From the grounds below her window, she could hear someone chanting and she pushed herself up from the bed and made her way to the window, trying to see what was down there. Pressing her hand against the barrier, she was leaning against it when suddenly it was no longer there and the strong, hard arms of Versalis caught her before she could topple out of the window.
Hanging forward out of the window, she saw the man below who was looking up at them with a markedly fanatic gleam in his eyes.
Looking behind her at a crash, she saw Epharis bursting into her room, the sparkling of the barrier dissipating in bright golden ripples.
She met his eyes and she was torn between glee that Versalis had finally reached her, and concern for the look of terror on his face even as Versalis lifted her up and flung her over his shoulder, climbing up the outside of the castle to the roof.
She was able to see when Epharis realised exactly how it had happened and did something she had never seen him do before. Toxic green fire seemed to bloom in his hand from nothing, but she wasn't sure that was possible. Throwing the ball down at the fanatic man who made no effort to get out of the way. Her ears popped as the man was engulfed and was left a mangled blackened skeleton.
Epharis looked up and she met his eyes with one of horrified fascination, his were alight with fury.
"Etani!" he bellowed and her stomach clenched at the sound, watching as he flung himself back from the window and away, she didn't know where.
Reaching the roof, she huffed as Versalis adjusted her on his shoulder and she lifted herself up to look backwards at him.
"Versalis, I can walk," she said, rather glad she had been dressed when he arrived
He ignored her, crossing the roof and peering down the side at the distance.
A noise had her looking up, but Versalis didn't seem to notice.
Kai and Jaia had seemingly appeared out of thin air and she gave them a little sarcastic wave.
Kai gave a tiny wave back, then lifted his finger to his lips in a gesture that she should keep quiet.
Nodding, she yelped, and they were suddenly airborne.
He had leapt across to one of the towers and climbed up into the room at the top. Realising it had been her room, she was somewhat happy to find it well and intact. She wouldn't have put it past the king or prince to destroy it to ensure she couldn't hide there again. But it was possible they didn't know about it.
Putting her down, Versalis' hands cupped her face and he kissed her deeply, passionately.
She felt it when the endorphins flooded her system but there was no resisting it and she kissed him back hungrily.
He smiled as he drew back, his fingers in her hair that sent shivers down her spine.
"Alone at last" he said, drawing her towards new bedding that he had obtained.
She followed eagerly, allowing him to draw her down but something was itching at the back of her mind, a tiny voice that was saying 'no, this is wrong.'
He was nuzzling her neck, stroking her arms and down her sides, exploring her as she gave that little voice a shred of attention and it was immediately screaming at her.
Drawing back from him, she gave her head a little shake to clear it. "Versalis, we have to stop," she sounded unsure and when he paused, she wriggled away from him.
He followed, looking hurt at her words.
"No Etani, just give in and everything will be better." He caught her hand and lifted her wrist to his lips, kissing it gently and stopped, seeing the bite.
His eyes narrowed and he followed the line of her arm up to her throat, making some connection she could guess at.
"Those boys are getting to be a problem," he said slowly, the threat ominous.
Shaking her head, she drew him in for a tender kiss, her mind working sluggishly to keep him distracted from her friends. They would find her before too much longer, she was sure of it.
"I will not let them taste you again," he growled against her lips and gripped her thighs. Dragging her towards him. Her back hit the floor and he leant over her, bunching her night dress around her hips.
Leaning down, he gripped her hair and forced her head to the side, rough in his anger.
"Versalis, stop!" she gasped, his fingers tracing over the bite marks on her throat.
"Hush, you're mine," he growled and sank his teeth into her flesh.
Her voice rang out in a cry of pain as he began to feed, the bite stinging and the pressure of his hunger making her veins burn, unable to keep up.
She shuddered as the familiar coolness started at her extremities, his weight atop her being all the warmth she could find.
He moved, reaching between them and lifting the hem of her dress higher, pushing the bundle of fabric further up to her waist to leave her exposed.
He didn't have time to start on his own clothing when first one, then two sets of boots sounded heavy on the floorboards.
Versalis looked up, his sudden movement tearing her skin and blood began to flow heavily.
Looking up at the two, he smiled and deliberately moved. Lifting his wrist to his mouth, he bit down and turned, smashing it down over her mouth.
Kai cried out, Jaia rushing forward but she couldn't focus on that. As soon as she tasted him, she was sucking at the wound, the flood of energy that lit her system better than any soul she had ever tasted.
She only got two mouthfuls when Jaia hit Versalis and he left her to be replaced by Kai only a second later.
He yanked her from the floor, freezing as he tried to figure out what to do, finally he grabbed her jaw and tried to shove his fingers in past her tongue. He was trying to force the blood back up.
He howled when she bit him, tasting his blood then and she flung herself back from him.
He came for her again, his eyes frantic
"Etani, I don't want to hit you but you have to bring it back up!" he said urgently, stalking after her even as she backed away, her arms going protectively around her stomach.
Her head began to spin and she blinked hard to try and clear it. An odd redness coming around the edges and turning everything slightly pink.
"Stay away..." she said, backing herself against a wall.
Kai was on her in an instant, his left forearm going against her throat. Ignoring the nails that cut cleanly into his arm, he met her eyes and she saw the decision he made even as he saw her pain, could see the muddy redness in her eyes
"Forgive me..." he pleaded and drew back his arm.
'Protect,' flashed through her mind as his fist drove forward and slammed into her stomach, she felt her legs go numb and she dropped, vomiting up all the blood she had managed to consume.
Heaving, she expelled everything that had lingered in her stomach and she slumped to the floor, watching as the redness in her vision returned to normal.
Whimpering, she could hear the sounds of fighting, Kai pleading for her to be okay, almost begging her to be alright
Her eyes closed and she willingly gave into unconscious, eager for the relief.