Page 138 of Liar Witch
Some part of my ire soothes a little at that. Val obviously cares for Cirio. He’s worried about the rumours of mutiny, and I guess the lack of the other pirate’s flag has probably set him on edge.
“Who is he to you?” I ask.
“A friend.”
Goddess, he really doesn’t want to talk about this. Tough shit. He can’t just invite me in here, demand a divine vow, and not give me a reason.
“Going to need more than that if I’m going to swear your stupid vow.”
He glances up, eyes wide. “You’re actually fucking considering it?”
“I grow less inclined to do it the more you insult me.” I sigh, stride over to the desk, and take a seat in his chair. “Get talking.”
He studies me for a long moment. “He took me in, a long time ago. If he’s dead, or captured, I need to know.”
“Like a father then?”
Val shakes his head, and for a moment, I see a flash of true sadness before it’s wiped away. “More like an older brother. A very irresponsible one who got us both into plenty of trouble before I set out on my own.”
“And you want me to help you find him?”
“Just make the vow. When I know it’s safe to go ashore, I’ll find him myself. He should be there. If his flag is gone, then…”
“Couldn’t he just be off pirating?”
Val rolls his eyes at me. “Not often. Last time we met up he said he planned to stay on land for a year.”
I frown at the contradiction. “Why would he do that?”
“Does it matter?”
“If you want that vow—”
“He found his mate.” At my shocked silence, Val continues. “Pierce is a vampire, son of a queen from a large nest in southern Mirna. They met when Cirio boarded his ship to rob him on his way to his arranged marriage with another vampire clan. They bonded in the heat of battle. It was a clusterfuck of epic proportions, the kind of mess only Cirio could create.”
He grins, but it’s part grimace. His expression flits between exasperation and affection as he remembers the tale. “Cirio was going to stay closer to land so he could court his mate properly while they waited to see if their actions would re-start the blood-war on Mirna.”
“So it’s possible he would have been distracted enough with his mate that a mutiny could happen right beneath his nose,” I say.
My teeth worry my lower lip as I consider what he wants me to do. On the one hand, I’m more than a little insulted that Val still trusts me so little that he wants me to make this stupid vow in the first place. On the other… if it were Danika or one of my coven sisters in Cirio’s place, I would do anything to make sure they were okay. I understand Val better than I want to admit.
A glance up shows that he’s resumed glaring out of the window like the sea has offended him.
Surely he can’t truly believe I’m not his mate. Not with the evidence literally straining against his trousers.
Not that I’m looking or anything. It’s just hard to miss.
“Liar.”My familiar whispers.
Ignoring her, I focus once again on his face.
Something happened to this mage to make him this paranoid and distrustful. I’ve seen Val use his magic. I know he’s powerful; more so than most. It still confounds me that someone so gifted can be so afraid, yet he is.
If we want to move past this, one of us has to bend. One of us has to be strong enough to concede, and I’m pretty sure it has to be me. The reassurance he wants costs me nothing but my pride. I can even understand his reticence in a way; if I was lying, stepping off the ship with me would cause his death. So, I’ll do it. Who knows? The reward might be finally getting to understand the most elusive member of my harem.
Decision made, I take a deep breath and start to speak.
“I vow before the Lady of the Moon that all I have told you is the truth. I am a Lunar witch and your mate, and—for the last time—I am not involved in any mage plots against you.”
