Emira opened her eyes slowly, her heart still thundering from the near blow and stared at the hand that had stopped the blow that might have shattered the bones of her face.
Ramona gasped as her eyes widened in shock. "What—"
"You dare touch my woman?" the man said coldly. And this ti, she felt Lance’s grip on her loosen. Emira let out a breath and shuddered, feeling her knees go weak. In fact, she might have fallen to the floor, if not for Aron Mast’s hand shooting out and supporting her.
"Who are you?" she snapped sharply as she glared at the man standing before her and protecting Emira. Dam* it! She’d finally had a chance to vent her frustrations and now soone else had stepped in to save Emira.
The man lifted his head slowly and his eyes t hers. Ramona felt a shiver down her spine.. The look he gave her carried killing intent...
For a mont, the man said nothing. Then he looked at Emira, as if making sure she was stable on her feet and then moved.
Ramona flinched at the sudden movent and watched wide eyed as he stepped closer to her, his hands clenching and his body angling as if he were about to punch her senseless...
As Ramona stepped back in fear, the man gave a smile that had her blinking.. He looked beautiful when smiling but also more dangerous. So beautiful that she almost missed what he was saying..."? I am Aron Mast."
The na landed like a blow in Ramona’s head. Aron Mast? She had definitely heard the na sowhere in the mast....
But then he continued,"And, also known as the Dark Lord."
The color drained from Ramona’s face.
She took another step back, then another, her heels scraping against the floor as fear finally broke through her fury. Her mouth opened, but no sound ca out. Her eyes darted briefly toward the others, wild and frantic. And yet, the Dark Lord kept advancing.
Slowly and deliberately.
"You were so very brave just now. Raising your hand against her. And now you are stepping away...
Ramona shook her head, backing away further. "I—I didn’t know—"
"That changes nothing. Regardless of your knowledge, you should be punished for trying to punish her." Aron replied silkily.
He lifted his hand slightly then but before he could touch Ramona, Zen and Kael stepped in front of Ramona at the sa ti.
They simply placed themselves between her and Aron, their bodies forming a barrier. Zen’s stance was guarded, his fists clenched. Kael’s expression was grim, his shoulders squared as if preparing for impact.
Aron stopped.
His eyes slid to them, slow and assessing.
Behind them, Lance finally reacted. "Ramona," he said sharply, his voice cutting through the tension. "Go. Bring the Grand Witch. Tell her about our... visitor."
Ramona did not argue.
She turned and fled, her steps hurried and uneven as she rushed toward the exit. Her pride was forgotten now. Only fear remained.
Aron watched her leave, then let out a quiet, humorless laugh.
"Well," he said lightly, his tone almost amused, "if you wish to protect that girl, then so be it. Mira..." Then he paused and turned to glace at Emira and said softlu, "You cannot bla after this, okay? They are the ones who started it."
His gaze hardened. "I would be quite satisfied with beating you instead for trying to hurt Emira."
The words had barely left his mouth when he attacked.
He moved faster than any of the wolves they had seen, attacking Zen and Kael almost at the sa ti.
Zen barely managed to twist aside as Aron’s fist cut through the space where his head had been a second earlier. The force of the strike cracked against the air, powerful enough to make Zen stumble.
Kael reacted instantly, lunging forward to strike back. Aron blocked the blow with his forearm and drove his elbow into Kael’s side. Kael grunted and staggered, but stayed on his feet.
Kael reacted instantly, trying to recover his footing and strike again, but Aron had already shifted. He stepped aside with ease and drove his shoulder into Kael’s chest, sending him stumbling backward. Zen rushed in at the sa ti, jaw clenched.
The two n regrouped quickly, circling Aron warily. Their breathing was heavier now. Aron, on the other hand, looked almost relaxed, his posture loose, his movents unhurried, as if this were nothing more than a brief distraction.
Emira stood frozen just behind him, her heart still racing. She could barely keep track of the blows.
Just as Zen lunged again, the door snapped open with a loud bang and the sound cut through the chaos like a blade.
Everyone turned at once.
Shiqi stood at the doorway with a smile on her face.
Her eyes glittered as she took in the scene before her—the overturned furniture, Zen and Kael poised to fight, Emira standing close behind Aron. Then her gaze locked onto Aron’s face.
And she smiled.
Slowly, she stepped inside. " When I asked Aldren to take Mira, I thought you would co to rescue her. But, I didn’t think you’d co so soon," she said, her voice calm but charged with excitent. "However now that you’re here..." Her smile widened. "Don’t worry. I won’t let you leave."
Emira felt a chill crawl up her spine.
Shiqi raised her hands without hesitation and began to mutter under her breath. The words were sharp and fast, spilling out in a language Emira did not recognize. The air around them seed to tighten. Threads of light began to form above their heads, weaving together rapidly, stretching outward as if creating a vast net ant to trap everyone beneath it.
But before the net could be fully ford, Aron smiled and waved a hand over his head... Just one simple movent and Shiqi was thrown back, while the net above them disappeared.
In the next mont, he extended his hand towards Emira and said," Co with , Mira..."
Emira looked down at the hand and then at the three n standing away from her, before placing her hand in his and saying," Yes."
In the next minute, Aron and Emira both disappeared from the study.
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