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“Fine. I won’t harm any of you if things go south or if I change my mind,” he finally said.
She relaxed—a mistake as he dropped the bomb with his next words.
“Now, here’s my addition: the moment we are united, you shall leave this island immediately.”
Sapphire jolted with stupefaction, her mouth dropping open.
“What—
“Visits are allowed. Overnight stays will be screened. I only need one witch, not a bandwagon and their leader who wants to lord it over me and dictate my activities.”
“You—”
“Don’t get to make demands?” he guessed, the smugness hitting her in the way he smirked. “It’s not a demand. It’s fair play. You ask for an addition, and I ask for one back.”
It struck her that she had been too sure he would do anything to get his bride without negotiating for more. Her blunder made her see two things: one, that he was far cleverer than she had given him credit for and two, that she should never underestimate him again.
Irritation rose at the trap she put herself in. But Sapphire refused to back down and show weakness, not when his kind thrived on that. She looked at Emerald.
“Are you agreeable to the additional terms?”
The blonde’s brows were still furrowed, but they cleared. “Screened visits are still visits,” Emerald reasoned out, sensing the animosity and smiling to ease it. “So, yes.”
Sapphire held out her hand. Emerald laid hers on top. After a long pause, Klaus inserted his hand at the bottom, supporting their weight. His knuckles pressed against her palm, a rough graze that emphasized his callouses. The biggest surprise was how warm they were.
“Do your thing,” he ordered.
She gritted her teeth. Then she pushed her energy out of her body, infusing her hand with it and waiting for Emerald to do the same. Their magic intertwined as they chanted, forming a bubble around them. Her other sisters and the two men disappeared. It was only her and Emerald until Klaus joined in.
He didn’t chant, but some ancient form of energy crawled out of him, too, to touch hers. The contact sent sparks sizzling down her lungs until she couldn’t breathe. Emerald was relaxed, her eyes closed. Klaus was looking directly at Sapphire, a hard look that said he didn’t trust her one bit and was braced for her to change the chant.
She stuck to it, not looking away. She ended it as soon as the chant was done, shaking off the man’s lingering energy. The sparks remained, a dizzying sensation. But Emerald’s hold was an anchor, steadying her. Or perhaps it was Klaus finally removing his hand that did that.
“It’s done,” Emerald announced.
“That it is. Now that we have that out of the way…” He gestured. “Come. Get familiar with my home and acquainted with my company. Oh, and watch your step. It’s not only allies that I welcome here.”
He strode ahead, not waiting for them. Emerald followed, shooting them a look to walk with her. Moon and Maddox flanked her promptly, but Sapphire whirled on her two other sisters.
“Saph, you’re insane,” Pearl declared, already closing in on her. “I’msupposed to be the insane one.Youare the responsible one.”
“And I’m supposed to be the adventurous one,” Ruby piped in, completing their small circle.
Sapphire shook her head. “This is neither insanity nor adventure. This is me ensuring that things go smoothly for Em—that she stays safe even if she marries a monster.”
Their confused expressions transitioned into understanding.
“Oh. So, this is you still being responsible,” Pearl deduced. At Sapphire’s nod, the short, voluptuous woman scoffed. “It figures.”
“Yes. But there’s one more responsibility that I need you guys to handle for me.” She took each of their hands. “Pearl, Ruby, go back to Broom’s Isle with Maddox and Moon.”
“What?” they squawked at the same time.
With a sigh, she jerked her chin and let some more energy out until the three of them were coated in a thin sheen, ensuring their privacy. It wouldn’t last long, but it was enough for what she had to say.
“I need you to talk to the council and tell them we found Silver. I need you to assure them that our brother doesn’t pose a threat and they have no further need of him to return to our island. Maybe you can guilt them a little for punishing him without a trial in the first place.”
“To ensure they will leave him alone,” Ruby finished.
