11. Rissa

11

RISSA

I blinked my eyes open groggily, the world slowly coming into focus. Rey lay beside me on the bed, his face angled toward me, his expression sweet and unbearably tender. Like he had fallen asleep watching over me, guarding my slumber. It was so maudlin it made my teeth ache.

Not on my watch, buddy.

I planted my hands on his side and shoved hard. Rey toppled off the bed with a resounding thud, limbs flailing. I smiled in satisfaction.

"What the hell, Ris?" Rey groaned from the floor, rubbing his backside.

"Bed's only big enough for me," I retorted. "And you were being creepy, watching me sleep like that. Cathy let you do that?"

"I was worried about you!" He hauled himself upright. "You were out for three days. I had to make sure you were still breathing. We were going to see about putting in an IV if it lasted till morning."

Three days? The news hit me like a punch to the gut. I had been out far longer than I realized. No wonder Rey looked so frazzled and sleep deprived.

Rey's face suddenly split into an enormous grin. "But hey, you're back!" he crowed. In a single fluid motion, he launched himself at me, wrapping his arms and legs around me in an enthusiastic bear hug.

Which was a bit awkward, since he was a foot taller and a good eighty pounds heavier than me.

"Get off of me, you weirdo!" I squirmed and pushed at him, but his grip was like an octopus. My protests were muffled against his chest as he squeezed me even tighter. Damn trickster king and his superior preternatural strength.

Cathy strolled into the room, her red hair rumpled from sleep. She took one look at the scene, Rey clinging to me like a barnacle while I flailed helplessly trying to peel him off and smiled indulgently.

I caught her gaze over Rey's shoulder and sent her my best pleading look. "Help," I mouthed silently, widening my eyes for emphasis.

Cathy's smile only grew wider. She leaned against the doorframe, crossing her arms over her chest. "I don't think I will. You two look like you're having far too much fun."

Traitor. I glared at her as I continued my efforts to pry Rey off of me.

"I will get you for this, Cathy," I vowed, my words half-growl, half-gasp as Rey's arm dug into my ribs. "Just you wait."

Rey finally released me and sat back on his heels, still grinning like a fool. I gulped in a breath, savoring the sweet rush of oxygen. It felt like I had just gone ten rounds with a heavyweight boxer—a heavyweight boxer who liked to cuddle.

Rey's hand settled on my shoulder, his touch uncharacteristically gentle. "I had everyone in here looking at you," he said, his usual mischief absent from his tone. "Even Tanni. Nobody could figure out what was wrong, other than Bran saying it was a spell that he was reluctant to mess with since he didn't know enough about it. We were starting to think about calling in an alchemist to see if they could do anything."

An alchemist. Shit, that was serious. If Rey had been considering bringing one in, then I must have been in bad shape.

I rubbed a hand over my face, trying to clear the cobwebs from my mind. Everything felt fuzzy, like I was viewing the world through a hazy filter. I needed to get my shit together, fast.

"Well, I'm awake now," I said. "So let's just focus on that, okay? No need to go calling the creepy alchemists."

Rey nodded. "Fine. But I'm telling you, Rissa, if you'd been out much longer..." He trailed off, shaking his head. "I don't know what I would've done."

Something in his tone made my chest tighten. Rey and I, we went way back. Centuries. To him, I was his snarky, tough-as-nails second-in-command, the one who always had his back no matter what. Which I was. He'd grown on me, and I had apparently grown on him too.

"Hey," I said softly, reaching out to punch him lightly on the arm. "I'm ready to kick butt and take names. You really think a little power nap would slow me down?"

Rey's lips twitched, a hint of his usual mischievous grin breaking through the serious moment. "Guess not." He turned to Cathy then, pulling her into his side and pressing a kiss to the top of her fiery hair. "And now it's the three of us, yeah?"

Cathy leaned into him, her slim frame fitting perfectly against his dancer's build. "Damn straight," she said, her tone fierce despite the laughter dancing in her green gaze.

The sudden lump in my throat made swallowing hard These two idiots... They had no idea how much they meant to me. How much I cared about them, even if I'd never admit it out loud.

I stood up from the bed and pulled them both into a tight quick hug, my arms wrapping around their shoulders as I tucked my face into the crook of Rey's neck. "Back at you both," I mumbled, my words muffled against his skin.

But even as I released them, another face flashed through my mind. Sharp features, dark hair, ice-blue eyes that seemed to see straight through me... Luce.

I couldn't explain it, this pull I felt toward him. It was like gravity, inevitable and inescapable, drawing me in.

Then I'd enjoy the ride.

"I gotta go," I said briskly, avoiding their confused stares as I grabbed my leather jacket from the back of a chair and shrugged it on.

"What? Rissa, wait—" Rey started, but I was already moving, snatching up my keys from the bedside table and heading for the door.

My boots thudded heavily against the wooden floorboards as I strode toward the door, single-minded in my determination. Behind me, I could hear Rey and Cathy's hurried footsteps, their bewildered questions filling the air.

"Rissa, hold up! Where are you going?" Cathy called out, a note of concern in her tone.

"What's going on? Talk to us," Rey chimed in, his usually playful demeanor replaced by an order.

I paused at the threshold, my hand gripping the doorknob tightly. A part of me wanted to turn back, be comfortable and familiar. But I wouldn't. This was something I wanted.

"I just... I need to take care of something," I said over my shoulder, my words clipped and vague. "It's important."

"But you just woke up! You shouldn't be going anywhere alone," Cathy protested, her brow furrowed with anxiety.

I forced a smile, trying to reassure her even as my heart raced with a sense of urgency. "I'll be fine, Cathy. Don't worry about me."

Rey stepped forward, eyes intent on me. "At least check in with us, Rissa. Let us know you're okay."

I nodded tersely, my jaw clenched with tension. "I will. I promise."

And with that, I wrenched open the door and stepped out, letting it slam shut behind me. I could still hear their muffled voices, their pleas for me to come back, but I pushed them aside, focusing instead on the task at hand.

Luce. I had to find him, had to make sure he was safe. Everything else could wait.