Ragnora's mind went blank. "Choke you? Why in the world would I do something like that?"
"Darling!" Isabelle lunged forward, grabbing Cassius's arms and yanking him backward.
She pinched his waist hard enough to make him yelp.
"Please stop embarrassing me in front of the Commander!"
She then turned to Ragnora with an apologetic smile.
"I-I'm so sorry about that! The remnants of the spell are still affecting his mind. Please don't take offense!"
Ragnora shook her head slowly. "No...no offense taken."
But she couldn't stop herself from glancing down at her own hand, flexing her fingers absently.
Where Cassius had touched her, her skin felt strangely warm, almost tingling. He'd simply caressed her hand, yet somehow it felt as if he'd done something far more intimate.
She didn't know how to process that.
Isabelle, eager to move past the awkward moment, quickly redirected the conversation.
