Queen of Chaos (Legacy of the Nine Realms, #5)(60)
Chapter Nineteen
Aria
Zyion was faster than I was. He yanked me backward and then forced me to the ground before the sound of his sword scraping against the scabbard filled the cavern. My fear and horror shot up my throat, choking off the sound of my scream. Something wet and warm splattered over my face as I crawled backward, trying to give Zyion enough room to fight without me being in the way.
“Run, Aria,” Zyion demanded through clenched teeth seconds before he released a howl of pain. The echo of his sword clattering to the cavern floor alerted me to the seriousness of the situation. “Fuck!” he snarled as the sound of something being slammed against the wall sounded within the darkness of the cavern.
Closing my eyes, I told myself I was a fool for what I was about to attempt. Still, my hands were blindly searching the ground around me for the blade. The sound of his body being slammed around didn’t hide the soft click of claws against the stone. Something else was in the cave with us. Finally, my palm landed on the cold steel, and I heaved it up before swinging it recklessly through the air before me.
“Zyion?” I screamed.
A scratching sound against the ground started in front of me, which allowed me to slide the blade forward. There was the telltale resistance of the blade piercing flesh, and I prayed quietly that I hadn’t just skewered Zyion with his own sword. The sound of something rushing toward me forced me to aggressively swing the blade with every remaining ounce of strength I had left.
“I am not dying here!” I snarled as tears fell from my eyes. My arms shook under the weight of the sword, and I hated it. “Fuck you! Fuck you, motherfucker! If you want me, come get some!” I sobbed as I slashed the blade once more. Something solid hit the floor. Not daring to stop, I continued bringing the blade down in wild, angry, fearful slices until light burned across my vision, forcing me to stop. I blinked persistently to allow my eyes to adjust. When they refused, I lifted my arm to shield them from the blinding light. A hand slid down my arm to my hand before tugging the sword from my hold.
“You killed it, princess,” Basilius assured. My focus lifted to where he stood across from me on the other side of the wyrm’s lifeless corpse.
When I saw the monstrous thing, the blood drained from my face. The wyrm had something that resembled a dragon’s head, but that was where the similarities ended. Its serpent-like body was covered in scales. Sharp, dagger-like teeth were glistening in the light’s eerie glow. Strange antler-type horns speared from its head, still moving even in death. Essentially, the wyrm lacked limbs and wings but possessed a mouthful of razor-sharp teeth. Swallowing the uneasiness I felt in its presence, I flinched from the multiple rows of wicked looking teeth in its cavernous maw.
“Zyion?” I called out as I turned and then searched his body for injuries. His chest was coated in blood, but otherwise, he seemed fine. I expelled an unrestrained sigh as a loud exhale left my lungs and my fear for him was eased. “Idiot, did you see that thing? Why would you even think of fighting it?”
Zyion awarded me a lopsided smile and a lifted brow, but I ignored his smugness. I told myself I’d only worried because him dying would have left me alone in this damn cave. My legs threatened to give out as the adrenaline exited from my system, leaving me weak. Zyion reached out, holding me up even if it was a bit awkward.
“Worried about me? Careful, Aria. I may start to think that you actually like me.” His heated breath fanned against my ear as I gripped a handful of his tunic, uncaring that it was soaked in blood.
“As if I’d waste my emotions on you, Zyion. You’re mildly tolerable to be around—at best.” He’d physically pushed me to safety while putting himself right into the line of danger. He’d known I wouldn’t have been fast enough to get out of the way, and he’d chosen to protect me by sacrificing himself. “Thank you for not letting that thing kill me,” I murmured, slowly lifting my hand to place my palm against the hard muscles of his chest. When I looked up at him, I hadn’t expected him to look surprised. If I had to guess, Zyion hadn’t ever been thanked for his selflessness before.
“I merely did what anyone else would do.” I noted the lines on his face, even as more formed around his lips. Zyion reached up to scratch the back of his neck, then shrugged. “Has no one taught you how to use a sword?”
“Well, no. Normally, I don’t need weapons. I am the weapon.” Which had been true, but apparently my brother had found my kryptonite. Luckily, Zyion didn’t point out that I was currently helpless and vulnerable.
“We have to remedy that after we’ve helped you ascend to the throne. Come, we have a lot to get done in a short amount of time.” Zyion slid his arm firmly around my trembling form and helped Basilius hoist me over the remains of the wyrm. “You continue to impress me, Aria Prometheus.”
“Honestly Vicious, I’m still shocked she even tried to protect you. I thought that, for certain, she’d let you rot in the bastard’s gullet.” Basilius smirked as he gripped my hips, pulling me from Zyion’s hold and jerking me into the heat of his body. Like Knox, he was a veritable furnace of heat. I shivered against his hold as the scent of bergamot and sage tickled my senses.
“She’s a savage little thing. Isn’t she?” Zyion asked as he jumped over the carcass. “If I hadn’t watched the light burning out of Scylla Prometheus’s pretty eyes, I’d think Aria was her, returning to seek revenge against me.”