"Well that's unfortunate," Mara said and she glared at him.
"Vampires heal, he'll have a migraine, but he'll be alright," Daemon said, picking out one of the green berry shaped things Mara had been eating.
Cradling Versalis in her arms, she stroked his hair and tried to ignore the disturbing cracks and pops his skull made as his brain swelled and the fluid replenished, pushing the bone out and back into place.
"What are you doing? Who put me in this, and why did I just kill Versalis?" she demanded, looking at the fruit on the table and the little pots of a pale red-brown liquid.
Mara offered her a little bowl of the berries and she took it, looking at them suspiciously.
They were smooth, oval shaped and hard but had a soft, fibrous flesh inside when she broke it open.
Sniffing it, she found it pleasantly sweet and refreshing.
Slowly she popped it into her mouth, and it crunched as she bit down, a sweet deliciousness filling her mouth.
"Etani recently discovered the joys of fruit," Uzo said happily, drinking the liquid from the little pots.
"What were you before all this?" Mara asked and she looked down as Versalis gasped, his eyes snapping open then slamming shut again as the light scolded its way into his brain.
"My mother was a Celestrial, my father was Lutheral Daewen," she replied, placing her hand gently over Versalis' eyes to help shield them from the dim light in the room.
"Lutheral? Tatialia's boy?"
She nodded, giving Versalis a tight hug in apology, to which he groaned softly.
"You're the princess they have been hunting?" Mara asked, bemused.
"The runaway? That's me," she sighed.
"Explains why you have so many little friends to try and help you. You killed him so easily because you have my strength. I assume it would be similar to what you had before?"
"She only retained the abilities of the last twenty or so, from what I can tell," Daemon said.
Taking up one of the little berries, she placed it against Versalis' lips and he bit it, still pouting.
"Oh I'm sorry Versalis, I just lost my temper and didn't realise," she said gently and he lowered her hand enough to glare up at her, then smiled and hid his eyes behind her hand once more.
"You're just lucky she only used one hand. My mother had six, and being slapped like that by three isn't fun," Mara lamented.
Stroking his hair gently, she accepted a cloth and bowl of water from Kai, using it to wash the blood and tissue from his hair.
"We didn't dress you, that is what your clothes became," Uzo said gently and gave her a wicked grin. "If I wasn't almost related to you I might be after you myself,"
She wrinkled up her nose and he laughed, throwing one of the berries at her. She caught it and popped it into her mouth.
"What are these?" she asked, offering Versalis another one.
"Grapes. A human treat we get brought in on occasion," Mara explained. "There is another one I am particularly fond of, a big green ball with red flesh inside, makes your mouth water."
Versalis sat up finally and he held his head in his hands, groaning at the change in position.
Mara offered him small pile of a strange brown and cream root. "Eat these, it'll help with your pain," he said and Versalis accepted the roots, popping it into his mouth and chewing with a revolted expression.
"What is that?" Etani asked curiously.
"Piper Methysticum. A plant known to relieve pain," Mara said.
"Isn't that a human plant?" she asked, taking a small piece and examining it closely.
"Yes, but it works when we get it brought in," Mara was dismissive, and she contemplated why a God of pleasure would need pain treatment.
The realisation hit her and she flushed, his grin telling her he had followed her line of thought and his wicked stare had her stomach clenching.
"Stop that," she said, throwing the plant root at him. He caught it and tossed it back to Versalis, who stuffed it into his mouth and flopped back onto her lap.
"What are you after next?" Mara asked and she glanced at Daemon, who shrugged.
He must have filled the God in while she was out.
"Werewolf. Jeanette married a man named Fenrir, she didn't know he was a werewolf until a few years later and they had a daughter. Gennevote married a dragon named Loco, they had a daughter named Miriela and it goes on for ages," Daemon said and sipped the drink.
"Who else have you involved in this game of yours?" Mara asked slyly and Daemon flushed.
"I don't know what you mean," Daemon lied.
"Which of us ancients did you seduce with one of your girls?" Mara elaborated, leaving the demon no room to lie.
"Well, there's Hades, Loki… not that Loki, the other one. Related to the Thor boy. Theseus, Spophis, Sobek… Stacius and then Dominick."
Mara whistled low under his breath, staring at the demon.
"What's that? Six Gods, a Nephilim and a Strigoi? I don't envy you. I doubt you'll make it past Hades. He's been in a right mood ever since Minthe," he stopped and looked at her. "Minthe? I thought it would be the other one,"
Daemon snorted. "No way I would have gotten someone like her, she's got a temper worse than all of my girls."
"I didn't know Minthe had a child," Mara said slowly, frowning.
"No, she kept it a secret. I knew things were going bad with Hades so I took Sibbe and we went to the human world."
Etani had lost track of the conversation, frowning at the two.
"Wouldn't you be considered a God Daemon?" she asked suddenly, and Daemon choked.
"I am, but at the time I was going by another name,"
"Why?" she asked, curious.
"It was a running joke I had going with Hera, she hates me. You probably know me as Eros."
The room was silent as all eyes turned to Daemon and the news that he was the God of lust.
"Is it really all that surprising?" she asked and slowly the vampires shook their head. Even Uzo looked surprised.
Shaking her head, she picked up one of the pots of liquid and took a sip, frowning down at it.
"It's tea," Mara said. "My children make it, it's quite good."
Looking up at him, she swallowed the bitter liquid but the more she thought about it, the more she liked it.
"Your children?" she asked finally.
"We all have our children. Hecate has the witches, I have mine though they don't have a name yet. We all have those who worship us."
Etani nodded slowly, trying to imagine humans like him but it was impossible. She could imagine all form of mythical creature but a human who looked like him? Not even remotely, but that made her wonder about the different types of human and she was left wondering if it was possible.
"Do you?" she asked Daemon and he grinned.
"Of course, I'm much loved."
Snorting, she shook her head and drank the last of her tea before setting the pot down and looking down at Versalis who had been watching her for who knew how long.
"You're so pretty…" he breathed, and she shook her head, Daemon and Mara laughing.
They had begun to pack up, preparing to head off to the human world once more but Mara caught her before she could leave, four hands catching her around the waist and he drew her back into his chest with warm lips brushing her ear.
"If you fail in your task, little Etani. I'll welcome you back into my home and into my bed just as soon as you come to me. I'll give you pleasures you can never know with any normal man," he breathed and smiled as she shivered.
His fingers were tantalising against her navel but then he kissed the side of her head and let go of her, leaving her tingling and aching for him.
Turning, she found he had vanished and she frowned, wondering where he could have gone.
A hand took hers and she found Jaia tentatively pulling her along and she allowed him to, the others waiting.
Stepping out of the dome, Daemon pulled them through into the human world and they stepped out into pelting rain.