CHAPTER 29

After a brief explanation from Beth, Naia filled the tub up with steaming hot water. Beth took off her clothes and climbed into the bath, sighing as the warmth seeped into her skin.

"This already feels good," she said. "I've only got a shower in the bath I share with Yuki."

"You should ask Tink to put in a tub," Naia told her. "Though it wouldn't have the same perks or be as large as this one."

"Why not?" Beth ran her hands along the cool surface of the rim. "Wouldn't it just be some additional pipes?"

"A bit more than that. Here, lean back." Gentle hands appeared from beneath the water and pulled Beth against the side. Naia manifested beneath the surface, creating a nymph body pillow beneath her torso.

Beth closed her eyes as Naia gave her a scalp massage.

"The pipes that connect my bath to the spring aren't just regular pipes," Naia explained. "They are made from a special kind of material brought in for this exact purpose. Nymphs are bound to their springs, unable to leave their boundaries. Therefore, the pipes were made special from bits of my spring and other materials."

"Like some type of magical compound?" Beth asked. The fingers in her hair soothed her, and her whole body was tingling. In fact, she could feel the aches and pains in her pelvis leaving her.

"Not a bad way to think of it. Powerful fae magic plus some metal I've never heard of, and then some minerals from as far down as my essence goes." An extra set of hands now worked the kinks in Beth's neck. "Feeling any better yet?"

Beth explored her vulva with her fingers. Some of the tenderness had already disappeared. "I am, thank you."

"You know, there is a way we could fix this problem for you permanently." A third set of hands now rubbed her shoulders while a fourth set began working her feet. "So that you wouldn't have to worry again."

"I'm all ears."

"I could give you the gift," Naia whispered, her voice like velvet. "Bless you like I blessed Mike."

Beth's eyes opened. "Like a soul exchange?"

"Yes. You are already the next Caretaker in line, and you are right for this house. I feel safe enough offering it to you."

She mulled it over. By going through the process with Naia, she would be inexorably linked to the nymph forever, and therefore the house. "Would I have magic like Mike?"

Naia laughed. "Nobody has magic as he does. But yes, you would have some magic of your own. For one thing, your body would be able to keep up with your sexual adventures. No more soreness. In fact, you will always be as wet as you want to be. That isn't really a trick Mike can use."

"I guess not." Did she really want to be like the others? It felt weird so casually deciding to part with a little bit of her humanity in exchange for the magic that Naia offered. However, the possibilities being presented would also put her on a more level playing field with everyone else. As of right now, she was the only true human in the house.

The moment that thought crossed her mind, she felt all the threads of her insecurities knit together. It wasn't so much that Mike was gone and had taken the others. It was the fact that she felt inadequate, that she was still an outsider. Even something as simple as the banshee scream was a trick in Mike's arsenal. All Beth really had was a monster kink and a law degree. Neither of these was very useful in a fight.

"Are you sure?" Beth asked.

"The fact that you hesitate to even accept such a gift tells me that I'm right about you." Another set of hands were massaging her calves now. "And I can also promise you that the process is quite enjoyable."

Beth chuckled. "I'm sure it is. But I guess what I really want to ask is whether I will still be me? Afterward, will I be a different person?" She thought of how the magic had eventually corrupted Emily. It wasn't a path she wanted to walk on.

"In a way," Naia replied. "It will be no different than the first time you had sex. You will still be the same person, but what will happen is that certain doors will be open to you. It will be your choices that define how you walk through them, and that is when you may become someone else. It will be your choice."

Beth closed her eyes. She knew that she could trust Naia, but this was a big moment.

"I accept," she whispered in excitement.

More hands touched her now. They massaged her breasts, her hips, and even teased her labia. She let out a tiny moan as the warm water encased her body. Though her upper half was above the tub, the water climbed her skin until it was just below her chin.

The hands pulled her down beneath the water, and she opened her eyes in time to see Naia's face in front of hers. The nymph's blue eyes were ablaze with light as she put her hands on Beth's cheeks.

"And now we shall become one," Naia told her, and pulled her in for a kiss.

The water surrounded Beth completely, and she realized that she was now breathing through Naia's mouth. Each breath made her mouth tingle in a way that reminded her of inhaling cold air after sucking on a mint. The invisible hands had pushed her legs apart, and unseen digits toyed with both of her openings.

She moaned into Naia's mouth, their tongues now twisting around each other. Beth's body felt like it was on fire, trying desperately to mix with the cool water that surrounded her. This created a buzzing sensation that resonated through her entire body.

Breathe me in.

Naia's voice came from inside her head.