When she had finally stirred, she had found she had been drooling on Jaia for quite some time, his shirt soaked but he didn't seem to care, his eyes alert and aware of their surroundings as the others slept and allowed time for her and Versalis to recover.
Her back had at least closed over and Versalis was back in full strength, asleep with Kai using his side as a pillow.
Lifting her head slowly, she wiped at her mouth and blinked sleepily, looking up at Jaia whose eyes found hers.
He smiled at her and she smiled back vaguely, jerking back suddenly as his lips found hers.
She hadn't expected him to kiss her, but he had, and she stared up at him in surprise before she closed the distance and kissed him back, tender and uncertain.
He sighed into her lips, but she broke away again at the murmuring of someone in their sleep.
She didn't know why she had allowed the kiss, only the remembered image of him standing over her, protecting her from the hunter and then his carrying her from the scene when he could have gone with Kai to ensure his twin was safe. Instead he had come back for her and protected her against a hunter.
She rested her forehead against his, staring up into his black eyes, unsure of him or what the kiss might mean.
Deciding not to think into it too much, she lifted her jaw and met his mouth with her own once more and they lingered like that for several moments, exploring the possibilities that the other offered.
A grunt as someone stretched and yawned had them pulling away and she looked around to find Daemon had begun to stir, sitting up and looking to her. He smiled slightly when he found her awake, though she was still exhausted.
"Glad to see you're not dead," he said gently and she smiled, amused by his jest.
"Get up children. It's time to get moving," he called half an hour later, having removed his jacket and after helping her to her feet, he wrapped it around her and buttoned it up, at least allowing her a form of privacy.
"Twenty-one," she breathed and he smiled, tapping her nose.
He leant down and had been about to kiss her forehead when he inhaled and his eyes narrowed.
His attention went from her to Jaia and his jaw set, but he said nothing as he looked back at her and met her silent challenge with a glare as she dared him to say a single thing.
He didn't, instead he turned away from her and she was left wrapped in his jacket, her fingertips only barely reaching out of the sleeves.
She turned to Uzo who had gotten up and he gave her a gentle hug, Kai lingering back with a small crease between his brows as he stared at her.
Something was bothering him but she didn't have time to ask before Daemon was speaking.
"Doppelgangers are incredibly hard to find, given they look like normal humans. But I think our best bet is to go to Faerie. We might be able to find one in the Courts, if not, someone might be able to point us in the right direction. We will find the phoenix there anyway, I know one personally."
Kai was watching her still, and she frowned at him, totally baffled by his agitation but he only shook his head and the group were silent as they passed through from the human world and into Summer.
Letting go of Uzo's hand, she stepped back and looked immediately towards Ceress in the distance, half missing the stupid place even though she had hated it her whole life.
She turned back at a gentle touch on her shoulder and she turned to see Versalis, his eyes searching her face.
Smiling up at him, she threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly, realising how little time they had actually interacted. It wasn't like they had a lot of time, but she still missed him.
He hugged her back as tightly as he dared and whispered a soft "thank you" in her ear.
She only squeezed him tighter, not needing his thanks.
She kissed his cheek and he smiled, letting her go and they set off in the direction of the palace.
They had no intention of going to the palace, but they only needed to run into another group of people.
It really wasn't hard and they were more than disturbed when they came across a group of young men and women who all jumped up and rushed to them as they approached.
They were a mixture of elves, fairies, dryads, satyr and others Etani couldn't place, but they seemed unusually excited to see the group.
"Don't suppose any of you are a doppelganger?" Daemon asked warily, but they seemed more interested in her than the others and she frowned as they crowded around her, talking all at once.
Looking to Uzo for help, he only shrugged and she looked back as someone placed a flower crown atop her head and she found herself being drawn away from the group.
"We're looking for a doppelganger," she said over the babble and they looked rather disappointed.
"Doppelganger?" the young brunette dryad asked, her wood textured skin seeming to pale slightly.
"Yes, we are here to find one," she said and the group exchanged a look, concerned.
"Not for any of us?" she asked, very unhappy when Etani shook her head.
"No, I'll need a fairy later, but that's all."
"You're almost at the end of your journey?" the satyr asked and she laughed.
"Oh mother no, not even halfway."
The relief was lifting on the group and she smiled faintly at their relief, not entirely sure what was going on.
"Well, I suppose we could go to the palace and ask around," the dryad said thoughtfully but the fairy had already left, her graceful steps changing midway from a willowy, tall woman into a small butterfly sized creature who was fluttering away at top speed.
"Why are you all out here?" Etani asked curiously and the satyr laughed.
"Waiting for you, of course!" he laughed again at her confusion. "We are all rooting for you here in Summer. Megara is a horrible ruler and Winter isn't obeying her. We want you to take the throne."
Deciding not to enlighten them, she smiled but her smile vanished at a loud horn that sounded in the distance
"Uzo!" she cried, turning to see the Fae frozen in indecision.
"Daemon, take them and go, then come back for me."
Daemon moved immediately, grabbing first one and then the next, forcefully shoving them through the tear as a horrible and yet entirely beautiful sight burst into view.
The wild hunt of Summer was massive; centaur, enormous dogs and boars, glowing felines, moving trees, smoking flames with human shapes, ogres and swamp monsters all moving along around an enormous gold chariot being pulled by two golden unicorns.
She knew that chariot would be pulling the Queen Cecelia and she turned, seeing Uzo fighting to get to her but the demon dragged him through and the tear zipped shut.
Turning back, the group around her scattered and she was left alone as the hunt found her and the mass of mythical creatures moved around her in a circle.
She had never seen the wild hunt capture a victim before and she hoped to never see it again after that day. They were angry, fuming and yet entirely overjoyed to have captured at least one of the trespassers.
The chariot came to a slow stop and the Queen stepped down, her bronze lips turned up in a smile that faltered as she saw who they had captured.
"Cecelia," she said conversationally, and the woman began to laugh, her beautifully high voice ringing.
"Etania, what are you doing in Summer? You can't possibly have triggered our alarms," the woman swept towards her, that beautiful black dress billowing around her slender form.
"Not I, but the others decided to vacate the scene," she hadn't moved, allowing the Queen to come to her.
"Look at you, I had heard the rumours but I didn't think them to be true."
The Queen embraced her, smelling sweetly of wildflowers and warmth. Etani hugged her back gently, surprised by the gesture.
"What happened to you? You have dog ears…" Cecelia sounded oddly like a mother and it bothered her for some reason.
"It's a long story, don't suppose you have a doppelganger handy?" she asked, glancing around but none of those around her seemed like good candidates.
She found Barron and he was grinning hugely at her.
She gave him a little wave and he barked a laugh.
"A doppelganger? Not that I can think of. Do they still exist?" she asked of an ogre, who shrugged, looking bored by their catch.
"Shame. I'd hate to have to go to Winter. I don't imagine I'm going to be very welcome there."
Cecelia was looking at her jacket with a judgemental stare but Etani ignored her.
"Isn't that Bron fellow a doppelganger?" Barron asked and there was a general murmur of agreement.
"Could I borrow Bron for a few minutes?" she asked, her eyes on the centaur.
He shrugged, looking to Cecelia who smiled widely.
"Why don't you join us back at the palace?"
Etani was immediately on edge and she shook her head, knowing she would never get back out if she went in there.
"Thank you, but I'm afraid I'm on a time restraint today."
Cecelia's pale brows lifted and a commotion had started, people drawn back as Daemon approached.
"Eros!" Cecelia called, turning on the demon and hugging him tightly. He hugged her back and something he said made her titter. The thought of those two made her want to gag, so she turned to Barron.
"Bron?" she demanded, ignoring the giggling Queen and flirting demon.
Barron shrugged again and pointed over her head.