10. Luce

10

LUCE

The world spun wildly as a deafening sound slammed through the bottle. I clapped my hands over my ears and fell to my knees, the cork's echoing blast making my skull feel like it would split in two.

Then abruptly, blessedly, the noise ceased. Rissa and I tumbled through the air in a rush, spilling out of the bottle and onto plush beige carpeting. As my senses adjusted, I took in the room around us—a normal looking living room, with a tan suede sofa, framed pastel landscape prints on cream walls, and a sleek glass coffee table.

Standing before us, her jaw dropped in utter shock, was a woman. She appeared to be in her forties or so, with long dark hair piled in a messy bun atop her head and a fluffy white bathrobe tied at her waist. Her hands flew to her mouth as she gaped at Rissa and I sprawled on her floor.

I flashed the woman my most charming grin, trying to project an air of harmless friendliness despite us literally materializing in her home. The scales and seven feet of height probably did not help.

Gathering my feet under me, I stood, holding up my hands in a placating gesture.

"Apologies for the unexpected intrusion, ma'am. This isn't quite how we intended to arrive." I glanced at Rissa, then kept talking. Rissa's style of explanation would send this poor woman running gibbering for the hills. Or an exorcist.

When I reached out a hand to help Rissa up, her form shimmered and vanished before my eyes. I blinked, stunned and uncomprehending. Where had she gone? Why would she leave me alone to handle this?

I whirled back to the dumbfounded woman, words of reassurance on the tip of my tongue. Before I could say anything more, the world dissolved around me. A swirling vortex of light and shadow rolled over me. The woman's living room, her shocked face, everything vanished as I was ripped away to an unknown destination.

Oh. The disrupted spell must be sending us back to our point of origin. It made sense, since they'd needed something to anchor our physical manifestations in the bottle to.

I surrendered to the dizzying sensation of displacement.

A moment later, the plush surroundings of my bedroom came into focus. Sunlight poured through the expansive windows, casting a golden glow across the opulent furnishings. Sitting up slowly, I gazed out at the sparkling ocean, visible from my cliff-top estate.

How had the Council gotten to me here? I had the best physical and magical security money and power could buy.

The door burst open, and Jeanette flew into the room, her face streaked with tears. She threw her arms around me, her slender frame shaking with sobs.

"Luce! You've been asleep for a week. A whole week! I was going out of my mind with worry. If you hadn't woken up by tomorrow, I was going to call the Council."

I returned her embrace, my brow furrowing. A week? How was that possible? And the Council...thank the stars she hadn't called them.

"Hey, hey, it's okay. I'm awake now. You don't need to call anyone," I soothed, gently rubbing her back.

Jeanette pulled back, her gaze searching mine intently. "What happened to you? You just collapsed out of nowhere. I couldn't rouse you no matter what I tried."

Extricating myself from Jeanette's arms, I swung my legs over the side of the bed. "Listen, I need to go. There's something important I have to take care of."

"What? No! You just woke up. You need to rest, to recover. Let me take care of you."

I stood, placing my hands on her shoulders and meeting her gaze steadily. "I promise you, I'm fine. This...this can't wait. I need you to trust me, okay, little sister."

In my mind's eye, I could see Rissa's face, her short sleek cap of hair, those striking eyes that seemed to pierce right through me. A fierce protectiveness surged through my veins. I had to get to her before the Council.

To save the world of course. No other reason.

Striding out of the bedroom, I made my way downstairs, Jeanette hot on my heels. Her questions came rapid-fire, her tone increasingly frantic.

"Luce, what is going on? Where are you going? Who put you to sleep? Talk to me!"

I snatched my keys off the entryway table and spun to face her, my patience wearing thin. "Jeanette, I told you. I don't have time to explain. Just don't let any of the Council in here, all right?"

She crossed her arms, her delicate features hardening into a scowl. "The Council? Was it them? Why aren't we heading out to kill them?"

I scrubbed a hand over my face, feeling the rasp of stubble. She had me there. "It's complicated. But I need you to just let me handle this, okay? I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Handle what? Luce, you're confusing me. Let me help, whatever it is."

But I was already backing away, my hand on the doorknob. Rissa's face flashed through my mind again. A fierce surge of longing caught me off guard. I needed to see her, to assure myself she was safe.

And of course, work out how we would stop the formless ones and screw over the Council. Business as usual.

"I'm sorry, Jeanette. I have to go now. I'll explain everything later."

The bright California sunlight hit my eyes like a fist as I wrenched open the door and strode out, Jeanette's words fading behind me. I knew where Rissa lived, though I didn't know what I was walking into.

So be it.

The clock was ticking. And the fate of the world hung in the balance.