I stop and stare at the perfectly normal lounge sitting in the backroom, before Cleo nudges me onto a sofa, sits beside me, and pulls my wrist holding the Aegis up to her eyes.​

When Rosaria joins us a second later, she sits on my right with an amused smile. “Quite alright, Deliah?”

She knew I was worried!

Maybe it isn’t nice, but I can’t quite help myself. “Far better than a moment ago.” Because if we were going to get that collar Rosaria mentioned earlier, it makes sense to do it from here. The Aegis already functions as a leash, and I don’t want any more unwanted accessories.

“Nonsense-”

Very delicate threads of magic are coming from Cleo, washing over the Aegis, and I’m distracted from monitoring her when she says. “Hush, you two, I’m working.” Part of me wants to complain, but I know that I don’t want to be distracted when I’m doing intricate spellcasting, and whatever Cleo is doing is well beyond my abilities. I’m barely able to follow along.

Hushing me, that’s not ideal, by any means, but not unexpected, considering, but her hushing of Rosaria takes me completely by surprise. I don’t think anyone’s ever been that dismissive of her.

I expected an argument, but Rosaria merely leans in and gently rests her head against mine as she curls into my side. I barely have time to enjoy it or wonder why before she whispers into my ear. “Cleo’s always like this; she’ll be a few minutes. Best to just relax, Deliah.”

That was a little easier before Rosaria’s breath was tickling my ear; it’s more effective than her blatant come-ons because she isn’t trying to seduce me, she’s just a hot woman I find attractive pressed up against me.

Of course, Rosaria’s both old and smart enough to switch things up, and she’s certainly aware of how she affects me. The real problem is that I never know what’s real or fake with her. Madison’s involvement just makes things more complicated; she knows a lot about my fantasies and guilty pleasures, just like I know hers. Or at least I thought I did.

I like the idea of Madison and me together, even if it’s just as friends again, but I need to get her out of whatever deal she has with Rosaria first. I just need Mads to really talk to me.

A hand reaches up and shoves Rosaria away from me. “Stop that, Aria, you’re messing up my readings. Go entertain yourself or something elsewhere for a few minutes, and not at Deliah’s expense.”

“Very well, I’ll peruse your back stock. Take care of my girl.” Rosaria says before she slips off the sofa and further into the back room.

“I’m not-”

Cleo gently bops my nose. “Shush, I said!

Fine! Especially since whoever Cleo is, Rosaria seems to be willing to listen to her, which puts her in a better position than I am.

The threads lift away from the Aegis and across various parts of my arsenal, and after touching on my earrings and then my pins, lift away completely.

“I see why Aria likes you so much, Deliah, outside of being hot, of course, which you are. You are really quite talented.” Cleo’s giving me a pretty frank appraisal, but it’s how she’s eyeing the equipment that has me smiling. Good to know that, according to an expert, she approves.

“Oh, thank you.” That was pretty low on my list of what to expect, but I’m proud of my accomplishments. “I’m constantly trying to expand my knowledge, my capabilities. It isn’t easy, and I never have enough time, especially lately.” I glance over where Rosaria went; she’s the main reason, and I don’t mind complaining about it.

Cleo glances where Rosaria went before she rolls her eyes. “Aria’s been giving you a hard time if you’re acting like this. So.” She taps the Sundrop. “I recognise this, obviously. What’s the blue one?”

There’s probably no harm in explaining it. “The Twilight Star.”

“Holy shit, babe. That thing has been missing for thousands of years. No wonder people talk about you.” People what? “You just got on the Undernet, but ever since your debut, your investigations come up pretty often. At least if you know where to look, there’s a lot of wait and see in the community.”

“I thought the Undernet was a scam.” And some of my embarrassment leaks in.

“It was, for a very long time, until a few people decided to make it a real thing. You have good instincts, don’t be embarrassed.”

What a good change of topic! “So what’s the verdict?”

“The Aegis is stable, resonating with the two gems and with the rest of your arsenal, for that matter. I really like the pins, and your solar generator in your necklace is really neat.”

Neat isn’t exactly what I was going for, but I’ll take it as a compliment in this case.

“Keep quiet about those pins, Cleo,” Rosaria says, suddenly enough. I jump, to the amusement of the two women. “My girl has enough attention already.” She’s carrying a small box. “We’ll be taking this with us.”

Rosaria’s holding a small box, but I can’t make out anything from here that would give me a clue of what’s inside; it’s too small to be a collar, so I’ll take the victory that it is. Cleo, on the other hand, seems to recognize it. “Store credit or cash, Aria?”

“Favours, you owe me more than a few.”

“And you owe me in turn, that’s how these things work.” Cleo glances between Rosaria and me, and directly to the box before she looks directly at me. “Is it for you, or Deliah?”

Why does that matter?

“Her, of course.” Why of course, why would it be obvious, what’s in the box?

Cleo nods slowly before she says. “One favor repaid. Now.” She claps her hands once. “I’d like you to come see me in a week, Deliah, sooner if you add anything else to the Aegis.”

“I’m not planning to, but I wasn’t expecting to today either.” I’m mostly trying to ignore the fact that I technically robbed a museum. “As for visiting, I’m not sure how; teleportation isn’t something I’ve cracked yet.” I’d be reliant on Rosaria to teleport me here, and that’s the last thing I want, to need to ask her for favors.

“My Delilah, I’m sure we can come to an accord.”

Yeah, no, no bargains, not even simple ones.

“Teleportation is tricky, smart of you not to experiment until you’re more prepared. You’re about three-quarters of the way there with your rapid movement enchantment.”

My shimmer?

I laugh. “I’ve mostly been using it to emulate flying, to be honest, or at least be a shooting star from time to time.” And it’s a rush every single time. I love it.

“True flight is quite difficult; there are some ingredients that can help with that, but they’re rare.”

Rosaria jumps in. “But easily acquired if you have the right contact, or know someone who does, of course.” And that’s when she grins at me.

“Just because I happen to like spending time with you, Rosaria, doesn’t mean I’m going to do something as foolish as ask for your help with hyper-rare magical materials.” At best, that would be a literal debt that I would need to dig myself out of. Sure, with Leon’s resources, it would be easier, but it still might not be possible. I don’t even know how much money I have now, but that isn’t something that I want to change.

“So stubborn, my Deliah.”

Cleo grins at me. “I’d love to ask you about that, actually, Deliah. You’re really planning on remaining independent?”

“I am.” I glance over to Rosaria. “Temptations notwithstanding, and while Rosaria has made some compelling offers, I can’t help the people who need it connected to the Crimson Dawn.

In a perfect world, I could get the training I need without strings, but in a perfect world, people wouldn’t need my help either.”

Everyone should be able to get help without selling their lives or souls away, but the world isn’t that kind, and that’s why I need to be.

“My darling,” Rosaria says, before she puts one hand on my hip and the other around my waist. The starlight in my pins dim before completely winking out of existence, and I sag against Rosaria. “My precious one. Our bargain may be informal, but you remain very much mine. Your star sings for me.”

Steadying myself takes longer than I’d like, but without my magic to directly fortify myself, my options are limited, and shaking off the effects of her magic is even harder. Why couldn’t Rosaria be a crone or something? At least the physical temptation would be gone then. “I sing for me, Rosaria.” In harmony with the stars, yes, absolutely, but my solo adds to their chorus.

Rosaria’s hands tighten, and I feel her breath against the back of my neck. “And yet you make sure wondrous noises at my direction.”

That’s hardly fair, or the same thing! It isn’t my fault she’s a hot older woman with her hands all over me.

Part of me does like the attention, and that’s something I’m still fighting against. My visits with Annabeth are the only thing keeping me remotely sane right now, and that’s questionable, considering that she’s a vampire, and I’ve given her plenty of opportunities to sink her fangs into my neck. Thankfully, she’s resisted the temptation, but sooner or later, one of us is going to break.

I need to be more careful; I need time to process and space, but I don’t know when or if I’ll ever get them.

“Mortals are fragile, Rosaria,” Cleo says suddenly. “And you are pushing things with Deliah.” I feel more than see more threads of magic wash over me from her. “Yes, you’re being careful, but without an agreement, your magic is grounding itself in her. Surely you’ve noticed the buildup.”

The what?

I only notice Rosaria’s magic when she calls me the forbidden word, but it sounds like Cleo’s talking about something else altogether.

“Certainly, it proved quite handy in Greece. The Aegis drained her dry. I used the buildup as a channel to keep her alive.” Rosaria’s hand leaves my hip and brushes through my hair.

“She’s so very stubborn, Cleo. Fully willing to die before she made a bargain.”

“It’s dangerous to you, Aria, you utter fool.” Cleo’s voice snaps out. “It’s an open conduit between you. Have you considered the consequences if Deliah were to ally with someone other than you? It could be disastrous!” Cleo sounds angry and worried. I’m not sure which is worse, but I’ll have to think about it over the next day or so and decide.

A patron bond is powerful; it’s why so many people make them. I hadn’t really considered what Rosaria and I have one, but maybe I should have. I knew that she was waiting for my yes, but I hadn’t realised just how close to the cliff I was

I really am one wrong word away from belonging to Rosaria.

“She won’t. Delilah’s refusal isn’t just to me; it was to anyone. In a decade or two, however? She may change her tune.” Rosaria sounds so confident, and that’s incredibly frustrating, because it’s so contrary to what I want.

It’s been weeks, and Rosaria’s been relentless; another few years of this might actually drive me to madness. I want to belong with another person romantically, not belong to a person as a possession, and that’s what I would be to Rosaria, well, either that or a prized pet. There’s a lot of overlap.

“Wait,” Cleo says, before she stares at me. “Drained her dry? The Aegis isn’t designed to do that. Could it be an interaction with the Twilight Star?” She starts mumbling, but I don’t catch more than a few fragments. “Resonance.” “Compatibility.” “Mu ratios.” I’m honestly completely lost, but my concentration isn’t helped by Rosaria playing with my hair. “Deliah?” She says suddenly, and from the amused smile on her face, it isn’t for the first time.

“Sorry, you lost me a few minutes ago. I’m an amateur compared to you.”

Compared to a lot of the magical world, but as long as I’m careful, okay, more careful, I should be fine.

Thankfully, Cleo just waves her hand dismissively. “I asked what it felt like.”

“Heat, we had just left the restaurant, and I felt warm. A few seconds later, we were attacked, and during the fight, the heat got worse and worse until we were a falling star.” We definitely hit the roof with more force than we should have for how short a distance it was.

Magic does weird things to physics.

“The Aegis is a shield; they’re designed to protect their wearer. Yours is evolving. I don’t know how your new addition will change things, in the short or long term. Aria, bring her to me next week. I want to keep an eye on the evolution. It shouldn’t have almost killed her; it’s counter to its purpose.”

Rosaria’s voice is sly when she says. “For another favour, Cleo?”

She scoffs. “I’m not that easy of a mark. You want her safe, so you’ll do as I ask.”

“It was worth a try.” Rosaria’s nails scrape across my scalp, and I sharply inhale. Stupid sexy witch, and stupid, stupid, body. “If there’s nothing else, we have a date to resume.”

“A date, really?” I honestly appreciate the doubt in Cleo’s voice. It’d be nice if it weren’t misplaced, but as far as bargains go, it was a simple one.

Unfortunately, that’s exactly what today is, and I have no one to blame but myself. “She’s right, Cleo. I asked Rosaria for a date, dangerous, yes, but we had a lovely meal as our first stop.”

“Foolish, Delilah, Rosaria is persuasive, and you’re young, but that was foolish.” Just as I start feeling stupid, Cleo grins at me. “I was young once, too, and very, very gay. I don’t blame you one bit.”

Rosaria nods slightly before she says. “She has a surprise for me, and I’m quite eager to find out what it is, so if our business is concluded, we should get going.

We really should. Today hasn’t gone remotely the way I expected, and now Rosaria has a mysterious box whose contents are for me, but I don’t know why or what for, and there’s so much more day to go.

“Deliah, give us a moment, would you? You can peruse my inventory in the main room.”

Part of me wants to object; they’re obviously going to talk about me, but I’m also smart enough to know better than to ask. “Of course, Cleo, it was nice to meet you.” I need to find my footing and assert myself, though, so I raise my hand to Rosaria’s and pull it up to my lips. “Don’t keep me waiting.”

With a spring in my step, fueled by Cleo’s delighted laughter, I walk out of the back room and start looking through her inventory. There are a lot of interesting things here, and thankfully, they all have little note cards explaining what each item is.

Unsurprisingly, a lot of it is Greek, but there are pieces from all over the world. Maybe when I’m here next week, I can get a better look or even pick something up. Right now, I don’t even know what might be useful, but if I can get to Leon’s estate and at least get an inventory before then, I’ll have a better idea of what I could use.

Finding resources has always been the hard part, followed by affording them, but now, the world is practically at my fingertips, and my only real problem right now is time, well, time and Rosaria.

I still haven’t really asked her what she was doing at school, because I’m honestly terrified of what she’ll tell me. At this point, the only thing that I’m sure of is that she won’t show up to school as a substitute, even if I’ve had the odd dream about her giving me detention.

Stupid subconscious, you’re supposed to be on my side!

My best guess is that somehow getting involved with either the PTA or the Boosters, and Boosters is the higher of the two, would allow her to get directly involved with cheerleading to complete her infiltration into my life.

I hear their footsteps long before either woman announces their presence, and I’m not sure why they’re letting me hear them. Rosaria can absolutely move without a sound, and I’d be genuinely shocked if Cleo couldn’t do the same, especially in her own shop.

Rosaria waits until she’s directly behind me before she says. “Did anything catch your eye, Deliah?”

“A few curiosities, but nothing of immediate use.” And without access to my magic, I genuinely can’t tell what’s imbued with magic, and what Cleo might have cast on her merchandise. It would be stupid to spend any money. “After all, that would be business, wouldn’t it?” I let a bit of amusement seep into my voice. Today is a date, and I need to keep that in mind. Rosaria will absolutely seize any minor stumble on my part to declare today a forfeit and reschedule.

“She’s got you there, Aria.” Cleo walks into view and grins at me. “You’re welcome here any time, Delilah, with or without her, and I would absolutely love to see more of you.”

“No poaching, Cleo.” Rosaria’s voice is a little sharp. Is she actually worried? No, that would be stupid; she’s just reinforcing her claim.

I curtsey slightly to Cleo. “Thank you for your help and the open invitation. We’ll see you next week.” Sure, it’s another weekend, or at least Saturday that will keep me out of my office, but right now Cleo has the answers to some of my burning questions, and unlike Rosaria, she might actually answer. She’s actually the best lead I’ve had in weeks.

“I’ll see you then, Delilah. Aria, do take care of her.”

Rosaria wraps her right arm possessively around my waist before she leads me out of the shop, and I swear the door closes heavily behind us. Three pulses of magic from Rosaria wrap around us, and they’re thankfully all familiar: the occlusion, a sound-dampening field, and even better, the air pocket to keep me warm. I’m glad she remembered once we’re a dozen feet away from the stop before she says. “That woman is very frustrating.”

I need to bite my lip to keep from grinning. It’s kind of nice to have the shoe on the other foot for once. “Is she? Sure, she talked over my head a bit, but she seemed nice to me.” Of course, it could have just been an act; lulling a mortal into believing they are more benevolent than they actually are is a classic move. “Though, there’s nothing quite like an old friend to get under your skin.”

“So true, my Deliah, as your Madison proves.” Okay, so it’s a little less funny when Rosaria throws my own old friend in my face. Rather than keep digging into one of my major sore spots, however, she moves on to another topic. “If you’re free next Saturday, I can teleport you here for that meeting.”

Presently, yes, but I have no idea what Daphne wants or needs, and until I do, I shouldn’t pick a time, but the Aegis does need to be monitored, especially since Rosaria doesn’t seem inclined to remove it.

Honestly, at this point, I’m not sure she should, since it keeps integrating with various gems. The Twilight Star isn’t something that I want someone to be able to just walk off with.

“I’ll make the time, if you’d  like, we could grab coffee and gelato afterward, my treat.” Asking preempts Rosaria from doing it herself or trying to make it a condition. If we’re going to spend time together, I’d prefer to keep it as casual as possible.

Rosaria smiles at me, warmly enough that my heart starts racing. “That sounds wonderful, shall we say, eleven?” I really need to get over this crush on her; it’s only causing me problems.

“Assuming it won’t interfere with Daphne, absolutely, I’m looking forward to it.” After a glance around the street, I manage to orient myself before gesturing to our left. “Our destination is in that direction.”

“I have little doubt that her diversion will take you more than a day or two, Delilah.” Rosaria pauses, just long enough for me to start picking through the various questions I want to ask her, before she says. “But in your own words, that would be business.”

That, that, witch.

Sure, it isn’t a curse, technically, but the inflection I’m putting on it absolutely makes it one.

My smile is forced when I say. “Absolutely, and today is about us; the world will just have to wait.” That’s the real problem with bargains, how they can force you to compromise, change you against your nature or desires. Mine with Rosaria was as simple as they get, but it’s still forcing me to leave work unattended and leave Daphne in the lurch.

I hate it.

“You’re learning, and so quickly. Deliah. I owe Galina an extra day off.” Rosaria says with a laugh. “I was so certain that would have tripped you up.”

Two can play this game, though, and for once I’m holding a lot of the cards. “I made a commitment, as did you, Rosaria. No games, remember? We’re supposed to just be two women, out together. You violated that at the restaurant and here again just now. Should I be on guard for a third?” I even arch my right eyebrow at her. Numbers matter, and three breaches of our agreement would resonate.

Rosaria comes to a complete stop and stares at me, and she looks completely shocked. Slapping her might have caused a less severe reaction. “I apologize, Deliah, truly. As Galina has said, I genuinely can’t help myself sometimes. The dynamic between us is unusual for me, and I am struggling with it. That being said, if you’re willing to forgive my previous breaches, I’d like to continue the date.”

It’s incredibly tempting to call this entire thing off, but that would ultimately be foolish. Rosaria is right that our dynamic is unusual, and I’ve had more than my own breaches of conduct around her. Taking the easy way out now won’t serve me later.

“Assuming there are no further breaches, yes, I’d like to continue. You forgave my breaches of decorum at the Atlantis Grande; it’s only fair to reciprocate.” Plus, if she actually does violate the terms a third time, she’ll owe me a favor.

“I’m grateful, Deliah, thank you.” Rosaria sounds genuine, and I’ll have to trust that she is.

Continuing on is probably a mistake, but Rosaria really could make my life miserable in a lot of ways. Besides, we’re heading to the activity I picked out, and I don’t want to miss it.

We aren’t friends, I’m not even sure we’re allies. She’s my boss, but that’s borderline a fiction; ultimately, the only thing we aren’t is enemies. Everything else is up for grabs. “You’re very welcome.” I pause just for a moment, while I consider what to say next, before deciding that I might as well. “There’s just one last thing, whatever that box is from Cleo’s, unless it’s just a gift, it might be best to wait until tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow then, over breakfast.”

“You know, I haven’t actually agreed to stay over tonight.” And it’s something I’m hoping to avoid. As nice as the suite is, it isn’t actually my house. Sure, I sleep there better than I do at home, but that’s a mix between my fatigue and the

“You haven’t, but I can be pretty persuasive.”

She absolutely is, and my best bet today is to keep my wits about me, so minimal or no drinking. If I get drunk, Rosaria will make sure that I stay with her. I really just want to be in my own space tonight.

Sure, her shields are a lot stronger than mine, and her abilities eclipse anything that I’m capable of doing, but the Atlantis Grand is the seat of her power, not mine.

Once I finally get around to visiting Leon’s old estate, I can refresh the shields, and I’m incredibly tempted to find a new office, either at his mansion or some other property he used to own. I can’t keep paying rent on a closet, or at least I shouldn’t if I don’t need to.

I let a teasing edge seep into my voice. “You’re pretty used to getting your own way, always in charge, Rosaria. I don’t blame you for that, but outside of my internship, any relationship we have needs to be of equals.” Despite the power imbalance, despite the authority she wields. I’m not willing to subguigate myself to her.

No matter how tempting.

“An equal, Delilah? That is something I haven’t had in a very long while.” Thankfully, she mostly sounds amused, not dismissive. “You have potential, much more than I think even you know, but that road is long and fraught with danger.”

Potential? I work hard, and I’m successful, at least by the standards of other independents, but I hadn’t fully realised how Rosaria sees it. “But worth it, because someday, Rosaria, I’ll have a seat at the table. A true independent, and I hope when that happens, I’ll still be able to think fondly of our time together.”

I don’t mind being allied to the Crimson Dawn, or any faction really, as long as it’s mutual and I can walk away.

“Oh, Deliah,” Rosaria says my name with such affection that I find myself smiling at her without thinking. “That is quite the lofty goal. I’d like to discuss this further, perhaps at dinner later or another day. This conversation is rapidly approaching business topics, and I do not wish to breach our agreement.”

Okay, that’s fair. “I apologize, shall we then?”

“Yes, I rather think we shall.”

Ponte di Rialto really isn’t that far from us, and for the next few minutes, I content myself with being here in Venice on Rosaria’s arm. Sure, it’s all a fantasy, but right this second it’s a nice one.

As we get closer and as the foot traffic starts increasing, I’m more and more thankful for the occlusion; we really would get trampled without it. One Rosaria gets me the map she promised. I’m looking forward to tearing into the spell and replicating it, because I can think of all kinds of uses.

Like figuring out who has magic from a distance, because every so often someone will catch my eye, see Rosaria, and very quickly move away from us, and I keep needing to bite my lip to keep from laughing.

After the fourth time it happens, Rosaria looks down at me with a warm smile. “What has you so amused, Deliah?”

A few things, but most importantly. “The occlusion, while almost everyone is avoiding us, it’s the people who are noticing us and rapidly moving away that I’m finding amusing.”

“Your reputation precedes you.”

From what both Annabeth and Cleo have said, it does, but that isn’t why people are avoiding the two of us right now, and Rosaria knows it. “You’re hilarious.”

She grins at me. “I am, yes, and I’m also being truthful. People know what to expect of me. You, on the other hand, my dear, are unpredictable. Outside of your investigations, almost all people know about you, is that you killed Leon. That marks you as dangerous to them.”

I can’t see my face, but based on the laughter that comes out of Rosaria, I’m going to assume that I’m dumbstruck.

“To be honest, I thought everyone incorrectly assumed I was your human pet,” Annabeth told me as much, but maybe all people care about is that Leon’s death was at my hand, even if, in theory, Rosaria was guiding it.

“They do, and you are.” She waits until I start to frown before she laughs. “Agree to disagree, my dear. People see what they expect, and your claims otherwise notwithstanding, most people see a mortal entangled with me, and they all know how that ends.”

Sworn into her service, because it’s easy to give in to temptation, it’s far, far harder to resist it, as I’m learning. The fact that it’s her attention that I find the most compelling is the worst part of it; riches, power, training, those are all things that will come to me in time, as my abilities grow.

The attention of an older, incredibly attractive woman is something else altogether, and I wasn’t quite as prepared for it as I expected. Maybe because I expected it to be fake, like Meridia’s interest is, but Rosaria’s very genuine in her attraction to me, unfortunately, it’s just another lever for her to use against me.

I don’t know if things would be easier if all this were happening in a few years, when I’m older, more experienced with both magic and life, but sometimes it’s nice to think that it would be.

Rosaria’s attention has been on me for years, and that admission shocked me, but it’s also made me wonder, both just how many other people were watching and just waiting, but more importantly, is that awareness, people like Rosaria have of young magic users, why mortals so often fall sway to them?

If Rosaria, or Leon, or Morrigan had approached me with a bargain when I first started, I would have refused, then or now frankly, as I often have, but for a lot of people, the opportunity would have been too tempting to pass up.

Even just the casual offer of a spellbook or components, without strings, might be enough. It’s what I’ve been fearing for the past year: that a single yes makes saying yes easier and easier, until bargaining, trading, first innocuous things, and then yourself, become second nature, and then you’re trapped.

The worst parts of my personality want to utterly self-destruct my life, leave my parents, school, all the day-to-day minutiae behind, leave complications like Rosaria, Annabeth, and Madison behind me, and just run, run to freedom, to safety, where I can just be Deliah Drake, detective, and nothing else.

Even that option is denied me because of the Aegis, and I find myself smiling down at it without realising. It’s humming on my wrist, resonating with my pins, and I feel more relaxed than I have in ages, and it’s all tainted by my current Companion.

The Aegis itself has been a boon, but Rosaria’s mastery over it is my real problem. There’s nowhere I can run that she can’t teleport me away from, not that I’ve found at least. I’m starting to wonder if that’s innate to the Aegis or something Rosaria did to it before she had Madison put on my wrist.

I can see our destination just ahead of us, so I’ll have to think about this tomorrow, get your head in the game, Deliah. Even with the occlusion, it’s really busy. I hope the crowd won’t be a problem. “We need to get to the middle of the bridge.”

“That’s easily done.” Rosaria waves her fingers in a familiar circle, and I feel the occlusion strengthen, and the crowd near us move even farther away.

Wonderful, I definitely need to figure out this trick. It’s so handy.

“Thank you.”

Once we reach the center of the bridge, we’re standing on the carved mermaid tail. I send a small pulse of magic through my feet. A moment later, the entire platform starts lowering, until we’re in a large room beneath the canal.

It looks exactly like the images posted on the Undernet, classic architecture mixed with some modern touches. The laptop on the counter and the atm in the corner are almost enough to make me laugh.

There’s the soft chatter of conversation that stops the moment our occlusion breaks, and someone who must be the hostess rushes over. “Lady Rosaria, welcome! We weren’t expecting you.” The woman’s voice is trembling. “We can try and find a slot for you, though. I just need a few moments.” Rosaria isn’t that scary, honestly; she’s mostly just infuriating.

A few people look ready to give up their invitations, or just outright bolt away, but thankfully, that isn’t necessary. “It’s booked under my name, Deliah Drake.” The moment I say my name, the whispering gets louder. Rosaria may have had a point, not that I’ll ever admit that. I think she can tell, though, there’s a knowing smile on her face.

“Lady Drake, hello!”

It’s incredibly tempting to roll my eyes, but I settle on smiling, almost pleasantly. “Am I correct in assuming that you are Celia?”

“Yes!” She squeaks, and I have to keep myself from sighing. I’m not scary, I promise.

“Wonderful, are things prepared for us?” They should be; the floating reservation had pretty clear instructions and expectations.

“Yes, please follow me!”

I might need to leave this poor woman a sizable tip; she seems on the verge of fainting, poor thing.

Maybe this is a mistake, but I unloop my arm from Rosaria’s and raise her hand to my lips. “Shall we, Rosaria?”

“Of course, Deliah.” The whispering becomes full-blown conversations the moment we step out of view, and Rosaria smirks at me once we’re out of view. I feel the quiet field wrap around us before she says. “Is that how we’re playing this game, my darling?” Thankfully, she wraps her arm around my waist to keep me from stumbling. “Are you sure you can keep up?”

Celia’s walking ahead of us, unaware of our conversation, “I intend to try, Rosaria.” And win. Victory is life, after all.

The bubble pops as we step into another room, and Celia’s looking at us expectantly. “It’s truly an honor to have you both here.”

“Thank you.” They're nice and simple, and hopefully we can get started soon. One problem with all the attention we just garnered is that our enemies will know where we are. In theory, we should be safe, but I’d rather be safe than sorry.

Rosaria squeezes my side before she looks at Celia with a smile. “Deliah thought I would enjoy it when we planned our date. It’s a pleasant surprise.” Does she actually know what we’re doing here, or is she playing along? It could honestly be either.

“Da-date?” That’s all Celia manages to stutter out before I shake my head. Rosaria totally did that on purpose.

“Yes, Celia, today is a date. Now, we would like to get started. I’m sure we’re holding everyone up.” Assuming there are any customers left, I’m genuinely not sure.

“Yes, yes, of course! Please step into the circles.”

The five nearby circles are all softly glowing with various colored lights; according to the website, they’ll accept groups of up to fifteen for single rounds, with reservations, of course. Today, though, is all about Rosaria and me, and that’s how I booked things.

I don’t want interruptions.

​

The symbols and colors don’t mean anything, so I just step into the nearest one, and after a moment of staring at them, likely reading the magic, knowing Rosaria, she follows suit.

“Now, ladies, since it’s your first time here, I’ll briefly explain.” Once I nod, Celia continues. “You have three laps, magic is permitted, but we humbly request that you keep displays to a minimum. The occlusion we use may not be up to your full might.”

Someone’s laying it on a little thick, but then Celia is probably erring on the side of caution. Smart of her, if boring.

“Noted, thank you, Celia.”

“Yes, that won’t be a problem.”

“I’ll leave you both to it, thank you for your patronage.” Celia bows deeply before she walks out the door.

The moment it closes behind her, I feel another quiet field wrap around us again. “So, my Deliah, what exactly are we doing here. The spellwork is pretty intricate.”

I thought so, she just wanted to seem in control. “A race, you and me. I thought a competition might be a fun diversion.” I almost chose the Prismiatic Orchestra, but as much fun as a concert with people using light for their instruments sounds, I’d rather save that for a real date. “There are nearly a dozen courses we can choose from. I thought I would let you pick which one.”

They all start and end from here, nestled between San Paulo and San Marco, but there are short and long courses, including one that takes you through all of Venice’s canals. I genuinely don’t have a preference. For all I know, Rosaria is going to utterly smoke me, but I wanted to pick something unexpected, and hopefully this is genuinely a surprise.

“A competition, my, Deliah, you know the way to a woman’s heart indeed. That sounds wonderful.” Rosaria pauses while she looks through the maps, and after a moment, she nods. “I’m thinking something on the longer side, Cannaregio and Castello. If we have a good time, we can always return and do the grand course.”

“That sounds wonderful.” And Rosaria is being a little too agreeable, so I’m not remotely surprised when she grins at me.

“A competition needs stakes, however, my Deliah.”

Of course it does, maybe I should have phrased it differently, but it’s a race. Calling it anything else would have rang false to Rosaria’s truth sense. Thankfully, I planned for that, and with the slight chastisement I gave her earlier, hopefully it will work to my benefit.

“Quite right, so what do you propose? After all, we’re just two women out on a date together.” And nothing else, not unless Rosaria wants to break our accord a third time.

Rosaria laughs in a delighted manner. “Clever, Deliah. What a wonderful way to handle this. I’m impressed. Well.” She grins before blatantly checking me out. “How about this? Should I win, you spend the night at the Atlantis Grande for the next week.”

That’s one way of getting her way, and technically speaking, a lesbian date extending out a week isn’t all that unusual, so I can’t exactly complain.

“And if I win?” Because I’m going to try my hardest.

Rosaria smirks at me as she says. “How about the same?”

It’s so blatant, I can’t help but laugh. “That seems like your victory either way. How about a week off? No internship, no meetings or rendezvous, no surprise visits. A week where I can just be Deliah Drake, without any other considerations than school and my investigations?”

“A week, that is practically an eternity, but I agree with a single caveat.”

I expected more of a complaint, but I’m not surprised she has modifications. “And that would be?”

“In the event of an emergency, I can bring you to me.”

That’s reasonable, and I have a clarification of my own. “Assuming then staying at the Atlantis Grande means in my room and not yours, I agree to both.”

“Then it’s a bet.” There’s no flash of light, no leitmotif, just an agreement between two people, but we both know, and that’s enough. We’ll keep ourselves honest, because if we don’t, we’ll always remember.

“I need access to my magic for the course, unless you want an unfair advantage.” And she’s far too proud for that; any victory she achieves needs to be earned. Blatantly restricting my abilities gives her far too much of an advantage. Besides, it also gives me unrestricted access to my magic for the first time in a while.

I’m looking forward to it.

“For the duration of the race, then, after all, we’re just two women, so you shouldn’t need your magic afterward.” It’s the shit-eating grin on Rosaria’s face that has me shaking my head. Of course, she decided to use that against me; I probably would have done the same.

“If you insist, and as long as you keep me warm.”

“There’s no fear of that, you’ll be plenty warm.” Rosaria reaches out and brushes her fingers across the Aegis, and my magic is free again, and I feel stronger, more awake than I have in a few days. It’s wonderful. It feels stronger, too, and the Sundrop has a wonderful hum.

I’d love to dive in, to really evaluate the Aegis, how the Sundrop is interacting with the Twilight Star, and how my own magic seems to be changing, growing, but I have a race to win.

My magic starts flowing into the circle beneath my feet, and after a minute, the flow cuts off, and the light around me has grown. According to the website, that means we’re ready to start. A strong flash of light from beside me causes me to jump, before I realise it’s Rosaria mimicking me.

A red stone floats out of the floor until it’s hovering in front of me, and I reach out and wrap my right hand around it, and then I’m floating just above the canal, wrapped in a cocoon of blues and gold with tiny flecks of black.

Once Rosaria appears, I watch as her cocoon, made of deep purples, and reds streaming out of the gem in her hands as the sunflower seed shape takes form.

“I hope you know how to swim, Deliah, because I fully expect you to need the skills.”

“I can.” And I have Summer camp gold medals to prove it. I never would have picked this race if I hadn’t known how to swim.

The number ten appears ahead of us, and starts counting down. I don’t know if this course is based on a video game or if the designers just drew inspiration from one, but it absolutely reminds me of one.

“See you at the finish line, darling!” Rosaria pushes some magic into her voice, and my cocoon unravels as my concentration breaks, just long enough to plunge me into the canal as the countdown hits zero.

That bitch!

In the seconds it takes me to reform my cocoon, Rosaria’s pulling around the first corner, and accelerating away from me fast; if that’s how she wants to play it, fine, game on.

There’s only embers of starlight left in my pins, but I wrap my magic around them while pulling at the traces of salt water in the canal. The actual ocean would be better, but I can work with this.

Traces of false starlight start flowing into my cocoon, and then I’m blasting towards Rosaria like a rocket, and I let out a delighted laugh. This kind of speed is just what I’ve been missing. I won’t be able to keep it up for long, and the false starlight is draining my reserves more than I expected, but the important thing is that I’m catching up to Rosaria.

I should have expected her to use the forbidden word against me, but it never occurred to me. It was absolutely on purpose, though. Rotten cheat, I’ll have to get her back for that, but not yet, I’m trailing her, not by a lot, technically, but the dozen or so feet separating us right now might as well be miles in a race.

The first lap finishes, and she’s still ahead of me, and she doesn’t seem inclined to change things, but I am. This might be a race, but it’s also like a video game, and I have all kinds of options with my magic unlocked.

Once I’m less than ten feet behind her, a lance of ice lashes out ahead of me, not at Rosaria, but at the water ahead of her; hopefully, the forming walls of ice slow her down.

A high-pitched whine just reaches me before Rosaria’s cocoon vibrates and blasts through the walls like they aren’t even there. I was hoping for a longer delay, but at least I’m not falling further behind her. Of course, as soon as I have that thought, pink orbs of crackling energy start floating towards me from the holes Rosaria made in my walls.

Well, she certainly didn’t waste any time. I guess Rosaria was waiting for me to make the first move before she decided to retaliate.

I can’t quite get a read on the spell, thunder and lightning probably, those are classics for a reason, so I’ll want to avoid them if I can. Luckily, I have a trick, assuming it will work anyway.

My shimmer bursts to life around me as soon as I think about it, and suddenly Rosaria’s pod is nipping at my heels.

She’s sending waves of magic behind her, trying to delay me, or trip me up, so I only have a second before Rosaria realises what I’ve done, and then I’ll really be in trouble.

I gather up the remaining false starlight and anchor it behind me, and I watch in surprise as Rosaria’s pod smashes into it and starts to sink. I expected it to slow her down, not stop her outright. Maybe I am getting stronger than I thought.

Good to know.

Okay, the game part of this race is definitely over now. She isn’t going to let that go, and I barely have time to finish the thought before tendrils of magic start lashing out of the canal, whipping it into a maelstrom.

I guess subtle is out the window, too. Whoops.

My magic sharpens the air ahead of me, cutting down on my wind resistance, before my pod lurches forward, past the maelstrom before it fully forms. Speed is the name of this game now, and I need to focus on that. I absolutely wouldn’t put it past Rosaria to knock me into the canal and make sure that I stay there until we finish the three laps.

The rush of the wind is incredible as I keep accelerating, faster and faster, until the world blurs. Rosaria must have been counting on that, though, on my tunnel vision, and my love of speed, because as I round a corner, three of the pink orbs from earlier crash into my pod, shattering it and sending me skipping across the surface of the water like a stone.

I feel more than see Rosaria rush past me, her pod picking up speed as it goes.

Focus, Deliah. You have a race to win.

My cocoon has barely reformed when I tap into my shimmer and fully deplete the remaining charges, and even then, they’re not enough to zip past Rosaria; they just leave me nipping at her figurative heels.

I let my magic run wild, blasts of fire, lances of ice, bubbles and fog, anything and everything I can think of to try and slow Rosaria down, she was playing earlier, but she’s barely giving me the time of day right now, but it’s not enough, I watch in awe as she weaves around each spell like a dancer, narrowly avoiding some, while others completely miss.

Other than the rooftop in Greece, this is the greatest showing I’ve ever had of Rosaria’s abilities, and I was a little distracted then. The finish line is in sight, and I hate that she’s so far ahead of me.

The Aegis sings at me, particularly Helios’s Sundrop, before new strands of starlight start flowing into my cocoon, true starlight, and I surge forward faster than even my shimmer moved me.

Every second brings us closer to the finish line, and every other second has me catching up, but just too slowly, because there’s a chime, and we’re past the finish line, with Rosaria more than a foot ahead of me.

Damnit!

Our cocoons burst, before we appear back in the same chamber we were in before the race. Celia’s standing there with her right hand on her chest, looking a little wide-eyed.

Rosaria steps out of her circle and walks in front of me before she taps me on the nose with an amused grin, and that’s when I notice her eyes are slitted again. They always seem to change when her instincts are at the forefront. “I win, darling, but it was a thrilling chase.” She’s breathing a bit heavily, and so am I, for that matter. The race was exhilarating, and my heart is still going a mile a minute.

That was so much fun, despite the loss.

When ‘darling’ washes over me, I stumble into Rosaria’s waiting arms, her warm breath brushes against my ear as she leans in and whispers. “You’re mine, Deliah Drake.” Her fingers dance over the Aegis as she turns off my magic, and I sag into her grip as the exertion catches up with me without my magic to buoy me.

“Ladies, that was remarkable. You broke the track record.”

“It was a wonderful time, you can expect us back sometime in the future. What do you think, darling?”

Thunder rattles my bones when she says the forbidden word a second time, while I’m wrapped up in her arms.

I feel a little drunk, which is why I giggle and smile at Celia before mustering my remaining concentration and saying. “It was great!” My eyes feel a little heavy, and that’s really not ideal by any means. We have a lot of dates ahead of us, but I didn’t expect to use that much magic.

Celia bows deeply before she says. “We would be honored to see you both again. Lady Rosaria, as the winner, would you like to commemorate your victory?”

She doesn’t even hesitate. “Absolutely.”

A small trophy floats into the room, with a star floating under the Crimson Dawn sigil. Rosaria keeps me cradled in her arms as she reaches out and takes it in her left hand, before there’s a flash, and Celia walks over with a picture.

“Watching you both race was truly wonderful. Enjoy the rest of your day.”

“We absolutely will.”

The world blurs, and before we’re standing in front of the entrance to the Oasis, an amused Demetra is smiling at me, curled up against Rosaria. “Ladies, welcome back.”

“Dear Deliah is in need of some caffeine and a snack.” I’m not a child, even if a nap in a specific sounds good right now. I just don’t have time for one.

“Of course, we’ll have coffee prepared and sent to your table immediately. A menu will be made available to you as well, Lady Rosaria.”

Rosaria half carries me up the stairs, past a dozen or so booths of people who are doing an incredibly bad job of trying to be nonchalant, when they’re all absolutely looking at us. After she sets me gently into the booth, Rosaria places the trophy directly in front of me and grins. “We can resume our date after you replenish your reserves.”

“It would be easier with my magic.” Or at least that’s what I intend to say; it’s mostly a mumble.

“Deliah, rest. Your false starlight drained your reserves; that’s why the true technique was lost. Battlefield uses by skilled practitioners who exhausted themselves to death.”

Oh, well, that’s something I would have loved to have known a half hour ago.

A latte of some kind appears on the table in front of me, and Rosaria reaches out and raises it to my lips. I frown at her and try to shove it away from me, but it doesn’t budge. “I need to check it, Rosaria.” A little bit spills into my mouth, and I cough, trying to spit it out, but I only end up swallowing more.

I can’t drink it before I check it.

“Oh, don’t be so stubborn, Deliah. No one would dare—” Rosaria cuts off as her fingers brush against the glass, and her expression turns thunderous. The bell in the table floats into the air,  rings once, before it’s crushed beyond recognition. Demetra appears immediately and glances down at the bell before she takes a step backward. “Explain yourself.”

“Lady Rosaria, I’m sorry, I don’t understand.”

Her voice is flat when she says. “This drink is poisoned.” And I stare at her, feeling more than a little smug, but my eyes really feel heavy.

I’m so tired.

Demetra looks shocked, like Rosaria just told her something impossible, but the glass drifts out of Rosaria’s hand to Demetra’s, who immediately takes a sip. “Manicore venom, mixed with something else, but that’s impossible. My staff wouldn’t—we never—Lady Rosaria, I apologize profoundly.” Demetra stumbled over her words in a few places, but she currently looks utterly terrified.

“We will have words about this, Demetra. Find me the culprit before I return.”

The world warps, slowly elongating as Rosaria overpowers the shields, before we appear in my bedroom at the Atlantis Grande, and Rosaria gently places me on the bed. “I’m sorry, Deliah. The Oasis hasn’t had a poisoning in fifteen hundred years; your caution was warranted.” She sets the blankets over me before a golden flask appears near her hand. “I need you to sip this, slowly. Your lips are turning purple, so you ingested at least a small amount of the poison.”

I should test it, but I can’t raise my arms. I try to nod, but I can’t, before I start to get worried. Rosaria sits beside me on the bed and cups the side of my face. “I’ll take care of you, Deliah. This was my failing. It’s okay.” After she smiles, Rosaria raises the flask to my lips and pours the potion, antidote, whatever it is, into my mouth until it’s gone. “You’ll sleep for a bit, and everything will be okay once you wake.”

My eyes flutter, once, twice, and somewhere between the second and the third, everything goes black.

 

 

***

​

I need to keep running, but nowhere is safe. Something’s chasing me, and every time I pause, there’s a flash of fangs from the shadows, the rustle of feathers, the tapping of a cane, and the whispers of a song, but it’s the eyes that are truly haunting me. Slitted eyes, like a cat or dragon, follow me everywhere I go in this labyrinth, and with each appearance, I flee deeper and deeper into these dark, endless corridors.

I keep trying to draw on my magic, but something’s blocking me; it feels overwhelming.

Where am I?

What’s happening?

“Deliah…” Mads? What is she doing here? I need to find her and get her out of here. Where did the voice come from, the left, I think? There’s a soft red light coming from there. I round a corner and stop dead. We’re still in the mess of corridors, the walls reach up to the sky, but there are no stars. This is the park we used to play in, and Madison is gently swaying back and forth on one of the swings.

“Mads, what are you doing here? It’s dangerous.” And it is, but I don’t know why. The park has always been safe.

“Deliah, you came!” Madison grins at me, and my breath catches. That’s the grin I fell in love with, the pure joy she looked at me with before things went wrong.

“Mads, we need to go.” I don’t know where, but not here, we need to go. Something is urging me forward, but some part of me doesn’t want to be here.

“But you just got here, we’re supposed to play. Come here.” That dangerous grin grows even brighter. She’s so pretty. I’m lucky to have her as a friend.

I take three steps towards Madison before her hand reaches out and pulls me onto the swings, and then she’s gently pushing me, and things are perfect.

Why would I want to be anywhere else? I’m with Mads, that’s the only place I want to be.

“Mads, do you want a turn? I can push you for a little while.” She doesn’t answer, but the swing keeps going, up and down, in a nice, gentle rhythm. “Mads?”

Something sharp bites into my wrist, and I stumble off the swing; only my left arm is attached to the chain, and it’s biting into my arm.

What’s happening?

Madison’s suddenly standing in front of me. “You should have stayed on the swing, babe.” There’s a glimmering silver collar wrappy snuggly around her neck that immediately grabs my attention. The sun dangling from the front is familiar, but I can’t place it.

I like stars, though. They’re always so soothing.

Crimson starts dripping from the collar. Is that blood? “Mads, you’re hurt, we need to get you to a hospital.” How did this happen? We were just playing.

“Hurt?” Madison’s voice is full of raw amusement. “Babe, I’ve never been better, just like you will be, once the others get here.”

Others?

I look around, wildly, and my breath catches; the eyes are back, and they look ready to swallow me whole.

I have to go!

Another sharp tug rips the chain from the swing, and then I’m darting away from the eyes. Mads. I’m sorry! All the while, the chain rattles behind me, punctuating each step.

There’s a door! My shoulder bounces into it before I heave it open and slam it shut. The room is quiet, but a sharp tap of a cane breaks through the silence, once, twice, three times, before lights flare into existence and Leon is standing right ahead of me, with cones of energy sticking out of his chest. “You killed me, you little bitch.”

I quickly glance around the room for another exit, and I see one in the far corner of the room. Leon doesn’t move as I dart around him and bolt for it. I don’t think he’s chasing me, but I can hear his cane come closer even over the rattle of my chain.

Maybe I should have stayed with Mads.

There’s a small stream of water in this corridor, and it’s red, but thankfully, it doesn’t smell of blood. But I hear singing, and something tells me to avoid it, left or right? The corridor goes both ways, but the water only goes to the right.

I go right, and the singing stops.

That was the right choice, I guess.

The water’s deeper here, an inch or so filling the corridor, but it isn’t over my boots, not yet. That’s good, just keep going, Deliah. Safety has to be somewhere, right?

Two pinpricks of light startle me, and they start getting bigger, like they’re rushing towards me until they’re almost filling my vision, but thankfully, they stop a few feet away, and Annabeth steps into view.

“Deliah, I’ve been looking for you all night. You look awful. Get in.” She motions towards the car before opening the back door. I nod, and run towards it, and throw myself into the backseat, to safety, and a place of some very fond memories. Only Morrigan is sitting there, and the door behind me slams shut and locks. I watch as Annabeth climbs into the front seat, and she smiles at me. “Sorry, Deliah, Mother insisted. I really do like you, though. I hope we can stay friends.” She shakes the chain that’s still attached to my arm.

“Well done, my daughter. Deliah Drake will be quite the prize.”

I start frantically tugging on the door handle, but it won’t budge, and punching the glass only makes my hand ache. A bottle of red water catches my eye, it’s sitting innocently in the cup holder, and I dive for it and twist it open.

Red water starts flooding the car until it bursts, and I’m swept away in the current. Once the water clears, there’s a single door ahead of me, and no way back. Only blank walls greet me as I turn in place.

Forward it is.

Rosaria is standing there, wreathed in red light, with Galina on her right. In one hand, she holds a crown; in the other, a collar. They both feel the same to me, only the outward message is different, but they’re both about control, and they both lead back to Rosaria.

“Hello, darling, you finally made it. I’ve been waiting. Come here.” It’s a command, but I resist.

I need to go.

I turn left, and Annabeth is standing there with her Mom; they both have their fangs bared.

I turn right, and Madison is standing there, my swing chain in her hand, with Leon’s arm curled around her waist and a wicked grin on his face. Get away from her!

I turn back, and there are shadows and song, formless but no less dangerous, hovering behind me.

Rosaria takes a step closer, and then everyone else does too. “The only way out, Deliah, is with one of us. You need to choose.”

My heart is thudding in my chest, and I turn in place, looking between my various foes, my crushes, and the sources of so much joy and misery, all the while desperately hoping for an exit.

“Please, someone, help me.”

Rosaria is suddenly standing a foot away from me, even though everyone else is still slowly making their way towards me.

“That’s all I want to do, darling. You just have to let me.” She lifts both of her hands until the collar and crown are at eye level. “I can choose for you, Deliah, if you can’t. Just nod, and I’ll help you.”

Nod?

I can’t, I don’t want to choose!

“Deliah, you need to choose. They’re almost here. It’s me or them.” Rosaria smiles at me, it’s warm and loving, and part of me responds to it, deep down. “I promise that you’ll be taken care of, and you’ll have a home with me, forever.”

Forever?

That sounds nice. I can’t, though, I can’t choose!

“Darling, quickly, before it’s too late!”

My friends, my allies, my enemies, and worse are circling, closer by the second, and the ever-present darkness is following them. Rosaria’s a shining beacon against the dark, wrapped in a warm crimson.

The world feels like it’s spinning—collar or crown, collar or crown.

To live or to die.

I spin in place, catching the eyes of everyone as I turn. Morrigan looks possessive, Annabeth lustful; the shadows and song bring only pain from a single glance. Leon’s cruel expression is like a dagger; Madison only shows love, even as she pulls my chain deeper towards the darkness. I spin and spin and spin, until the only thing left is the light.

Two hands, two options, but only one choice.

Hands reach out from all around me, rustling clothes, caressing parts of my body. “Choose.” They start chanting. “Choose, choose, choose.”

“I choose—”