Page 16 of Traitor Witch (The Deadwood #1)

Chapter Sixteen

NOSTER

I leave Cas arguing with Val on the deck and follow Rysen and our mate into the ship.

Keeping up with a vampire who can move silently is as difficult as it sounds. I have to guess he’ll take Nilsa straight to her room, and I’m rewarded for my quick thinking when I hear him turn on the taps.

“Sorry, Lady Solar, but your health is more important than your modesty. You passed out once already.”

“Rysen,” I call, almost crashing into the bathroom doorway in my haste to reach him before he starts trying to strip Nilsa and does irreparable damage to our relationship with her. “I’ll do it.” They both go quiet and I take that as a sign to continue. “I can’t see anything, but I can make sure you stay conscious.”

The silence dominates the room for a while, then the rustle of fabric on fabric tells me that Rysen is letting Nilsa down. I can’t decide if that’s because he wants to deck me or because I’ve gotten through to him .

It isn’t until the door slams closed behind him that I let out the breath I’ve been holding.

“Sorry, he gets… protective. You can’t hold it against him.” I step forward, hands outstretched. “I’ll do my best but, ah, yeah, I’m not sure how much help I can be.”

She’s still quiet for a second. “I’m fine.”

I can hear the tiredness in her voice. “Then I'll just sit here and chat,” I feel my way over to what I think is a wall and lean against it. “That way I know you’re still conscious.” When she doesn’t reply, I decide to pull out my trump card. “You don’t want to hear about what Cas and I got you at the Port?”

“How did you—oh, right. Seer.”

I hear her clothes rustle, the slight intake of breath that indicates pain, then the gentle splash of water as Nilsa slides into the tub.

Now isn’t the time to be thinking about the fact that I’m in a room with my naked mate and I can’t even see her. I’ll curse Fate for that later. Right now, my stupid eyes are a blessing. She would never let me stay with her if I could see, but my blindness makes me harmless in her eyes.

It’s a delusion, but I’m going to use it to my advantage.

If it keeps her safe, I’ll pretend I’m as harmless as a human.

“I knew you were coming back, eventually. I’ll admit, I didn’t think it would be so soon.” Nilsa doesn’t feel the need to answer the implied question, so I go for the direct one instead. “Why are you bleeding?”

“I went to visit another exiled witch.” Her voice shakes on the word ‘exiled’ and my fists clench by my sides as I resist the urge to reach out and comfort her. “I—” she cuts off, and I worry that she’s fallen unconscious, but she continues before I can panic, “Long story short, I can’t go home until I do some stuff. She gave me sigils to help me. ”

“Tattoos?” Fuck, what I wouldn’t give to see that, but her story doesn’t add up. “They don’t bleed as much as what I’m smelling on you.”

“Not just tattoos.” Water splashes, she hisses out a breath. “The ink is mixed with herbs, then they force the Lady's magic under the skin into the mark.”

“Sounds… unpleasant.”

She chokes out a laugh. “It’s excruciating. Before today I only had thirteen… I lost count how many she added last night.”

“Do they work like the ones you gave Valorean?”

“No. His are a passive enchantment. Mine are more like a magical shortcut. They allow me to cast without using herbs or saying a prayer.”

My curiosity isn’t satisfied by such a simple answer. “And they bleed more because they’re magically infused?”

More splashing follows a long silence. “We’re told it’s a test of devotion and dedication. If you’re too easily distracted and you let yourself focus on the pain rather than the intention, you won’t be able to control the magic, anyway. After they're inked into our skin, we're unable to use magic for the next day or so while they settle."

“That’s shit.” I have a new admiration for witches. “What do you have to do to go home?”

She goes quiet and there are no more splashing sounds to let me know she’s still okay.

“If you don’t want to say, that’s okay,” I blurt.

“No, it’s just... I have no idea how to even start. I thought Alletta would help, or at least give me a clue.”

“We’re worldly pir—men.” I barely refrain from calling us pirates.

I suspect Nilsa already knows, but confirming it is another matter. She already doubts her place among us, it's probably best not to add our illegal activities into the mix .

“Maybe one of us could help?" If my visions weren't bestowed upon me at the whim of the Goddess Fate, maybe I'd be more helpful. That doesn't mean the others will be as useless as I am. "Kier is almost seven hundred years old, and Val’s been to every port in the kingdom.”

She sighs and the splashing resumes. “I don’t suppose I have many other options."

“Certainly nothing to lose,” I agree. “Are you still okay?”

“That’s relative, isn’t it?”

Her evasive answer has me moving instinctively closer before I realise what I’m doing.

“Cas picked out some new clothes for you.” Switching the topic seems like a safe bet. “There were no Solar robes but—”

“I don’t want to wear Solar robes ever again,” she blurts, then continues, her voice softer. “So much… so much of what I thought I knew is wrong. What does it matter what we wear when Alletta wears both black and white and calls down the powers of both the Sun and the Moon?” She laughs, humourlessly. “I’m sure, now I’m an exile, they don’t care one bit.”

“Either way, the fabric is soft.” I can’t really describe more than that to her. “We also found some herbs and things. We weren’t sure what a witch would need, but we got a bit of everything.” I hear her dip down into the water. “I could wash your hair for you, if you want.”

Shit, I shouldn’t have said that. But the words are out there now, with no way to take them back.

Another long pause.

“Alright.”

My heartbeat soars.

“Shampoo is to your left.”

I extend my hand until I feel a bottle, and bring it over to her, placing it on the floor beside me before reaching for her. I almost worry that I’ll accidentally punch her in the face, but she takes my hand in her soft ones and leads my fingers to her scalp.

I say a silent prayer of thanks that Cas isn’t here. I love my twin, but he would insist on helping. Nilsa trusts me to know what I’m capable of.

Pampering my mate? I’m always going to be capable of that.

Now that I know where everything is, it’s a simple matter of tipping the contents of the bottle into my hand and massaging it into her thick tresses.

The moment I start, she moans.

My cock goes rock hard in an instant. I have to shift to make sure my front is pressed against the side of the bath where she won’t see. My fingers trace soapy trails along her scalp, and I can’t help brushing them against her ears, trying to learn their shape the only way I can.

Delicate. Slightly pointed and not pierced.

What does she make of Rysen’s piercings?

So much of me wants to trace the line of her nose, learn the shape of her cheekbones and the curve of her brows. But she hasn’t given me that permission yet. I’m skirting the lines as it is.

When I’m done, she gives a happy little sigh and dips down into the water to rinse, but I can’t move.

Not with her scent wrapped around me. The memory of her skin still tingling on my fingertips.

She reaches past me then draws back, the softness of a towel brushing my shoulder as she wraps herself in it.

I finally find the strength to stand, tactfully untucking my shirt as I go. She surprises me by taking my offered hand, her slight weight leaning on me as she steps out of the bath.

“You need to rest,” I murmur .

NILSA

Rest. Yeah right.

My body may have been through the wringer but my mind keeps replaying the events of the last day on a loop.

Danika, exiling me.

The agony of the sigils which still burn just beneath my skin.

Val, refusing to let me onto the ship.

I have no idea why the last one bothers me so much. I hate Val, and the feeling’s mutual. I shouldn’t care that he doesn’t want me here.

“I don’t want to rest,” I say, “I’m not stupid. I know I’m not up to much, but I need to be doing something."

Nos smiles. "What do you like doing?"

Isn't that the question? I think about it as I walk back into my room and towards the closet at the back. It’s a good thing Nos can't see my expression as I open the wardrobe doors and find a whole selection of white, cream, and pale grey dresses in there.

Dammit, what I wouldn't give for black, or even a very dark blue.

"Do you like them?"

I force the smile into my voice, "They're great, thank you."

"Lie."

Fucking fae! I turn to glare at him, standing in the doorway. "Ever hear of knocking?"

He just raises an imperious brow.

"If you don't like them, we can get something else," Nos seems unfazed by our byplay. "I mean, they don't look like anything special to me either."

It takes a moment for his joke to sink in, and when it does, I can't contain my snort .

"It's not the clothes," I say, "I just... it's not what I'm used to." There, that isn't a lie. "I'm not even sure what I want to wear anymore."

I’m no longer a Solar fosterling, but can I wear the black of a Lunar now that I’m an exile? Can I afford not to when striking from the shadows is my safest option?

"I think I need to discover who I am without my coven," I say, plucking a dress at random from the closet. "I might as well experiment, since it seems I won't be able to go home for a while,"

An uncomfortable silence follows my words, and I turn around to find both men still staring. "I need to get changed."

Kier's slow smile suggests he doesn't care, but my glare must convince him to turn around and close the door behind him.

"I'm not watching," Nos quips, taking a perch on the side of the bed. "If you're okay with it, I want to stay close."

Somehow, knowing it’s concern which motivates him doesn't cool the blush that spreads across my body as I drop the towel and step into the dress.

The fabric is soft and clings in a way the Lunar in me appreciates. The light grey is closer to a Solar colour, but it isn't anything like the shapeless robe I wore while they fostered me. It has a plunging V-neck which somehow manages to give the impression I have larger boobs than nature ever intended, a wide belt, and a flared skirt that still covers my ankles.

I drag a comb through my still-wet hair and slip on a pair of plain canvas shoes that make me grimace.

As soon as I get my hands on some more money, I’m going to buy myself some boots. Screw that, I’m going to transform the shoes into a decent pair of heels the instant I’m allowed to use magic again.

"I'm ready. "

Nos frowns. "You're unhappy."

"I don't like being unable to use magic because of these stupid sigils," I retort. "The last time I was inked I was a nightmare to deal with. I almost didn't make it the full twenty-four hours." Glenna had almost resorted to locking me in my room to keep me from doing anything I wasn't supposed to.

"I thought Solars were supposed to be patient?"

I freeze, realising what I’ve unintentionally given away. "Yes, well, there's an exception to every rule."

Nos doesn't have an answer for that. "So, what did you want to do?"

"Eat," I reply, honestly. "It's been forever since I last ate something. After that... Well, what is there to do on this ship? Where's Val taking us next, anyway?"

I head out of the door, only to find Kier still leaning against the opposite wall. I pause for a second, our eyes meeting before I drop my gaze. I don’t acknowledge him because I’m still annoyed at his meddling, but Kier follows us anyway as I start towards the galley.

Nos just ignores him and keeps talking. "We were headed for Ilya Bay before we found you, I imagine Val wants to—”

There’s a muffled ‘oomph’ of pain, and when I look back, it’s to find Nos has walked face first into a door which wasn’t open before. I watch the door swing closed again of its own accord and scowl at Val’s underhanded tactics.

“Sorry, Captain,” Nos mutters, rubbing his face. “Val has some stuff he needs to get done. The city of Ilyani has a small witch presence; maybe you can find a broom there.”

I shake my head. “They won’t help me. An exile is an exile, and I’m from a different coven.” I grimace. “I was from a different coven.”

I push through the door to the galley, only to stop dead in my tracks .

Cas is already here, half-hidden by the abundance of food that litters the room. Barrels and crates of fresh vegetables stacked on top of one another fill almost all the space. Only a thin path of clear floor remains.

It’s the stark opposite of the salted pork and oats that were here when I first came aboard.

Then I catch sight of the table and nearly cry.

Planters filled with herbs are crammed onto the groaning wooden surface. Sage, lavender, basil… all the common herbs a witch might need. There are only a dozen or so, and they've stayed away from the more toxic plants, but I can work around that. In the corner, a cauldron sits empty, waiting for a witch to use it.

The shifter is busy sorting some of the food into the overhead cupboards, but I tackle him in my enthusiasm. Drawing him into a huge hug that knocks the wind out of both of us.

Cas goes very still. His whole body tenses. A strange, whirring growl echoes from his chest.

I let go, cursing myself. What the hell came over me? “I’m sor—”

The shifter whirls and drags me back into his arms. “Don’t apologise.”

Goddess, the warmth of him is like nothing I’ve ever felt. Temptation incarnate to a Lunar missing the casual intimacies of a coven. I want to stay forever, but I know it’s hardly appropriate for two people who’ve only known each other a couple of days. He doesn’t let me go, and that strange rumble in his chest starts all over again.

I push lightly against his arms to no avail.

“Cas,” I smirk against his chest. “I’m grateful, but you have to let me go.”

It’s definitely a growl that greets my words, the displeasure in the sound nothing human.

Shit .

“Nilsa,” Nos sounds cautious. “What are you doing? Describe what’s happening.”

“I hugged him… and he doesn’t want to let go.”

At least he isn’t trying to eat me.

As if in answer to my thoughts, Cas’s head lowers until his face is pressed against my neck.

“He’s… sniffing me?” Well, this got weird fast.

“Don’t move.” Something tells me I don’t want to see the expression on Nos’s face right now. “He’s just scenting you. It’s a shifter thing.”

Another growl sounds from behind me, followed by the sounds of a scuffle.

“Ry, no! Do you want him to shift? He’s just scenting her.”

“What the hell happened?” Rysen’s whisper isn’t so much a whisper as a hiss.

“She hugged him.”

That shut the vampire up fast.

“Nilsa, don’t tense,” Nos continues, even though I’ve been subconsciously doing that since I triggered Cas’s beast. “He won’t calm until you’re calm.”

Calm. Right.

Yeah, that’s not happening.

There’s a knife in my boot. I don’t want to stab Cas, but I will if it’s a choice between that and being squished by whatever his other half is.

“Please, Lady Solar. Once he’s calm, he’ll release you, you have my word.”

Calm down the raging shifter. Okay.

I start stroking Cas’s back in small circles because I honestly can’t think of anything else.

It works. His arms loosen slightly.

Encouraged, I keep going. I’m not exactly good at offering comfort, but after several tense moments, Cas steps back, eyes flashing a brilliant turquoise .

When that colour bleeds away, he looks at me then glances away.

“Shit.”

“Are you back?” Nos asks, coming closer.

“I didn’t mean to trigger your beast,” I apologise. “I didn’t realise he wasn’t a hugger.”

Cas barks out a laugh. “He is a hugger. That was the problem.”

But that doesn’t ease the careful distance he keeps between us as he moves back to the waiting supplies. “I take it we got the right herbs then?”

My head bobs of its own accord as I go back to surveying the tiny garden on the table. “They’re perfect.”

His grin is like lightning across his face. “You look stunning in the clothes.”

I try to shrug it off, but Nos cuts me off before I can thank him. “I think we should take her with us next time.”

Cas shrugs like it’s no big deal. “Whatever you want.”

My hand flutters over the soft leaves on the table. “Where should I put them? The deck?” I’d rather not face the ocean every time I have to cast something, but I highly doubt Val will give me a second cabin when he objected so much to giving me the first.

A door appears beside me before I’ve even had time to finish my sentence. It springs open on silent hinges, revealing a sun-drenched room that definitely hadn’t been there before.

Of course, the moment I take a step toward it, the door slams shut.

“It’s yours if you fix my hair.” Val walks through the wall beside me, almost making me jump out of my skin.

His hair doesn’t look to have faded, in fact, somehow it’s more luminous than before. Highlights of magenta and baby pink have turned a solid pink mass into a spectrum.

“You’ve accepted that I’m staying then? ”

His eyes narrow. “For now,” he pauses. “I expect you’ll show your gratitude by making those freshness charms you talked about and continuing to feed the crew.”

I glare at him. “It’s a pity they didn’t buy any poisonous plants.”

“Immortal, remember?”

“Puking your guts up for hours still sucks.”

“Do we have a deal, witch?”

My glower doesn’t die, but I give him a curt nod, anyway.

The captain frowns, and the door opens once again. The plants disappear from the table, sinking through the flash of an inky purple transmutation circle. It takes a second before they reappear, rising through a matching, glowing circle on the wooden floor inside.

Even though controlling the Deadwood has to be a mammoth task, somehow, Val still has enough energy to teleport that much stuff.

That amount of power should make me wary, but Valorean's not that kind of asshole that I have to worry about a sneaky mage attack. He wears his emotions on his sleeve, and if he was going to attack me, he'd do it head on with plenty of cursing.

“How long until you fix my hair?” he demands.

“Next moonset,” I admit as I stare into his eyes, trying to figure out his motivation.

Is he so vain that his hair is all he really cares about? Or is the captain warming to me?

No. There’s no warmth in those eyes. Just challenge.

“I’ll help you move things,” Rysen interrupts whatever either of us might have said next, his huge bulk cutting between us and breaking the staring contest. “Just tell me where you want them.”

I smile softly at him. “That would be great. ”

“Here—” Nos holds out an apple in my direction— “I know you were hungry.”

Rysen frowns. “She needs more than an apple.”

“I’ll make myself something later,” I promise, wandering through the door and into the space beyond. “I just want to get started…”

Truthfully, the idea of a workroom of my own is just too much. Even at the Lunar temple, I had to share a space half this size with Danika and Ophelia.

If I didn’t despise Valorean so much, I’d be thanking him for the best gift of my life. There are no windows, so I don’t have to see the ocean, but there is a huge skylight that lets in natural sunlight for the plants, and three crystal lamps hanging from the ceiling. Shelves cover two of the walls, empty for now, but large enough to hold some of my smaller herbs.

It’s a blank slate; a perfect place to make my own.

“Where do you want stuff?”

I turn, surprised to find it’s not just Rysen waiting for me. Cas and Kier are hovering in the doorway, and Nos is sitting on the bench in the room beyond, clearly content to stay close for the company.

I bite my lip. “Can someone get the desk from my cabin? I’d rather have it in here.”

Rysen grunts and leaves, which I assume means he’s taken on the task. “That bay tree there,” I say, pointing to one of the largest plants. “Can go in that corner…”

It feels surreal to be ordering three huge pirates around like this, but they don’t complain. Rysen doesn’t take long to reappear with the desk in one hand and a chair in the other, he glares at me until I sit down.

Three immortal males get the room set up in under an hour, even with my indecisiveness. We’ve just finished when Nos tenses, falling into a vision with a slight gasp of surprise .

“He’ll be fine,” Cas reassures me after a tense second.

But the looks on their faces tell me that’s not always the case. The way one of them always keeps an eye on him makes me wonder just how bad Nos’s visions get.

I want to ask, but I don’t think they trust me enough to tell me. I can’t blame them, of course. Even for all their kindness, I’m still lying to them.

What will they do if they find out I’m a Lunar?