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I breathed out in relief at its response. It could have hibernated for the rest of my life after what I’d let happen to it.

The stoicism I’d worn for emotional armor slipped away. “Thank ya, Jack. What about the rest? Dare I hope ya will keep yer agreement with me?”

My soon-to-be ex-husband smiled widely at my soft, appreciative tone. “You get everything you wanted. Congratulations, Aran. You’re a free woman once more.”

I trembled in happiness on the inside but stared at him without even blinking. I would not be showing him my weakness ever again. “After the injustice done to me, that’s good to hear. Swear to me Conn is safe from all of yer kind and I’ll help ya as promised.”

Jack shook his head. “I can’t because Conn’s a demon and shouldn’t be on this plane, but I will never harm him myself. That’s the best I can do, Aran.”

I looked at the council. They watched me as closely today as they had when I appeared here seven years ago. I stared back until several of them looked away.

“I don’t think they can hear our conversation clearly. Let’s move closer so yer council can be a part of our discussion. There are no secrets I care to keep from any of ya.”

I could tell he didn’t like my demand, but Jack calmly turned to walk alongside me.

“It would help them trust you if you would officially agree to contract with us. Your skills are... unique.”

“No, I’ll not be taking a job with yer kind,” I said, chuckling at the very idea of working for my enemy. “I can’t believe ya’re arrogant enough to even ask. I’ll help ya find the demon portal because I gave my word to do so, but then I’m done. Fiona is a grown woman who can make her own decisions about life. I’ve lost seven years of mine, thanks to you. I won’t be losing any more to yer obsessions.”

“Aran...”

“No, Jack. Save yer lies and worthless apologies for the women sleeping with ya. My ears don’t want to hear them.”

I turned and faced the demon hunter council. My gaze raked all of them as I slipped The Dagda Stone on over my head. “Before we discuss the details of our arrangement, I need to tell ya something. Jack’s already sworn to leave Conn alone, but he said he couldn’t vouch for the rest of ya. So hear me in this... if any demon hunter tries to kill my familiar, that person will become my enemy. Do ya understand the seriousness of what I’m saying? Raise yer hands to confirm that for me, please.”

My gaze went up and down the group. I didn’t know if these were the same members as the ones who sent me to the cottage, but slowly the proper number of hands were raised.

When I saw it was all of them, I nodded in approval. “Good then. I’ve got a little personal business with Jack to finish up, and then I’ll help ya find yer demon portal. Bear with me.”

Jack turned and smiled down at me. “We’ve got all the time we need to work out our issues, Aran. I’ll hunt the portal with you.”

“No, ya won’t. Assign someone else, Marshal. I’ll not be spending time in yer company ever again.”

Jack closed his eyes and sighed loudly. “Fiona told you.”

My lips formed into a smirk. “No, yer daughter simply said ya got promoted. She didn’t say when or how, or that ya had become a Marshal. Nor did she know why ya never saw fit to tell me yerself. Maybe if ya had ever visited me in my prison, ya might have shared the news in person. Oh... wait... ya didn’t want me to see how fast ya were aging, though, did ya?”

The woman council member looked nervously between me and a glaring Jack before clearing her throat. “Demon hunting comes with many risks. We’re still looking for the reason Jack is aging faster than he normally would.”

I turned to her and snorted. “Jack is aging because ofmyhalf of the blood vows he insisted we exchange when we wed. He’s aging because Jacks broke our vows and slept with other women while I’ve been in yer jail.” I waved a hand towards him. “Since he looks older than his own father, it appears he’s kept himself quite entertained without me.”

Their alarmed gazes all shifted to Jack to study him.

Finally, I looked at him again too. His face was a dull red from me speaking the truth, but he held his tongue and didn’t offer a denial. It didn’t surprise me he hadn’t revealed the actual source of his affliction to his co-workers.

Omission was just another kind of lie, though, and ya wouldn’t catch me covering for the liar. Infidelity was nothing compared to him stealing my property.

Jack bent his silver-haired head to glare down at me. “I thought you were exaggerating the consequences of the spell.”

I smirked at his nerve and glared back. “And I only asked for that because I never dreamed ya would ever replace me in yer bed. Guess we both learned our lesson the hard way, didn’t we?”

Turning back to the council members, I muttered a master spell as I waved one of my hands. Their hands moved in front of them and went flat on the table as they became stuck there. They pulled at them in shock. I raised my hands to calm them.

“Forgive me for the binding, ladies and gents, but I can’t have ya panicking when I share the same proof of my power as yer man Rasmus insisted on me providing to him.”

As they struggled, I turned to Jack again. “Let’s settle our personal business once and for all. I’m so ready for a fresh start.”

Jack shook his head as he stepped away. “No, Aran. You vowed never to harm me.”