"Maybe..." Luce leaned back on his palms, fixing me with a questioning look. "Trying to think of other ways to force this place open is taking up most of my energy."
I shrugged, lining up my next toss. "Not a bad excuse. And whoever did it is going to have hell to pay." The card wobbled but still made it into the bowl. "I'm supposed to be at a commitment ceremony in a few days. Heads will roll if I'm not there."
"Wait, you? At a commitment ceremony?" Luce raised an eyebrow. "Didn't take you for the wedding type, Halo."
“Har-har.”
Luce's card bounced off the rim of the bowl and skittered across the floor. He swore again. "So, who's the lucky couple?"
I hesitated. Talking about my personal life with Luce felt foolish, like handing him ammunition. But boredom was getting to me, and I figured a little conversation couldn't hurt. "Reynard and his love. I'm their witness."
Luce barked out a laugh, the sound echoing off the curved walls of our prison. "So the trickster's finally been tricked into the marriage trap?"
A bark of laughter burst from my throat at his phrasing. "Love isn't a trick, lord daemon. Rey found someone who understands him and still wants him around. I'm happy for him." I flicked another card, watching with satisfaction as it sailed neatly into the bowl.
"I admit, I'm a little envious. She must be very tolerant." Luce took a few cards, shuffling them in his hands. "It's hard to find someone when you get as quirky as we are."
"Ain't that the damn truth." I snorted, shaking my head. The thought of trying to maintain any kind of relationship was laughable. I had too little patience.
We lapsed into silence for a while, the only sound was the soft thwap of cards hitting the floor or the clink of them landing in the bowl. My thoughts drifted to Rey and Cathy, the quiet joy that radiated from them when they were together. It was almost enough to make me believe love fixed everything.
Almost.
I glanced at Luce from the corner of my eye, taking in the way the dim light played across his chiseled features. His appearance really was unfairly gorgeous, even for an illusion. Not that I'd ever tell him that. Luce didn’t suffer from a lack of self-confidence.
No, love wasn't for beings like us. We were meant for quick flings and one-night stands, not happily ever afters. It was better that way. Safer for everyone.
But as Luce's fingers brushed against mine when we both reached for a card, sending sparks of attraction dancing through my nerves, I couldn't help but wish someday I was proved wrong.
From the way Luce’s fingers lingered, he was feeling it too. "What about you, Halo, enforcer for the trickster king? Any being brave enough to be your significant other?"
I flicked him a sidelong glance. "I'm more the love 'em and leave 'em type. When the moment’s done I like my space, you know?"
A flicker of something—understanding, maybe even empathy—flashed through Luce's expression before it vanished behind his usual arrogant mask. "Tends to be my M.O. as well," he drawled, flicking a card toward the bowl.
As much as I hated to admit it, Luce and I were far too much alike. Both of us were lone wolves, jaded and cynical from long lives of watching people behave badly.
And yet... sometimes there was a small, wistful part of me that yearned for more. Especially since watching Rey find someone of his own. That connection and sense of belonging. The flicker of longing died before it could take root. I didn't need anyone.
Especially not a cocky daemon who thought he could match me in wit and power.
The next card sliced through the air, tumbling end over end before clattering against the rim of the bowl and skittering away. I bit back a curse, my concentration shattered by the weight of my own thoughts.
Luce quirked an eyebrow, his lips curling into a knowing smirk. "Distracted, Halo?"
I scoffed, flicking another card with a bit more force than necessary. It sailed cleanly into the bowl, and I shot him a triumphant grin. "You wish."
But even as we fell back into our uneasy truce, I couldn't shake the old sadness that had settled like a lead weight in my gut. As the only goddess left in this realm, I was destined to be alone. Forever. There was no one here who could match my power, noone who could resist the mantle of divinity long enough to see the woman beneath.
Eventually, I’d reunite with my magic. And then any relationship I had would be tainted by worship, by the imbalance of power that came with my very existence. How could I ever know if someone truly still cared for me, and not just the goddess?
I glanced at Luce from the corner of my eye, taking in the sculpted lines of his jaw, the coiled strength in his broad shoulders. He was a temptation, a challenge. And there was no reason not to indulge, since he understood the ground rules.
"Hey, Luce?" I said, my voice deceptively casual. "Since we're stuck here anyway, and we're both more the 'wham, bam, thank you slam' types... What do you say we make this little vacation a bit more interesting?"
His gaze snapped to mine, dark and intense. "What did you have in mind?"
I shrugged, a wicked grin tugging at my lips. "Oh, you know. A bit of exercise. Some friendly competition. See who can make the other scream louder."
