She left the jab hanging, her smile an unspoken challenge and sensual lure. I chuckled despite myself, the tension between us shifting from frustration to attraction.
Her and that sharp tongue. And all the uses she put it to. Even trapped in this godforsaken bottle, she was keeping me on my toes. It drew me to her, like a moth to a flame.
But even as I debated kissing that mouth, I couldn't shake the sinking feeling that there was more to Rissa's reticence than mere stubbornness.
Why did I get the feeling whatever she was hiding was going to come back to take a large bite out of our butts?
Rissa drummed her fingers on the arm of her chair. "Maybe we're asking the wrong questions here. Before we fixate on how to get out, we should figure out why we're the ones stuck here to begin with."
I waved a hand in a ‘go on’ motion, intrigued. "Continue."
"Think about it. Out of all the players on the board, why target you and me specifically? What is it about us that makes us a threat to whoever holds the bottle?"
She had a point. There was no denying we were two of the biggest wild cards in this game. Unpredictable. Uncontrollable.
"Could be they just wanted us out of the way," I offered, playing devil's advocate. "Tie up a couple of loose ends before making their big move."
Rissa shook her head, her expression turning pensive. "No, there's more to it than that. This whole setup reeks of long-term planning. Whoever did this, they're not trying to neutralize us. They're planning on using us."
A chill raced down my spine at her words, a sense of foreboding settling in the pit of my stomach. My intuition suddenly agreed with hers. This wasn't only a kidnapping. It was securing leverage.
"What's our play, then?" I asked, leaning forward in my seat. "How do we flip the script on these bastards, O lady of cunning and guile?"
Rissa's lips curved into a slow, predatory smile, her green eyes glinting with a fierce determination that sent a thrill of anticipation through me.
"We do what we do best, lord daemon. We do a sideways move."
I arched an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at the corner of my mouth. "Sounds like my kind of party. And we haven’t tried sideways yet, but you’re so flexible…"
Rissa rolled her eyes, but I caught the glimmer of amusement in her expression. "You're an asshole, Luce. But you're also one of the most creative and well-trained mages out there."
I leaned back, crossing my arms over my chest. "Flattery will get you everywhere. But power trumps finesse. A goddess, even if you choose not to use your full power? That's some serious magic."
She hesitated, a flicker of vulnerability crossing her face before she masked it with her usual snarky bravado. "Yeah, well, fat lot of good it does us in here. For the moment, Luce, come up with a barrier I can extend into infinity that I can also modify on the fly, to trap or possibly injure whoever comes in contact with it.”
I considered her words. It was an obvious magical solution to the problem of formless ones and a long shot, but a real plan was still better than sitting on our butts waiting for the end of the world. "All right, I'm game. Not like we've got anything better to do in this damn bottle anyway."
Rissa snorted. "I’m a bit sore, yes. We can entertain ourselves more in a bit, once I heal up."
I grinned, relishing the challenge in her tone. "Bring it on, kitten. But first, let's see if we can't come up with a little magic to save the world while you rest your delicate…legs."
Rising from the chair, I rubbed my hands together. "We'll start with something small, just to get a feel for it. Watch closely."
Focusing my energy, I visualized a shimmering, sticky web forming around an empty wine bottle on the table. Tendrils of magic wove together, creating an intricate lattice. I textured the magic to cling to the physical world and the web contracted, clinging to the glass like a second skin.
Also, to the table, but that was a minor clean up issue. Nobody, not even me, got a new spell entirely right the first time they crafted it.
"Your turn. Try to replicate what I just did."
She narrowed her gaze, concentration etched on her delicate features as she extended her hand toward the bottle. At first, nothing happened. Then, slowly, wisps of energy began to coalesce, forming a tenuous net around the vessel. As I watched more and more power manifested, until the net was simultaneously so thick and fine the bottle was completely enveloped in it.
I watched, impressed despite myself. She was rusty, but there was so much raw power there. With a little practice...
Rissa let out a frustrated huff as the net flickered and dissipated. Still very clean, too, most spells would have left a residue. "Damn it. I used to be able to do this in my sleep."
"I think after a few tries it’ll be down pat. Even if you’re rusty, you did it.” I assessed her. "Was there a problem that made you stop? Do it slower so I can try to figure out what happened."
She nodded curtly, taking a deep breath. This time, the net formed slowly, the strands thickening and tightening until the bottle was completely encased. The power flow was steady.
