Then, with a sound like shattering glass, the cocoon exploded outward. Where Athena had stood now stood Jesua, her form identical to the one they had seen back in the apartment. Her ebony hair framed her face perfectly, and her pale blue eyes sparkled with amusement. Her slick, eerie smile returned as she surveyed the stunned crowd.
"Miss me?" Jesua said, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she stretched her arms lazily.
The room was silent for a heartbeat before the Swan Maidens reacted. They shouted in alarm, their weapons snapping to attention. The tension in the air thickened like a storm about to break.
Jesua glanced at the weapons pointed at her, then turned to the woman on the throne with a grin that was equal parts mockery and menace. "My, my, such a warm welcome. Is this how you greet all your guests?"
The throne woman's expression hardened, her wings flaring slightly. "You…" she began, her voice a mix of awe and dread.
