.” She shook her head. “She couldn’t have. Wee thing like that.”
“I wish I had an answer for you. I wish I could tell you ‘no’ and have no doubts when I said it. But I truly can’t.”
Gemma had been so distrustful of Laila when she’d first seen the Amichais at Keeley’s shop. But now, looking in those earnest, big, brown eyes, she realized that over time, she’d come to trust Laila and Caid in a way that she never had with Beatrix, her own blood. She’d never trusted her sister, and that had been one of the biggest issues between Gemma and Keeley when they were younger. Because as far as Keeley was concerned, family was family.
“We’re not leaving,” Caid suddenly announced. “I will not leave your sister until—”
Screams from the healing chamber cut the rest of Caid’s words off.
Gemma and Caid were the first in the passageway when the elderly witch came at them and shoved Gemma with way more strength than Gemma would have thought possible.
“What have you done, War Monk?” the witch demanded, her voice filled with rage.
“Me? I haven’t done anything!”
“Liar!”
“What are you talking about?”
The witch gripped Gemma’s arm with bone-breaking strength and yanked her back until they reached the healing chamber. The witch pulled her right up to the entrance and demanded, “This! What have you done?”
There were eight of them. Seven surrounded Keeley’s bed but one . . . one stood directly on her bed, at Keeley’s feet, and snarled at them, warning away anyone who might be a danger to Gemma’s sister.
“I did not call them. We worship the gods, not demons.”
“Then where did they come from?”
Keran stepped in beside Gemma, took a look, and casually announced, “Oh! Those are Keeley’s friends.”
Gemma cringed, then glared at her idiot cousin.
“What?” Keran asked. “Are we lying about that? Because Keeley would never lie about that. And look . . . they’re here to protect her. That’s nice, isn’t it?”
“Are all your sisters evil?” the witch asked Gemma.
“Keeley is not evil! She just happens to love animals.” Gemma looked at the beasts snarling in warning from across the chamber. “Even animals with eyes of pure fire, drool of blood, that have clearly been birthed from one of earth’s many hell pits. . . .”
* * *
To say the Witches of Amhuinn were not happy about having demon wolves in their sacred space would be a gross understatement. But Caid was more than happy to see the creatures. Because once Keeley’s bitch sister found out that she hadn’t killed her—and unlike everyone else, he was sure it was Beatrix who had done this to Keeley—she’d send someone to finish the job. He planned to stand guard over her for as long as necessary, but he wouldn’t resent the extra assistance.
“Our queen will know about this,” the healer witch warned before storming away, but the centaurs had a healthy amount of influence with the witches and he was not above using it if he must.
“I’ll take first watch,” Caid said, stepping into the chamber. Gemma grabbed his arm and yanked him back seconds before one of the wolves could bite his entire face off.
“Are you mad? They’ll kill you!”
“I’m not leaving her alone.”
“No one says you have to leave her. Just stay out here.”
But he didn’t want to do that. He wanted to be near her so that she knew she wasn’t alone.
The gray mare walked into the healing chamber, stepping between Caid and the wolves. The beasts snarled at her, bared their fangs, but she went up on her hind legs and came back down hard. She tossed her head, pawed the ground.
The wolf on Keeley’s bed motioned to the wolves on each side. The animals moved back and the gray mare looked at Caid.
Caid walked into the chamber, and the wolves made no move to attack. He grabbed a wooden chair from against the wall and pulled it close to the bed near Keeley’s head. That’s where he sat, resting his elbows on his knees and gazing down into her pale face.
The wolves encircled the bed again, with Caid now on the inside. He had no intention of leaving. He could sleep here. Wait for her to awake.
Because he had to believe she would awake.
CHAPTER 14
Gemma snapped awake when she felt something drip on her cheek . . . and that’s when she came face-to-face with the lead demon wolf. He stood over her, his bloody drool drizzling from his massive jaws.