Page 8 of Crown of Chaos

“Good morning, gentlemen. I wasn’t aware there was a meeting today,” she said in a tight voice with a sharp edge lacing her words.

“There wasn’t one.” Killian snorted, turning away from her.

“Celia, you look amazing today,” Brander offered, but his expression told another story.

Her electric-blue eyes slid to Knox, as if she expected him to comment on her appearance as well, but he dropped his gaze back to the map, dismissing her without a second thought.

I studied each man, noting they were tenser than they’d been before her arrival. An uncomfortable silence smothered the area, but Celia was quick to fill it.

“Did you discover where your errantwifeescaped off to?” she asked in a saccharine tone. “The kingdom is on eggshells, worrying about her well-being. In fact, I’m certain some have offered a bounty for her head to ensure it is returned, even if the rest of her cannot be.”

“I suggest you don’t encourage them to hunt Aria down,” Killian answered, ignoring the angry glare she leveled at him. “It wouldn’t be wise to pick a fight with something like her, sister. Aria isn’t the same as other witches.”

“That may be, but she cannot hurt our people,” she mocked through barely contained malice. “Isn’t that what you promised them, Knox?”

“Indeed, but Aria never pledged loyalty to my people before she escaped. So, I’d tread carefully where she’s concerned, Celia. Very carefully,” Knox cautioned, moving to grab a discarded shirt. Celia’s hungry eyes followed him, and then she was beside him without me realizing she’d moved. I cringed as her hand brushed over his back, and he tensed, glaring at her over his shoulder.

“If you prefer to pretend that Aria isn’t a vile monster, all you have to do is say so. But you cannot tell me one thing when we are alone and another in front of the court. Tell me what you want me to say or do, and I will do it for you, My King. I am your humble servant and will do anything you need.”

I had to stop myself from gagging at her submissive façade, but Knox didn’t push her away as I’d thought he would. Instead, he lifted his hand and used his fingertips to brush back the stray strands of hair that had fallen from the braid. He skimmed his knuckles over her cheek, lowering his mouth to her ear, whispering something that didn’t penetrate the barrier. Silently, I stepped closer and glared across the room. Knox’s ocean-blue eyes strayed to my part of the library before he turned back to Celia and grinned.

“If that is your request, consider it done, Knox,” she murmured, capturing her bottom lip between her teeth before releasing it to smile. “Oh, I almost forgot the reason for my visit this morning.” She clapped her hands in excitement, and two men entered the bedroom to place a chest at the foot of Knox’s bed. “I had it restored for you after that bitch made you lose your temper and you destroyed it.”

“You shouldn’t have,” Knox muttered without taking his focus from the chest.

Celia lifted the lid and brushed her fingers over the image of Liliana and Sven. I noticed how she avoided bringing attention to the amulet around Liliana’s neck. Sven looked exactly like a miniature version of Knox, with the same sea-blue eyes and striking bone structure.

And while I hated that she was shoving his loss down his throat, it piqued my interest that Knox clearly hadn’t told Celia the truth about Liliana really beingKamara in disguise. That told me he didn’t trust Celia and kept that secret from everyone other than his brothers and Killian.

It made me wonder if she was also unaware that he and I were true mates. I was sure his men knew since they bore witness to the confrontation between Knox and me after I’d taken half the library, but had he admitted that we were true mates to anyone else? Knox was secretive, but after what he’d been through, that wasn’t a surprise.

“Of course, I had to have it repaired,” she gushed with pride, carefully watching him like he was a snack she intended to devour. “I’d do anything for you.”

Knox only smiled tightly. Then, after another awkward moment of silence, he exhaled a heavy sigh.

“Please excuse us, gentlemen,” he stated firmly as he gestured to the door.

As they filed out, my stomach somersaulted, and nausea churned until it burned against the back of my throat. Celia smiled demurely, holding her tongue until the last man had slipped from the room, closing the doors behind them.

“I have missed you, Knox. I knew it would only be a matter of time before you realized we belong together,” she murmured, moving closer to where he stood.

I craved to run away.

I wanted to scream and rip her apart.

I needed to hide from what I suspected was about to happen mere steps from where I was. My heart twisted, and tears singed my eyes while I fought to keep my fangs from exploding through my gums and my nails from pushing through the tips of my fingers. Ember snarled, wanting control to put a stop to Celia’s advances.

“It was a sweet gesture to have the chest repaired,” Knox admitted. Her eyes burned with heat and grew hooded with desire.

Celia’s hips swayed, and her mouth curved into a sexy smile. When she reached Knox, she ran her fingertips over his cheek as his gaze roamed over her face. Celia rose on her toes, her lips moving toward his, and I closed my eyelids, unwilling to watch them together, but a strangled cry forced them back open.

Knox held Celia by the hair, his mouth inches away from hers. “You’re fucking pathetic, and silver isn’t a flattering color on you. Your desperation is leaking from your pores, and it fucking stinks. Do you honestly believe I don’t know what you’re doing? That I wouldn’t notice you’ve dressed up like Aria to catch my eye? You’renothinglike her, but you wish to be, don’t you? Maybe I’ll let Lennox out to have a taste of you. I have a feeling he’d rip you apart for daring to sniff in his direction. What do you think? Shall we test that theory and see which he’d do?” he asked as his obsidian gaze flickered with red embers and slid over the oceanic-blue of his irises, and Lennox glared at the woman before him.

“Knox, please stop. You don’t mean it. You know Lennox terrifies me,” she whimpered through trembling lips as tears rolled down her face. His growl caused my body to tighten with the promise it offered.

“You’re wrong. I want to hurt everyone,” Knox hissed through a snarl, shoving Celia from him. He swung his gaze toward me, inhaling before his lips curled and his focus slid back to Celia with derision and scorn for mucking the air with her stale perfume. At least, that was what I figured was behind the sour look he was giving her. Hell, I wasn’t even close to where she stood, and I could smell the rank shit permeating the air from her cunt. For a bitch who wanted him so badly, she sure was waiting to take cock from anyone willing to head on into pound-town, currently located between her thighs.

In her haste to back away, Celia tripped over her own feet and landed on her ass before scooting back and away from Knox. She hadn’t understood that there was a physical difference between Knox and Lennox, I realized. He had to actually free Lennox to alter his appearance to scare her.

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