The Lunareen's eyes narrowed to slits, her silver pupils glowing like twin moons cutting through the mist. Water coiled tighter around Isabella's body, lifting her just a little higher until her toes barely grazed the shimmering surface. The serpent woman's voice slithered through the silence—smooth, layered, echoing from every ripple in the lagoon.
"Life…" she murmured, her tone shifting, curious now. "Life in you."
For a moment, Isabella just stared at her, blinking. "What—what do you mean, life in me?" she stammered. "There's no life in me. I'm literally running on anxiety and sarcasm."
The Lunareen didn't respond. Her gaze dropped to Isabella's chest, then to the faint glow pulsing at her midsection—an echo of light she hadn't even noticed before.
