Page 73 of Crown of Chaos

“Up ahead, there’s another passageway that moves beneath the city and leads to the docks. If we can reach it and we stay to the right inside the tunnels, we can escape,” Jasmine offered. We followed since it was a much better plan than the one we currently had, which was run and hope for the best.

Branches snapped us in our faces, and the mud made running damn near impossible. I turned, hearing the screams of men not too far from us. They’d known about the passageway, apparently. The woods were filling with their noises, and I groaned softly.

“We won’t make it. Soraya, get the portal open ahead. I’ll buy us time. Go, all of you. I’ll be right behind you.” Esme hesitated, her hand holding mine. “Esme, go. He won’t hurt me. I can’t promise the same for you. Go, now.” I watched them until they were out of sight, and then I turned and backtracked to the water. The first thing I did was erase the footprints we had left, and once I was satisfied, I sat to wait.

Knox burst through the woods, wet and covered in the same muck that coated my shoes. Hungrily, I took in the anger glittering in his oceanic depths. His focus didn’t leave me, nor did he rush forward. Instead, he picked his way carefully across the water Esme tried to drown me in.

“Hey, big fella,” I catcalled, wagging my brows at him before tossing aside the handful of grass I’d been shredding. “How you doing? Fancy meeting you here, hmm?” I asked playfully.

He kept moving toward me as his men spilled from the tunnel behind him. “There’s a fucking horde chasing you, and you’re sitting in the grass?” My eyes narrowed on him before I yanked my poker face back on.

“I was picking it, but then I wasn’t aware of a horde chasing me. Areyouthe horde?” I enquired in a saucy tone, which was completely ruined when something slammed into the grass beside me. My eyes narrowed on the large, very real axe. A dozen or so feet behind me, there was a midget snarling and baring its teeth. “That was rather rude, don’t you think?” I asked before I stood and turned back to Knox, only to find him standing right in front of me.

His arms caught me, pulling me against him. Lips brushed against my neck, causing heat to pool in my middle. I trembled as his husky laughter slithered against the sensitive flesh. His hands lifted to grab on to my breasts painfully.

“I missed you, baby girl. You know where you belong, serving beside me?” he asked, but his voice was off. I yanked magic to me, forcing it into my body.

“Oh, baby, you know it. I want to make more sons, Knox,” I whispered roughly.

“We’ll make more together.” His lips brushed my neck again.

Then I sent magic rushing out in every direction. There was a series of popping sounds, and then the screaming began. Slowly, I shifted to stare into the crimson-colored eyes of the alpha shifter who currently had his arms around me. I flicked my fingers, watching the veins in his neck bulge until his head popped and blood splattered all over me. Maybe that would teach him that girls took dress-up rather seriously, and it was considered extremely rude to wear someone else’s face while seeking to turn a bitch on.

A shrill scream tore through the woods beside us, sending birds rushing into the air. The scent of men and fear forced Ember to the surface. She inhaled, rumbling with the prospect of murder hovering thickly in the surrounding air. Following the scent of fear, masculine arrogance, and horses, I skipped through the woods. When I crested a grassy knoll that was at the edge of the wooded area, I snorted at the men capturing and tossing young girls around. Chuckling, I started down the hill as they turned, spotted me, and then stared over my shoulder as if they expected men to follow behind me.

“The ladies do not sound overly fond of the idea of leaving with you, gentlemen,” I announced cheerily, rocking on my heels. Men rushed at me, and I rolled my eyeballs at their thundering loud battle cries. Lifting my hands, I extended my fingers, slid magical threads around them, and then yanked, wincing as the men ripped into several grotesque pieces. As more men started toward me, I plucked something unidentifiable from my hair and tossed it aside.

“That isn’t how you court a lady or earn her favor,” I stated, sliding my magic around the waist of one before hoisting him into the air. Waiting until he was closer to me, I snapped my pointer finger against my thumb, and heard the gushing of blood before the sound of pieces slapped against the earthen floor. The remaining men surged forward, and I clucked my tongue.

“I’ve heard of speed dating, but this is rather rapid for me. How about you fucking die and I leave you with a hard pass stamped on those foreheads so the next girl has warning? Oh, I guess it won’t actually matter if you’re dead. My bad.”

My magic wrapped around them, and with one sharp gesture, they were pulled beneath the ground—buried alive and added to my growing army. “Thank you for your sacrifices and have a nice day, assholes. This way, if you will, ladies.” I clapped my hands, nodding in the direction I’d come from. “Through those woods, you’ll find Jasmine and my friends. You should go join them, quickly now.” Turning on my heel, I paused. The girls I’d freed hesitantly moved toward Jasmine, who was covered in blood. “You were supposed to wait by the portal for me, not be here. I told you I was right behind you,” I muttered while moving closer to the group.

“We heard them screaming and then battle cries. No one was willing to stand by and do nothing while you got to enjoy all the fighting,” Soraya stated.

The girls gagged and plucked the pieces of flesh, entrails, and other shit from their hair and clothing. I snorted as Esme tossed an eyeball into the stream beside us. Her hair was covered in gunk, and I fought a bubble of laughter at the horror stamped on her face. “A little warning that you’re about to explode bodies next time would be nice,” Esme stated, gagging as she picked the pieces of the man, off her. Smirking, I peered down at the remains and shrugged.

“Ops?” I returned.

“I have stuff in my hair!” she whined.

“You also have a little something.” I indicated all of her with my finger. “There.”

“You’re not much better at the moment.” She laughed, shaking her head. “This is nasty. I’m pretty certain these are intestines.”

“Shitty deal, Esme.” I winced, watching her picking them off. “Now, if we were best friends, I wouldn’t leave you covered in crap. But since you know, not there yet, what can I say?” I asked, shrugging before I ripped a portal open. “Mount up, we’re out of here.”

“You are so petty, Aria! What the hell does it even mean to be best friends?” she demanded as she stepped through the portal.

“It means you’re my person. You’d be the one I’d choose to hide dead bodies with. When everything goes sideways, you’d be the one I’d want with me.”

“That sounds horrible. Why would we be hiding dead bodies together? If shit goes sideways, shouldn’t we try not todietogether? You’re the strangest person I’ve ever met in my entire life, and I have met crazy people.”

I only smirked as we waited for everyone else to clear the portal, and then I sealed it.

“Ladies, welcome to the party. If you seek to steal anything, it will remove you immediately. If you try to harm anyone within it, I’ll slaughter you without hesitation. Welcome to the Library of Knowledge.” I spread my arms out and then frowned because they were giving me a strange look.

“It’s an empty room.” A short, curvy brunette announced while creeping closer to Jasmine. Her delicate mouth tightened, and her brow creased with confusion.

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