Page 15 of Traitor Witch

“When we’re back at the ship, we’ll find you something to eat.” He takes a seat on the bench opposite as Noster settles in beside me. “Valorean—our captain—wants to meet you first, but I’m sure you’ll be fine.”

Noster snorts, and I glance up at him questioningly.

“Who else is there in your crew?” I ask.

“Not many of us,” Noster mumbles. “Val’s a bond mage, theDeadwood’s his bond ‘item’ so we don’t need a full crew to keep her running.”

“Besides him, there’s Kier, an ice fae, and Rysen, our resident vampire,” Cas finishes, picking up the two oars and starting to row us with powerful strokes that make his muscles bunch enticingly. “Don’t worry about them, though, you’ll rarely see them.”

Five pirates. That’s manageable. They think I’m a Solar witch, so if they turn out to be vicious murdering scoundrels, I have the element of surprise on my side. Our first meeting will be under the watchful moonlight. As long as my Goddess is in the sky, I should be able to handle anything they throw at me.

“This is a stupid idea,”Opal grumbles,“They could be anyone, for all you know. They could be working for— oooohhh.”Her tirade cuts off as Noster identifies her head by touch and scratches her behind the ears.“Good pirate… ah, left a bit.”Her purrs fill the silence, making me smile.

“You’re safe with us,” Noster reassures me and, looking into his big, white eyes, I want to believe him. “They’re good males, all with honour. And Valorean will relent andgive you your own cabin after you shock him by accepting his terms.”

Casimir just shakes his head. “Terms?”

Noster smiles. “Wait and see.”

His predictions are beginning to freak me out, but Opal, the traitor, is happily purring away on his lap.

A particularly large wave splashes against the side of the boat, and I stiffen. Of course, Cas notices. It would be too easy if he didn’t.

“You don’t like the sea?”

I want to tell him to shove his curiosity up his ass, but that isn’t what a Solar would do.

“I don’t like the cold,” I lie.

They don’t need to know I can’t swim. It’ll leave me even more at their mercy than I already am. My excuse makes Noster move closer, his body radiating warmth that’s so tempting. I want to curl into him and never leave, but that’s a stupid idea, so I settle for just soaking it up from a distance.

“I’ll keep you warm,” he promises.

Chapter Five

RYSEN

Cas turning up on the deck stark naked isn’t unusual. Him asking to borrow a rowboat to bring aboard a guest… well, that’s never happened. The ticking in Valorean’s jaw only gets worse as the mad shifter explains that Nos is the one who wants the boat.

I can almost hear him regretting taking the twins in two decades ago.

Val asking me to be on deck to greet the newcomer confirms he plans on scaring our ‘guest’ straight back to shore.

Unfortunately, being a vampire tends to scare away a lot of potential company. Being a vampire and as huge as I am is akin to social suicide. Val knows it, and I’m pretty sure that’s why he keeps me around.

Yeah, he’s not a people person. It’s probably a side effect of being stuck on a ship for centuries. I just hope this mystery guest isn’t another mage, because that willreally set him off.

Val’s temper is legendary.

And he has hours to work himself up, because the twins take until nightfall to reappear.

Cas hauls himself over the side first, looking down quickly before he whispers, “She’s our mate,” just loud enough for the three of us to hear.

The vein in Val’s temple begins to throb, and it’s almost funnier than the idea of the dysfunctional twins having a mate.

Noster climbs up next and Cas pulls him out of the way. As one, all five of us stare at the ladder, waiting for this mysterious female to make her entrance.

When her first delicate hand appears over the side, bringing with it the faint scent of berries, herbs, and sweetness, something I can’t explain takes hold of me.