Half of Ruby

Chapter 33

"Get inside. Ember, get inside." 

With two hands, Ronan seized Ember's shoulders, spinning her out of the entry hall as she clutched the piece of paper, mouth hung open with disbelief. 

He steered her into the living room, turning her around to him. 

"Ember? Ember, let me see the note." 

She shook her head numbly, her hand as almost pale as the paper it clenched. This, from the witch. "No." 

"Ember, what does it say?" 

"It-it says that I killed Abigail. 'This, from the witch.'" 

How could four words sound so ominous? So terrible? They marked Ember's death. It was fated; she would die when her powers were revealed. 

How could I have been so stupid? 

Ronan's eyes widened as he stared at her. "Ember..." 

"I don't want your pity." 

He blinked, taken aback and clearly hurt. "I wasn't going to give you pity. How would that help?" 

"Good." Ember took a deep breath, lowering her gaze to the ground. Shock and terror gave way to guilt as she realized how her words must've sounded to him. "...I'm sorry." 

Silence. And then he sighed. "It's fine." 

"What...what were you going to say?" 

"I was going to ask you what the Ombretroix Coven told you last night." 

"All right." Ember looked back up at him, plastering on a cool poker face. "They told me that this was going to happen. That my powers were going to be revealed if I didn't get rid of them." 

Ronan's eyes shot wide open with panic. "What?!" 

"Calm down!" Ember reached forwards, seizing his hands with her own. He flinched at her touch, skin colder than ice under her fingers. "Listen, Ronan. I didn't get rid of my powers because I knew that Lord Tivas and Yvonne are after you." 

"So you thought you could protect me?!" 

Ember blinked. This time, she was the one taken aback, the one who spoke coldly. "And why do you doubt that? Last time I checked, I was the one with magical powers." 

"I'm not doubting you!" said Ronan hastily. "I just didn't want anything bad to happen to you! You know that Lord Tivas and Yvonne don't want you to marry me. They're probably looking for an opportunity to frame you." 

"So? They're also looking for a way to...." Ember trailed off. It wasn't as though Lord Tivas and Yvonne were going to do any physical harm to Ronan. Besides, with her powers, what could she really do in terms of protection? 

"Ember," said Ronan, voice swelling with fury, "how did you not tell me this?" 

"What would you have done, then?!" snapped Ember, dropping his hands. He snatched hers up immediately, and she swept backwards. "If I had told you? Would you have gotten me to get rid of my powers? I had about five minutes to make my choice last night!" 

Ronan glared at her. "I would've talked sense into you!" 

"Oh, yes, because you're so talented that." 

"What do you mean?" 

Ember glared at him. "I mean that you're no better at making logical plans and being sensible than I am!" 

Ronan's eyes widened. "I'm just trying to help!" 

"Right, yes, you are! Complaining's not going to do us any good!"