Page 8 of Pirate Witch

ChapterThree

NILSA

Ilean against the counter as what they’ve told me sinks in. Cas hasn’t looked me in the eyes since they started telling their sordid tale, and now they’re both staring at the floor, waiting in silence for me to reject them.

By all rights, I should. They put me through hell, hid things from me, and damn near got all of us killed back at Cirio’s.

There’s a lot to forgive there.

But these are my men. My mates. Chosen for me by the Goddess for areason. I have faith in that, even if I want to strangle them to death sometimes. Truthfully, it will be all too easy to forgive them, but what kind of self-respecting Lunar would I be if I didn’t make them grovel a little? If I was anything like many of the other witches in my coven, the twins would be forced to wine and dine me to win me back. Some of the tales of what disgruntled Lunars have made their harem men do to apologise are legendary. Before I was born, one of Glenna’s men got down on his knees in front of the entire coven and pledged to stay there until she forgave him.

Yet, looking at them—sitting so dejectedly side by side—I can’t do it.

It’s not hard to fill in the blanks that they can’t say. Someone held them captive for a reason. Rysen, Kier, and Val tried to protect them, and somehow that led to the very bargain I have to break.

Noster seems to have wallowed in self-pity ever since, and Cas hasn’t broken out of the role of nurse-maid, despite knowing that coddling is what drove Nos away in the first place. They’ve already punished themselves more than I ever could.

“You need to meditate and invite the visions like Klaus suggested, every day from now on,” I insist. “And you need to sort out this conflict between your beasts. It can’t go on any longer. It’s not healthy.”

“It’s too dangerous for me to shift—”

“Bullshit,” I retort. “That thinking is exactly what’smadeyou dangerous when you shift. You’ll probably find it’s like everything else you’ve had to relearn since you lost your sight; the more you do it, the better you’ll become.”

“She’s right. We have other senses underwater. Better ones, like our barbels. With practice, you’d be fine.” Cas agrees with me, and I’m silently grateful for the backup.

I do make a mental note to ask what the hell a barbel is at some point, but I push that thought to one side and keep my focus on Nos.

“And what if it happens again?” he whispers, grimacing. “Harpoons fucking hurt.”

So far, I’ve stayed on the other side of the galley to keep a clear head. But this kind of distance isn’t working anymore. Nos looks broken, and I can’t take it.

With careful steps, I cross the room until I’m leaning over the table and grab his chin. Keeping my touch gentle, I raise his face until he’s looking straight at me.

“If anyone fucking hurts you again, then I will bring the wrath of the Goddess down upon them. As will the rest of the crew.”

“The captain takes care of the crew,” he mumbles, and I grin because—for all his assholeness—Val does.

“Plus,” Cas adds, dryly. “I don’t know if you noticed while you were knocking around in that cave, but you are alittlebit bigger than you were at sixteen. I don’t think there’s a net in the world big and strong enough to hold our shifted forms now.”

“You’re bigger than Cas,” I add. “If you take out the destruction and terror, itwaspretty impressive.”

It’s subtle, but the seer definitely smiles.

“Consider developing a healthier relationship with your beasts, my condition for mating both of you.” I release his face and give Cas an equally stern look. “You weren’t blameless in this either.”

“I know. I’ll do better.”

I nod. “That’s all I can ask.”

“Captivity changed us,” Nos bemoans. “We won’t ever be normal shifters again.”

“You don’t have to be,” I reply, because I love them exactly as they are, flaws and all. “I just want you to feel safe enough to be who you are without crippling half of your soul.”

“I’ll do the stupid siren’s meditations as well,” Cas grumbles. “Who knows? Maybe it will help me calm my beast.”

I can’t help but snort at the idea of Cas trying to meditate. “You’ll be even worse at it than me.”

“How do you know?” He pouts his full lips in an offended scowl, but there’s a grin there, lurking underneath.