“I just meant don’t let her turn you into something you cannot live with after this war is won. If we cannot live with what is left of us once we’ve triumphed, then Hecate still wins. There’s what we are willing to, and then what we wouldn't do, which I get. But I’m worried about how we will survive if we let her turn us into something as wicked, and cruel as she herself is.”
I caught her eye in the mirror, staring at the inky dark paint coloring her face. Slowly turning toward her, I nodded. Reaching back to dip my fingers into the ink, I brought them up as her face scrunched up.
“We’re trying to look terrifying, Esmeralda. You look like you’re about to walk out on stage for a high school musical.” Mirroring what I’d done with my face, I smiled as she held my eyes. “This world is trying to change us, and if we don’t change, then we never evolve. There’s no escaping this unless we learn to be better than she is. We must become the monsters this world needs, but without losing sight of who we were. I don’t intend to murder innocent lives, but I know I can’t choose them over the children here. Knox knew the cost, which is why he never argued when I called him a murderer, or unjustly blamed him for being an unfeeling, sadistic monster. He took no joy in the deaths he caused. I was accused of slaughtering those who hadn’t dipped their toes into the darkness.”
“I don’t envy any ruler forced to endure the agonizing choices they’ve made during this endless war. I just hope there’s something after this, something worth everything we’ve endured. You know?” Lifting her chin with the fingers not covered in paint, I smiled.
“There is going to be so much fucking peace, and so much time to waste that we won’t know how to handle it. We’ll be bored more often than not, but our children will keep our idle hands busy. You are going to fall in love. You’ll have children to play with mine. Our husbands will argue about swords, bickering about who’s is larger. The thing is, Esme, we’ll live. Because I won’t accept anything less.”
“Your entire purpose is to destroy her. You’re not worried about dying in order to end her reign?” she asked, her lips quivering.
“What are you asking?” I countered, uncertain what she meant.
“What if the cost of fulfilling your destiny is your life, Aria?” Fear trembled in her words, even as she tried to pretend she wasn’t upset.
“Well, then I will pay it. One life to save the entirety of the Nine Realms? It seems like a deal too good to be true. If it sounds too good to be true, then chances are, it is.” Pulling her in, I hugged her tightly. “We’re going to get through this. Don’t waste time on things we cannot change. If you’re going to waste energy, then waste it on something worthy of employing it on. Come, it’s time. Let’s go stomp this bitch’s ass.”
Pulling back, I smiled at the tears falling down her cheeks. “Basilius is my mate, Aria. I feel him so deep inside my soul that it aches. He won’t listen when I tell him to back off, which is worrisome. You’re going to need to help me kill him.” My mouth opened, but a sob exploded from her chest.
“It isn’t that bad,” I whispered, uncertain how to make her see he wouldn’t be a bad choice.
“I let him…you know?” When I shook my head, she frowned. “With his tongue down there. Literally, the bastard made me shake so hard it covered his lips like a pastry. I’ve never felt anything like that. It was like I was the earth, and it was trembling.”
“Oh, you poor, unfortunate soul.”
“That wasn’t the worst part. I sucked his…you know,” she whispered, even though it was more like a whispered scream. “I swallowed it, like, I couldn’t get it deep enough inside me. My creature? She was cheering me on, as if it was pleasurable to her.”
“I fucked Brander last night,” Soraya said as she swept into the room.
Great, I was the only one not having actual sex.
“He’s…teaching me to take pleasure in sex again. Brander is on an entirely different level than what I’ve dealt with before. He didn’t expect me to do anything other than what felt good to me. I’m not sure he’s even normal. The moment he approached, I tried to suck his cock.”
“I’m failing to see the problem, ladies. You both seem rather troubled about getting good dick. Meanwhile, my dick is Sleeping Beauty and I’m a fucking the vertically challenged one throwing rotten apples at the evil queen. Did he also use his tongue on, you know…down there?” I asked, frowning as I felt dream Knox between my thighs.
“No, he told me if I was his good girl, he’d teach me anything I wanted to learn. I said I wanted to learn what he liked.”
“And the huge romantic guy that he is, had you suck his dick?” I asked with my face scrunching up at the strangeness of this entire conversation.
“It was a punishment. He’d asked me what I enjoyed done to me. My answer was sucking his cock, which, apparently, wasn’t the right answer because he knew I only said it to make him happy.” Soraya’s brow creased as her lips tugged down into a deep frown. “I need to know what the answer is before tonight.”
“Tell him that you’ve had pleasure before. That it is his job to try everything so that you can answer him correctly.” At my reply, she nodded slowly. “Use him, he’s one of the smoothest guys I know.”
Siobhan rushed into the room, forcing my eyes to close. “Killian . . .” She exhaled with a little shiver. “I have never been so thoroughly fucked in my entire life.” Eva entered with Avyanna, both smiling as if they’d spent the night along the lines of the others.
“This is my life now.” Ember would’ve said something if she was within me. After seeing myself in Knox’s mind, it worried me that he’d taken her from me somehow. She’d have been pissed to know everyone had gotten laid last night except us. “We have a battle to wage, so if you’re intending to add to the sex happening last, save it.”
“Someone is cranky she didn’t get dick. Maybe try feeding Ember, she’ll wake Knox up real quick,” Siobhan muttered, then stared at me strangely. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. I’ll be much better once I hand Hecate her ass,” I muttered beneath my breath. Walking down the corridor, I paused as the men came into view, full armor covering every inch of them, except their heads. “Damn.” I looked like I’d slipped on knee and elbow pads compared to the men. “Are you ready?”
“Are you ready?” Zyion asked, his armor the same he’d worn when he’d fought against Aden.
“I’m ready. If we stall any longer, she’ll be outside the gates. Siobhan, did you set the wards around the castle?”
“I placed wards with Killian as my witness. No one will be able to come inside the gates, or leave them once we portal to the citadel.” Her eyes slid to Killian, a smile played on her lips. He, on the other hand, looked unaffected by her. It was discerning that he’d fuck her, and then not even bother to acknowledge her.
“Basilius, you and the others are ready?” I asked, then felt relief as he nodded in reply. “I need you to tell the others that I need them to remain away from the citadel. I can’t control my magic as well as I’d like. In order to ensure no harm befalls the dragons, you’re going to need to wait until I bring down the walls.”