Page 25 of Pirate Witch

I have no doubt they’ve chosen this time to attack on purpose, knowing I’ll be forced to ration my power.

A leviathan’s roar shakes the underground room. Beside me, Elsie’s hand shakes as she carves her sigils into the ground, but she doesn’t say a word. The soft gold of her power sinks into the stone until the whole cellar is filled with a confusing mix of dry heat and cool ice.

Beyond the doorway, I hear cries of alarm. Although Cirio and Sade’s men have orders not to intervene, there are measures around the palace which should delay my men. We’ve spent ages ensuring my scent covers almost every inch of Isablis in the hopes that it will distract them until I’m ready for them to know where I am. Still, the noise isclose—far too close for comfort—and that adds urgency to our work.

We finish just as the whole room trembles, almost knocking us off our feet.

“Cannon fire?” I ask, but Klaus shakes his head.

“No. Cas’s beast.”

I take a shaky breath and nod.

While logically, I understood my men would be coming after me, I’m not quite prepared for the way my pulse is racing and my heart aches.

“Now all we need is the bait,” I say, pasting my best fake smile on my face.

“Nilsa, you can’t seriously mean…” Elise trails off as she takes in Klaus’s dumbstruck expression.

“No way.” His lips turn down into a soft frown and his grip tightens around his trident until his knuckles turn white. “You are not waiting in that cage as bait.”

“The moment they’re inside the cell, I’ll disappear onto the spirit plane,” I promise, reaching out to cup his cheek. “I have Opal. But I can’t focus on getting you to safety as well as myself. You need to let me do this… Alone.”

It’s the best plan I’ve been able to come up with that won’t put anyone else in harm’s way.

Klaus leans into my touch, but his brows furrow as he shakes his head. “You swore to fight beside me when you said our mating vows,” he reminds me, grabbing my hand and lacing our fingers together. “Where you go, I go.”

I manage a watery smile. My mouth goes dry and my throat tightens, making speaking impossible. I squeeze his hand instead, hoping he understands how grateful I am.

“I love you,” I choke out.

The corners of his lips quirk up. “Of course you do.” At my raised brow, his smirk becomes a full-fledged grin, and he pulls me against his body completely. “And I adore you in return. Now, let’s get this over with so that I can make love to you on one of Mirna’s beautiful white beaches.”

How am I supposed tonotkiss him when he says things like that? I fuse our mouths together, swallowing his gasp of surprise, and sweep my tongue out to taste him.

Only to be cut off as retching noises interrupt the moment with the subtlety of a wrecking ball. I flush slightly as I realise Reva is miming gagging beside me as Elsie and Cooper stare at the two of us in horrified fascination.

“Can you just… refrain?” Elsie squeaks. “Just until we deal with the problem at hand? Now doesn’t really seem like the correct time for fornication…”

Reva cuts in with a snort of laughter. “All right, get outside and keep out of sight until this is over,” she says, grabbing the Solar by the elbow and pushing her toward the door. Elsie, in turn, grabs Cooper’s sleeve, tugging him after her.

I clear my throat and laugh at Klaus’s cocky grin, but I still dodge his attempt to tug me back to his side.

“We have work to do,” I scold, but there’s no heat in the words. “After… after I’ll let you take me to that beach.”

He shrugs. “Well, you can’t blame me for trying…”

“So, what’s the new plan?” I ask, lightly, as the room shakes once more and a high-pitched scream echoes from above us.

Klaus bites his lip as he considers the space. “If we lock the cell door, can you drag them into it through the spirit plane, one by one?”

Can I?I’ve never taken anyone else with me through the spirit plane before. Well, besides Opal.

I glance down at my familiar and she gives me a blank look that tells me she knows less than I do. I spent a considerable amount of power on the sigils warding the cell, but I mightjusthave enough.

“I guess I’ll have to find out,” I mutter.

Reva stalks closer, drawing her own blade.