Page 126 of Pirate Witch

“I am not doing that again any time soon,” he mutters, sinking to his ass on the deck. “You’re going to have to leave me behind.” I can hear in his voice just how much admitting that rankles. “I’m completely fucking wiped.”

Ordinarily, I’d object to leaving him alone, but the cave is well hidden and bringing him into a battle when he can barely seem to keep his eyes open is a recipe for disaster.

The cave we’ve emerged in is secure enough, even if it is still glowing with heat. The salamanders have left just enough space for the ship to float beside the entrance to another drier tunnel, which disappears into the darkness on an upward slope.

It feels like being in a sauna. Heat presses against my exposed skin, making me feel like I’ve just stepped outside on a summer day in Mirna. The rocks above water level lack the sea to cool them, and the air is stifling as a result. The two leviathans look at the lip of the tunnel warily. The twins seem just as hesitant to touch it as I am.

“Allow me,” Kier says, noticing my discomfort.

My fae mate takes to the air and blows out a huge breath. The rocks shimmer with ice, and the cavern fills with steam as the frost melts on contact.

“That’s handy,”Opal comments, returning to my shoulders as if she never left.

“Welcome back, traitor,” I mutter.

“I don’t know what you mean. I, your loyal familiar, was only fetching what you forgot.”She jerks her feline head to the deck below, where my athame sits innocently.

I snatch it up and scratch her behind her ears in a silent thanks. Kier huffs out a few more breaths before the rock is cool enough to disembark the ship, and I shoot one last, worried glance at Val—who’s now leaning against Titan with his eyes closed—before jumping down with the others. We’ve just made it to shore when Cassie’s men return and shift back.

“We stopped digging a few yards from the surface,” Galen, the smallest, announces. “There’s no telling where we’ll come out, but I’m pretty sure we’ll be inside the palace.”

I nod. “Let’s go.”

Everyone starts to move, heading into the tunnel the salamanders have made.

It slopes upward sharply, so everyone is breathing hard when Ry asks, “When we get up there, what’s the plan?”

I grin. “Find the Eagle and knock the shit out of anyone who gets in our way.”

“Good plan.” Cas sniggers. “Simple, but effective.”

“I like it.” Nos adds.

Their humour does little to ease the knot forming in the pit of my stomach, but I appreciate it just the same.

“Ready?” Rossiter asks as we reach the dead end.

Everyone grips their weapons a little harder as he and his brothers place their hands on the rock, melting it with their touch.

The instant it’s gone, we spring forward into a bloodbath.

ChapterForty-Two

NILSA

The tunnel the salamanders created leads us directly into what seems to be the war room. As we breach the surface, tables go flying and men start yelling.

The first few die before they’re fully aware of what’s happening. People scramble to draw weapons. Some shift into beast forms. Others summon mage glyphs. Still more just flee.

I’m caught between wanting to stop the runners and wanting to conserve power for the battle that’s to come. I’ve been holding back for so long that just joining in the attack feels like a relief. It’s an exercise in self discipline to stick to just using my sword and not try to keep up with my men. Everything in me wants to throw my all into the fight.

“Go!” Cassie orders, spearing a mage with a thrust of her trident. “We’ll take care of these. Get to the Queen.”

My men don’t need telling twice. Within minutes, they’ve cleared a path to the door, and I take it gladly. We step out into a hallway just as a handful of armed guards round the corner at the other end.

I whirl on my heel, but we’re surrounded.

They’re human, but fighting them is going to take time. Time which Catherine can use to get away.