Page 145 of Traitor Witch

"Nothing like home, huh?" Val mutters, absently stroking Titan's head.

The mage stares into the distance as the mastiff sits by his side, watching his master with his head cocked and his tongue lolling out. It would make a sweet picture, if not for the frown on Val's face and the city in the distance.

"It hasn't been my home in centuries." It's changed so much so many times that it's nothing like the city I was born in. "I'll get the barrels ready."

Stomping through the ship feels oddly empty now. Cas is still in his beast form, and has been since Nilsa was snatched out of his arms. Nos hasn't left his room and Kier is... wherever he goes when he wants to be alone.

That conversation with Val is the only communication we've had in days.

I used to think our crew was unshakable. Then we lost our mate.

Goddess, her scent still haunts the corridors. Like she's still here with us, about to pop out of her tiny, sunlit study. I can even smell her in the hold and rage rips into me at the thought of her coming down here and discovering the barrels.

Nos broke down and confessed that Nilsa asked him about it. He told her we're bound by a fae bargain, but she doesn't know that we're trying to fix it. Doing everything to work around the constraints of the damned deal we're stuck in.

I lift the first barrel onto my shoulder and start hefting them up onto the deck.

Val could do this, but I need the exertion. Need to keep busy so I don't think about my tiny mate, on Idos, unprotected.

There's an ominous creak and I have to relax my grip on the barrel or risk damaging it. The Eagle's soldiers aren't forgiving if the cargo turns up in anything less than perfect condition.

I put the first barrel on the deck, then go down and grab the next. The Queen's small dayboat is already drawing up alongside theDeadwood, red sails flashing in the harsh Galmeri sun. I can feel Val's tension in the way the ship starts to lurch.

"Keep it together, Valorean," I mutter, picking up a slightly heavier one.

His hold on his power is as shaky as mine is on my bloodlust. It's the sort of thing that will only get worse the longer he goes without claiming his mate. But the soldiers can't know about Nilsa. We can't paint a target on her back.

I haul the rest of the barrels up quickly, then join Kier andVal on the deck. The three of us are a united front against the soldiers who pour onto the ship like ants, taking up positions with their swords levelled at us.

"Where are the other two?" The puffy moustache on Commander Derrick's face is new, but the disgusted expression on his face is all too familiar. The asshole is nobility and finds dealing with us worse than dealing with dirt, but he doesn't get a choice. The Queen trusts him for some stupid reason. "The shifters?"

"None of your fucking business," Val retorts.

A soldier drives a fist into his gut for his cockiness, and my fists clench in response. Val grunts and bends double as he tries to suck air back into his lungs. When he straightens, there's murder in his eyes.

But he can't strike back. None of us can.

"Fae, answer me. No tricky business," he demands.

Kier grimaces. "One shifted, far away. The other in his cabin."

It always used to make sense that they'd insist on hearing things from Kier. After all, he's the only one of us who can't lie. But now that I know he feels pain with every word, it makes my fangs ache to tear into them.

They're literally torturing him, and they don't even know it.

If they did, they'd probably make him speak more—sadistic assholes.

The commander nods at two of his subordinates. "Get him."

"And the other?"

"Leave it. He's too far gone to be of any use, anyway. Beast was basically feral when they last showed up."

It doesn't take long for Nos to be dragged out and thrown on the deck beside us.

The only good thing about these assholes? They treat Nosgentler than the rest of us. Not by much, but he's still a Seer, after all.

A few people still respect that.