I read the passage again, making sure I understood every nuance.
"Paz," I said carefully, "are you telling me that her power is becoming more permanent with each passing day?"
"Yes, sir! The longer she carries it, the more deeply it integrates with her mortal essence. And if genuine feelings are involved, the process accelerates exponentially!"
I sank into my chair, the implications crashing over me. The transfer wasn't temporary. Charlie would carry part of my power permanently because I had developed feelings for her.
"How can we tell how far the process has progressed?"
"There are signs," Paz explained. "Changes in the mortal's aura, in their eyes when they use the power. Perhaps even marks upon the skin."
I recalled how her eyes had momentarily shimmered with an inner light. "And how do we reverse it?"
"Reversal becomes increasingly difficult with time. In early stages, a simple severance ritual might suffice. But as the power becomes more integrated..." He hesitated.
"Go on."
"The demon must sacrifice a portion of their own power permanently. The longer the delay, the greater the sacrifice required." Paz looked grave. "In cases of complete integration, where genuine emotional connection exists, the demon must surrender all supernatural power. Complete dissolution of abilities."
The words hung in the air like a pronouncement of doom. Give up everything if I was to free Charlie from a connection she'd never asked for.
"And for the mortal?"
"Complete restoration in most cases. No lingering effects. She would be exactly as she was before."
"How much time do we have before the transfer becomes irreversible?"
Paz frowned. "That's the difficulty. There's no precise timeline. It varies depending on the strength of the demon, the nature of the mortal, and the... emotional factors involved." He adjusted his spectacles nervously. "Given your particular circumstances, I would estimate the process is advancing rather rapidly."
"Sir," Paz prompted quietly, "what would you have me do with this information?"
I stared at the ancient text still open before me, its final lines etched into my mind like a brand:
Mutual choice. Truth freely given. Neither wholly possessed, nor wholly surrendered.
I already knew what I had to do. I just hadn't decided if I had the courage to do it.
"Prepare everything you can," I said finally. "Rituals. Remedies. Historical parallels."
Paz blinked. "And Miss Davenport?"
I exhaled. "She deserves the truth. She needs to understand the weight of what I've done."
Paz looked at me for a long moment, then nodded. "Very well, sir."
After he left, I stood alone, the words still echoing in my mind.
Not wholly surrendered...
And yet, if it came to it, I would give her everything.
I closed the book slowly, the words burning like a brand across my mind.
She was still here. I could feel her presence like heat under my skin. I didn't think. I moved.
I found her in the foyer, gathering her things. She looked up as I entered, and whatever she saw in my face made her still.
"I need to tell you something," I said.
