Free Magic Academy (A Fantasy New Adult Romance) by Jillian Keep

cordially.
    The elf added in, “There was a
crystal ring reported stolen but three days ago.”
    “From where?” she asked
even as she looked to the human, her dark brows knit in a plea of
compassion and fear. They were going to take it from her. They’d
never let her keep it, and that was the only thing that she had left.
    It was her only way to succeed today.
    “Can I see it please, ma’am?”
the human reiterated, and she realized she wasn’t the one able
to ask questions here. Though within her she could feel the warm glow
of Varuj, comfortingly tingle, so much like his warm embrace.
    She slowly withdrew her hand from her
cloak, her flesh still raw beneath the band. Her hand trembled and
her eyes were filling with tears even as she tried to speak. “He
would never steal. Never. Not even for me.”
    As the human constable gently took her
hand and inspected the ring, the elf questioned abruptly, “Who?
Who wouldn’t? A relative?” his questions so insistent.
    The kindly man gave her a gentle smile.
“Was it your father, a brother perhaps?”
    She was almost grateful that the
human’s palm calmed the trembling of her fingers, but she
looked up at the elf with a pitiful stare.
    Her lip trembled but still she couldn’t
bear the thought of turning her father in. He’d never do that.
Never steal for her.
    A darker thought occurred to her, then,
and her gaze moved to the elf. What if this was all a ploy to take
her out of the running? The ring wasn’t stolen at all. She felt
confident in that, and her shoulders squared as her free hand brushed
away her tears.
    “This wasn’t stolen.”
    The elf’s face hardened and he
looked about to tear into her with his mean spirited words, though
remarkably, the human held up a hand and silenced him before
addressing her again. “Please miss, we need to investigate, and
refusing to answer us will only increase suspicion. On yourself and
whoever you’re trying to protect.” He looked genuinely
bothered by the notion. “Just tell us who gave it to you. We
won’t jump to any conclusions.”
    “You already have by stopping
me,” she whimpered. “Almost every other elf around here
has a ring, but I’m the one being questioned because I’m
a human. But I was given the ring by someone who would never steal.
Please … Please, this is my only chance.”
    She was trying so hard to be strong but
her slender body was battling sobs of frustration.
    The elf butted in: “Confiscate
the ring, hold her under suspicion as we –”
    The human cut him off again. “It’s
too late for that,” he said, the elf looking startled and
surprised.
    “What?”
    He held up her hand, showing the azure
ring. “It’s been bound to her soul,” he said
simply.
    To which the elf stammered, “That’s
not possible… she’s not even an acolyte.”
    The human shrugged his shoulders and
smiled, though she could tell he tried to resist it. “She’s
more skilled than she looks. It matches her eyes, see?” he held
her hand up higher, that shimmering azure that Varuj had set in her
ring being some sign of the powerful jewel being bound to her soul.
    “We couldn’t take this from
her even if we wanted to,” he remarked, and she could almost
hear Varuj inside her, assuring her he’d taken care of it all
for her.
    She tried not to look surprised, and
forced her gaze to the ground.
    Had the demon known this? How could he
have?
    She took a deep breath in, trying to
steady herself, but it was pointless. She felt like a trembling leaf
about to fall.
    “I would have won the competition
yesterday. Even you said there wasn’t enough to warrant an
assault charge. I’m…” she paused. “I have an
aptitude for magic.”
    “That much is clear,” said
the kindly officer. “Very well, miss. I won’t keep you
from your contest, but know this isn’t the end of this. Not
entirely.” He gave her a cordial bow: “Good day. And good
luck,” he added with a smile. He gestured to the other two,