Queen of Chaos (Legacy of the Nine Realms, #5)(125)
She turned in a circle, seeking to escape the dragons that were landing, corralling her and preventing her from escaping. Using an unhuman rush of speed, I slammed into her, smiling as she went ass-over-head, rolling over the debris littering the ground. Slowly, I walked around her as the others watched from behind the shield. Her wide, horrified eyes fed my excitement, wanting to rip her apart, bathing in the putrid blood.
“I warned you when I got here, that I’d fucked your world up. Should’ve listened and learned the first time. Next time? You should take a moment to consider how you fuck around. Then calculate what happened, because I will do whatever is needed to ensure you find out how bad you fucked up. You have no home because you messed with those inside of mine. Your network of magic, along with your grids are down, and won’t be easy to repair. I’ve sent a call out to every realm, asking them to divert the river away from your kingdom. My undead army is even as I speak, killing your dark witches. One by one, they’ll all fall down, Hecate.”
When I held my hand out, Killian placed the stake from a white oak tree in it. This was the reason she’d insisted on having trade open to Norvalla. It was the one thing that weakened her, forcing her true form to work ten times harder to heal when harmed. Luckily, she was still fucking stuck inside it, regardless of the time mess up I’d had.
“Don’t do this to me!”
“I warned you. I don’t make idle threats any longer. If I tell you I will do it, believe me.”
Stepping closer, I jerked on the medallion, snapping the chain free from her throat. “I need that!”
“I know you do,” I said as her skin began to age. “I won’t stop taking from you or hunting you until you die or are returned to your tomb. There’s no hole dark enough for you to hide in anymore. You wanted this battle. I brought you with a war unlike any other the Nine Realms has ever seen before. A united Nine Realms, which shall stand as one against you, Hecate. You grossly miscalculated when you hid behind the walls.” After digging the butt of the stake into the ground, I gripped her around the throat and shoved her back onto it. Killian and Zyion secured the rope around her chest and legs, and when they finished, we stepped back, watching her trying to escape.
“The rope is hemlock, grandmother. I brought it just for you. Know this, I am no savior, but I am a monster. Not like you—never like you. I’m the one they needed to fight to take you down. I won’t rest until your reign ends, and mine begins. Oh, and the best part? My chaos hasn’t even fully reached its full potential. And Knox? He’s not dead. He’s merely allowing his Queen of Chaos to sharpen her claws. So, shall we test them? Oh, wait. I also promised him a gift when I returned from killing you.” Turning my head left and right, I smiled brightly and then clapped my palms together. “Perfect! Lovely, I’ve decided on my gift for my king. Since I can’t allow him to outdo me, your head will do nicely. Plus, he made me a throne to match his, one created from your children’s skulls. So, hold still, I’d hate to fuck it up.” I sliced through her throat, smiling as her blood sprayed everywhere.
“Ashes to ashes,” Killian said beside me.
“Dust to dust,” Zyion growled.
“In no goddess, shall we trust.” I laughed, biting my lip as the coppery tang of her blood lined my teeth. Flicking my fingers, I brought the vibrant, blue flames up to my lips and blew on them until her head caught fire. Stepping back, I smiled as it charred the skin to black flakes, which drifted upward until the flames died out. What was left was nothing but the skull with a circle-less pentagram on the forehead. “You look much better without a head. It’s a vast improvement, Hecate. If Knox were here, he’d thank you for the skull. We must never forget our manners, right?” I asked the men standing beside me, who were watching the bitch burn. “Anyone bring marshmallows? I’ve been craving some lately.”
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Aria
The battlefield was bathed in blood that ran in rivers. My heartbeat drummed in my ears, the entire group celebrated by throwing body parts, which caused my stomach to churn. I stood in the midst of it all, dragons swooping down to feed on the dead, while the girls danced around barefooted. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I thought of what Knox would be doing if he’d been here.
Would he dance with me? It would be rather morbid, but Hecate was afire, her witches were being hunted down and rounded up for extermination. I’d allowed the dead a chance to deal with those who’d harmed them in life. It wasn’t much, but even now, I could feel the souls singing with relief, knowing they’d survived long enough to help wash away the sickness within the land.
Hecate wouldn’t remain dead, but in order to put her down, she had to be drained. There was also the issue of Aurora, who’d begun feeding on the magic of those without darkness. It meant she’d need to be handled before she became like her mother. The girls would need to be checked for darkness as well.
“Why aren’t you celebrating?” Esme asked, clapping me on the back. Her violet eyes were aglow with adrenaline.
“I was thinking about how Knox would’ve loved to see this. This moment is one that will be remembered, he should be here with me. He helped me learn how to be this person. Now he’s missing out on it. For so long, I’ve wanted to hurt her for what she’s done to him and the realms. I should be celebrating, but really? All I want is for him to hold me and tell me I’m not a horrible person for enjoying the small things. Like murdering my grandmother.”