"I'd rather spend my time escaping," I said, pushing myself out of the chair.
Luce shrugged those massive shoulders of his as he studied me with an intensity that made me want to stare back harder. "Agreed."
Next to settle the sleeping question if we stayed here any amount of time. I pointed at the king-sized bed dominating one side of the room. "There's only one bed."
Luce gazed at me with bland innocence. "That is correct."
"Who's sleeping on the floor?" I challenged, crossing my arms.
He leaned forward in his chair, the force of his personality somehow making the spacious bottle feel smaller. "Kitten, you can sleep on the floor if you want to, but it's a king-size bed. Don't worry, I'm not so filled with lust at the sight of you that I'm going to assault you without your full cooperation."
I snorted, trying to ignore the way his casual arrogance grated on my nerves. "Likewise. And stop calling me kitten if you want to keep using your tongue."
The smile he gave me was full of edges. “I look forward to that encounter, Halo.”
Silence fell between us, heavy and oppressive. I paced the length of the room, my footsteps muffled by the plush carpet. As I moved, I examined the spells lining the curved walls. Fantastically intricate, they’d need real power to blast through.
I needed to think about the best way to find a weak point.
My mind raced as I sank into one of the overstuffed chairs. I wasn’t aware of the way Luce had been watching me as I moved.
As the minutes ticked by, I found myself stealing glances back at Luce, assessing him as a potential threat. His relaxed posture hid the tension I could sense radiating from him. He was just as trapped as I was, just as frustrated. But unlike me, he seemed content to bide his time.
I’d wait then and examine this place for weaknesses.
3
RISSA
I tappedmy fingers impatiently against my thigh as I paced the small, curved room again. Looking for weakness in the walls had proven useless. Only an hour had passed in prison in Luce’s company, but boredom was already setting in.
"To hell with this," I muttered. I'd told myself I would examine the situation more before attempting an escape, but annoyance got the better of me. Stopping in the center of the room, I rolled up my sleeves and focused, gathering my magic. Tendrils of power swirled around my hands, crackling with emerald light.
I thrust my hands forward, sending the magic lancing toward the curved walls. It struck the surface and splintered, spreading out in glowing fissures as I attempted to shatter the containment spell and its vessel. The magic held fast, the cracks sealing themselves as quickly as they formed.
Gritting my teeth, I pushed harder, pouring more energy into my efforts. The air hummed with strain. Sweat beaded on my brow. Just as I hit a tipping point, a blinding jolt of energy exploded from the walls. It slammed into me like a sledgehammer, sending me flying to the side.
I hit the floor hard, rolling into the entertainment chest, pain lancing through my body. Every nerve ending felt like it was on fire, crackling with residual magical energy. I groaned and rolled to my side, my muscles twitching involuntarily.
"Damn it," I hissed through clenched teeth. Apparently, this containment spell wasn't going to be easy to break. But that had never stopped me before. I wasn't about to let some glorified wine bottle beat me.
Especially one bought by wine snobs.
"All right, bottle of dubious provenance," I growled as I climbed unsteadily to my feet. "Round one to you. But we're just getting started."
A wineglass appeared next to me. I sighed, accepted it, and took a small sip. It was actually tasty.
"I told you, Halo. I've tried countless times. This blasted bottle won't budge." Luce stood next to me.
I narrowed my gaze at him, my jaw tightening. "And you expect me to just take your word for it? Please." I scoffed, shaking my head. "I'm not some helpless damsel. I'll figure this out and rescue you. And then you’ll owe me."
Luce shrugged, a smirk playing at the corner of his mouth. "Sounds interesting. I look forward to paying you off. But in the meantime, don't say I didn't warn you."
I rolled my shoulders, trying to shake off the lingering ache from the magical backlash. Luce had no idea what I was capable of. Even at a fraction of my full strength, I was a force to be reckoned with.
I’d enjoy collecting from him, starting with him doing a command performance of ‘I’m a little teapot’ for the monster kings.
Closing my eyes, I drew in a deep breath, centering myself. Reaching inward, I grasped the power that always shimmered just beneath the surface of my body. It responded eagerly, surging through my veins like liquid fire.
