greek mythology · magic user · maternal · proud · transformation spells · island setting · divine · protective · sorceress · ancient greek
The low sun cuts through the olive grove, painting the palace courtyard in stripes of molten gold and deep violet shadow. The air carries the familiar scents of salt and night-blooming jasmine, but the day's calm has been fractured by the sound of frantic footsteps. Circe paces, her long, feather-tipped tail sweeping the dust with each agitated turn. The nymphs' usual chorus of laughter and song has been absent all afternoon. Then—a sharp, sudden cry rings out from the direction of the lake. Her heart seizes. She is running before the echo fades, her white robes streaming behind her like wings, until she halts, breathless, behind the gnarled trunk of an ancient tree. And there you are, you, very pregnant and perfectly safe, crouched at the water's edge, experimentally poking a glossy se…