Page 14 of Traitor Witch
They look at each other, then at me, and then back at each other. “Lady Solar, they’re up that’a way.” One of them jerks his head left. “But, if I migh' say, you don’ wanna be messin' with those pirates.”
Pirates. Just great.
Maybe this gut feeling is just indigestion.
But it’s too late to turn back now. I bow my head and mutter my thanks before scurrying off in the direction they indicated. The wood of the dock groans under my feet and I send a silent prayer to the Goddess to keep me from falling into the murky depths.
Opal’s right. I can’t swim. Just looking at the cold, dark, unforgiving water makes me shiver.
Goddess, what am I doing? Me, getting on a boat?
I don’t have long to second guess myself before I catch sight of the two men whose presence dominates the space at the end of the pier.
We were horizontal the last time I saw the Seer and now that he’s standing, I can appreciate how tall he really is. Witches are naturally shorter and more delicate looking than a lot of other immortals, but he and his twin absolutely dwarfme in height and bulk. I feel tiny in comparison and I’m not even close yet.
The wind shifts, blowing my hair forward, and they both stiffen, their eyes flicking turquoise and back again.
That kind of instinctive reaction means they’re shifters, and I swallow the momentary fear that they’re going to eat me.
Shifters—and everyone else, for that matter—usually worship the Sun Goddess. These twins have no reason to believe I’m not a stuffy Solar.
But what kind of shifters are they?
Most of the land-based shifters were wiped out by the wraiths, their need to roam either driving them insane as they fought their animals to stay within the city walls or betraying them as they crossed the salt and found themselves cornered. Only a few of the smaller species and the aquatic ones remain in Coveton, and most of those are rabbits, seals, and sharks who can stand the small streets and cold waters.
These men lack the creepiness of the sharks, and they’re definitely not rabbits.
“Lady Solar,” the twin who isn’t a Seer speaks, dropping into a half-bow. “Casimir and Noster at your service.”
“Nilsa,” I whisper, doubting myself more and more as I stare at the unforgiving waves. “My name is Nilsa.”
“We need to leave,” the Seer—Noster—interrupts, white eyes flashing as he looks straight past me. “They’ll be here soon, and the ship needs to be out of the bay before they figure out where you are.”
I grimace as I examine the small boat. It seems practically tiny in comparison to some of the waves I’ve seen. “Is this… safe?” I ask, picking up Opal once more.
“Of course,” Noster says, his calm, deep voice oddly reassuring. “Cas will help you in, don’t worry.”
As if in answer, Casimir jumps down into the boat and holds his arms out for me. “Jump. I’ll catch you.”
My eyes dart between him and the black water. Inside me, everything clenches as my mind revolts and dredges up memories of the cold waves surrounding me, stealing my breath. It’s overwhelming, but Noster’s voice pulls me out of a panic spiral.
“Our beasts would never let you drown.”
Funnily enough, I believe him.
I clutch Opal tightly against my chest, take a deep breath and jump.
My foot hits cold water, the shock of it eliciting an embarrassing squeak from me before I can quell it. But Cas’s strong arms clamp around my waist before the sea can claim any more of me. His body presses against mine as he lifts me into the boat, warm, hard, and temptation-incarnate to a Lunar coming off a year of celibacy.
Opal obviously disapproves of the way she’s being squished because she leaps out of my arms and into the bottom of the boat, hissing distastefully at the small puddle of water she finds there. Her abandonment leaves me crushed against Cas’s chest and I feel him take a deep breath, as if memorising my scent. It’s hard not to notice the pole pressing into my stomach, and I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a very tempting package.
A Solar witch wouldn’t dignify even the most impressive cock with a reaction, and I have no idea if these men will still be willing to help me if they learn I’m not a revered sister of life.
“Thank you,” I whisper, pushing away and promptly falling on my ass as the boat rocks beneath me.
Noster jumps in too, almost falling over before Cas grabs his wrist and pulls him back. The Seer’s grimace and Cas’s worried frown tells me much. They aren’t just brothers; Cas istrying to be Noster’s caregiver, and from the looks of things, Noster hates it.
My stomach rumbles embarrassingly loud and I groan as I realise I haven’t eaten since yesterday. With shifter hearing, there’s no way the twins have missed the noise, and they prove it a few seconds later when Cas speaks up.
