15
RISSA
I stoodat the bow of the yacht, the salty breeze ruffling through my hair as I gazed out at the vast expanse of blue. The sun glinted off the waves, creating a dance of light on the ocean's surface.
All of this was spoiled by the underlying queasiness I always felt in boats.
A splash caught my attention, and I squinted, catching a glimpse of a gray fin slicing through the water. A shark, gracefully gliding by. Another splash, further out. This time, the distinctive spout of a whale. I leaned forward, resting my elbows on the railing, watching the giant mammal as it breached the surface before disappearing back into the depths.
Ugh. Gross. Water was stupid. What had possessed me to bury my powers under the damn ocean?
I sucked in a deep breath, letting the salty air fill my lungs and swallowed hard.
Rey sauntered up beside me, his shoulder bumping against mine as he leaned over the railing. "I enjoy shifting into marine life. It's a lot of fun."
I rolled my gaze heavenward. "You know I don't like getting wet."
He scoffed, muttering under his breath, "Felines."
I jabbed my elbow into his ribs. "Watch it, o my boss and king. There’s more where this came from."
Rey held up his hands in mock surrender, a grin playing at the corners of his mouth. "Wouldn't dream of forgetting it."
We settled into a comfortable silence, both of us watching dolphins play in the yacht's wake. It was a simple moment. With Rey, I was always just be Rissa. Not any of my other faces, the goddess, the immortal with the weight of the world on her shoulders.
"You ever wonder what it would be like?" I mused aloud. "To be one of them, I mean. No responsibilities, no destinies. Just living in the moment, following your instincts."
Rey cocked his head, considering. "It has its appeal, I'll admit. But we are who we are for a reason, Riss."
I sighed, the sound carried away by the breeze. He was right, of course. But that didn't stop me from occasionally indulging in flights of fancy, imagining a simpler existence.
"Besides," Rey continued, a teasing lilt to his tone, "can you really picture yourself as a dolphin? You'd be miserable, surrounded by all that water."
I flicked his ear, earning a satisfying yelp. "Shut it, furball. A girl can dream."
We lapsed back into companionable silence, our shared history settled comfortably between us.
Rey's brow furrowed, his usual mirth replaced by genuine concern. "How are you doing, really?"
I exhaled slowly, grasping for the right words. "I'm...okay. I've been living a long time without this power. It won't kill me to give it up for good." I paused. "But it might kill me if I don't. These formless ones, they're not something I want to have to deal with for the rest of time."
Rey's hand found mine, his fingers interlacing with my own in a silent show of support.
I leaned into his touch, drawing strength from the unwavering friendship that had weathered centuries.
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but if you are that powerful, why didn’t you smash through the barrier and let us all out of Dream? I always wondered how you could sneak back to this world every once in a while, but I didn’t want to press you about it.” Rey stared over the water.
“The power was sealed away from me, I couldn’t have smashed it open. On this side, I could have gathered it, but smashing it…there was a good chance it would have sundered the two realms entirely, stranding you all there forever. I couldn't take that chance. And I could only get myself here because most of my essence is rooted here. The other shifters and you aren’t.”
“Fair enough,” he answered. “I thought it might be something like that. You said giving it up for good a minute ago. What exactly do you mean by that?"
I sighed, the weight of my decision settling heavy on my shoulders. "It's the only way I can figure to permanently maintain the sticky barrier between our worlds. I'm going to have to give up a huge chunk of my power to self-power the ward."
"Is there not another way to do this?" Rey's usually playful demeanor was replaced by something far more somber. "I mean, we're talking about your essence here, Riss. The core of who you are."
I shook my head, resignation bitter on my tongue. "If there is, I haven't thought of it. And frankly, we don't have the luxury of time to go around polling the masses for ideas."
The thought of surrendering such a huge part of myself, of willingly diminishing my own strength forever, sent a shudder of unease rippling down my spine. But what choice did I have? The formless ones were an enemy beyond anything we'd ever faced before. An adversary that couldn't be reasoned with, couldn't be bargained with.
