Page 35 of Liar Witch

“Petra’s replacement?” Sophie shakes her head. “No. It is Lunar business, and she did not share it with me.”

She sighs. “I must help with the evacuation, and we have both traded enough harsh words for one evening. I hope that the next time we meet it is under better circumstances, Shadow.”

I give her the shallowest bow, letting that action speak volumes of my contempt for her at the moment.

The second she’s out of sight, I climb the steps, eager to get away from the sea now that there’s no reason for me to be down here. I’m still fuming when I reach the twins.

Sophie might be mourning, but that’s no excuse. To learn that Elsie is destined to be a high priestess is a shock, but it just makes the coven’s behaviour towards her even more unacceptable.

I have no idea how I ended up defending the world’s most annoying Solar, but somewhere along the line, I must have gotten attached to her.

All I can do is pray that the time away gives them time to cool down.

“I take it that didn’t go well?” Nos asks.

“It could have gone better,” I mumble. “Come on. I want to say goodbye to Elsie and Reva, then get out of this place.”

Already it feels too much like a ghost town. Most of the witches are already gone, and now the incense smoke and silence bring an eerie feeling I just can’t shake.

It takes a while for me to say my goodbyes to Elsie and Reva. The Lunar is quiet for once, almost contemplative as she checks their brooms and supplies while Elsie looks eager to go.

I can’t blame her.

Part of me wonders if Elsie running away is the answer to any of this. Her eager look and happy gushing about how she’s missed the Ilyani library quiets those misgivings.

Maybe going home to Ilyani will be good for her. Elodie is a fair leader and her former coven will be able to help her get back to her regular, chirpy self.

They’re travelling light, but most of their ‘packing time’ was actually spent loading my tiny rowboat with more herbs and anything they thought I might need. While I was speaking with Sophie, Elsie was putting together dozens of healing charms. She forces half of them on to me, but only after extracting my promise that I’ll try my best not to need them.

After I finally disentangle myself from her enthusiastic farewell hug, I reluctantly let the twins guide me back to the water’s edge. The funeral ships are already gone; only the faintest smell of the incense remains.

“Are you all right?” Cas frowns, already in the rowboat and preparing to cast off. “You look a little pale. Did they heal you fully?”

I nod. “I suppose you might as well know… I… I don’t—”

Dammit, why is it so hard to admit this?

“You’re scared of the ocean.” Nos murmurs, coming up behind me. “It’s okay. We know. Rysen figured it out.”

Damned observant vampire.

“I almost drowned when I was young. My family was killed when a storm ripped the ferry from Meliad to Sulivad apart.”

Cas’s warm hands span my waist as he picks me up bodily and sets me back down in the boat. He doesn’t let me go immediately. Instead, he tucks his face into the crook of my neck, taking a deep breath before pressing a soft, tingly kiss to the skin there.

“We would never, ever let you drown. My beast would die before he let that happen.”

“Not one of us would ever let you drown,” Nos continues, dropping into the boat beside me. “But when we’ve collected Klaus, you should consider letting us teach you to swim.”

“In the ocean?” I’m quite proud of how even my voice sounds. “Surely that’s a bit… advanced.”

“You can drown in a few inches of water,” Cas replies, finally releasing me. “We’ll choose a calm day when there aren’t any waves, and my beast will stay close. The water close to Mirna is pretty tropical. So clear you can see the sand beneath.”

“We’ll swim all day, and then when you’re done learning, we can dry off on the beach,” Nos continues, tugging me down onto his lap.

His very hard lap.

“I can’t wait to see what you look like naked in the sun.” Cas grins as he takes up the oars and starts propelling us swiftly towards theDeadwood. “In fact, I’m going to have to insist that swimming lessons are clothes-optional.”