He didn't know what they wanted. He couldn't see them and that frustrated him.Why was it so bloody dark?Hunger.That intense impression came from the minds around him. They were starving! The urgency to talk, to communicate with them was driving him to distraction as was the background of desperation he felt in his mind. Some of them were very weak. He moved around the perimeter of the room, but there was no light and no unlocked doors. He needed light as the minds did.The rainbow! He could get some light into the room! He desperately reached towards the wall and used his will to rip space apart in a brilliant flare of multicolored light. He kept up the pressure and the gap widened in the rippling rainbow. The space in the gap filled with yellow skies, a red hillside, and the reddish-orange sun. It was low in the sky and shone its brilliant light straight through the gap to strike the still beings in the huge chamber. Light scattered everywher

Henry looked down at sleeping beauty in his living room, the early morning rays of sunlight shining through her hair. She was breathtakingly lovely, and he felt his heart jump a little in his chest. But that was just a natural reaction to a Succubus, even disguised behind a glamor as she was, so he let it pass.He'd taken off his party clothes and slipped on his white T-shirt and jeans glamor leaving his feet bare. This was a skill he knew he'd have to keep practicing.He went to the kitchen and began the process of cooking breakfast. He was getting better at it. As it was the weekend, he'd make a hearty meal. Bacon, eggs, toast, jam, and orange juice.He was feeling surprisingly good after the rough night before. His face did have some tender spots. Someone punched him? Some moments from last night were still blurry.He puttered in the kitchen, being as quiet as he could, but eventually, he heard stirring in the living room."Hey. When did you get up?" Marisa sleepily said as she app

"Agreed," Henry said with an emphatic nod. He began taking ingredients out of the fridge and cabinets.Marisa looked at him curiously. "What are you up to?""I'm going to bake some cookies."Marisa grinned and clapped her hands in delight. She sat at the counter and watched Henry puttering around, making precise measurements of the ingredients, following the recipe to the letter. Once the trays went into the oven and he set the timer, Henry cleaned the mess he'd made."Is there a way to do this that avoids this?" he asked with a frown gesturing to the untidy counters.Marisa grinned at him. "Practice."He smiled and nodded as he washed and dried the bowls.Once the kitchen was tidy once more, they moved to the living room and sat together on the couch. Henry's cell rang, and he saw it was Sandy."Hi, Sandy!""Oh good! You're awake! How are you feeling?" she asked."I feel good!" he said, smiling at Marisa.

Henry couldn't argue with that. He knew her over-indulgent father spoiled her, but he couldn't share that bit of insider knowledge."I hope what happened at the dance club hasn't turned you against the idea of going out dancing with us!" Tish said with a hopeful expression."No, I'd like to try it again, just without the booze." He sighed. "I still have to get over my awkwardness with dancing. I have two left feet!"Tish's face lit up with a broad smile. "We can help you with that! You just need to learn a few steps and become comfortable with them. When you get out on the floor with the music playing, you follow the steps you've learned with the beat. Soon it'll become second nature, and you can relax!"He realized that was a great idea! He nodded, and she clapped quietly with a grin.They finished up their lunch and moved the coffee table to have room to move. Sandy put on some music at a low volume as all they only needed was a beat to follow an

She closed her eyes, released the hands, and pushed her talent back into a parked state. "Please move a little distance from the table so I can put my back to it," she instructed, and Mahati opened her eyes and stepped away from the table. The lawyer immediately closed them again. Marisa faced away from the others and took Mahati's hands as she opened her sight once more.Now the potentials bursting forth were only those of the woman before her. As usual, the images made no sense to her as they overlapped so densely. But she was able to feel the power radiating from them. As this was her first time reading a wielder, there was spice, texture, and weight to the reading she'd never experienced before.She opened her mind to the flow of images and let them flash by. She was relieved there were no dark streaks like she saw in Henry's aura. Mahati's was an explosion of brilliant colors! The only darkness was a grey haze surrounding the impression of a stern, dark-skinned ol