Love and Other Crisis | Season 1

Episode | 24

The name of Katerina's suspected accomplice dropped like a gavel. Seconds of ringing silence ensued as three pairs of eyes tracked toward Gale, who'd stopped typing. Ronin's attention remained on Kaliope.

"Ms. Barnes."

She faced him, chewing on her lip.

"Are you certain? You're leveling a serious accusation. There is no room for uncertainty. Not even a speck of doubt."

Kaliope straightened her posture with effort. "It was him. At the estate, he kept watching me. Inside the house. Outside on my walk with Juniper. I brushed it off as him being an arrogant asshole, but something about it made me uneasy."

Inola scratched her head. "Maybe he was worried about Katerina's charm?"

Gale shot up, his chair wheeling away from him and crashing into the wall. "Are you seriously considering this? Her brain's scrambled. Ballister's the heir of Falgor House. He wouldn't risk his name and reputation by sabotaging his own House. What reason—?"

Kaliope scuffed. As much as she liked Juniper, she held no favor toward the woman's husband. "To silence the opposition. Main Houses have done worse to excise detractors from minor branches in the past. The whole system's skewed in favor of one side, and you know it."

Gale ignored Kaliope with effort, his imploring gaze on Ronin. "They're our clients. We're supposed to investigate who stole the jewel and where it is. If the Falgors were scheming to excise the Minor House, why would they hire us? And why kill Katerina?"

"Madam Falgor hired us. And we're not accusing them of murder."

Kaliope looked at him, confused. "We're not? He was her accomplice—"

Ronin recapped the evidence they gathered while Kaliope was out and briefly explained the laws behind charm magic. How enchantments lost their power after the caster's death. Once Kaliope was on the same page, he reviewed the day he informed Madam Falgor of his theory external forces might be responsible for the theft.

"Ballister excused himself before I mentioned it." And now Ronin understood why. He wanted to monitor the loose thread—Kaliope.

Besides the murder, the rest of the case aligned except for one thing. Ballister could have plotted without his mother's knowledge. Leaked the information about the ring to the press as a decoy. But, if he was the mastermind, and his motive was to rid his House of their minor branch, how'd he know Katerina was a charm mage?

The door swooshed open, and Dr. Joriah strode in with his nurse. Despite Kaliope's protest, they hauled her out of the room. Ronin watched their departure, eyes narrowed.

What is it about you?

Gale remained up in arms, shaking with fury. "That human—"

Ronin silenced him with a withering glare. "Her name's Kaliope Barnes."

~

Kaliope sulked at the ceiling of her room. Labeled a flight wrist by Dr. Joriah, he had his orderlies strap her to the bed. Her fervent promises to behave fell on disbelieving ears, and the doctor proposed a second option—a mild sedative.

The door opened, and Kaliope adjusted as far as her restraints allowed to give her caregivers a nasty piece of her mind. Ronin strode in instead.

He was out of his jacket and tie with the sleeves of his crisp white shirt rolled up to his elbows. The silver bracelet at his wrist accentuated the appeal of his veined, muscular arms. And when he raked his long fingers through his hair, Kaliope's eyes followed the tightening and loosening of the shirt over his chest.