Page 22 of Traitor Witch (The Deadwood #1)

Chapter Twenty-Two

NILSA

K ier keeps his silence for the next week, but he’s never far. He’s made himself my assistant in the galley and he’s trying to teach me to cook properly. The fae gives me a despairing look every time I just transform food, but I ignore him.

His gentlemanly gestures continue to make me smile. He opens doors for me, carries heavy plants around my study without complaint and never once starts eating until I have.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a strong, independent witch, and I could easily lift pots and open doors by myself. But dammit, those little things give me butterflies. It's nice to not be treated like an assassin first and a woman second.

In fact, I like it so much I don’t bother to stop him.

There are a lot of things that remain unsaid between the six of us. No one mentions the strange storm that tried to drag the boat under, or the compulsion I used on Val in place of a healing spell.

I’m not foolish .

They know something’s up.

Just like I know there’s something they’re keeping from me.

It’s just a feeling at first. An itch that won’t go away. Then there are the conversations which end whenever I walk into a room.

The one thing I am sure of is that Kier has kept my secret. Val would have ordered me off his ship if he hadn’t. Plus, I’ve been very careful never to outright lie to any of them.

Not that I could get away with it with Kier always around.

So when we drop anchor in Ilya Bay, with Fort Ilya looming behind us, it’s no surprise to find him climbing into the rowboat with Cas and me. Rysen is holding us up, discussing something with Valorean on the upper deck, and Nos is sitting up there with them, having fallen into a vision almost an hour ago.

“Are you coming?” Cas roars.

“Give us a second!” Val is as grumpy as usual.

When Rysen finally joins us, he’s got a huge parcel tucked under one arm with a stack of letters tied to the top of it. When he catches me looking, he gives me a soft smile.

“I’m running a few errands for Val," he pauses, eyes flashing red. “Ilyani’s a big place, five times the size of Coveton, so stick close to Cas, okay?”

I have to seriously suppress the urge to roll my eyes. I’ve donned my white robe once more, though I feel like more of a fraud than ever, and the heavy cloak is stifling, especially with Opal’s warm weight on my lap.

“I’m sure I’ll be fine.”

“Like you were when those mercenaries turned up?” Cas challenges.

Gah, I could just… “I was weakened by blood loss.” I see Rysen’s fists clench at the word. “Ordinarily, I'd..." I trail off as the vampire starts rowing, unable to finish that sentence. “I’d have my magic, for one thing!”

Rysen just smiles, indulging me. Kier raises a brow and Cas frowns.

The boat goes quiet, just the splashing of the oars breaking up the silence until the noises of the port draw closer.

“Don’t worry,” Cas’s frown morphs into a grin so quickly I get whiplash. “I promise to get us into all sorts of trouble while we’re alone.”

That grin disarms me far too easily. I have to turn away, stroke Opal, and pretend to contemplate the city glistening under the light of the Moon.

In reality, I’m sneaking glances at Rysen’s arms as he rows. Goddess, each flex is reminding me of what it felt like to be surrounded by him as he fed from me.

“I just can’t wait to be back on solid ground again.”

“Just remember we’re in Ilyani now,” Rysen cautions. “It’s got a large mage population, and they don’t revere the Goddesses the way the people of Coveton do.”

“It won’t matter,” I dismiss him with a wave of my hand. “I’m just an exile, remember? It’s not like I’m going to try to stir up trouble.”

No, my one mission is to figure out who this stupid ring belongs to. I touch it, almost subconsciously, checking it’s still there. If I can’t find the owner of the crest in Ilyani, the second largest city in the kingdom, then my quest is doomed.

Rysen’s tiny smile suggests he thinks I’m na?ve, but he doesn’t say anything more on the subject.

“I—”

But whatever he was about to say is cut off by Cas, jackknifing into a standing position, eyes fixed on the market just ahead.

“Faster, Ry. ”

“What is it?” I ask, but Kier has already pushed off from the boat, his dragonfly wings popping into existence mid-leap and carrying him into the evening sky.

Rysen starts using his vampiric strength, propelling the boat towards the sand beneath the sea wall with a vengeance. We barely manage to reach the shore before Cas leaps out of the boat and over the stone wall in one graceful motion, splashing me with sea water in his haste to get to whatever has caught his attention.

“Nilsa, wait here—”

I’m already gone. Opal digs her claws into my shoulders as I borrow a little of the Mother’s magic to activate the agility sigils on my legs and follow Cas.

We land in the middle of a mob.

In front of me, a huge man drags a Solar witch away from a seizing woman on the ground. His grip in her sunny, blonde hair is cruel, forcing her head at an unnatural angle. She’s young—too young to be wandering alone outside of her temple—and that, more than anything, cements my decision to step in.

“Please! Your wife needs my help!” The Solar’s voice is thin, almost lost under the angry mutterings from the crowd.

“She needs modern medicine; not old-wives’ tales," the man roars, his cheeks turning red with rage.

Cas raises his hands in the air, placatingly. “Let the witch go.”

But I’m not feeling that forgiving.

The Moon is only just chasing away the last light of dusk, but the chill of the Goddess’s magic permeates the area, anyway. It’s eager to respond to my call, lending icy, burning magic to my protection sigils and coating my body in a shield of moonlight. I step straight into his personal space and press my knife against his family jewels.

That gets his attention. The blood drains from his face, and I smile.

“Hands off, asshole.”

“What you gonna do, stupid Solar?” He taunts, wrenching the Solar’s head back. “Your temple will disown you if you hurt me.”

I snort, digging the dagger in deeper. “I’m already an exile, you son of a bitch. Try me.”

Transmutation circles start to flare in lime green all around him, and I snort.

“You really want to take the chance on being able to cast anything before I slice off your cock?"

Someone approaches from behind, and Opal pounces from my shoulders, shifting into her larger familiar form in a blast of magic.

Whoever she landed on pisses themselves. The acrid scent overpowering the smells of the market around us.

The asshole lets the Solar go. But instead of running, the other witch dives for the woman on the ground, furiously muttering prayers as she pulls herbs out of a tiny bag at her waist and shoves them between the woman’s clenched teeth.

Almost instantly, the stiffness of the woman’s body eases. Her limbs still. A second later, she starts to blink rapidly, bringing the world into focus.

When she sees the Solar, she flinches backward.

“Get away from me.”

“You’re welcome,” the Solar whispers. “Maybe stay off the fae dust in future?”

The woman ignores her in favour of staring at her husband. “Rodney!”

Her eyes catch on the way I’ve got him backed against a wall.

More specifically, on the dagger I’ve got pressed against his crotch.

“Get away from him, you savage! ”

I dig the dagger in a little deeper. “Say thank you to the nice witch who saved your wife’s life first.”

But the man won’t even look at his wife. Doesn’t even seem to care that she’s okay.

No, his eyes are fixed on us witches.

He says nothing. But there's hatred in the stiff lines of his jaw.

I smirk as I remove the dagger, letting the magic I have gathered manifest and push outwards on a near-silent hex.

That smirk turns into a full-blown laugh as his face starts to break out in hideous warts.

And his face isn’t the only place he’s been hit.

There’s a certain satisfaction in delivering divine justice.

The Solar dives for him, obviously trying to heal his new ailment. Before she can reach him, I catch her arm in mine, pulling her away.

“Oh no, you don’t. Modern medicine will fix that, I’m sure.”

The Solar makes a show of some token resistance, but otherwise says nothing as I drag her out of the protective circle that Rysen, Cas, and Opal have created for us and away from the main street.

Opal shrinks as I pass her, leaping back onto my shoulders with a tiny, innocent mew.

“You’re so great at pretending to be a pacifistic Solar.” I can hear the smirk in her voice . “Tell me, oh great one, how do you plan to explain all of that to your pirates?”

“Oh shut up,” I mutter. “Kier knows, anyway…”

But my mind is already calculating. Ilyani is big enough for me to disappear if they decide to leave me here and there are temples so someone here will have a broom.

“You’re growing attached,” my familiar scoffs. “You don’t want them to make you leave.”

“Stop reading me!” I growl, tugging the Solar away from the last of the crowds.

When we’re finally alone, I stop and turn to face the other witch. “Which way to your temple?”

I’ll make sure she gets home safe, then try to find a way to explain everything.

She just stares at me, blankly.

“You’re Nilsa.”

She didn’t phrase it as a question, so I don’t bother confirming it.

“Why are you here? Why are you wearing those robes? Why would you waste time saving me if you’re a witch-killer?”

I winced at the last one. “Find your own way home then.”

I turn to leave, but she grabs at my sleeve, keeping me there.

“My mistake, Shadow. Forgive me." She glances up, hazel eyes bright with curiosity and adrenaline. "I owe you my life.”

I bite my lip, nod once and keep walking, my sleeve falling from her hand as I do so.

But this Solar isn’t so easily deterred. “Please, come back to the Sun Temple. Mother Solar will want to thank you.”

I raise a brow, “That seems unlikely. I’ll walk you back, to ensure your safety, that's all.”

She just smiles. It's that same, calm Solar smile Felicity had. The kind of smile which hides so many undertones a Lunar can never hope to understand them all.

The memory of Felicity, more than anything else, is what makes me fall into step beside her.

“My name’s Elsie,” she says, “it was kind of you and your harem to come to my rescue like that.”

“They’re not my harem,” I object, “I’m travelling with them. That’s all.”

“Oh.”

I settle for the silence, but Elsie is a chatterbox. “So, why are you wearing Solar robes?”

I roll my eyes. “In most places, being a Solar grants you a little more public benevolence than being a Lunar. Or, at least, that was the case in Coveton.”

"You'll find little public benevolence in Ilyani. At best, most people think we’re outdated and useless. At worst, we’re dangerous zealots standing in the way of mage progress. Only the old or the incurable even give us a chance.”

Silence reigns again for just a heartbeat before she blurts, “Did you really kill High Priestess Felicity and High Priestess Glenna?”

I scowl at her. “You talk too much.”

“That’s not an answer.”

“You’re awfully bold for someone who called me ‘witch killer’ not five minutes ago,” I pause. I assumed she was young, but talking to her makes me wonder just how young. “How old are you?”

“Sixteen.”

Sweet Lady Moonlight, she isn’t even an adult by human standards. What’s she doing outside of her temple?

The question dies on my lips as a familiar figure jogs up behind us.

“Nilsa! Thank Goddess!”

Cas is wild-eyed with worry as he reaches us. He's still checking me over as Kier lands nearby wearing a disgruntled look. The moment my name is called, Rysen blurs into existence beside me. Somehow, the vampire has kept a hold of his parcel, but his free hand half-reaches for me, then stops midway before dropping back to his side.

“You’re unharmed?” His fangs are extended, obscuring his words, but I nod, anyway.

“What the hell were you thinking, running off without us?” Cas pants, eyes flashing between turquoise and brown.

Shit, what was I supposed to say ?

“This is Elsie,” I deflect, pulling the Solar in front of me. “I’m going to walk her back to her temple.”

Rysen pinches the bridge of his nose, but nods. “I’m already late for the Captain’s business. I’ll see you back on the ship.” He gives Cas and Kier a look. “If she gets into any more trouble…”

“I’ll keep to the plan.” Cas promises.

“The plan?” I ask. “What plan?”

But Rysen doesn’t answer. He shuffles the box so it’s more secure against his hip, then gives me a tiny smile before blurring away again.

Leaving me with just Cas, Kier, and Elsie.

“You’re sure they’re not your harem? They’re very protective of you, considering who you are.”

I could have hissed at her to stay quiet, but I find my panicked eyes go straight to Cas instead. My tongue turns to lead in my mouth. Everything seems to go into slow motion as the teenager wrecks two weeks of careful non-lies before my eyes.

“Harem?” he asks.

“Lunars have human harems,” Elsie replies. “I just assumed because of how worried you were, you were hers.”

I wait for Cas’s eyes to widen. For him to realise he’s been deceived. But he just throws back his head and laughs.

“The look on your face,” he chortles. “Nilsa, I’ve known you weren’t a Solar since you used compulsion on Val. You’re not a great actress. The news about a harem is new, though.”

He sidles round me and hooks an arm around Elsie, who blushes as any teenager would when confronted by such a gorgeous shifter. “Do tell me more.”

Something rash bubbles up at me at the sight of Cas’s arm around another woman—even if she is just a girl. My eyes narrow and I feel Opal’s fur bristle in response.

Which is completely illogical .

Cas can touch whomever he likes.

The Solar blushes some more, then disentangles herself.

“Solars are celibate, except when the Sun Goddess gives her blessing for us to carry more witch children. Lunars…” she looks at me. “Well, I don’t know how it happens, really. Only that the Goddess usually picks for them when they turn immortal and they’re inseparable from then on.”

They all look at me. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

Cas seems genuinely confused. “Are your men dead?”

“No.”

“Imprisoned?”

“No, Cas. Drop it.”

“I just don’t understand why they’d leave you.” His earnest expression doesn’t do anything to soothe my agitation.

“It is unusual,” Elsie agrees.

“Drop. It.” Why are they so interested, anyway?

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.”