Page 133 of Traitor Witch

"Okay," I draw the word out before stuffing a huge bite of toast into my mouth.

"Thank you so much for bringing me here to meet him," she gushes. "I wish I could thank Valorean, too. This place is everything I dreamed it could be."

"Is that the asshole who knocked you both into the ocean?" Reva smirks. "I wouldn't thank him for anything."

"Hot, though," a Lunar behind her comments. "Even the psycho leviathan shifter was pretty to look at."

"They're good men," Elsie scolds. "Talking about them like that is plain rude. Besides, Valorean didn't mean to knock us into the sea. His powers are just acting up, which is completely natural for a mage in the presence of his mate."

Reva misunderstands, mouth gaping as she stares across at the young Solar. "A Solar with a mate? That's..."

Elsie just rolls her eyes. "Notmymate, obviously. I have no interest in fornicating."

There are titters as the Lunars hear the word fornicating, but Reva's too-perceptive eyes latch onto mine.

"Drop it," I mouth.

She purses her lips, gives me a look that clearly says this topic isn't over, and then turns towards Elsie with an evil grin.

"You do realise Solars can say the word 'fuck', right?"

Chapter Thirty-Five

NILSA

I'm halfway through my meal before Petra and Sophie reappear, taking their seats at a small table set slightly apart from the rest. The other witches treat them with a casual kind of reverence, bowing as they pass, but otherwise they're content to allow the High Priestesses a moment to enjoy their meal without too much pomp and circumstance.

Reva, Elsie, and the rest of our table ignore them, for the most part, but it doesn't take long for me to be summoned. The Solar who approaches the table is soft-spoken, mild in a way that makes Elsie seem almost Lunar by comparison.

"The High Priestesses asked if you would join them," she says, bowing softly and disappearing before I can reply.

"I guess we'll see you round?" Reva asks.

"Of course," I agree, "I want the full tour of this place."

The rest of the table starts calling out suggestions, Solars and Lunars alike bombarding Reva with places to show me as I pick up my plate and head for the high priestesses' table.

They're both staring at me, waiting therelike perfect mirrors of one another. Sophie is relaxed, if a little cautious, while Petra looks like she'd rather be anywhere else.

I bow softly before taking a seat opposite them.

"How are you settling in?" Sophie asks.

How does she honestly expect me to be settling in after all the revelations Petra dropped on me earlier?

"It's good to be back among my own kind." That much is true, at least.

"If you're feeling recovered, we thought you might want to get started learning about the Eagle of Galmere's allies in case they need to be eliminated."

"Alright." Why is Sophie broaching this and not Petra? A Mother Solar speaking so openly about killing isstrangeto say the least. "I assumed most of the problems would come from her guard but Reva mentioned she has mages on her side."

Petra scoffs. "No. If it was just an army of humans, any witch could get past the walls."

"She has powerful, immortal allies." Sophie shoots Petra a look. "Her main ally is in the Mage High Councilman, Everett Castleman, but she also has a powerful ally called the Alchemist."

"Another mage?"

Petra's expression turns thunderous. "No. A witch."