Page 125 of Pirate Witch

The prow of theDeadwoodbreaches the surface of the water and the ocean rushes up to meet us.

I hold my breath. It’s instinctive, even if it’s not necessary. The top of the ship remains coated in an inky purple bubble of air that reaches from the top of the mast down to the deck as we’re towed down and down and down.

As a last ditch effort to preserve my sanity, I reach out and touch the six mate bonds within me. Soft, steady, and reassuring, they comfort me as we dive into the dark.

There’s no light beyond the glowing of Val’s power. No sound beyond the humming and my own breaths. It’s such a weird feeling, knowing I’m underwater but that it can’t touch me. Wondrous, really.

A flash of cannon fire above illuminates the blue for a second, showing the water full of sinking bodies and debris. Whatever Val is doing stops them from falling through into our bubble. They bump off it like it’s made of rubber instead of air.

There’s another scraping jolt as the hull makes contact with the seabed, and Val curses, rubbing his ass as if he felt the impact. Apart from that, the ride is smooth, just like they promised. I can smell the sea and the damp, but I’m still breathing air. Another glance at Val shows he’s frowning as he checks over his instruments.

He’s trying not to let it show, but there’s a bead of sweat forming at his hairline, and his hands are shaking. This can’t be easy—even for a mage as powerful as he is.

“You okay?” I ask.

He freezes, shooting me a guilty glance. “It’s not as easy as it looks, but I’m not going to drown us.”

I lean back into Klaus and wait for the next flash of fire so I can stare at the world below the waves, which has always terrified me.

“You should see the underwater districts of Marisang,” my siren mate tells me, drawing my attention to the fact that he’s stopped humming, and I never even noticed. “The corals glow in the darkness and they covereverythingso the whole city shines.”

“It sounds beautiful,” I whisper.

He pauses, as if surprised that I answered him. Or maybe he’s as shocked as I am that my voice is level and calm.

“Areyouokay, witch?” Val grunts, turning my own question back on me.

Am I?

I’m not stupid enough to think I’m cured—I’m not even sure I’d say I feel comfortable—but I’m not a shivering, panicking, screaming mess. That’s something, at least.

“I’m okay,” I say, praying that it’s true.

“We’re nearly there,” Rysen adds. “The base of the cliff is just ahead.”

Rossiter cracks his knuckles and exchanges a matching look with his brothers. “Our turn.”

Without any further warning, he and the other three salamanders hop over the edge of the ship. Each of them touches Cassie in some way as they leave, letting her know, non-verbally, that they’re going. When I met her in Marisang, I knew she was bubbly and gorgeous in equal measure, but she glows around her mates in a way that she didn’t before. It’s sweet to watch, and evidently Klaus also approves, because he gives a grudging grunt of approval.

I can’t see what the salamanders are doing, but soon the cliff begins to glow. Not long after that, theDeadwoodis tugged forward once more, and Val curses as we go.

“They could’ve made it bigger,” he grouches, wincing as the top of our bubble scrapes across the roof of the tunnel.

“You could’ve chosen a smaller ship,” Cassie retorts. “Overcompensating for something?”

Val rolls his eyes, but he’s under too much strain to argue. His forehead is slick with sweat now, and he’s leaning heavily against the wheel. The whole ship is juddering as he wrestles with his power.

Goddess, are we going to make it?

Real fear slices through me at the thought of him losing control of our bubble of air, but his acerbic reply cuts through the panic. “The witch can tell you I don’t need to compensate for anything.”

I snort. I just can’t help it. With an evil grin, I adopt my best faux sympathetic tone. “It’s all right, darling. We all know it’s not the size, but what you do with it that counts.”

Cassie breaks out in a huge burst of laughter, and Val turns his outraged expression on me. “Why you—!”

He’s cut off as the ship breaks the surface of the water and our bubble dissipates.

The second we’re floating again, he slumps against the wheel, eyes falling shut. All of his bluster falls away, and for a second he looks heart-breakingly vulnerable.