Page 87 of Traitor Witch

Something in the flatness of my tone must convince them to shut up, but the looks I get from all of them convince me this isn’t over.

The awkward silence appears for another second, but Elsie isn’t one to let it linger.

“So, what brings you to Ilyani?”

I pull the necklace with the ring hanging on it out of my robe and show it to her. “I need to know where this crest came from.”

The gold catches the light.

For the first time since we’ve met, Elsie seems to lose her voice.

“You’d best speak with the Mother Solar," she finally says. "I’ll run ahead and prepare her for your arrival.”

Before I can say anything more, or demand she tell me what she knows, she scurries off, leaving me in the dust.

Warm hands meet my shoulders, and I tense as Cas turns me to face him.

“You’re not angry?” I ask, hating how quiet my voice is.

“Oh, I’m very angry.” His words don’t match his smile, or the grin of Kier behind him. “All this time you could have been wearing sweet little black numbers instead of this shapeless robe…”

“Cas…” I grumble.

But inwardly I'm relieved. I can finally stop acting. I'm not about to let slip that I'm an assassin, but having at least part of the burden gone feels right.

He shakes his head. “If I was in your position, about to get on a ship with men I didn’t know… I would have done the same. Val won’t be pleased, though.”

“Then don’t tell him,” I plead.

Once Val learns one secret, he won't rest until he's uncovered every tiny thing I've been hiding. He almost certainly won't be as forgiving as Cas.

“What makes you think Kier won’t?"

I glance, guiltily behind him, and Cas growls this time, turning to examine his crew mate.

“You knew?" The fae nods once in answer. Cas thrusts a hand through his already messy hair, a low grumble erupting from his throat. It takes him a few deep breaths before he can turn back to face me. “Who else? My brother, I assume? He must have seen it.”

“I don’t know about Nos,” I whisper. “He’s never mentioned it.”

“Any other differences between Lunars and Solars we should know about?”

I shake my head. “Solars are healers who deal with life, Lunars deal with the dead. Exorcisms, funerals, that sort of thing.” I refrain from mentioning my status as Shadow of the moon. No need to pile it all on him at once. “We’re also… not celibate. But I suppose you already know that?”

This time his grin is wicked. “I’m counting on it.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

CASIMIR

The look on Nilsa’s face is priceless.

She’s shocked, yes. But she’s aroused too. Her pupils have dilated, almost eliminating the pretty, stormy blue of her irises, and her lips have parted subconsciously.

Nos must have known all along. Sneaky bastard.

I’ve never wanted to throttle my brother as much as I did when Elsie mentioned that Lunars have harems.

I thought it was crazy, her having five mates. I was prepared for her to try to reject the idea. Or worse, reject me in favour of one of the others.