Page 124 of Liar Witch

It almost certainly means trouble.

Rysen has already been ashore once, selling off some of the cargo to a couple of our trusted buyers. He saw no sign of them either.

“You’re not going,” Valorean growls. “You’re still freaking bleeding from the iron.”

In my mind, I curse Cedwyn a million different ways. I’m certain Nilsa was on the verge of breaking my curse when his damned assassins struck with that cursed metal. Has the honour of House Froshtyn fallen so far in my absence that we now use iron against our enemies?

I stare Valorean down, frost falling from my hair as I jerk my head towards our mate on the lower deck.

My meaning is clear; if she goes, I go.

“She’s got Rysen and Klaus. She doesn’t need a wounded fae getting in the way.”

The Captain looks healthier than before and he has no idea that it’s because of Nilsa. After she left the room, he slept like a babe for hours and woke up brighter than ever. Her little spell gifted him the uninterrupted sleep he’s never had.

The conceited idiot isn’t even questioning his first peaceful sleep in years. Then again, I have no idea if he’s tried sleeping again since then either. Maybe if he figured it out he’d be a little more concerned for Nilsa’s safety.

Meliad is not somewhere you send your fated mate with only a vampire and a siren to keep her safe. Especially when the vampire is still recovering from bloodlust and the siren has never spent more than an hour on dry land in his life.

“It’s not like anyone else can go,” Valorean continues.

The bitter taste of a lie fills my mouth as he speaks. He can leave theDeadwoodfor a short time if she’s with him, he’s just scared to.

As his mate, Nilsa’s bond to him is stronger than his tether to the ship. She’s his chance to explore the world beyond the waves—a world he hasn’t touched since he was a boy—and he’s too chicken to even consider it.

Once they both give in and seal the bond fully, he’ll be able to spend even longer apart from the ship. He’ll never be able to part with theDeadwoodentirely, but a full mate bond could give him days of freedom on land.

I bet no one has even told her how significant she is to him. I’d love to be the one to break it to her.

Not that I’ll be speaking again any time soon. My throat still feels like it’s been scraped raw by razor blades. The poison of the iron in my bloodstream may be gone, but the aftereffects will mess with my system for days.

So I have to settle for a long, level stare to call him on his bullshit.

“I’m not leaving the ship unattended here,” he growls. “This is Meliad.”

And that’s our mate about to walk into the city unprotected,I want to hiss back.

Noster starts climbing the steps to our deck, and our conversation cuts off entirely. I expect him to head straight for Valorean, but instead, he approaches me first.

“You can’t go with her. I’ve seen the whole trip and it’s going to be uneventful by Meliad standards. Rysen and Klaus will be enough.”

I raise an eyebrow, but Noster just nods sympathetically before turning to Valorean.

“You need to not be a dick to her until Cas gets back. His absence is making her worry.”

“How long will that be, exactly?”

When the Seer just shrugs, Val runs an angry hand through his hair and stalks off.

Noster turns back to me. “Stay here and heal,” he reiterates.

Growling in annoyance, I let my wings emerge and push off from the deck. Every flutter rips a line of fire across the bandaged wounds on my body, but I ignore it and head to my hideaway in the crows nest. At least from up here I’ll be able to keep an eye on them while they’re on the docks.

If a fight breaks out, injury or not, I’m flying over there.

Nilsa

Meliad. The city I was born in. According to Rysen, it’s a city of scumbags and thieves, but I don’t remember that part.