Page 16 of Crown of Chaos

“I don’t think it’s a good idea for Aria to be in your nest.” Esme scrunched her forehead as her arms crossed over her chest like she was gearing up to argue.

“Well, she doesn’t have one of her own here, and she is with child. Is she not? The beings within us calm when inside a nest, and it doesn’t matter who owns it. I don’t see a mate here with her, so I am the only male around who can ease and reassure her and her unborn babe.”

“Babes,” Esme pointed out, uncrossing her arms to place her hands on her hips. “I will comfort her and the babies.”

I chortled, but it came out more like a strangled cough. Everyone turned to look at me, and I peered down at where blood had escaped from my mouth, splattering over my soiled dress.

Clearly, that was the breaking point for the man because he sidestepped Esme, lifted me into his arms, and then settled me inside his large nest. Esme nestled in beside me, wrapping her arms around me as something was pressed over my lips. I didn’t even have time to brace before the worst pain imaginable tore through me.

A hand clamped over my mouth as a scream ripped free, and the male pushed the hair from my face, softly making a chuffing sound from deep in his throat. It vibrated through his chest before escaping his lips and capturing me and Esme’s complete attention.

“I am Rhett,” he offered, watching us.

“I am Esmeralda, but my friends call me Esme.”

“It’s my pleasure to meet you, Esme.”

“You’re not my friend. You can call me Esmeralda.”

I wanted to laugh as I fought to remain conscious. Excruciating pain was ripping through me, chasing around the paralyzing fear of losing the babes before I’d even settled into the idea that I was carrying Knox’s children. Finally, it all became too much, and the room spun until everything darkened and blissful nothingness swallowed me.

Chapter Nine

I awoke to Esme liftingmy eyelid, and I shoved her away. I smelled like sweat and something else I couldn’t put my thumb on. Whatever it was, it stunk of death. There was a slight stirring within me, which had me pressing up and off the harsh material of the nest. The pain wasn’t as awful as it had been, but it was still there.

“You didn’t die.” Esme made a noise of relief that trickled up from her throat, and then she blew out a breath. “If you ever scare me like that again, I will murder you, Aria Hecate.”

I snorted, incapable of forming words past the dryness of my mouth. Esme grabbed a canteen and handed it to me. I untwisted the top and sniffed its contents before raising it to my lips and guzzling the contents greedily.

“Where’s Avyanna?” I inquired, loathing the weakness weighing me down.

“Bathing in the stream, which you’ll be doing next. You stink like death, but then we spent all night fighting him to keep you alive. Thankfully, the toxin is out, but Rhett says you’ll be weakened for a few days,” she pointed out, examining my face with relief flashing in her gaze.

I nodded, still fighting cotton mouth. “I feel like I could drain a sea’s worth of water.”

“That’s because your fever cooked all the water out of your body. Between that and the tremors, I’m surprised you don’t also feel like your cracked half the teeth in your mouth,” she snickered, but it was as flat as I felt this morning. “Rhett assured me it would be safe to move you later today.”

Glowering at her, I snorted loudly with her using his name instead of a slur or rude nickname. Normally, she was quick to pick an insult to toss at them. “You got close to him over my dying body? That’s some skills you got there,” I quipped, chuckling as she rolled her eyes.

“Hardly. He’s not even my type.”

“What is your type?” Her expression darkened before her focus moved back to me. “It’s a straightforward question, Esme.”

“A question that has no relevance considering you just almost died.” She shook her head. “How do you feel?”

Slowly, I rose, only for Esme to freak out, exploding to her feet to support me.

“I’m not a cripple, woman. Pretty certain I can stand up without help.” My words didn’t seem to be on the same page as my body, and I listed sideways. Esme caught me. “I’m sorry. I’m just irritated. I hate feeling this incompetent, and I keep getting beat down before I can even get back up.”

“You have a right to your emotions. Just don’t think I won’t call you on your shit when you’re an ass. Weakness sucks, I get it. I do. And it could be the herbs making you sharp and pitiful, but even when you’re the true high queen, I fully plan to call you out on shit when you need it. You’re my friend, and it’s my job, right?”

“High queen?” Rhett’s soothing baritone caused us both to spin and face where he stood in the mouth of the cave, holding skinned rabbits on a flimsy metal hook.

“It was a joke.” Esme chuckled, her mask easily sliding into place. “Do you think the high queen would slum it up with someone like me? Somewhere like this?”

“Considering that, as of yesterday afternoon, there was a rather large bounty on her head?” he answered with his own question. We stepped back, warily watching him while the information of the bounty sank in. I was willing to bet that the prick we’d barely escaped had placed it on our heads in an attempt to find us. “I am not here to collect it, so simmer down, My Queen. I figured you’d be ravenous when you woke, so I went hunting. If you need, you can bathe while I cook these,” he added, lifting the rabbits. “The smoke inside becomes a little heavy and will probably sting your eyes.”

“Thank you.” I resisted the urge to snatch the uncooked meat and gobble it up. Esme noticed and shook her head. “Better than hunting down the lord and consuming him, I guess.” Esme helped me rise, and we exited the cave into the crisp, fresh air.

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