Page 91 of Crown of Chaos

Leaving the security of the cabin, I moved into the open meadow where the cabin sat. There was no sign of Knox—or anyone else, for that matter. Sucking my bottom lip between my teeth, I chewed it absently as the sound of groaning escaped the cottage.

Esme stumbled outside, her cheeks stained red with embarrassment. I scowled, fighting back the disappointment in Knox leaving me unsatisfied. The bastard had drugged me, forced me to sleep in his arms, and left before I woke. It pissed me off that he’d primed my body and then only asked to hold me in his arms.

“Last night was . . .” Esme started, stopping when I spun to look at her pointedly.

Her hair was everywhere, and she looked freshly fucked. The outfit she pulled on was halfway untucked, and I could smell Killian and Lore on her, but not as strongly as I’d assumed I would. It was as if they’d merely scented the air around her as she’d soothed her needs.

“I don’t remember most of it,” she started again, fumbling for words. “I drank something that Brander said would ease the pain. Only, I don’t remember shit after that.”

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure they drugged us,” I muttered, scrubbing a hand over my face before turning to the cascading waterfalls. “This place is breathtaking.”

It was the truth. In front of the cottage was an enormous pool of water surrounded by large, smooth stones you could sit or lounge on. I could see steam wafting from the water, which meant it was a natural hot spring.

They had set bottles of shampoo and conditioner on the smooth rocks beside another black rose. Frowning in thought, I replayed last night, wondering why Knox had washed me with plain scented soap when he had this. There was a clean outfit left as well, which must have been for Esme. The additional black rose made my heart beat erratically against my ribs, and I told it to shut up as I undid the clasp on my dress and stepped into the warm water.

A moan escaped my throat, and I smiled as I turned, picking up the rose. I heard the whoosh of fabric before Esme stepped in, sinking to her neck in the heavenly scented water before she sniffed the air.

“Someone left food for us, too,” she stated with a moan that I matched.

“He’s an excellent hunter,” I admitted, smiling at the idea that he’d left the items for us. Brushing my nose against the rose one last time before setting it back on the rock, I stared around the high cliffs that hid the cottage from the outside world, wondering if he was out there watching us.

“He left you food and roses?” she asked. “Guess you put out, huh?”

“No, I didn’t. He left me needing more and snuck away like I’d imagined him. They saved us,” I admitted, leaning back against the smooth rock. The warmth that washed over me had my eyes rolling back with pleasure. Talk about a natural retreat. The air was clean and held hints of chamomile and lavender that tickled my heightened senses.

Esme swallowed, turning to look at me from where she leaned against the other rock. “I felt you,” she admitted softly. “You saved me first, and then we both went down. Even when it wasn’t safe, you came for me. You know that I’m nothing, right? I’m not the one this world needs to save it. Aria, you can’t place your life in danger for mine.”

“I can. I did. And I will again if I have to. You don’t get to tell me you’re nothing, Esmeralda. You’re my friend, and that means a lot to me. There’s also the fact that, if it was me, you’d have saved me, right?” I questioned, ignoring her disgruntled huff and eye roll.

“Of course, I’d come for you. You’re to be queen one day, and the perks I’ll be able to ask for will be endless,” she informed in a haughty tone.

“Best friends,” I whispered, smiling at her while she glared at me.

“What’s the difference between friends and best friends?” she asked as I grabbed the shampoo bottle. After I dunked my head, I dumped a generous amount into my palm and handed her the bottle, which she cautiously sniffed.

“A friend is someone you can count on if you need them, but a best friend is the one person whoknowswhen she’s supposed to be there. Most often, she can sense that you need her and she drops everything and runs to you. She’s the person you know will always be beside you, no questions asked, and there isn’t anyone else you’d want beside you when disaster strikes. If you commit a crime, she’ll hold your secretes and take them to the grave. If you murdered someone, she’ll help you dig the unmarked grave for the body.”

“I still fail to see why we’d need to a hide a body. We could just eat them and call it good.” She exhaled, lathering the shampoo into her hair.

“It’s metaphorical,” I snorted, rolling my eyes before her words replayed in my head. “So, best friends?”

“Nope. Not even close.”

Esme set aside the shampoo and then moved onto a rock that formed a seat. Her eyes shifted from violet to amethyst while she peered at the surrounding area suspiciously. The wind was blowing softer today, and the multitude of scents of the serene setting were comforting to both myself, and Esme. Shivering, Esme settled and returned to washing.

“When did you notice you were different?” I asked Esme, using the conditioner, which she snubbed her nose up at. “It makes it easier to brush your hair,” I explained, watching her smell the contents of the bottle.

“It was the first time I was around the silver-haired men. The first time the creature inside me spoke, I thought I was losing my mind. I was so busy trying to take everything in that it took me a while to notice the physical changes. My teeth and claws changed, which bothered me. Then there were the heat cycles. It wasn’t a need or a slight ache. It was this throbbing one that didn’t stop, not even after I fucked someone. I still have yet to feel fully satisfied after I sleep with someone during the cycle. You?”

“Almost an entire year ago,” I admitted and then snorted as her jaw dropped. I slowly explained the events that led up to Ember’s appearance and her response to Knox being a good fuck but shitty provider.

She cackled with laughter until she was in tears. When she finally calmed down, she blinked away the remaining moisture and turned her face up toward the sunlight, which bathed the meadow in warmth. I mirrored her, catching sight of dust rising in the distance.

“Someone is coming.” Standing, I climbed from the pool and started grabbing our clothes. “That’s not Knox. We need to go now.”

Esme rushed from the water, and I tossed her the outfit that had been left for her before I dressed quickly in my own clothes. I grabbed the shoes Knox had left and groaned when I saw the rose had been knocked into the water when I climbed out and was wilted. After moving it back onto a boulder, I followed Esme through the yard and rushed into the camouflage the forest offered at the edge of the clearing the cottage sat in.

“You’re positive it isn’t him?” she asked.

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