Page 43 of Pirate Witch

“It definitely worked,” Reva finally concludes, her voice scratchy. “The side effects wouldn’t be so severe if it hadn’t.”

Cirio bounds forward with the key like he’s been waiting for them to say that. The moment it clicks in the lock, Rysen is out of here. He bypasses our friends entirely on his quest to get to our mate’s side.

“Careful,” Klaus mutters, relinquishing her with visible reluctance. “She won’t show it, but she was shaken by what happened when you arrived.”

That’s a bloody nice way to say ‘when you tried to murder her.’

My gut sinks. The Eagle’s compulsion forced me to spend the hours we were locked away focusing on ways to break out of our cell, but now there’s plenty of time to wallow in guilt over what we did.

I can tell Ry feels the same from the way he carefully checks her over as soon as he’s got her. From the relief on his face, there aren’t any scars, but I can still see the shorter section of her hair from here.

It’s a visible reminder of how close I came to severing her head from her body that makes me feel sick.

How can our mate even stand to look at us after what we did?

I’m the last to leave the cell, cringing as I feel the dampening powers the witches imbued the bars with fall away. Part of me still expects to be turned into a raging puppet again, but when it doesn’t happen, I finally let the tension leave my shoulders and join the group of men fussing around our witch.

Opal is still on the floor, and I pick up the cat, rubbing around her ears until her fur flattens and she starts kneading the torn fabric of my shirt.

“What, no hug for your oldest friend?” Cirio jibes, poking Val in the ribs.

Val rolls his eyes and allows the pirate king to draw him into a one-armed hug, complete with back slaps that echo across the space.

“You ridiculed the shit out of me for being mate-whipped,” Cirio continues, watching the way our captain’s eyes dart back to our witch.

That other mage is still staring at Val, but no one pays him any attention.

“I get it now,” Val grumbles. “By the way, we need to talk about the Cove…”

“When she’s awake,” Pierce interrupts. “Go on, you’re not going to be able to concentrate until she’s back to herself.”

“Hang on a damned second. Elucidate me—” Cirio retorts, but Pierce cuts him off with a look.

“Mates comefirst,” he insists.

The sappy look that crosses Cirio’s face is just plainweirdto see on any shark shifter—especially him—but I know better than to comment.

“When she’s up, I’ll summon the war council,” the vampire queen, who’s watched the entire ordeal in silence, shadowed by two of her enforcers, begins. “We do not have much time. My people in Galmere tell me that the Eagle’s fleet and the Mage Fleet are preparing to leave. The Eagle intends to wipe out the remaining witches.”

ChapterFourteen

RYSEN

Ifollow Klaus across the graceful, pale stone gardens of Isablis, trying to ignore the memories this place evokes. Mirna still smells the same, no matter how many years have passed. Soft sea air, beach flowers, and tropical breeze all mixed into one, homesickness-inducing, package.

My childhood was spent in a nest just like this one, before I wiped it from the face of the earth.

Now my mate lies in my arms, her breathing shallow and her skin ghost pale. The scene bears a harrowing similarity to my final moments with my mother. I try to bury that thought, but as soon as it’s sprung up, my mind can’t let it go.

This will be different. Nilsa isn’t going to die.

I refuse to let her.

Klaus shoves open the door to a generously sized room, but I hesitate. Looking across the patio to where theDeadwoodis waiting, almost directly below the cliff. About as close to Val as she can get without running aground.

“Is it just me,” I begin, “Or would everyone else feel better having our mate back on the ship?”

Kier’s nod is instantaneous.