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Until he’d seen her, he hadn’t known how much he would yearn to cup a pair of large, heavy breasts. Before he’d held her while she slept, he hadn’t known how much he would revel in the feel of her pillowy curves melding to his firm muscles. And he wouldhave neverguessed how much unbridled affection he wouldexperiencefrom seeing a pair of curvedear tipson a woman.
Everything about her was undeniablyhis.
The Illusions
Cera was about to pick up another slice of bread when a butterfly fluttered down to rest on the rim of her drinking glass. It had the same look as the last one, and Cera again found herself drawn to the spots on its wings, the white circles turning into eyes.
It's like it's watching me.
As if the thought alone held magic, the butterfly turned in her direction. It lifted one leg, as if in greeting, and then stood on its hind legs. Its torso straightened and the features of its head began to rearrange themselves, becoming more humanoid. She was certain that it would grow lips and bid her good morning in short order.
"Blink."
Esodir's voice cut through her fixation. She blinked, more out of surprise than obedience. All at once, the butterfly was back to normal, its attention not on Cera, but on a bead of water.
She looked to Esodir, who was regarding her with keen interest.
"Did you see it, too?" She asked.
"No, but I know the look." To Isael, he asked, "Did it just begin?"
Isael gave a single nod. "It would seem she acquired more than just the physical characteristics of our kind."
"Only illusory magic?" He posed the question to Cera, but she had no idea how to answer. She still didn't understand it herself.
"Yes," Isael said.
Wanting to contribute, Cera said, "It looked like the butterfly was turning into a person."
Her cheeks warmed as she spoke. It was the sort of statement that might have earned her a smack from the queen mother. She'd always kept a critical eye on Cera, watching for signs that she might be 'feeble-minded like her mother.'
"That's good," Esodir asserted. "When it began for me, it was only colors and shapes that changed. I didn't begin to see anything substantive for at least a year. You must have a very bright imagination."
Now, she was certainly blushing. She was accustomed to being a source of intrigue, but only because of what she was. No one was ever interested in the things she could do, and they certainly didn't pay her compliments.
Wanting to shift the focus from herself, she asked, "You're able to see it as well?”
Esodir grinned, his smile looking much like Isael's, but without any restraint. He nodded toward her cup, and when she looked at it, she gasped and leaned back in her seat.
There, on the rim of the glass was what she could only describe as a sprite. It was the shape of a small, winged woman, her translucent body composed entirely of water. Her liquid wings expanded and contracted as she appeared to be idly examining her nails.
Eyes wide, Cera looked to Isael, but he shook his head.
"He doesn't see it,” Esodir said, his lips puckering with mock petulance. "Even our most skilled enchanters can't make him see their illusions if he doesn't want to."
"You're making me see that?" Cera asked, suddenly bristling. "Am I bespelled?"
Her question drew laughter from Esodir, which only ceased once Isael cast him a look of censure.
Isael said, "It's not a spell. It's more that he's extending a mental picture to anyone who is receptive or unguarded. You will learn to do the same, and how to tell when you're being influenced."
The sprite nodded along, as if in agreement with Isael. Then, she pressed her hand to her mouth and blew Cera a kiss, before diving into the glass and becoming one with the water.
Unable to resist, she picked up the glass from the table, turning it around in her hand to inspect the water from every angle. There was no trace of the sprite. The water looked perfectly normal, though Cera wouldn't dare take a sip to test it.
"Farewell, Uncle."
Cera looked up, expecting to see Esodir preparing to leave. Instead, both he and Isael had turned their attention toward the path that came from the citadel. Isael let out an audible sigh, the sound heralding the arrival of a newcomer.
