The three that had been collected were an odd bunch, the naga being the guard whom had assisted her on her visit with Izziah, the shapeshifter being a very confused looking young woman with a mass of curly brown hair and green eyes, the reptilian being Yhiss, Nayishma's lady in waiting.
Etani immediately went to Yhiss and hugged her tightly, the woman happy to see her again.
"You smell different," Yhiss said gently.
"After all this is over, I'll explain better," she said gently and stepped back to address the trio. "You have all been called here to provide a favour for me. I am the princess of Winter and when I am back to myself you will be entitled to one favour in return should you ever wish to accept it. Should you chose to refuse, I'll find someone else," she looked at the shapeshifter, who looked ready to bolt. "Except for you, it's not easy to find your kind. My favour is simple, I require you to imbibe me with a sliver of your magic. That's all. Your returned favour may be anything you ask, within reason."
The Naga and the shape shifter exchanged a look, but Yhiss simply nodded her agreement without question.
"This favour, it could be anything?" the young woman asked.
"Within reason. I will not perform sexual favours, but generally outside of that, yes."
"What if I asked you to kill someone?" the woman countered.
A low, dark chuckle sounded around her from the various people around her who knew her.
"I would accept that. However your favour will have to wait until after I am back to my powers."
The shape shifter shrugged and all eyes turned to the Naga.
"Did you have anything to do with the Queen being placed on the throne?" he asked.
She looked at him, studying him for several long moments before she smiled.
"I thought it would be beneficial to my eventful escape if Nayishma was on the throne," she lied, leaving out the involvement of Alaric.
The Naga nodded once and glanced at his fellows, the young girl looking horrified by the news that Etani had been involved in the death of the king.
"We must do this in a particular order, just to be safe," she said, nodding to the Naga. He smiled stiffly as he stepped forward.
He had a human torso, yet up close she realised his skin was made up of tiny scales and that made his lips oddly smooth and cool when they met hers.
The wash of magic left her skin tingling and she gasped, the physical change was minor, her skin seeming to ripple as long stretches of what had been skin changed to form smooth scales. It made her skin feel hard on those areas, but it was hard to notice the difference if one didn't look closely.
Drawing back from him, she was panting gently though she calmed down in only a minute, her eyes going to the young woman.
She looked scared.
"What do I have to do?" the woman asked.
"It's simple," Yhiss said quietly. "All you have to do is touch lips and will some of your ability into her. That part of yourself that you tap into to change, just feed a little of that into the princess."
The girl looked even more scared but she stepped forward and her lips were warm, but she broke away quickly, her eyes huge.
"I can't, I don't know how."
Etani frowned, not having considered the possibility of their coming across someone who had never shared their magic before.
It was common among lovers and siblings, but this girl seemed to have neither.
"Do you not have siblings or a partner?" Etani asked curiously and the girl shook her head.
"That could be problematic," Uzo said slowly, watching the show with a professional interest though he had remained close at her side since she had introduced him to Yish.
"You simply have to want it," Kai said as he stepped forward and she met Jaia's eyes over Kai's head. He was glaring at her though she wasn't sure what his issue was.
Turning her attention to the girl and Kai, he was talking to her quietly and she moved away to join Nayishma and Adella.
"What if you can't get her to do it?" Adella asked softly.
"We'll have to find someone who can," Etani replied and frowned, looking over to the clustered group trying to get the girl to share.
"I never really considered that someone might not know how. I just assumed everyone could."
Nayishma shrugged, chewing on her lower lip.
"What will happen to me if you don't get your magic back?" Nayishma asked and Etani looked at her.
"You will remain as is until you die and your soul will go to the spirit world to await your next life."
"Can she die of old age?" Adella asked and Etani shook her head.
"No, Nayishma will never age past the point of death. Mermaids are ageless aren't they?"
"Unless we choose to age," the mermaid replied and she looked between the pair.
"Well, don't do that and you two will have an eternity together."
The couple exchanged a happy glance and Etani turned away, hiding her flash of jealousy.
She didn't desire Nayishma like that, but there was a part of her that wanted to keep the Gorgon Queen to herself. It was a stupid feeling and she crushed it down, refusing to give in when her friend was so clearly happy.
"Etani?" Kai called out and she left the two women to join the little group around the young woman.
"I want to try again," she said gently and Etani nodded.
The second kiss left no result, nor the third and Etani was growing irritable.
"What if I bite her?" Etani finally asked, unsure of her sudden anger at the young woman.
"That would work, but you don't want to start forcing magic. It works better if it's consensual," Daemon said, frowning at the anxious young woman.
"Do you consent to my taking your magic through a bite?" she asked and the girl nodded slowly.
Shrugging at the demon, she took the girl's arm and her teeth slid through the soft skin like butter.
Closing her eyes at the rancid taste of blood that was not Uzo's, she drank and her body sang.
The girl however was screaming and Etani jerked back, lips crimson.
"What's going on?" Uzo demanded, the girl clutching at her arm.
"It burns!" The girl screamed but Etani tuned her out, focusing instead on what it felt like to be a shape shifter. It was like a secret she held inside herself and it was both similar and entirely different to the others inside her. It was odd to think about how many forms she could take.
Blinking, she found Yhiss before her and the reptilian woman smiled at her, rough mouth without lips and a flash of warmth through her. The air suddenly felt pleasantly warm but she wasn't sure why.
"You keep us all alive," Yhiss demanded in a whisper and Etani nodded.
She could hear the girl's screaming, but she ignored it as she thought about what she could do.
With a smile, she wanted to change and so her form began to change, her mind going to that of her twin and the little black cat she had always become.
Nayishma shrieked at the slow, graceful change and then Etani found herself looking up at the friends who were suddenly giants. She could hear everything, from the rapid heartbeat of the girl, to a soft squeaking that had her head turning, ears moving of their own accord in the direction the sound was coming from.
Her tail flicked and then she curled it around her little black paws and she watched. The room was in uproar, the girl had fainted and Uzo was scolding her, demanding she become her own form again.
She understood completely why Letari had chosen that form, people adored her.
Uzo reached for her and she leapt back, hissing her anger that he would dare touch her.
He swore as she bolted and there were three sets of boots after her.
She was small, she could hide.
She darted under a dresser and then crouched there, watching the men peering under and trying to coax her out. She didn't want to come out, she didn't like the noise.
She growled and swiped at a hand and Daemon swore, his hand bleeding as he withdrew it, and he peeked under the dresser.
"Lift it up, I'll grab her," Daemon growled, and she narrowed her eyes at him in return.
"She'll just bolt, won't she? Kai come here," Uzo called.
A new set of feet joined the three she could see, and Kai's face appeared, his eyes wide as he saw her.
"Come on sweetheart, come out here and I'll keep you safe."
She stared at him for a long moment, trying to decide if he was lying or not. He seemed to be telling the truth and she watched as he reached a hand towards her but didn't try and grab her like the others.
He smelt wonderful and she nearly collapsed as his gentle fingers found her head. She understood why cats liked to be petted and slowly she inched forward.
He scooped her up and she settled into his arms as he stood, the ground seeming to be a thousand miles away.
A hand grabbed her, and she yowled as she was hoisted up by the scruff of her neck.
Curling herself into a little ball, she found herself face to face with the demon, her tail flicking in irritation before she tucked it up under her belly to protect it.
"Change back, right now," he demanded. Her ears flattened back against her head as she hissed at him, bearing her sharp little teeth.
"Don't you take that tone with me, young lady! Change back right this instant!"
He seemed to be very angry, and she wilted a little, putting on her best pleading look.
She gave a tiny, hopeful mew, more question than anything else. She was trying to get his pity so he would let her go. He grunted, glaring
"You can try all you want to be the cute little kitten, but it's not going to work on me."
Kai appeared at his side, his hands cupping up under her rump to take the pressure off her skin.
"Put her down, Daemon, you'll hurt her," he sounded genuinely distressed at the sight of her and she took full advantage, turning big blue eyes on him and mewling pitifully.
It worked like a charm, and he slapped daemon's hand until the demon let her go.
Turning a smug kitty smile on Daemon, she settled into Kai's arms, licking at her furry lips and kneading his jacket.
"You're lucky this time," Daemon said, disgusted at her manipulation of the vampire.
Uzo and Jaia owned the other two pairs of legs that had followed her, and she glared at the two of them as they approached.
"What happened to the shape shifter?" Daemon asked.
"Dead. It seems like Etani is venomous."
She looked past them to the girl who had been lifted onto a stretcher and then at Nayishma who had spotted her and had headed her way.
"Etani stop playing games," she scolded.
Etani glared at her, stubborn to the end.
"Don't scold her," Kai snapped, and she was smug once more.
Nayishma glared at him, but he ignored her and instead turned to Uzo.
"Does she have to change back?"
"Not until we get to the next mythical," Uzo said, looking down at her and smirking when she yawned in his face. He gave her chin a scratch and suddenly she was purring, having no idea how it had started.
"She makes for a pretty cat at least."
Etani decided to ignore him and Nayishma sighed, motioning them all through to the dining room.
In order to give Kai freedom to eat, she had climbed her way up his shoulder and settled in close up his neck, glaring at Daemon whenever he threw her a disapproving glance.
She liked being a cat, she was staying as one.
She rather liked being on Kai's shoulder too, he smelt good, and his height meant she could see more than she had ever seen before at her own height. It left her wondering what it might be like to be as tall as the dragon or Alaric.
Kai fed her bits of the strange bug meat when Daemon wasn't watching and it was really delicious, finally filling her and she dozed against his neck. They had been talking but she had chosen to ignore them.
It was only a few hours later when they decided to spend the night and Etani went with Kai after the Queen had bid them a fond farewell and kissed her head, staying close and exploring while he bathed and he used a comb to brush out her silky fur. Then she settled herself on his chest to sleep.