told them Claire wasn’t capable of harming a fly. His stomach flipped as his world was thrown in a blender on high speed.
He may have wanted to win Claire back, but the truth was, this act was unforgivable and he would never be able to look at her the same again. In that one second, Ronan questioned everything he had ever known or believed.
He bent to kiss Pema’s forehead. “You’re going to be the death of me. What am I going to do with you?” he murmured in her ear.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Ronan gazed into pained sea-green eyes and his heart broke for what the female was suffering. The death of his family destroyed any softer emotion he’d ever felt, but this witch brought out a side of him he hadn’t believed possible. Sure, he had loved Claire, but this was something altogether different. It was tender, passionate, full of heat, and raw lust. It left him breathless and exhilarated, and he wasn’t exactly comfortable with it. He had no frame of reference or any idea how to deal with what was rolling through him.
Bringing his attention back to the matter at hand, he noticed that the music had stopped and the club goers were gawking at their group. He caught the tail end of the question Jace posed to Pema. “…would do this to you? What enemies do you have? It couldn’t have been a Fae or one of Kadir’s allies. Killian said none of the alarms were triggered.”
“Everything is fine here. Let’s get back to the fun, this is supposed to be a party,” Killian announced and motioned to the DJ. The club-goers were slow to return to their activities, but once music blared through the speakers, they gradually edged away from the table.
Pema’s hoarse voice had him itching to take her into his arms. “I don’t have that many enemies. Not that it matters how many enemies I have…Claire and Cele did this. There is no doubt in my mind.” Ronan had seen the look on Claire’s face and agreed with Pema, Claire was responsible.
“I’m going to relish causing that bitch pain and agony before I rip her head from her shoulders,” Isis snarled, causing the overhead lights to flicker. Magic, Ronan recognized with discomfort, recalling how Killian had choked him without even touching him. Claire had never performed real magic in his mind, and here they were displaying their power every time he turned around.
He recalled Killian’s earlier warning regarding the danger Cele posed, and suddenly felt an overwhelming need to protect Pema. He made a mental note to ask Killian about ways to protect against spells. Surely, the sorcerer had some helpful information.
“No one is doing any killing,” Rhys responded as he grabbed Isis’ hand. “At least not right now. Come on, you can help me look for evidence to present to the elders.”
“I want to nail her to the wall. I’ll be back, Pema,” Isis bent over and kissed Pema’s forehead before turning to the Dark Warrior. “Rhys, grab the glass she drank out of,” Isis ordered.
Seeing the severity of the situation more fully, Ronan reconsidered. Perhaps Claire hadn’t done it. If she did, then she was in a world of trouble. Isis and Rhys clearly had Pema’s back and would find any evidence necessary to prove Claire’s guilt, and in their world, the trials were brief, and punishment for this crime was death. He felt like he should be defending the female he’d spent his life with and had loved for so long, but he knew deep-down in his gut she was guilty and he would never excuse what she had done.
He had been torn in a million different directions in the span of minutes. He’d never put any credence in the idea that fate had a hand in decisions, but he couldn’t help questioning it. There were many fables in the realm about the Goddess and her power that he’d never considered. As he gazed down into beautiful sea-green eyes, he couldn’t deny that he was meant to be in this city, with this enchanting witch.
Jace straightened, speaking to Pema, “You will
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