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“No, I vowed never tokillya, Jack. Nothing was said about making ya suffer and wish ya were dead. The magickal effects of spells exist in the nuances of them, Jack. But what are ya worried about? Ya’re the one who didn’t keep yer promise. Despite the pleasure it would give me to see ya grow old and die from the consequences of yer cheating, getting revenge on ya doesn’t fit into my plans.”

I waved a hand and lifted Jack several feet into the air. Twirling one finger, I wrapped invisible ropes around him to hold him in place. He said my name over and over, pleading with me not to hurt him.

I snorted at his fear, but at least this time, I was giving him a good reason. “Relax yerself, Jack. I don’t intend to harm ya physically. What I’m intending might even restore ya to yer proper age. Who knows? Goddess Danu often surprises me.”

Jack calmed enough to ask questions. “What are planning to do?”

“Well, isn’t it obvious, Jack? I plan to magickly divorce ya. And I intend to make it official today. I wanted to take this action the day ya betrayed me, but I waited all these years for Fiona’s sake. She knows I’m doing this, though, so ya don’t have to worry about breaking the news to her. No one is going to interfere with me having my way in the matter.”

“Aran... no. Please don’t do this now. At least talk to him first.”

Sighing, I turned to Rasmus who was doing the one thing I told him not to do. “What is yer deal? This is my personal business and none of yers. I’m divorcing my cheating husband like any sane woman would do in my shoes.”

Rasmus held out a hand. “You’re too angry at Jack to make a life-changing decision like this. Maybe you need to wait until you’re calmer. The council and Jack have done everything else you wanted. Can’t you at least talk to him about the divorce first?”

“No,” I said flatly, smirking at Rasmus for his defense. “Jack promised never to harm Conn himself, but he refused to make sure others of yer kind did the same. That means I have to be watching over my shoulder all the time for men with crossbows and magick arrows. If he gets the chance to order someone to kill Conn, I know Jack will do so because he told me he would. Now step back before I have to choke ya again. I’ve been waiting a long time to sever this connection with my tormentor, and I’ll not wait a moment more.”

Rasmus put both hands to his throat and took several steps backward.

I glared up at Jack. “If ya insist I have a keeper while I’m helping ya find the demon portal, I’m willing to work with Rasmus. He and I understand each other.”

Jack shook his head. His head and feet were all he could move.

“I want to work with you myself. We need a chance to talk things out. Nothing I did was to hurt you.”

I snorted at his declaration. “Ya broke yer vows yet made sure I couldn’t. Be grateful I’m letting ya keep yer balls. I have a woman’s right to unman ya for keeping me out of the picture while ya had yer wicked fun. I’ve been with no man because of yer selfishness.”

“Aran, you don’t understand. My life wasn’t like you’re imagining. I missed you terribly. I knew you hated me. Why can’t you see I was only doing my job? I was barely getting by while I waited for you to come to your senses.”

My sigh was loud in the room because all ears were listening to us. “How could ya cheat when ya knew it would cost ya yer integrity, not to mention yer youth?”

Jack’s silence only made me angrier. “Ya know, The Dagda told me he helped countless people over the centuries who later tried to kill him to steal the very power they’d benefitted from. He said I should never expect to be rewarded in life just for being a good person. He also said I should accept that all non-magickals are innately selfish and flawed with envy. Fortunately, there was nothing in his lecture saying I had to stay with a terrible husband forever, which relieves me greatly. I would hate to be disrespecting my ancestor today.”

The council woman audibly gasped. “Are you saying that you’re not fully human? Are you a demon too?” she demanded.

I briefly turned from Jack to glare at her. “No, I’m not a demon. I’m a descendent of The Dagda, which makes me a child of theTuatha de Danann. That’s the tribe of the Goddess Danu for ya non-Celts. I suggest ya educate yerselves about natural magick and stop being heathens about the power ya take exception to.”

“Aran...”

I swung to face Rasmus who was still trying to defend Jack. I pointed a warning finger at him. “Stay away from me if ya know what’s good for ya, Rasmus. I spent seven years planning this day and only Goddess Danu herself can stop me. This is the last time I’m stating this. Ya’ve no right to interfere in my personal business, so shut up until I’m done.”

I looked back and saw that all council members had stopped struggling to free their hands. Their gazes bounced between me and Rasmus.

While their attention was elsewhere, I turned toward the only person in the room who’d seen me naked. I faced Jack as I unbuttoned my blue robe to my navel. I kissed the warm stone hung around my neck and chanted the words of the bonding ritual as I pressed it into my flesh.

The searing hot smell of burned skin and muscle soon filled the room. I groaned at the pain of accepting my responsibility for it at last. Now no one could take it unless they killed me first. Hopefully, taking the stone into my body in order to guard it was enough of a sacrifice to appease my ancestors.

I hissed as the chain and the stone sank deep beneath my skin. My fingers tingled as burned skin healed and grew over the entire necklace. Ignoring Jack’s worried stare, I fastened my robe once more and restored my modesty.

Now that I’d corrected the biggest mistake I’d ever made, I turned to the council and blew across my palm to release them from their bindings. They all immediately lifted their hands and checked them for damage.

“I have one more personal thing to do and it requires willing witnesses. I need to see a show of hands from ya again, please. That’s why I released ya. Only two or three are needed, so abstain if ya don’t want to be involved. If no one wants to watch, I will take this ceremony elsewhere.”

Hands shot up fast, even though their owners still gawked at Jack floating in the air. Not a single member abstained, but that didn’t mean they believed my stories. No, they were likely doing what I asked to make sure I didn’t change my mind about helping them.

Jack renewed his struggles to free himself, but it would do him no good. No woman had ever been more determined to change her fate.

I nodded to the council before walking toward my soon-to-be ex-husband. When I was a few feet away from him, I raised both my hands, palms out.