Chapter 256: Clarity
Moonlight caught her eyes, making those beautiful light grey jewels shine as she demanded clarity from him.
Gavriel couldn’t believe how quickly his actions had been misinterpreted. But now, as she finally poured everything out, he understood exactly where she was coming from.
He thought back to how she had pulled away from him earlier to spend time with Jade. At the time, he had assumed she simply needed a little space from him, so he had refrained from hovering around her.
Now, he realized that decision had backfired completely.
He remembered the exact moment their eyes had met across the pool before she turned away abruptly to speak to Jade. That was when he had realised she was actively avoiding him.
He had been so taken aback by her subtle rejection that he hadn’t even noticed Gwen approaching until the woman pretended to slip, tumbling directly into his lap. He had been on the verge of shoving her off immediately, but the instant his hand made contact with her skin, he sensed something deeply off about her.
He had only intended to observe her for a moment, never realising that Aliana, along with everyone else watching, had mistaken it for him openly eyeing another woman.
Just when their eyes had met again, he had caught the fierce glare burning in her gaze. That was when he had finally decided to go to her and clear things up, only to be thrown off balance again when she went ahead and pulled that stunt by the pool.
It triggered his emotions so fiercely that his power flared, unleashing the storm that was still howling outside.
He couldn’t believe how deeply affected he was by every little thing this wife of his did.
As he stared down at her in disbelief, he realised once again just how much power she held over him. Her anger burned him hotter than any flame, but it was the raw pain in her light grey eyes that cut straight through his chest.
And he hated it.
He hated seeing her like this, as though he were the one breaking her heart.
Drawing a deep breath to let clarity wash over his overwhelmed senses, he finally raised his hand to cup her face.
Looking straight into her eyes with absolute sincerity, he answered, "Yes. What you saw was wrong, Aliana."
Her eyes widened ever so slightly as he leaned closer, his thumb slowly brushing across her cheek.
"Do you truly think so little of me," he murmured, "that I’d be enticed by just any woman?"
Aliana’s heart did a sudden flip at the sheer seriousness in his voice.
"I saw you avoiding me earlier," he admitted, his voice dropping to a low murmur. "It threw me off so much that I didn’t even pay attention when that woman tripped into my lap. But that was when..."
His brow creased as he searched for the right words, making sure not to reveal too much of what he truly was.
"What?" Aliana asked softly.
Gavriel held her gaze for a long moment before answering. "That was when I sensed something wasn’t right about her."
A faint frown settled on Aliana’s face. "What do you mean?"
He let out another sigh.
"I sensed something off about her. One of my abilities allows me to detect negativity within a person," he admitted. "There is something dark inside that woman, which is why I was observing her. I never realised my actions would be interpreted as... this."
"You can... do that?" Aliana asked in surprise. It was the first time she had ever heard of such an ability.
Gavriel kept his gaze locked on hers. "I can sense negative emotions in people. And when I am close enough, I can tell if they are tied to something far more sinister."
"What does that mean?" Curiosity sparked in her voice.
"When a person commits acts that go against the natural order..." Gavriel explained calmly. "Taking a life. Participating in dark rituals. Committing unspeakable acts. Their soul becomes... tainted."
Aliana blinked in quiet awe. "I had no idea." She paused before pressing further. "So, what do you think she did?"
Gavriel stared down at her, watching the heavy storm of her emotions slowly settle as she absorbed his words. Relief washed over him when he realised she wasn’t questioning how he was able to do such a thing.
"I am not entirely sure yet," he answered carefully. "But she is definitely not as innocent as she appears."
Aliana let out a soft scoff. "Well, that isn’t much of a surprise, considering she was drooling all over my husband when she is supposed to be getting married tomorrow."
Gavriel remained silent for some time before he said something he had never said to anyone before.
.....
Back to Jade and Cillian....
When Cillian raised the flashlight on his phone to scan their surroundings, both of them were surprised to see a long, dark stone passage lined with a spiral staircase leading downward.
"Stairs?" Jade mumbled, peering down.
She realised they were standing on a narrow platform right at the edge of the descent. Letting out a soft sigh, she muttered, "Thank God you were fast enough to catch me before I tumbled down to God knows where."
"Well, someone has to act fast," Cillian commented, a playful glint in his eyes. "You are quite a handful, you know?"
He was immediately met with a glare.
"And how was I supposed to know something like that was right behind me?!"
Cillian looked at her, his hand still resting around her waist.
His playful expression melting into one of complete seriousness as he lowered his voice. "Which is exactly why you should’ve stayed in my arms instead of running away."
Jade’s mouth fell open in disbelief, as though she couldn’t believe the words this demon was spewing.
Yet despite that, a blush spread so quickly across her face that Cillian couldn’t help but burst into laughter, startling her.
"What’s with that look?" Cillian arched an eyebrow, flashing her a charming grin. "Did I give you butterflies?"
And that was the last straw.
Jade lifted her heel and stomped down hard on his shoe.
"Ow!" Cillian hissed, instantly releasing her waist.
Jade yanked herself away, turning her back to him as her cheeks burned furiously. "Serves you right for spewing nonsense like that!" she grumbled.
Without another word, she began heading down the stairs.
Cillian recovered quickly, stepping after her and catching her by the arm. "Where exactly do you think you’re going?"
Jade looked back at him.
"Well, isn’t it obvious? Away from a rake like you," she retorted, pulling her arm free from his grasp. Turning her back on him, she folded her arms across her chest.
Cillian stared down at her, amusement dancing in his chocolate brown eyes. "Really now? How brave of you to venture down there alone. Not to mention, you must have exceptional night vision to navigate that dark stairwell all by yourself."
Jade stiffened before her gaze snapped back to his face. "Are you... not coming?"