8. Rissa

8

RISSA

"I might…possibly…maybe have like one thing I can try to help us out," I said, not opening my eyes. The couch was comfy, and a little relaxation had helped my mood. Listening to Luce pace was actually soothing.

Luce stopped next to me. "Well, would you kindly move on with it? I'd like us to be out of here."

His tone was crisp enough to remind me of apples. I snuggled back into the couch and opened my eyes. "Yes, it's just, it's going to take me a little while."

Luce crossed his muscular arms over his broad chest, staring down at me. "The sooner you get started, the sooner we leave."

I bit back an irritable reply. As much as his current attitude grated on me, he had a point. We were under a time crunch, what with Numir's noxious fluids threat. Ugh, he had a nasty mind.

I moved into a cross-legged position on the couch and tried to clear my mind. Luce's presence was solidly there even without sight.

Swimming in whatever liquid in a magical bottle prison was not on my list of things I wanted to do. Time for desperate measures, and I'd decided to recall all my scattered power back to me, bit by bit.

I just needed to not let Luce distract me, either with his commanding presence or his sexy…squash that thought. I shook my head slightly.

"What are you doing, Rissa?" Luce's sharp question shattered my fragile concentration.

I huffed out an exasperated breath and snapped my eyes open, fixing him with a withering glare. "You just have to have everything explained to you, don't you? You're like a five-year-old."

He raised an eyebrow, unmoved by my biting tone. "Excuse me for wanting to know what you're doing."

I rolled my eyes so hard I thought they might get stuck in the back of my head. I spoke in my most annoyingly patient tone, the one I used to annoy shifters who'd started to buy into the entire ‘alpha' nonsense. "I'm trying to meditate, daemon. To gather my power back to me. But I can't very well do that with you talking at me and nagging for an answer, now can I?"

Luce held up his hands in a placating gesture, but the smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth told me he was enjoying pushing my buttons. "My apologies, kitten. Please, continue your meditation. Don't let me interrupt."

I narrowed my gaze at him, trying to decide if it was worth the energy to smack the smug look off his face. No, I needed to conserve my focus. Shooting him one last scathing glance, I closed my eyes again and attempted to re-center myself.

I could feel all the bits of my power, tiny sparks scattered across the globe, glimmering like distant stars. Now I just had to reel them in, one by one, until I had enough juice to blow this pace wide open.

Easier said than done. There was a lot of it out there, I'd scattered it deliberately to appear less powerful. And I'd always hated sitting and meditating. Even harder Luce's distracting presence alternately setting my nerves on edge and reminding me that good sex was readily available.

Down, girl.

Locking onto the nearest flicker of power, I began the painstaking process of drawing it back to me. It was like trying to siphon honey through a pinhole. Slow and tedious, requiring me to concentrate on the process while being boring as anything. Sweat beaded on my brow as I maintained the tenuous connection.

"So, Rissa," Luce's rich baritone cut through my concentration like a knife. "Care to share with the class why you didn't mention this yesterday? Could've saved us both a lot of trouble."

Now he was just trying to be annoying. And at the moment, he didn't need to try hard.

I gritted my teeth, ignoring him. Just a little more... there! The first wisp of power settled into me, a faint but welcome warmth spreading through my veins. I released a slow breath and cracked open one eye to glare at Luce.

"Maybe I like keeping a few cards close to the vest. Ever think of that, lord daemon?" I flexed my fingers, settling the tingle of magic. "Maybe I just enjoy watching you squirm when you're standing up."

He barked out a laugh, the sound oddly pleasant. "Careful. Keep talking like that and I might start to think you actually like me."

"In your dreams." I snorted. Damn him and his insufferable charm. "Now shut up and let me work, or we'll be stuck in when Numir gets the urge to pee."

Luce mimed zipping his lips, but the mischievous flicker in his expression informed me he wasn't done pushing my buttons. Fine. Two could play that game. But we'd play later.

I narrowed my focus again, casting my senses out into the world like a net. Nearby, another flicker. A wisp of power, dancing just at the edge of my perception.

Gotcha.

I latched onto the thread and tugged, feeling the answering pulse of my own magic. It was faint, but unmistakable. A slow grin spread across my face as I followed the next trail, my mind's eye soaring over land and sea.

There. A young boy, lost in the woods, his fear a living thing. My power wrapped around him like a blanket, soothing and guiding, until he stumbled into the welcoming arms of his tearful mother.

Back to mama, magic.

And now there. An old woman on her deathbed, her life force guttering like a candle flame. My magic eased her pain, granting her one final moment of clarity as she whispered her goodbyes.

Its job done, the wisp rushed to me when I called.

The next bit of power led me to a woman in labor, her brow slick with sweat as she strained to bring new life into the world. My magic swirled around her, easing the contractions and lending strength to her weary muscles. With a final, triumphant cry, the baby slid free, its lusty wails echoing through the room.

A fierce surge of protectiveness washed over me as I watched the new mother cradle her child close. This, too, was part of who I was. A guardian, a nurturer, a fierce defender of the innocent.

Satisfied, I let that thread of power remain where it was. There would be time enough to reclaim it later, when mother and baby were resting peacefully. For now, it was right where it needed to be.

I continued my search, sifting through the countless strands of magic that crisscrossed the globe. Some were bright and vibrant, pulsing with life and purpose. Others were faint and wavering, waiting for a new task to brighten them.

I gathered them as I went, weaving them into the tapestry of my being. With each new addition, I felt stronger, more alive, more wholly myself. It was a heady feeling, a dangerous feeling. One I'd almost forgotten in my long years of hiding.

Another faint glimmer caught my attention, and I shifted my attention to it, observing a young boy nervously approaching his crush, a pretty girl with curly hair and a bright smile. My magic whispered encouragingly in his ear, giving him the extra courage he needed. I waited until he successfully asked her to the school dance before reeling that tendril back in.

Hours passed as I scoured the globe, encountering moment after moment of my magic at work in ways befitting it. An elderly woman finding the strength to get out of bed. A struggling artist receiving a flash of inspiration. A grieving widower feeling a flicker of hope for the first time since losing his wife.

I had no idea there were so many little bits of my power scattered off like that, working on changing the world in a thousand different ways. It was a little concerning. I'd need to keep a closer eye on things moving forward, mind that there weren't so many leaks. This much magic left unattended could cause unintended consequences.

With a sigh, I opened my eyes. The first thing I saw was Luce, dozing on the carpet. In repose, the hard edges of his face softened, making him look a little less battle hardened. Not sweet, I don't think it was in him. But irritatingly endearing. I didn't want to see him almost vulnerable, damn it.

It irritated me that I noticed these things, that some softheaded part of my brain insisted on cataloging the curve of his mouth, the thick fan of his lashes against his cheek. Attractiveness was a weapon he knew well how to wield, and I had no intention of falling on any sword other than the one I'd lately enjoyed.

As if sensing my gaze, Luce stirred. A slow smile curved his mouth as he met my gaze. "Enrapt in my beauty?"

I scoffed, looking away to conceal the heat climbing up my neck. "By the quality of your illusion. In contrast, you snore like a congested boar."

"I do not," he protested, sitting up and stretching his arms. His shirt rode up, revealing his chiseled abdomen, and I averted my gaze.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night. Oh wait, apparently that's me." Rising to his feet in one fluid motion, Luce prowled closer, an assessing gaze running over me. "How are you feeling? Must be energizing, having all that in you."

"Nothing I can't handle," I replied breezily, but my skin prickled. That look, the hunger, the fascination, I'd seen all of that before many times. My power called to him, and he wanted to take it and use it for himself. Daemons always did.

My mouth tasted sour. Of course, Luce didn't want me as Halo, as the person I'd become, not when this shiny new toy was accessible. The sooner I got that firmly in my head, the better.

Luce studied me for another long moment in silence. Then, to my utter shock, he murmured, "I'm taking you out on a date when we get out of here."

I barked out a startled laugh. "Right. Because nothing says, ‘continuing romance' like being stuck in prison together."

"I'm serious." His tone was calm, and that damn warm smile peeked out. "You and me, dinner, maybe dancing. I want to get to know you when you aren't stressed."

Surprise suspended my vocal cords for a moment. What was he up to? I'd know if it were Rey, but Luce was new on my radar.

I narrowed my gaze. "If this is some kind of game..."

"No games," he interrupted, holding up his hands. "Just an honest invitation. Take it or leave it."

I hesitated, torn between suspicion and a traitorous flicker of longing. What would it be like, to be wined and dined, have a night off with a date that wasn't a prearranged hookup?

Though we'd both have to deal with half the shifter community hiding and eavesdropping so they could gossip later.

"Let's do that after we get out of here," I said.