Jeanette looked up at me, tears brimming in her eyes. "I can't believe I was possessed by one of those...those things."
I pulled her closer, letting her rest her head against my chest. She felt so fragile in my arms, and Jeanette had never been one for fragility.
"The formless ones," Jeanette whispered. "They've been working with the Council. The Council promised to give them the humans and monsters, as long as some of the daemons and all of the Council were protected."
Rage boiled inside me at her words. I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to stay calm for Jeanette's sake.
"It won’t happen now," I said firmly. "Rissa just made sure of it.”
Jeanette nodded against my chest, her slender fingers clutching at my shirt.
Rey cleared his throat. "Maybe we should give Rissa some space to work," he suggested.
I glanced over at Rissa. She hadn't moved, her green eyes closed in concentration. The air around her shimmered with barely contained power.
"You're right," I said. "Let's go inside."
I kept an arm around Jeanette as we followed Rey and Cathy into the main cabin. The rich scent of leather and wood enveloped us as we stepped inside. Rey left the door open so we could still see Rissa on the deck.
Jeanette sank down onto one of the plush couches, her strength clearly spent. Cathy sat beside her, murmuring soothing words.
I leaned against the doorframe, my attention divided between Rissa and Jeanette.
Rissa didn’t move, her lithe form poised in concentration. I hesitated, torn between giving her space and wanting to be near her.
Jeanette, under Cathy’s quiet urging, laid down and almost immediately fell asleep. Rey and Cathy joined me at the door, watching.
For several long moments, nothing happened. Rissa remained still, her breathing even and controlled. I found myself watching the gentle rise and fall of her shoulders, the way her newly long black hair ruffled in the salty breeze.
Then, slowly, something began to change. A soft glow emanated from Rissa's skin, growing brighter with each passing second. My breath caught in my throat as tendrils of magic unfurled from her, iridescent and shimmering with every color imaginable. They stretched out across the deck, reaching towards the horizon in all directions.
I'd never seen anything like it. The sheer power radiating from her was staggering, the magic so tangible I could almost taste it on the air. It was beautiful and terrifying all at once.
The tendrils continued to grow, weaving together in an intricate dance that left me dizzy. I couldn't look away, couldn't even blink, afraid to miss a single second of this breathtaking display.
But beneath the wonder at the skill and power I beheld, worry gnawed at my gut. This level of magic...it had to come with a price.
Let it not be high enough to destroy the woman I cared for. I wasn’t sure who or what I prayed to in that moment.
I barely noticed the passage of time, watching the universe unfold before me, a psychedelic light show that left me breathless.
My fingers twitched with the urge to reach out and touch her, to feel the magic humming beneath her skin. I clenched my hands into fists, forcing myself to stay still. Rissa needed to concentrate, and I couldn't risk distracting her.
But gods, it was hard. Desire coiled in my gut, hot and heavy. I'd never wanted anyone the way I wanted her in that moment. It took every ounce of self-control I possessed not to close the distance between us and pull her into my arms.
Instead, I let my gaze roam over her, drinking in every detail. The way her silken hair danced in the breeze, the slight furrow of her brow as she focused on her task. She was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen.
The world narrowed down to this single moment, to the magic thrumming in the air and the goddess before me. In that instant, I knew with bone-deep certainty that I would do anything for her she asked. Anything at all.
The lights around us grew brighter, pulsing with an intensity that made my heart race. The air crackled with energy, and the magic built, swelling like a tidal wave about to crash over us.
Suddenly, a shimmering bubble of light enveloped us, lifting us off the deck of the yacht. I let out a startled gasp as my feet left the ground. Then I looked at Rissa, her face serene and focused, and fear melted away.
I trusted her. Completely, utterly, without reservation. It was a strange feeling, one I wasn't used to. In all my centuries of existence, I could count on one hand the number of people I'd trusted like this. Jeanette, of course, but that trust had been hard-earned, forged over centuries of shared experiences and battles.
With Rissa, it was different. Easier, somehow. Like I'd been waiting my whole life to find someone I could trust this way.
We rose higher, the yacht shrinking beneath us until it was nothing more than a toy bobbing on the waves. The wind whipped around us, but the bubble shielded us from its force, creating a cocoon of warmth and safety.
