"PART OF MY WHAT?" Mike stood, balling his fists. "You took part of my soul?!?"
"Swapped. No taking, an even exchange." She stood up, water trailing from her body. "It's like a gift, but magic always needs an equivalent exchange. By taking part of your soul, you and I are forever connected. By taking part of my soul, you have been given certain gifts."
"You can't just take-" the watery orb now had a twin, and tiny lights sparkled within, relaxing him. "So, what, I go to Hell now or something?"
"Silly man." Naia splashed the water at him playfully. "This isn't some demonic pact or anything. When you die, your soul goes with you and the piece I gave you comes back to me. So relax. As long as I don't terminate the spell early, our continued existence benefits each other."
Mike sighed, rubbing his head. This was too much. "Okay, so tell me about these benefits."
"Traditionally, precognition, mind reading, things like that. However, those have fallen out of vogue, as the last thing we want is for you to call attention to yourself, or this house. Instead, you will find yourself far more charming than usual, a natural beauty of sorts. Heightened sensitivity of your senses and just enough of those earlier abilities to keep you out of danger. Oh, and a gift more for me." She leaned forward, pressing her breasts together. Mike's crotch twitched in his pants. "You no longer have much of a refractory period. I figured that's a fair trade for not being able to win the lottery."
"So a magic boner and a spidey-sense. Fucking fantastic," Mike muttered to himself.
"Well, and a permanent psychic link to me." Naia pouted. "You're being rude."
"I'm sorry Naia, this is just a lot to take in." He was staring at her breasts, the way they pushed together, her tiny nipples rigid just above the water's surface.
"Get in the bath with me," she purred. "I can help you relax."
"You still haven't told me what you get from the link."
"Your protection." She leaned back, her breasts bobbing on the surface. "This home needs a guardian, a human who won't expose our secret to the world, one who will care for us until his dying day. When I read your spirit, I knew that you could be the one who protect us."
"Us?" He peeked out into the bedroom. "There are others nymphs?"
Naia shook her head. "I'm referring to the house itself. Emily was the last guardian of this place, and it holds many secrets. If this house should fall into the wrong hands..." Naia shivered, though the water was warm. "I'm afraid I can't be of much help in discovering them, as I am unable to leave this room. That, and I can't actually tell you."
"Why not?"
"It's the house." She frowned. "Powerful magic, a Geas. When Emily died, the house's protective magic kicked in. It's like being unable to remember someone's name, even though you are looking right at them. There is something important that I want to tell you, but it floats away from me when I try to focus on it. I'm afraid it will be that way until you can figure out for yourself the real purpose of this house."
"Secrets, huh?" Mike thought back to his college days, low-key hacking into servers just to see what was there. "Sounds like a challenge."
"I wish I could help, I really do." Naia frowned. "I have huge gaps in my memory, but the main thing I remember is Emily."
"You knew my Great Aunt well?"
"She was a good friend. I know you picture her in your mind as some old woman traipsing through the house, but she never looked a day over twenty seven. Not until the day she died, anyway. The magic preserves beauty, but doesn't prolong death."
"Interesting." Mike stroked his chin. "So, I'm going to be young forever."
"On the outside." Naia smiled. "And I think I can make your stay worth it."
"I'm going to be honest. I'm not really good with women." Mike stared at her naked body, his cock twitching once more. His body and brain were disconnected, his body suddenly ready but his mind hesitant. His mother's voice was distant, but it was still there.
"I saw that." Naia trailed a finger down between her breasts. "A lot of pain in your past, something holding you back. You'll find that our new bond will alleviate that somewhat."
"What, are you my therapist now?"
"Even better." Mike hadn't realized how close he had come to the water. Naia slid her finger into the waistband of his pants, pulling him close. "My magic has created a special bond between us, one that enhances trust, allowing you to momentarily forget." Tugging the band of his pants down, his cock sprung free, pointing directly at her mouth. "I can teach you to overcome your pain, if you will let me." She stroked his cock lovingly, her fingers magically warm and wet. She gazed up into his eyes, adoration on her face. "Please let me do this, Mike. Please."