Page 72 of Crown of Chaos

“Done, but the journey to the entrance will not be easy, Aria. It is a trial, and you must survive it in order to enter the Kingdom of Fire. Youbothmust, but if you can learn to trust one another, then you’ll survive. I look forward to seeing you, Daughter to the Sun, she who feeds us our fire. Aden will expect your arrival. Good luck on your journey, and be brave.”

“I’ll be seeing you soon, Eva.”

Jasmine groaned, calmly touching my face. “I can’t get a read on anything. I’m sorry, but you’re like trying to read an unfamiliar language.”

“I got what I came for,” I offered. She just looked at me like I’d sniffed too much sage and hallucinated.

I stood, dusting off before I paused, turning to extend my senses. The echo of distant footsteps drew my attention. Slowly, I moved to the doorway, peering out into the dark, dreary corridor as they became louder. A scream echoed down the tunnel, and I felt my stomach sinking.

“It would seem that someone has arrived unannounced,” she whispered. “There’s an exit through the tunnel, but we must go now. Come,” Jasmine stated, sliding her hand against mine before seeking to thread her fingers and clasp her hand with mine. “I will protect you, sweet Aria.” Esme snorted, barely containing her laughter when I shot her an irritated glance.

“Yes, Aria needs to be saved often,” Esme agreed, wagging her brows at me with amusement plastered on her face. “She’s a damsel, who often enjoys the following distress created in her wake.” Esme’s lips curled into a smile even as she struggled to keep a straight face.

The sound of feet stomping above us grew louder, forcing our attention to it. Dust from the floorboards above filled the air, almost causing me to sneeze. The soft clang of steel crashing against steel echoed lightly from the long, twisting hallway we stepped into. Either someone was on to our presence here, or a skirmish was unfolding outside of Jasmine’s home. That Jasmine wasn’t freaking out, or more panicked, gave me pause. “Does this happen often?” I asked, completely ignoring Esme’s taunt.

“Often enough that I built an escape route to avoid capture,” Jasmine muttered, shrugging as we started from the room.

Chapter Thirty-Six

A familiar scent hit me,and I groaned. So much for Knox wallowing in his grief and wasting away within the library. Ember didn’t stir, but then, she wasn’t about to offer to help me escape him.

“He’s relentless,” I muttered, scrubbing my hand over my face. “I’ll admit that about him.”

“You know who it is?” Jasmine asked, pushing things into an oversized bag.

“I do.” I exhaled, following her down the hallway. “Please tell me you can run faster than that, Jasmine. He’s seriously dedicated to catching me, and the last time he did, I ended up in a cage.”

“Is this the man you wish to chain to a bed?” she asked, turning to smirk and wiggle her brows.

“Run, bitch!” Esme snapped, pushing past me to heft Jasmine over her shoulder. “She’s not playing. Knox’s a fucking beast, and he’s fast as fuck!”

Siobhan, Esme, and I rushed through the narrowing channel blindly. The cries from above had lessened and turned into moans and other noises, which were confusing, but I didn’t stop to ponder the sudden shift. Jasmine plopped her chin on her palms, her elbows pressing into Esme’s back, and huffed a grunt of annoyance.

“You’re the witch on the wanted posters, aren’t you? You’re the witch that married the king and tried to murder everyone within Norvalla?” Jasmine inquired, causing my eyebrows to press together tightly.

“For the record, he forced me to marry him and I only leveled one keep that was inside his kingdom. Hecate destroyed the others.” I panted, pressing forward as Esme huffed beneath Jasmine’s added weight. “You’re clairvoyant. Shouldn’t you have seen this happening?”

“I can’t see shit when I’m in the scenario,” she replied before shifting to her male form. Esme slowed just enough to drop him to his feet so he could run with us. We sprinted down the narrowing hallway until he pushed open a small, circular door that dumped us into the woods. I could hear the hooves of horses moving down the cobblestone street and felt the air thickening around me.

“Run,” I whispered, following them through the woods until we skidded to a stop a foot away from where ground gave way to rushing water. We would have to cross it unless we wanted to risk turning back and running into the men who pursued us. It was a simple choice. “Jump,” I ordered and didn’t wait for them to protest. I leaped, and they followed, splashing into the quickly rushing river a second or two behind me.

Esme thrashed, and I spun in the water, reaching for her. She sputtered water from her lips, flailing her arms as I stared, holding the bubble of laughter at bay. She lunged at me, clinging to my neck so tightly that she cut my air off. I slapped her arm, trying to get her to loosen her hold, but she was locked in panic.

“You are going to let me drown? That is why we’re never being best friends!”

“What the fuck?” I grunted, spitting out water as she continued to try to pull me down. “Esme, stand the fuck up!”

Esme’s arm tightened, and she sealed her eyes closed tightly. Freeing my arm from her viselike hold, I pried one eye open with my fingers.

“Stand up before you drown us in a foot of fucking water!” I snapped as she forced me back under the water and I had to struggle to right our bodies again.

She opened her eyes, peering around with heat burning her face. Esme turned to give me an apologetic look, and I pursed my lips, spitting the water from my mouth into her face. Silently, she untangled herself from me, and pushed up from the water, smoothing out invisible wrinkles. She huffed, and then plopped a hand on her hip, offering a weak smile.

“That wasn’t my best moment.” She chuckled nervously.

“Noted, run!” I urged, hearing growling echoing from the tunnel we’d just left.

The loud banging that followed the growls revealed they’d begun filing out of the tunnel. I wanted to curse Jasmine for not having a thicker, and more difficult door for the bastards to struggle out of.

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