disturbingly excited by that prospect, you know? Might I suggest you tie him to the bed and ride that big ol’ dick like you stole it? Do as I say, and we won’t have to do anything we don’t want to do soon. I promise, you can even ask Esme, even though I say she’s wrong most of the time. If you can’t trust me, who can you trust, though? Iliterallylive inside you.”My mind added the visual to what Ember stated, causing a smile to play on my lips, with the visual of Knox being mercilessly teased.

“When you’re ready, we can begin,” Jasmine murmured against my ear, causing me to jerk away from her. “You even smell amazing.”

“I’m ready,” I mumbled while trying to remove the image of Knox naked and helpless beneath me from my brain. Or, I tried. He wasn’t leaving it easily, and I wasn’t certain I wanted him to either.

It figured he’d be the only one to live rent free inside my head. Knox’s scent tickled my senses, and my stomach clenched as a throbbing pulse began in my apex. Inky tattoos hit the light perfectly to expose the exquisite, sinewy muscles of his stomach. The cocky, self-assured prick ran his fingers through his hair, smiling at me with a come hither look that made heat burn in my cheeks. My mouth went dry with need, and I barely swallowed a moan before it escaped.

“You’re breathing is rapid, Aria. Is something upsetting you?” Jasmine asked softly, kind green stare narrowing when I snorted.

“No, just thinking about tying a man down and riding him. Nothing serious,” I returned without missing a beat. “Continue.”

“Do you often tie you partner down and use them? Are you opposed to being watched when you do?” She smiled with a shocked look on her face, which caused my lips to twitch.

“Uh, no?” I chuckled awkwardly. “I rarely resort to tying people up, but this guy is infuriatingly frustrating. Also, I’m not into being watched, sorry. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it, but it’s not my thing.” I shrugged when she continued to smile at me, batting her long, thick black lashes.

Jasmine sat before me, blowing on the smudge stick. The room was thick with the smell of herbs and sage that billowed in the air and made my eyes sting. “Can you clear your mind and picture the male in which you seek?” she asked in a layered tone.

Closing my mind down to everything else, I pictured Aden as clearly as I could. Only, the longer I focused on his image, the more his features blurred. Until eventually, I was picturing Knox. Shaking my head, I focused back on Aden’s striking gaze and muscular form. Obsidian orbs with flecks of embers replaced the softer blue ones of the man I sought, and I allowed myself a moment to watch them, swallowing the desire they forced through my body.

“I’m not able to look at what you’re seeing. Is there more than just one man? Because I’ve been able to see three sets of eyes,” she beseeched. “The one that stands out the most is the color of the sea,” Jasmine informed.

Esme snorted, and I did my best to ignore her as I forced the image of Aden standing in the cave where I’d first met him to form. I rebuilt the chamber with the altar in the middle and statues against the walls. How, the first time he had looked at me, it had been with such intensity that it had been unsettling. Aden had spoken the most, so I replayed that conversation, allowing his voice to become background music to my thoughts.

His body was muscular and larger than the other men present. He was smiling at me, silently inviting me to take him in, as if he wanted me to do so. Aden hadn’t been ashamed of returning the scrutiny, either. He’d sent some serious sexual vibes in my direction, so I allowed myself to feel those as well.

“Aria,”Eva’s voice whispered against my ear, and my eyes snapped open before scanning the faces around me, none of which belonged to Eve. My heartbeat thundered, and I fought to shut down the panic rushing through me as I closed my eyes again and found her standing directly in front of me. I peered around the room, watching her brows lift before her eyes narrowed to slits. The entire room was hazy, with shadowy fingers of magic making it appear as if it was shimmering, or a dimensional rift Eva had created within the room. The others didn’t respond to her, nor react to her presence, which had me creasing my brow in confusion. She smirked before saying,“Your witch is about to get one hell of a headache from trying to breach the barrier hiding Aden,”she warned in a tense tone.

“You could have come and found me. After all, you and Aden had to have already known I was looking for you.”I scanned her face, watching her lips curving into a satisfied grin.

“If the king wished for us to find you, we would have done so. You’re lucky I came to investigate instead of doing what Aden wanted, which was to blind your clairvoyant so she could never search him out again.”She snorted and folded her arms over her chest.

“I’m sure she appreciates that,”I returned carefully. “Can you tell Aden that I’m ready?”

“Are you? Or are you ready to come because you seek an exit from this realm? You’re not needed if you cannot do what they created you to do.”

“Is that all they want, my fucking womb? At this point, I’m about to rip the mother fucker out and beat people with it. I’m worth more, and I am over people not seeing that, Eva. If my father merely wishes to use me, then we don’t need to continue this conversation.”

She smirked with an impatient sound sliding from her lips. Crossing her arms over her ample chest, Eva rolled her eyes like she was over me already. Buffing her nails on her blouse, she remained silent until I was glowering at her, waiting for her reply.

“Are you finished throwing your little tantrum? It isn’t as simple as that, I’m afraid. He wants to tell you his truth and has been clear that you are to make your own choices once you know everything. I understand your desire to be wanted for more than what the world can take from you, but we’re on the brink of war unlike this world has ever known before. Hecate continually seeks to consume the magic of the Nine Realms. If she continues, the realms will weaken, and if they become too depleted, it will alter them beyond anything we can fix. I understand your hesitation and disinterest in being used. I do. But the entire realm is depending on you to do this and to do it correctly.”When I merely continued waiting, she released a frustrated puff of air and continued.

“Come meet your father and learn about your people. Once you see that we’re not like those who intend to use and discard you, you may not be opposed to what you’re meant to do, Aria. You house the fire of our people inside your veins and soul. The fire belongs to the Nine Realms which chose you as the heir to the throne. The heir creates the child foretold in the prophecy. That means you must give birth to the son who will murder Hecate. He will destroy your grandmother, whose magic we will drain into the realms, correcting the damage she’s inflicted. That can only happen if you choose your destiny. Your destiny leads into his, and he is merely a part of yours. No pressure, right? You strike me as a girl who enjoys performing under pressure.”

“Right? I mean, who doesn’t enjoy being told the world depends on their God damn vagina getting plowed?” I snorted loudly, and groaned like a spoiled child. “You expect me to sendmyson to face that twisted, evil bitch? How will that work exactly? Does he exit my vagina, ready for battle? Or is everyone expected to wait for him to grow up before he’s thrown at her while we pray he wins? That’s a lot to place on the shoulders of a newborn babe. Not to mention, we need a right now fix, not an ‘eventually you’ll grow up and beat a bitch fix,’”I demanded harshly.

Her brows shot up, and her lips twitched before she smoothed her features out.“He’d need to grow, obviously. Your son would also need to be trained to face Hecate. That’s where we would come in. You’re rather winging it when it comes to your skills. Imagine how much greater you would be if people who could teach you how to wield what is inside you had trained you?”she asked, exhaling before she continued.“He will be stronger and more powerful than anyone inside this world, even you. You were a prototype, one your father knew of from the moment you drew air into your lungs. He has waited a very long time to meet you. Your father also is fearful of your grandmother’s sudden return, and what it means for the Nine Realms. I promise you, Aria, he wants you for more than the child you’ll create, but you need to find out the rest from him. Our people need you and won’t betray you as those you protected have.”

“So, I’m one step in his ten-step program? I don’t suppose getting to the Kingdom of Fire is as easy as walking up to the gate, is it,”I asked, knowing it wouldn’t be somewhere easy to get to. I had a feeling they were about to throw us to the wolves, and we’d either come back leading the pack or end up puppy chow. I also didn’t suspect she’d give me a straight answer, but it didn’t hurt to try.

“If you’re willing to come, they will reveal the pathway when you enter the starting point of the trial, which will open at the path to the healing pool where you and I met. Within the layers, beyond what the eye can see, there’s an entrance into the gateway that leads to the Kingdom of Fire. I will have Aden there waiting for you and Esmeralda. All you have to do is appear, and he’ll open the portal that will show you the way to our realms.”She explained softly, her lips curling into a mischief as it sparkled in her gaze.

“What the fuck?” Jasmine’s voice disrupted the connection, which caused me to grasp on to Eva.

“I have some conditions and need you to guarantee they’ll be met.”

Eva’s eyes glittered before her mouth curved into a dark smile.“Your father has followed your progress, and endless battles in the Nine Realms. He’s not overly thrilled by your current choice of males, but understands you’re merely a child.”Her eyes lit up with amusement at the annoyed breath I released. The balls of this bitch were massive. She’d complimented me, and then insulted me in the same breath of air.“It excites your father that you’re ready to discover what you are. Name the condition, Aria Prometheus.”

“We’re not to be harmed, and if we want to leave, we can do so immediately. I’m not interested in being bred without it beingmychoice, and that goes for Esme, too. I do not wish to fight for my place once I reach you guys, and I won’t. If I come, I come for knowledge—that is all.”

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