15. Rissa

15

RISSA

I stood at 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.

They would keep coming, relentless and implacable, until they'd consumed everything in their path. Unless I found a way to stop them. Permanently.

As I stood there, Rey's presence a steadying warmth at my side, I felt the tiniest flicker of something that might have been hope kindling in my chest. The person I'd been all these years had given up that power temporarily. Was it such a huge step to give it up forever?

Rey opened his mouth to say something more, but before he could get the words out, the boat lurched violently beneath our feet. The sudden movement sent me stumbling, and I grabbed onto the railing to keep from losing my balance entirely.

A wave chose to wash over the railing at just that moment, soaking me. Perfect.

"What the hell?" I muttered as I tried to make sense of the unexpected turbulence.

The engine gave a grinding sound, the noise harsh and grating. I winced, the hair on the back of my neck standing on end as a sense of unease washed over me.

Rey's expression of unease mirrored my own. "That can't be good."

Just as suddenly as it had started, the engine went silent. The absence of sound was almost more jarring than the noise had been.

We turned as one to look up at the cockpit and Luce rushed out, his movement quick and precise, his jaw clenched with a determined focus that would have been reassuring under any other circumstances.

Without a word, Rey and I fell into step beside him, rounding the stern of the yacht just as Luce crouched down and lifted the bottom stair.

A panel of the floor came up with it, exposing the engine compartment beneath. The acrid scent of burnt oil assaulted my nostrils, and I wrinkled my nose in distaste at the odor as I peered down at the mess of machinery.

"What do you think?" Rey asked, his tone curious as he studied Luce's face for any hint of how bad the problem might be.

Luce just shook his head, his lips pressed into a tight line as he rolled up his sleeves and reached down into the engine compartment. "Won't know until I get in there and take a look. Hand me that wrench, would you?"

He jerked a thumb at the small cache of tools in a little alcove beside the engine.

Rey complied without hesitation, passing over the tool before crouching down to join Luce. The two of them set to work.

I watched them for a few minutes, feeling increasingly bored as Luce tinkered and tightened and adjusted and Rey handed him tools. Working on machinery was not in my bag of tricks. As the minutes ticked by with no sign of progress, I sighed and headed back inside the yacht.

Might as well make myself useful by finding us something to eat. The galley had been empty when we first boarded, but Luce had used his magic to stock it with all sorts of provisions.

After rummaging through the cupboards, I decided on a simple meal. Sandwiches and fruit, nothing fancy. It was better than just sitting around doing nothing, at least.

I had no idea what to do with the engine and today was not the time to learn. I could hear Cathy and Jeanette out there too, which meant there was a definite crowd in that area.

I assembled the sandwiches with focused efficiency, piling on turkey, tomato, and crisp lettuce between thick slices of sourdough bread slathered with mayo and mustard. Honestly, they were much bigger sandwiches than I usually made for myself but keeping my hands busy helped distract me from the worries swirling in my mind.

And maybe Jeanette was a big eater. I knew Cathy had an appetite, I'd eaten over at her place a few times.

I set the four on a small tray and settled at the tiny kitchen table to eat mine. I took a big bite, chewing methodically as I stared out the porthole window at the endless blue expanse of the ocean. The sandwich tasted like sawdust, but I forced myself to swallow. Acting normal was important.

The engine roared to life as I finished the last bite. A few seconds later, the galley door swung open, and Luce strode in, looking like he'd just stepped out of some "sexy mechanic" calendar shoot. Dark smudges of grease streaked his forearms and a smear of it arced across one sculpted cheekbone. Even disheveled and dirty, the man was gorgeous. It was unfair, really.

I arched a brow at him. "Don't tell me. The engine is toast and we're dead in the water?"

Luce flashed me a grin, teeth white against his tanned skin. "Nah, just a loose oil line. Almost drained the system dry before we caught it. But it's fixed now. We're good to go."

I blinked at him. "Wait. Where'd you get a whole boat's worth of oil?"

"Hello. Magic?" He waggled his fingers at me. "How else do you think it works?"

A surprised laugh bubbled out of me, and I shook my head. "Silly me, expecting things to make sense."

He chuckled, grabbing a sandwich from the tray on the counter and taking a large bite. More followed as he wolfed it down.

"So that's it then? Crisis averted, smooth sailing from here?" I kept my tone light, but I could hear the thread of real anxiety woven through the words. I did not want to be stranded in the middle of the ocean.

Luce's glacier blue gaze met mine, his expression sobering. "For now. But we both know it won't be the last bump in the road."

I exited as the others came into the area.

"Thanks for the sandwiches, Rissa!" Cathy called as I headed back out onto the deck.

Luce followed me up. By the railing again, I drew in a deep breath of salty sea air. Luce moved to stand beside, close enough that his shoulder brushed mine. I half expected him to make some flirtatious remark.

But he just stood there in companionable silence, his profile proud and chiseled against the bright sky. I relaxed incrementally, surprised to find his presence more comforting than arousing for once.

There was more to Luce than the arrogant, womanizing facade he presented to the world. Hidden depths, carefully concealed, that I wanted to explore despite my better judgment.

Lost in my musings, I startled when Luce reached out to tuck a windblown strand of hair behind my ear, his calloused fingers lingering just a beat too long against my cheek.

"Penny for your thoughts?" His deep rumble sent a flutter through my stomach.

"Nothing important." I dodged the question, hopefully smoothly. "Just mentally preparing myself."

"For the masterpiece magical ritual of protection?" His tone was light, but I could hear the undercurrent of tension.

"Something like that." I shifted to face him fully, searching his expression. "Luce, are you sure you want to dive with me to get it?"

Something flashed through his eyes too quick to decipher. "I'm sure. There's no knowing what might be there. If you're brave enough to sacrifice everything, the least I can do is have your back."

Warmth bloomed in my chest at his words, and I glanced away, afraid he'd read too much in my gaze. "Well. Once we have more privacy, we can work on the having back and front parts…I like you being around. Even if you are an arrogant ass most of the time."

Luce barked out a laugh. "Just keeping you on your toes, kitten."

"Don't call me kitten."

He bumped my hip with his playfully, the rare moment of earnestness evaporating. But even as I shook my head, I couldn't quite suppress the answering smile.

But then Luce ruined the moment by smacking my butt as he turned to head back to the wheelhouse with a roguish wink.

I scowled after him, even as an undignified squawk escaped my throat. One step forward, two steps back with that man.