:=: Nicole :=:

Nikki took a long sip of her wine. They'd opened the bottle right after the last revelation from the old manuscript. Sam had picked this time, one of the reds. It was a local Cab Franc, and Nikki was enjoying it.

She watched as Samantha turned around and walked across the small living-room again. It was kind of pointless, Nikki thought. Sam's one-bedroom apartment just wasn't big enough for proper pacing.

The sound of Sam's footsteps was suddenly drowned out by Nikki's phone, as it started loudly playing Katy Perry's TGIF.

Samantha turned and smirked, while Nikki's face went bright red. "THAT'S my ringtone?!"

Nikki scrambled to pull her phone from her purse, and then sighed as she saw the caller ID. She swiped the screen, and raised it to her ear. "Hey Mom..."

"Hello Nicole," Her mother's tone told her she was in trouble. "I just got off the phone with Annie Gilbert. It's wonderful you have such a concerned boss. She was calling to check if you were feeling any better, since you left work early."

Nikki suppressed a groan. Before she could respond though, her mother continued, "I told her you were asleep. That doesn't mean you aren't in trouble though, young lady."

Mom had her 'lecture voice' on now, and kept going.

"I asked you to take care of your laundry two days ago. Not only have you not done it, but you snuck in here while I was out, and added to the pile. You even left a wet bathrobe on the carpet, Nikki! And all this, after you stayed out all night last night, without even a phone call. And now you're sneaking out of work? Nicole, this isn't like you at all."

When her mother had finally paused, Nikki sighed, "I'm really sorry mom, but I-"

"No buts. I don't care what you're doing, I want you home right now, young lady. If you're not in this house in the next 30 minutes..." her voice trailed off, letting Nikki imagine what the punishment might be.

Nikki sighed again, "Mom... I can't. There's..." She felt her voice breaking a bit, as she tried to think of something to say, some way to explain, without actually telling the truth. Finally she just said, "I'm sorry mom. I can't talk now."

Hearing the stress in Nikki's voice, her mother's tone shifted to one of concern and worry. "Nikki, what's wrong? Honey are you in some kind of trouble?"

Nikki shook her head, "We'll talk later, mom. I love you. I'm sorry." She ended the call before her mom could respond, then shut off her phone completely.

Fuck. Now her mom was probably going to panic, but Nikki hadn't known what to say. She had too much on her mind to even try to come up with a convincing lie. She hadn't even wanted to say she'd be home tomorrow, since she honestly didn't know what was going to happen to her.

Nikki looked at Sam. "I have to do this now. I don't want to waste any more time."

"Please Nikki... You can't sacrifice yourself! You don't know what'll happen to you!" Sam had said that at least twice already in the past half hour.

Nikki sighed, "Sam, it's the only option. It's same as the choice I made this morning. I refuse to go back, and I can't stay like this. I have to go through with it."

Samantha stared at her, "But... you could die..."

"I really don't think that will happen." Nikki took another sip of her wine. "Like you said, why would She bother setting up the memories, changing the rest of reality, getting me a job, if She was just going to kill me? If all She wanted was a warm body that was going to end up dead, She wouldn't have needed to do all that stuff."

Sam just sighed and started pacing again. After a couple more lengths up and down the small living-room, she stopped again and asked, "Couldn't we just keep things like this? Don't let Her in, don't refuse Her... just leave things as they are. You get to stay you, nobody gets sacrificed..."

Nikki shook her head, "No. I can't function like this. I can't cope with work. I'm afraid to face my parents. I'm not comfortable in my own body. Now I understand what's wrong. I'm incomplete... I'm meant to be Her 'vessel'."

Sam looked at her, fear and desperation in her eyes. "Couldn't you get used to your body though? You said this morning, you thought you could..."

"Sam," Nikki sighed, "You started the ritual last night. It's been nearly twenty-four hours. We don't know how long the Goddess will wait for an answer. What if She decides no answer means She's denied? I could turn back at any time..."

Nikki hesitated, then added with a little more fear in her voice, "And if we're together when that happens, I'm scared of what Nick might do to you if he remembers all this stuff. Sam, he could kill you."

Samantha sighed, "I just don't want you to get hurt. This... all this... It's all my fault. I can't let you die, because of me..."

Nikki smiled slightly, "I know Sam. It'll be ok. And if it's not, I don't blame you. You were looking out for Brooke and yourself. And for what it's worth, I'm glad you did it." She then motioned to the empty seat next to her, "Come and sit down. You haven't touched your wine, and I've almost finished my second glass."

Sam sighed again, but finally moved to the sofa. She slumped into her seat, and picked up her wine glass.

Nikki watched as the conflicted young witch had a couple sips of wine, before draining her own glass. She then picked up the bottle and topped up Sam's glass again, before emptying the last of the bottle into her own.

They sat quietly together for a few minutes. Samantha finally suggested, sounding hopeful, "Maybe there's something else in the book that can help? It's worth a shot, since you can read it somehow?"

Nikki was about to protest, but she saw the look in Sam's eyes, and sighed, "Ok, it can't hurt to look."

She set her wine glass down and leaned over to look at the book again. She turned to the first page of the ritual, focusing on the rows of ink.

As before, the runes seemed to slowly float upwards off of the page. Hanging in the air just above the vellum, they twisted and changed, until they spelled out English words. It made her slightly nauseous and gave her a faint headache. The sensation was actually a lot like motion sickness, she thought.

Nikki rubbed her head a little as she let her eyes slowly move through the text, carefully re-reading it. It took her about ten minutes to get through it from start to finish, but there weren't any new revelations. She checked the following page, but the text there didn't translate itself for her.

She flipped back to the page before the ritual, but the runes there didn't move either. It seemed that the only part of the book she could actually read was the part concerning her ritual. There was no 'third choice'. The only options were to either give her self to the Goddess, or refuse.

Finally, Nikki closed the book and looked at Sam, shaking her head. "There's nothing else we can do."

Sam sighed again, shoulders slumped.

Nikki picked up her wine glass and drained it with couple deep sips. She was already determined to go through with it, but a little more liquid courage couldn't hurt. She then stood up and announced, "Ok, it's time. I'm doing this."

Sam stood too, looking like she was going protest some more, until she saw the resolve on Nikki's face. She sighed, asked, "Is there anything I can do?"

Nikki looked at her and smiled. "Just, be here for me. Be brave. And maybe put in a good word for me with the Goddess, when She arrives."

Sam responded with a nodd and a weak smile. She then stepped closer and wrapped her arms around Nikki, and tilted her head down slightly.

Nikki felt Sam's lips on hers, and she closed her eyes and hugged Sam back. Their embrace lasted for ten or fifteen seconds, as they held each other tightly during their kiss.

Finally Nikki let go and took a couple steps back. She took a deep breath, and closed her eyes.

:=: Samantha :=:

Sam was scared, but also a little awed by Nikki's bravery. Neither of them knew what was going to happen, yet Nikki was ready to face it, accepting it head on.

She watched as Nikki closed her eyes, then raised her hands in a sort of welcoming gesture. Nikki's lips started moving, as she silently recited the words which would complete the ritual.

For a few moments, nothing seemed to happen. Sam almost hoped that was that, and it was all over.

Then she felt it. It wasn't so much a bodily feeling as something she sensed in her mind. Like all of reality tensed or flinched for a split second, then relaxed again.

Nikki slowly lowered her arms, and opened her eyes. She stood still for a few more moments, then slowly turned her head, left and right, as if surveying the small apartment.

Sam frowned. Nikki's eyes were slightly different. The blue in them was much brighter. They almost seemed to glow, and now and then Sam thought she saw little sparks in them.

She gulped and asked nervously, "Nikki?"

Nikki slowly turned her gaze back towards Samantha, and looked her up and down. When she spoke, it was Nikki's voice, but there was something more to it. Something that resonated deeper within Sam's body and mind.

"Nicole is not here now."

Sam felt her stomach sink and her heart skipped a beat. She gulped and asked, "Is Nikki ok?"

The embodied Goddess ignored the question. She was looking around the small apartment again, with a slight frown on her face.

"This is not My temple. And you are not My priestess. Why have I been summoned here, to... this place?"

Samantha's voice wavered a little as she answered, "I'm sorry... it was an accident. I didn't know what I was doing. Please, tell me Nikki is all right?"

The Goddess turned her attention back to Sam, her deep blue eyes almost ablaze with energy, as her frown deepened.

"An accident? Were that so, why then did the vessel willingly surrender herself to Me?"

Sam's heart was pounding, her stomach felt so tense she was afraid she might throw up. Maybe making demands of an embodied Goddess wasn't the smartest thing, but she had to know. Mustering all the courage she could, she stood her ground and stated, "I can explain... but not until I know that Nikki is ok!"

The Goddess seemed a little surprised by Sam's defiance, and raised an eyebrow. After a pause, she stated, "Nicole is alive and unharmed. Answer My question."

Samantha breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you." She then braced herself a little, figuring the Goddess wouldn't be happy by the time she was finished her explanation. She took another deep breath, and started talking.

She explained how she'd found the book, started translating, and learned of its magic. She confessed that her eagerness to learn more magic had led her to skip most of the text, and that her carelessness resulted in her confusing the ritual for a spell. And finally she explained how the half-finished ritual had changed Nikki's life for the better, and that Nikki had chosen to complete the ritual rather than return to her old life.

When she was finished, Sam sighed a little, looking at the embodied Goddess, and asked, "Please... all of this was because of me. Don't make Nikki pay for my mistakes. Please let her keep her new life. If you have to have a sacrifice, I'll make it. Let me take responsibility for my actions."

The Goddess had listened quietly through Sam's story. Her expression stayed impassive, unreadable. She remained quiet for a few more moments, then stated, "The ritual was completed. This body will remain My vessel on Earth from now until its heart no longer beats. That is unchangeable."

"No..." Sam felt her stomach twist, and tears were starting to well up in her eyes.

"Stay your tears, child. Although she remains My vessel, Nicole's life belongs to her, and she will have it back when I take my leave."

Samantha blinked as her emotions jumped from despair to hope. "She'll be ok? When you leave, she'll be ok again?"

The Goddess nodded, "When I leave." She then frowned slightly at Sam, and asked, "Tell me child, what was it you sought from My book. Was it power you hungered for?"

Sam shook her head. "I wanted knowledge... I wanted to understand. The magic was nice... exciting... but mostly I wanted to know." She added, "I used one spell a lot... to see the truth? It was very helpful, especially with my other studies..."

After a pause, she confessed, "I did want to learn about power as well... but it was to satisfy my curiosity. I didn't want to hurt anybody, I wasn't looking for riches or anything like that. I just... really wanted to know."

The Goddess concluded, "And you used my ritual, believing it to be a spell, to protect your friend and yourself."

Sam nodded, "Yes..."

The embodied Goddess looked her in the eyes for a few moments, and Sam felt it was as if She was looking deep into her soul.

Finally, the Goddess stated, "I accept your answers, Samantha. Now I would make you an offer."

Sam was surprised, but felt wary. "What sort of offer?"

"You performed My ritual. That is a function only to be conducted by My priestess. The vessel and priestess, both are required. You have the talent, and though your judgement was questionable, your heart is pure. Become My priestess, and you will be rewarded."

Sam gulped a little. "I... I have no idea what that means. Being a priestess? I don't know how to do that... Would Nikki and I be able to be together?"

The Goddess replied, "You will learn, alongside My vessel, all that is required. Worry not, Samantha. I have observed your actions of the past day, and from all I have seen, I promise you will never be asked to do anything that does not align with your true nature."

The embodied Goddess then added, "And yes Samantha, you and Nicole could be together, if you both so wish. She is bound to Me as My vessel, you would be bound to Me as My priestess. In the past, it was more common for priestess and vessel to each have their own partners. It was not unheard of however, for them to partner with each other.

Sam's mind was racing again. On the one hand, she still wasn't sure she understood enough about the offer to agree to it. But on the other hand, it felt like doing this would guarantee Nikki's safety.

What did She mean though, about Sam's true nature? Her mind went back over the past twenty-four hours, everything she'd done that brought her and Nikki to this moment. She'd accepted Brooke's last-minute invitation because she knew Brooke was upset and needed someone to talk to. She'd cast the 'spell' on Nick, to try to keep Brooke and herself safe. And since then, she'd been desperately trying to fix her mistakes, and help Nikki.

Finally she realized, everything she'd done had been to try and help people, to fix things.

Was that her nature, Sam wondered? If so, then it sounded like serving the Goddess would make it easier for her to help people. Except, she still wasn't entirely sure she could trust the Goddess and Her offer.

Then Samantha remembered something she'd been told last night, at the cafe. "Have a little faith." If she was ever going to have faith, this was the time for it.

Sam took a deep breath, then nodded. "Ok. I accept your offer. I'll do it."

The Goddess smiled and held her hand out, "Give me your hand, Samantha."

Sam was a little surprised, thinking after all the magic and rituals Nikki had gone through, it seemed very anti-climactic that she was just going to get a handshake.

Nonetheless, she reached out and took the embodied Goddess's hand in hers. Sam was startled by how hot Nicole's skin was. It almost felt like she was on fire, except Sam didn't experience any pain. She then gasped as the Goddess pulled her closer.

Samantha's hand was held firmly, and the Goddess reached out with her other hand, and placed it flat against the inside of Sam's fore-arm, just above her wrist. Sam gasped again as she felt an itching sensation on her wrist. It lasted only a few seconds, then she was released as the Goddess stepped back.

Sam looked down at her wrist, and blinked. She appeared to have a brand new tattoo. The black 'ink' was sharp and clear, but unlike a fresh tattoo there was no redness, swelling, or pain. The tattoo was comprised of a series of complex glyphs which represented the Name of the Goddess, and a second set of glyphs that represented her role as priestess.

Despite her surprise, Sam couldn't help wondering what she'd tell her parents. Or anyone else who asked, since the runes were in an obvious location and large enough that she would have trouble concealing them.

As if reading her mind, the Goddess explained, "Fear not Samantha. My mark is invisible to the uninitiated." She held up her own arm, and Samantha gasped. Nicole already had a similar tattoo on her wrist, the difference being hers identified her as the Goddess Embodied.

The Goddess then announced, "It is time now for Me to take My leave. Nicole is eager to return to you. You will know what to do, Samantha."

Before Sam could respond, the Goddess's eyelids fluttered closed, and she started to topple over, falling forwards.

"Crap!" Sam gasped as she lunged forward to catch Nikki. Sam quickly pulled her to the sofa, and gently lowered her onto the cushions.

:=: Nicole :=:

Nikki opened her eyes and sat up straight. There was one little throb of a headache, then it was gone, and she smiled. She didn't just feel ok, or fine. She felt great!

Sam was beside her on the sofa, and as Nikki sat up Sam asked nervously, "Nikki? Is that you?"

Nikki smiled and nodded, turning to face her. "Yeah, it's me. And I feel fantastic! How are you holding up? You look a little frazzled."

Sam sobbed, "Oh thank God! I was so fucking worried!" She threw her arms around Nicole, and pulled her into a tight hug.

Nikki hugged her back, but mock-scolded, "Excuse me young lady, I believe you mean 'Oh thank Goddess'. And do you really think that sort of language is appropriate for a Priestess?"

Samantha pulled back a little, and the look on her face was priceless. Sort of a mix of relief, happiness, shock, and confusion.

Nikki giggled, "I'm kidding, silly!" She then quickly leaned forward and planted a kiss on Sam's lips.

From the young witch's expression, Nikki knew Sam was having trouble keeping up with her. "Ok, sorry, I'm feeling a bit hyper right now... and I'm sorry She was so scary. I asked Her to go easy on you. With all the guilt and stuff you had going on, I didn't want Her to stress you out too much. She said She had to keep up appearances and stuff though." Nikki rolled her eyes.

Sam looked dumbfounded. Definitely having trouble keeping up. "What... you... She... what?"

Nikki giggled again, "Sam you look like you need a drink. Actually, let's open another bottle of wine!"

She leapt to her feet and took a few steps towards the kitchen then turned turned around and said, "Actually we should celebrate! Should we celebrate with wine? Or something else? How about cake? We could go back to that cafe again, I really liked that. Cake would be nice. Or how about cake and ice wine? We could swing by one of the winery restaurants, they're pretty fancy. Gourmet dessert, award-winning ice-wine?"

Nikki was pacing now as she babbled, full of energy and excitement. "Then again maybe we could make reservations and do a big dinner and everything tomorrow night? Unless my mom kills me first. Shit! What am I gonna tell my folks? 'Hey, guess what? I'm suddenly in a poly relationship with a Goddess and the witch who turned me into a girl! Sorry you don't remember that, but you used to have a son! Don't worry though it's way better this way!'" Nikki giggled, "I wonder which part will freak them out the most? The Goddess? The witch? Or the-"

She came to a sudden halt when she found Sam blocking her path, and the witch had reached out and put a finger on Nikki's lips.

"Nicole, stop talking. Take a deep breath. Ok?"

Nikki stood there and took a deep breath, then nodded. Sam's finger was still lightly pressing against her lips. Nikki smiled a little but stayed quiet. She looked upwards, her eyes on Samantha's, and waited to see what her priestess had to say.

"We'll open another bottle of wine, but we're going to stay here tonight. We have a lot of things we need to talk about. Assuming you can keep still and talk at a reasonable speed?"

Nikki nodded again, still smiling.

Samantha then lowered her arm, and said, "If your folks haven't killed by then, maybe we can go out for a proper celebration tomorrow night, or Saturday. Now, you have a seat, and I'll get the wine."

"Yes ma'am." Nikki grinned, and moved to the sofa. She couldn't relax though, and instead she opened the book again and started flipping through the pages. She could read it all now. The runes still twisted a bit in her eyes, but it no longer gave her motion sickness.

A moment later Sam returned with the new bottle. When she saw Nikki was flipping through the book she frowned, "Hey, careful with the..." Her voice trailed off as her eyes widened. "Holy shit!"

Nikki grinned up at her. "You can read it now too, right?"

Sam nodded, staring at the pages. "Even the mystery language. I can read it all. Wow..."

Samantha slowly pulled her eyes off the book, and picked up Nikki's empty wine glass. As she filled it, she asked, "You said a minute ago something about asking the Goddess to go easy on me? So you talked to her? Can you tell me what happened?"

Nikki accepted her glass from Sam, and sipped it. It was another of the reds, a blend this time. Another great local choice, she thought.

She nodded to Samantha, "Yeah, of course! You missed my side of the whole thing." Nikki reached over and picked up Sam's glass, which was still almost full from the previous bottle, and handed it to the witch, and said, "Sit down and I'll tell you what happened."

Sam settled onto the sofa next to her and had a sip of wine as Nicole started talking.

Nikki described it as if a trapdoor had opened at the base of her skull, and she'd slid down a tunnel into darkness. She was aware of her senses, like sight and sound, far above her. She was unable to access them clearly though, and she couldn't 'climb' back up the tunnel. It was like she'd been trapped in a small dark room, with the exit way up high out of reach.

And then she'd realized, she wasn't alone. There was someone else there with her. She couldn't see or hear them, but she could feel them. Not with her hands or any kind of physical awareness, but with her mind.

When the presence spoke, it wasn't like sounds in her ears. She just somehow became aware of the words. There wasn't even an identifiable voice. The words just appeared in her mind. She could respond the same way. She described it like what'd you'd expect telepathy to feel like. She thought at the other presence, and they thought back at her. Then their minds sort of touched, and there was a sudden exchange of knowledge.

In an instant, Nikki knew what the Goddess needed her to know, and the Goddess knew everything that Nikki did about the day's experiences, and She had access to all the memories of Nikki's life.

Nikki explained, "At that point it was a lot less like talking, and more like, we just knew what each other wanted to say. It wasn't even really words, just, emotions, images, patterns... Ok there were still a few words. But it's a lot quicker and more efficient, when you can instantly exchange actual raw ideas, without having to translate them into just... words."

She had another sip of wine, and continued, "So, She told me She had to test you, and then She'd offer you the position of priestess. I asked Her to go easy on you, and She already knew from my thoughts that you were really upset and everything. Then She left me alone in that dark place, while She sort of floated upwards, towards the 'exit' that I couldn't reach."

"That all sounds kind of terrifying, Nikki." Sam whispered. "Were you scared?"

Nikki shook her head, "Not really? When She left me there, I was more worried about you. I knew She was talking with you and stuff, but I couldn't really hear it. It was like, muted, mumbly. Finally I started to get impatient, and I started sort of calling up at Her to let me see what was going on? Then I felt a bit of Her power, I guess that's when you accepted the offer. And then She was back with me again in the dark room. She confirmed that you'd accepted, then sort of shoved me up and out. And I woke up here, sitting next to you on the sofa."

Sam quietly absorbed it all as she continued sipping her wine. After a few minutes she then asked, "Stupid question but I'm curious. Did you find out the reasoning behind all the other changes, like the job?"

Nikki blushed, "Ugh, yeah... It all came out of Nick's head." She sighed, "First off, at work he'd been checking out girls on insta, and he was looking at some goth's feed. That's where my 'style' came from, basically the last girl he'd been staring at. I'm not sure about some details, there's some differences I'll have to ask the Goddess about some day. But yeah, so to prepare Her vessel, she basically just took all her inspiration from his head."

Sam blinked in surprise, but nodded, "So how did that turn into you selling make-up?"

Nikki rolled her eyes, "That's basically the first thing that he thought of? Like 'huh that chick wears a lot of make-up. She probably knows a lot about it. If she worked at a cosmetics place she'd get a discount.' Same with my car. He thought compact cars like that are very 'girly', so presto, that's what I drive. Basically a whole bunch of details of my life, all came out of his imagination, or what he thought was 'suitable' for a girl."

Nikki scowled for a moment, then added, "Luckily I'm not stuck with all his bad ideas. I can make my own choices, and do things differently going forward."

Sam thought for a moment, then grinned, "Well, just be thankful he didn't think you'd make a good stripper."

Nikki gasped and made a face, "Oh my Goddess! Yeah I guess compared to some possibilities, I got off lucky working at the mall."

Sam just smiled and had another sip of wine. Then asked, "Speaking of the Goddess, is She gone now? Until we summon Her again or something?"

Nikki shook her head. "No. There is a piece of Her that's still in me. She'll always be in here. This is some of the information She shared with me, the reason why the vessel needs the priestess, and vice versa."

Nikki paused for another sip of wine, then explained, "I can tap into Her power. Divine energy, at my fingertips. But I can't use it? All I can do is turn it on and off, basically. You, the priestess, can use it. Or at least once you've learned how, you'll be able to control it, direct it. I think it's sort of like a safety thing? If one person had all that power, it could go to their head, you know? This way, we keep each other in check. Keep each other grounded."

Sam considered, "Yeah, it makes sense. We keep each other in balance." Then she joked, "Of course, if we both turned evil at the same time, then it'd be a problem."

Nikki shook her head, "Like I said, a part of Her is still in me. I'm pretty sure She can just take over any time? Like, I'd go back into that dark place and She's here instead. So if we tried to go against Her wishes or do something evil or bad or whatever, She'd put a stop to it pretty quick."

"Oh..." Samantha looked thoughtful. "Is she always watching?"

Nikki nodded, "I think so. Pretty much."

Sam then asked, "What if we wanted to do something uh, intimate?"

Nikki giggled, "I'm sure She'll close Her eyes or look away or something."

Sam laughed as well, "I'm going to try to forget this part of the conversation... I don't want to accidentally start thinking of a divine threesome or something, next time we're in bed."

Nikki's eyes went wide and she collapsed back onto the sofa, giggling more.

When she finally stopped, she sat up again and teased, "Interesting that when I told you the Goddess was always watching, the first thing you thought of was sex. Not that I'm complaining mind you, I just think it's funny that my priestess has a naughty mind."

Sam blushed, then asked, "Hey, if you get call me 'your priestess', what can I call you? I don't want to say 'vessel' all the time. It makes me think of boats. Do you get a cool title that I can tease you with?"

Nikki hesitated, and her expression became a bit more serious and she looked Sam in the eyes. "It would make me really happy if you'd call me 'girlfriend'..."

:=: Samantha :=:

Sam slowly drifted awake. She could feel Mo asleep on her feet as usual. Then she noticed the aroma of fresh coffee, and opened one eye, squinting at her clock. Nearly 10am. It was Sunday, and for the first time in weeks, there was nothing at all planned for the day.

She was still debating whether or not to get up, when Nikki strolled in. She was wearing a large black nightshirt and carrying a coffee mug. Her long black hair was currently pulled back into a loose ponytail, and she was walking barefoot on their hardwood floor again.

"Morning, you. I bring coffee, and breakfast will be ready in fifteen minutes." Nikki set the coffee down on Sam's bedside table, and added, "It's beautiful out this morning, so we're eating on the balcony. So you should put something on."

Sam watched as Nikki leaned over and started petting Mo. After a few seconds, the big black cat was purring, and had flopped over onto her back, exposing her tummy.

Nikki obliged, rubbing the cat's belly for a bit, then finally she booped the cat's nose and said, "Breakfast time for you too, fur-ball." She then reminded Sam, "Fifteen minutes," as she left the bedroom.

Samantha sat up and yawned, stretched, then finally picked up her coffee and had a sip. There was the faint sound of a can opener, and Mo launched herself off the bed, disappearing out the door while loudly warbling her little 'feed me!' noises.

Sam enjoyed her coffee for another minute or two, before she finally forced herself up and out of bed. She picked up her blue nightgown from where she'd left it on the floor last night, and pulled it on over her head before slipping on her fuzzy slippers. Coffee in hand, she walked over to look out the big bay windows.

Nikki was right, it was a gorgeous summer morning. They were on the 5th floor, in a relatively new building. Their place was on the north side, and gave them a great view of the lake. Samantha could see a few dozen small boats out there, folks already out enjoying the day. It was clear enough this morning that she could see the Toronto skyline in the distance across the water.

Finally, Sam wandered out of the bedroom and into the parlour of their large open-concept condo. Nikki was to her right in the kitchen area, standing next to the induction stove as she prepared breakfast.

Infront of Sam was a small dining table, surrounded by four chairs. To her left was their new sectional leather sofa, arranged facing the big-screen tv on the wall. Behind the sofa was her desk, and some bookcases lined the wall beside it. And finally, more bay windows, and a sliding door that led out to their balcony.

There was a small table and a couple chairs out there, and Sam noted that Nikki had already set the outside table.

"Need any help?" Sam asked, moving towards the kitchen. She could see Mo in the corner crouched over her bowl, licking up the last scraps of her breakfast.

Nikki shook her head, "Nah. You relax, it'll be ready in a few minutes."

Samantha nodded, and walked over toward the windows, then stepped out onto the balcony. There was a gentle breeze, and the air was warm. She sat down at the little table, and had another sip of coffee, then reflected back over the past seven months.

Her entire life had changed after that day in November. Granted, not half as much as Nikki's life had. The two of them had been almost inseparable, spending all their free time together. They'd studied the book of course, and learned how to use and control Goddess's power together. As they realized the extent of what they could do, they'd agreed on some rules.

No more sweeping changes to reality. No using the Goddess's power for vengeance or punishment. No blatantly obvious changes that would attract too many questions. And no working magic in public where it would be seen by others. And finally, they'd agreed that any of the rules could be broken, if they decided there were good enough reasons.

They'd also learned that even without accessing the Goddess's power, both of them could work small spells and cantrips on their own. The sorts of things Sam could do before the ritual, she could still do after, and Nikki had learned to do them too.

They could conjure light and fire, heal small injuries, cast small glamours, that sort of thing. And seeing the truth was still a favourite. Both of them had also learned some defensive magic, so if either were faced with danger or violence, they had ways to protect themselves.

By the middle of February, Sam and Nikki were ready to try something big. With the Goddess's blessing, they used Her magic for a little personal gain, agreeing that they'd do this only once.

The following Friday, they hit the second-prize jackpot on the big national lottery. It wasn't enough to retire or anything, but it was more than enough to cover all the debts they'd had, let Sam pay off all her education expenses, and buy this luxury condo. This place was big enough for them to live comfortably together, and there was even a second bedroom that they'd made into a 'proper temple' for the Goddess.

As for the rest of the money, some had been invested, a sort of nest-egg for their future, but a large portion of it had been used to start up a small nonprofit, dedicated to helping LGBTIA+ youths in the region.

Most of their free time in the last four months had been spent working together on that project. June had been especially busy, as they'd both been very active in the local Pride celebrations.

The Goddess and Her magic had played a big part in the project too of course. Through the support group, they were able to secretly provide a little extra magical help to marginalized kids and teens who were struggling in various ways.

Usually Sam and Nikki kept things subtle - little nudges here and there. Sam was good at organizing and planning, and Nikki had a knack for soliciting donations. If there were any particularly challenging hurdles though, a little magic went a long way to smooth things out.

There had also been about a dozen situations when they'd performed direct magical interventions. Mostly when they found out someone was being abused. Bigoted, abusive parents were the worst. And twice they'd helped trans teens get past especially harsh medical gatekeeping.

Happily, the Goddess seemed to approve of all of this, and She hadn't once asked Sam or Nikki to start preaching or try to attract followers. She seemed content with Sam and Nikki just continuing on with things like this. They conducted rituals for her several times a year, and that seemed enough for Her. Just over a week ago they'd performed a Solstice ritual, and next week would be the Full Moon.

"Here you go!" Nikki set a plate down infront of Sam, snapping her out of her reverie. "Omelettes Florentine, I hope you like it."

"Thanks love, it looks wonderful!" she smiled.

Nikki sat down next to her, and they started eating.

Of course it was delicious, Sam thought. Nikki had turned out to be an excellent chef. Sam still marvelled now and then, that her girlfriend would casually whip up meals that wouldn't have looked out of place in a fancy restaurant.

As they ate, Nikki asked, "You're off next week, right?"

Sam nodded, "Yeah, finally some quiet time. Too bad you couldn't get a few days off as well."

Nicole shrugged, "Next summer. I haven't been there long enough to get vacation time yet."

Nikki had quit her job at the mall three or four days after the ritual, and started looking for work at the local wineries and vineyards. In January she'd been hired by one of the more popular wineries, and spent most of her time working at their 'chateaux', pouring tiny glasses of wine for visitors and tourists at the tasting counter.

It was work Nikki actually enjoyed, and her bosses seemed to think she had great potential. They'd already had her put in a few shifts as a junior sommelier in their five-star restaurant. If she wanted to, she could focus on that path and maybe in a couple years she could be a master sommelier, either in the restaurant or the winery's 'exclusive' private tasting room.

Another option she was considering, was to go into the production side of things. Nikki had made some friends on the vineyard side of the business, and apparently impressed them too. Either way, the main thing was she was doing something she loved, and she had several options and a bright future ahead of her.

The same was true for Sam as well. She'd just completed her Masters last month, and had decided to stay at school and work towards a PhD. Ultimately, her goal was to become a prof at the University, and pass on her love of history to other students there.

Sam finished her omelette, and then her coffee. She smiled at Nikki, "Thanks love. That was great."

Nikki smiled back, "My pleasure."

Back inside, Samantha started doing the dishes while Nikki was sat on the sofa, checking her phone.

"Hey, did you see the pictures Brooke posted yesterday?" Samantha asked. "Looks like her and Craig are really enjoying their vacation."

Nikki smiled, "Yeah, I saw them last night." Then added, "I'm glad she found someone who really cares for her. Craig seems like a good catch."

Sam nodded in agreement.

A few moments later Nikki groaned and rolled her eyes. "Mom's doing the 'subtle hints' thing again, sending me more stuff about weddings and honeymoon spots and stuff. I swear she won't be happy till she's seen us walk down an aisle together."

Sam giggled as she finished the washing up, "Maybe. Or maybe she'll just change gears, and start dropping hints about grandkids."

Nikki groaned again, "Don't you dare put that idea in her head! We'll never hear the end of it."

After she'd finished drying and the dishes were put away, Sam slumped onto the sofa beside her girlfriend.

"What do you think though, Nikki? Should we make it 'official' at some point? Do you want to get married, someday?"

Nikki shrugged, "I mean, it would just be a formality at this point. It'd make both sets of parents happy, and we could have a nice party and stuff, and there'd be paperwork. But none of that compares to what we've already got."

Sam felt Nikki's arm slip around behind her, and then pulled her in close.

"We're bound to each other through the Goddess... nothing on Earth will ever compare to that." Nikki giggled, "That's like, double plus extra married."

Sam smiled and hugged Nikki back, and they relaxed together for a few minutes.

Finally Nikki gave her a kiss and asked, "No plans today, no demands on our time... Whatever shall we do with ourselves?"

Samantha thought for a moment, then smiled and returned the kiss, and suggested, "Let's go back to bed."

Nikki smiled, "Ok." Then giggled, "I cannot deny my horny priestess."

Sam grinned as the two of them got up and retreated into the bedroom together.