Page 72 of Traitor Witch
The effort it takes to shove myself to the other side of the corridor is almost too much.
If she finds my display odd, she doesn’t say anything.
“You want to tell me something?" I try to make myself less intimidating, try to hide my fangs, but I know I’m not completely successful when her breathing hitches.
The action pushes her small, perky breasts out against the soft fabric of her dress. Goddess have mercy, the fabric is thin enough that, this close, I can see the tips of her nipples straining against it.
I want to fuck her or feed on her.
Both.
At the same time.
“There’s a storm coming.” Her words slam through me like a bucket of cold water sluicing through my bloodlust.
“What?”
“A storm… I can smell it.”
She’s not making sense, and I know it’s not just my focus on the pulse at her throat distracting me.
“You can smell storms?”
“I have weathersense,” she shrugs, as though it’s not a big deal.
I don’t know much about witches, so it could be a common thing. But surely one of the other pirates we’ve drunk with would have mentioned a gift that useful.
I’m willing to bet she’s downplaying its rarity. Either that or the witches are holding out on sailors everywhere.
She must sense my silent confusion, because she sighs, rubs the back of her neck and elaborates: “Some witches are just born with a deeper inbuilt connection to these things.” The corners of her lips turn down as though she’s unimpressed with this fact. “I’m telling you, there’s a storm coming. A big one. Headed straight at us from the southeast.”
It isn't impossible.
In fact, storms heading north from the Galmeri Strait are common in midwinter.
I’d be more surprised if we didn’t encounter a small patch of rough sea between here and Ilya Bay.
But Val would take a lot more convincing. He might refuse to listen to her out of spite.
“Come with me?”
“On deck?” She yanks her hand from mine with more strength than I’d have expected from a woman her size. “No thanks. You can tell Val. I have stuff to do.”
The sweet smell of fear blankets her, until it’s all I cansmell. Protectiveness flares bright. My fangs ache to rip out the throat of whatever scares her.
I can’t kill the ocean.
But I can distract her.
I cross to her at immortal speed and sweep her into my arms before she can protest.
Chapter Nineteen
NILSA
It feels like I’m flying. That’s how fast Rysen moves. It’s so exhilarating and shocking that I forget to be afraid until I’m up on the deck, staring Val down over the top of the ship’s wheel.
The Captain’s eyes narrow the moment he spots me and, behind him, I see Kier cock his head to one side.
