Page 104 of Pirate Witch

“Nope, we’ve got a lot of theory to cover. We start now.”

I groan, letting my head fall forward onto the mirror. “I hate theory.”

ChapterThirty-Five

NOSTER

Nilsa and Elsie stay locked in our cabin for most of the day. We can all hear them, and all of us are dying to see her and know for ourselves that she’s okay, but none of us are willing to interrupt them and set off the powder keg of emotion that’s been building since the others woke up and discovered she was missing.

They’ve been avoiding me, too. Even my twin has been distant since he found out that I encouraged her to find Alletta.

It was the only way. Since Klaus taught me to channel my visions, I’ve had so many where she dies, and only one where she lives. In that vision, her back was covered in sigils which formed the unmistakable shape of a sun and moon intersecting. I’ll admit my visions are sometimes cloudy and occasionally wrong. Fate likes to throw red herrings into the mix to feed her fucked up sense of humour, but I’m not taking chances with Nilsa’s life.

So I don’t regret telling her.

As long as she’s alive, there’s hope. The madness might be curable. There might be something Elsie can do, or the mages. We won’t know unless we try.

She’s brought this crew back to life, and I won’t lose her now. Let the madness try to take her.

Like my thoughts have summoned her, the cabin door creaks open down the hall, and footsteps trail down the corridor, pausing outside the galley where I’m sitting.

The door creaks open and Nilsa lets out a breath when she sees it’s just me in here.

“Is there any food?” she mumbles, drawing closer until her scent washes over me.

I reach out and she grabs my hand, letting me draw her closer.

“Have mine,” I reply, pulling her into my lap. “I wasn’t really hungry, anyway.”

Her soft lips brush against my cheek in thanks and I hear the bowl scrape across the table as she pulls it closer. She makes happy noises as she eats and I content myself with stroking the hair across her shoulders, avoiding the skin which might still be tender.

“Are the others avoiding me?” she asks, her cutlery clinking as she sets them down a few minutes later.

Damn, she ate so fast she must have inhaled it.

“That depends. Are you feeling recovered?”

It seems like the whole ship goes quiet as she considers her answer.

“I can’t avoid them forever.”

Val sinks through the ceiling without waiting another second. His boots thump across the floor as he strides towards her, and my face is suddenly whipped with Nilsa’s hair as she spins to face him.

“What the fuck were youthinking?” His rage is so potent it’s perfuming the air, and my beast stirs in response.

Nilsa doesn’t respond. For the longest second, I think she’s gearing up to give him a piece of her mind.

Then the salty scent of her tears breaks through Val’s anger.

I pull her closer to my chest and turn us both so we’re facing away from him, shielding her. She said she was ready, but I doubt she wasthatready. On any other day, Nilsa would’ve matched fire with fire, but it appears Val’s bluntness is the final straw.

“Hush, he didn’t mean it,” I croon as her whole body starts to shake.

Tossing a glare over my shoulder to where I think the captain is still standing, I stroke her back carefully. I’ve heard her cry before, but it doesn’t make it any less painful. All I can do is hold her close as her whole frame quakes.

The amount of pressure she’s under, coupled with the difficult decision she had to make, would’ve broken anyone else long before now.

The others file into the room as if drawn by invisible ropes. Rysen hisses when he takes in the scene, and soon enough, his anger joins the mix. There’s a pained grunt—probably Val being thumped—followed by more growling, from my brother this time.