The room was empty at that moment, but the sound of footsteps told them someone had only recently vacated the room and they were quick to follow the steps, the doors swinging open on their own, leading out onto a small balcony.
Looking down at the floor below, she smiled at the sight of the dance. They moved in perfect synchronicity as though they had choreographed the entire thing and it was an absolute sight to behold, their cold blacks, blues, silvers and green blending into beauty.
Looking up at the announcer who cleared his throat at their dawdling, Daemon leant closer and the man's black eyes turned to her.
He had a mask on that was the shape of a crocodile and she found herself staring back at him, fascinated by what Sobek might look like.
"Announcing Eros, Lord Uzo Ernin of Winter and the princess Etania of Winter," the man called and the room went silent, eyes turning upwards to them and she shivered at the sight of so many predatory eyes finding her.
She was indeed famous, a man standing from the back of the room, much to her surprise he did indeed have the head of a crocodile, his eyes were black and his long mouth pulled up into a smile as he spotted her.
He was wearing a white skirt that seemed to be bunched up around his navel in a loop around his hips, a large strip of blue and black fabric hanging down the front and a wide, gold belt holding it all in place.
Around his chest and upper arms were more gold and he was wearing an enormous gold and blue headdress.
Finally tearing her eyes off him, she found the other unusual faces in the crowd, the jackal, the cat whose white eyes had locked on her, contrasting sharply with beautiful black fur and silver jewellery. The ram, the falcon and she felt herself freezing in fear at the sheer number of Gods who had congregated at the party. Not only them, but Loki was grinning maniacally in the back of the room, The Dragon was sitting with hungry eyes on her, the spiked and feathered headdress depicting a half moon that was Hecate and the white haired giant with a belt loaded down with lightning that was Zeus.
She felt their eyes on her and without a word, she accepted Daemon's hand and they descended the stairs into absolute silence, Uzo moving at her side.
Many more she didn't know the names of were standing around her, judging her in ways she had never expected to be judged.
The crowd parted as they approached the dais in which Sobek was sitting once more and he grinned hugely, his bronze hand lifting. To her surprise, he shoved up the crocodile face to show a wild, excited and dark eyed face. As the crocodile head lifted, it became still, stiffening into a mask.
He stepped down with bare feet to greet her, his teeth sharply white against his dark skin.
"Etania!" he boomed into the silence. Loki began to laugh in a high giggle that broke the silence.
The music kicked up but no one was dancing, they were still watching her as the warmth of Sobek embraced her.
"Don't suppose you're here for me?" he asked. She shook her head, smiling at his warm welcome.
"Not yet, but we aren't far from you," she whispered while he nodded, looking mildly disappointed.
He was incredibly good looking with black paint around his eyes and a little curl of a beard on his pointed chin. Smiling, he kissed both of her cheeks warmly.
"Who is the lucky chump?" he asked and she laughed softly, the sound seeming to catch far too many eyes.
"Theseus," she said, making the God looked up, his black eyes scanning the room.
"Hey, hero boy!" Sobek called out and a man turned.
He looked both entirely normal and incredibly abnormal in the same instant, naked and incredibly muscled with nothing covering his bronzed body except a tall helmet on his head with a spray of crimson bristles.
He beamed as he approached, taking her into his arms and laughing at her furious blush at the sight of his nudity up close.
He was not the only naked one in the room, but none of them were pulling her into a tight embrace.
"I had hoped I would be included in all this," he said happily, his soft brown hair forming curls close to his head. His eyes were a deep, warm brown that wrinkled at the corners when he smiled.
"Lucky you, you're first," Daemon said.
Theseus grinned widely, clapping Daemon on the back. "You old dog, how did you manage to get the queen on your side?" he asked but Daemon only shook his head.
"One day you will have to tell me," Theseus said as he turned his eyes to her.
He was considerably taller than her and he stooped, his hot fingers finding the underside of her jaw lifting her chin to meet his lips.
Her mind did a disturbing warp and she was certain she was going to throw up, but when it settled, she felt suddenly like she could actually think again, clear and rational. It was the oddest feeling and she found herself frowning up at him.
"You're a hero, aren't you?" she asked, the man beaming.
"Close enough to a God," he said. She nodded her agreement, though she wasn't entirely sure of the difference.
"You and I will have to have a long talk soon, little fledgling Goddess."
"I'm not a Goddess," she retorted, but he boomed out a laugh.
"Not yet, but you will be before much longer."
With that, he tapped her nose to make her jerk back and he swept away, bellowing at someone and tackling a newcomer who vanished into a crowd, screaming a battle cry.
"Gods are strange creatures…" she said, Daemon snorting his agreement.
"This is why I don't come to these things."
"Is it not strange that there just happens to be a party with all of them in one place?" she asked, looking to Daemon but it was Sobek who spoke.
"I knew you were getting close, so we called everyone together who was anyone. Most of us have been watching your progress and many had been monitoring your family for some time. We knew when you would be coming for us."
She looked at the God and he smiled, amused by her confusion.
"We want you to succeed," he said and when she smiled, his smile faltered and he swallowed, looking at Daemon. "Is it always like that when she smiles?" he demanded. Daemon nodded. "Try living with her for a year. She enchants everyone she comes across," he quipped, ignoring her as she glared at him.
"Did anyone think to invite Mags?" Daemon asked
"She's around here somewhere, lurking as she does," Sobek said and he looked around the crowd, finally pointing to the underside of the stairs.
Following his eyes, she met the silvery eyes of a seemingly blind woman who frowned and then scurried away.
"Stay here," she said to Daemon, who growled his response but she was after the old woman, hitching up her skirt and leaping off the dais, her bare feet light on the marble only to skid to a stop and look up into the black face and white eyes of Bast, unable to bring herself to walk past the Goddess.
"I love you," she breathed hurriedly and curtsied, then was off again, leaving the beautiful Goddess looking utterly baffled, her long fingers stretched out for her retreating back.
The crowd parted for her, people staring down as she streaked through them and she found the corridor that the old witch had scuttled down.
Skidding on the marble, she changed direction and sprinted after the witch, the crowd chuckling behind her at the chase. The woman came to a sudden stop and spun on her, throwing something but she ducked, a scream came from the room behind her as green light shot out in beams.
She was on the woman, grabbing her arms and holding them out.
Her eyes went to the woman's nails and she found they were her own.
"Why come if you weren't going to give me what I want?" she demanded, the old woman hissing like an angry cat.
She was skinny with huge ears and saggy breasts, a long chin and big nose. She had stiff white hair tied back with a kerchief and she wore nothing but rags, a little bottle with a fairy in it hanging from her hip and a pouch of blue petals bumped against it.
She was covered in beads and bones that made up her jewellery and she glared up, making Etani certain she was not at all blind.
"Curiosity killed the cat," the woman growled.
"But satisfaction brought it back," Etani countered, making the woman cackle at the proverb.
"Clever little beast, aren't you," the witch cooed. Etani frowned, glaring down at her.
"Will you give me your magic?" she demanded, the witch pursed her thin lips.
"If, after all this, you use your magic to make me eternally young and beautiful."
Etani paused, frowning at the witch before she tilted her head, curious.
"You would ask for something so simple?" she asked and the witch nodded. "Very well, after I have returned from the Dragon, I will make you so, when you are ready, come to me," she said, to which the witch grinned, flashing yellowed teeth.
The kiss was short, rough and weirdly hairy, the magic abrasive and she let go of the witch as her fingers began to burn.
Crying out in pain, she clenched her fingers and when she released them again, her palms were bloody, her nails a deep silver and razor sharp once more.
"Bloody demon…" she whispered, the witch cackling her agreement.
"He was very careful with his breeding of your ancestors," she crooned and Etani looked to her, shaking her head in disgust.
"Run along, little witch, you have others to see and your time is short. The Creators know what you are up to, someone spilled the beans on your secret." The witch burst into green flames and was gone, leaving her alone.