Page 30 of Pirate Witch

If this works, they’ll have found a way to break fae bargains. These two underage witches will be the only women in history to do so. Once the war is over, people in similar situations will flock to them in their hundreds to beg for their help.

If it doesn’t work, my men will just be more names on the long list of people who have died trying to escape the consequences of their actions.

“Promise me they’ll live through this,” I whisper, staring into the Solar’s soft, warm eyes.

Elsie takes my hands in her own and squeezes. “The Goddesses would not have put all the pieces in place like this to watch us fail.”

I squeeze back, but I don’t voice the insidious thoughts circulating in my head. How much of this is the Goddesses’ doing, and how much is our own?

I’ve never doubted before. My faith in the Moon and her witches has never faltered, but I’m beginning to wonder if that has been my mistake. The three Goddesses might be perfect, operating on a level we can’t always understand, but their priestesses are not.

Glenna used my devotion to manipulate me. Felicity knew about it and yet said nothing. Elodie hid her coven away in a crumbling temple and called it safety. Sophie would rather allow Elsie to be blamed for the destruction of Sanctuary than upset her witches. Even Petra defied the Goddess and sought revenge for her mates’ murders, almost dying and taking her knowledge of the Shadow powers with her in the process.

“It will be fine,” Reva says, sensing my glum line of thought.

Elsie gives my hands one last squeeze before glancing back at Cooper.

I still haven’t gotten the full story about what really happened between the Mage High Councilman’s son and the Solar. Now’s as good a time for a distraction as any, so I pounce on it.

“You promised you’d explain what happened between you three in Ilyani,” I remind them, smirking when I see three guilty looks. “I thoughthe”—I hike a thumb at Cooper—“was responsible for what happened to Sanctum?”

“No, he wasn’t—” Elsie begins, but Cooper cuts her off.

“I was.” He glances at her and shakes his head. “Whatever way you put it, Els, it was my fault. That’s why I apologised to the witches in Coveton, and why I’ll admit blame to any witch who asks me about it.”

Moisture pools at the inner corners of Elsie’s eyes, and she glances at me, distraught. “He was only trying to protect me.”

I’m pretty sure my eyebrows disappear into my hairline at that. “What?”

Reva snorts. “Prince Charming here decided she was in danger when he learned she was being escorted across the sea by a known assassin.” She rolls her eyes. “He gave her the tracker so he could follow her.”

“I didn’t get very far,” Cooper admits. “My father’s men picked me up before I made it to the docks. I don’t leave my shed much, you see, so they got suspicious when I packed a bag and headed for the port.”

“Coop’s never been good at standing up to his dad,” Elsie whispers. “Everett Castleman is not a good man.”

I grimace, remembering the red-headed mage who so impassively watched as the Queen and the Alchemist whipped my back raw. What would such a man be like as a father?

I’m not sure I really want to know.

“He took my tracker and went to present it to the Eagle like a trophy.” Cooper tugs at his ponytail in aggravation. “I couldn’t stop him. Itried. But I’m not as powerful as he is. No mage is. Castleman blood is strong, but I’m almost a dud. Good with my brains and decent at tinkering, but I’m an embarrassment to the family name.”

“I’d argue that a psychopath like Everett is an embarrassment to the family name,” Reva mutters, but is ignored.

“I should have tried harder to stand up to my father,” Cooper continues. “I had no idea he was going to use the amulet I gave Elsie like that. I know… Elsie told me you lost your mentor as a result. I know it won’t help, but I’m sorry. I’m doing my best to help Elsie put things right.”

His eyes are so earnest and wide that it feels like I’m being asked to judge a sad puppy rather than a nearly grown mage.

It’s difficult to justify being angry at him for the actions of his father when I wasn’t angry at Elsie when she was accused of the same thing. Standing up to a man like Everett can’t be an easy thing for someone their age to do, and having him as a parent is probably worse. Cooper isn’t a fighter—I doubt Elsie would like him so much if he was.

At the end of the day, Everett murdered Petra and destroyed Sanctum, not an awkward, dumb teenager with a crush.

And he does have a crush. It might be simple friendship on Elsie’s side—Solars are celibate, after all—but the boy looks at her with such plain, open adoration that I almost feel bad for him.

I sigh and wave it off. “It’s not for me to judge you two on the actions of a nutcase like your father.” I frown at the relieved look they shoot to one another. I didn’t play much of a role with raising the witches in the younger circles when I lived in Coveton, but I get the sense that perhaps I shouldn’t be letting them off so easily. “That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be more responsible in the future,” I add, lamely.

Both of them nod vigorously, and I sigh, my shoulders drooping.

“Get some rest,” Elsie advises, snapping back into healer mode so fast I can barely process the change.