She stepped back from the spot the witch had been standing, still looking down at her hands when she bumped into someone. Spinning, she came face to chest with the Goddess.
"Sorry!" she gasped, jumping back in horror.
"What are you up to, little fledgling Goddess?" the Goddess asked, her feline lips turned up into a smile of amusement.
Her voice was a soft purr that made Etani want nothing more than to listen to every word, her movements so incredibly graceful that it made her feel like a toddler with a backwards foot.
Etani was so completely star struck by the Goddess that she could only stare, hypnotised by the animated beauty of the ancient Goddess of cats.
"You should be more careful running after people, you'll get yourself hurt," the Goddess said finally when it was clear Etani was incapable of rational speech.
Bast reached for her hands, the black skin was smooth and soft, her long nails black and sharp but she was intent on her work.
Pulling Etani into a room, she considered it before she went to a closet and ripped apart an expensive looking garment, returning to mop up the blood and examined the healed wounds.
"Why did you say you loved me?" the Goddess asked, Etani finally swallowed.
"I have an affinity for felines. They're the only creatures not afraid of me. One of my ancestors was a werecat and I always felt… I don't know, like I belonged to you."
Bast considered her with those luminous white eyes and she bent forward, pressing her nose gently to Etani's.
The zap of energy between them made her jump and the feline woman laughed softly, straightening up.
"My blessing for a fledgling Goddess. May you know love and joy in music, dance and the love of a feline to call your own," the Goddess whispered while Etani almost melted.
The Goddess' slender fingers lingered on her cheek as she moved away.
"Oh, also may your lineage be eternally strong, with the man of your choosing. Never with a man to whom you do not desire it."
The tall Goddess swept from the room and Etani stared after her, entirely baffled by the blessing. Did that mean she would be unable to procreate unless it was her own wish?
She stared after the Goddess, stunned and star struck.
Collecting herself, she had been about to head out the door when it was flung open and four men piled in, followed by a small fluttering creature.
The snake God looked down at her irritably, Sobek looked amused and Daemon looked flustered.
The pixie was flitting around in a state of manic excitement while Uzo was looking worn out.
"Get to work, Apophis," Sobek demanded, the bronze skinned man stepped forward, his lips pressed into a hard line.
"I do not approve of your existence," Apophis said abruptly. She took a step back from him, affronted by his tone.
"Well good thing you'll never have to see her again after this," Daemon snapped and Sobek gave the God a shove in the back.
"Eros, this is entirely your doing from start to finish and you should be punished," Apophis said as he approached her.
He looked quite similar to Sobek, except that he had a snake atop his tall crown and another around his throat, even one as a belt and they were making her exceptionally anxious.
Without a word, he caught her around the wrist and his hot, hard lips came down on hers in a rough kiss that forced his magic into her with no concern for the damage the sudden force would cause.
She staggered back from him and he let her go immediately, his lips curling in disgust at her weakness.
"You should have bred a stronger God," Apophis hissed at Daemon. Daemon snarled back, moving for her but Sobek had already reached her.
She didn't have time to process before his lips came down on hers and she shuddered against him, his magic was slow and sensual, brushing against her senses like a lover until it settled low and then lower, somewhere below her stomach and into the region of her groin.
She was confused by that until she remembered that he was the God of fertility.
She jerked back from him and he grinned, amused by her getting back from him.
"I was always impressed by your fighting tactics and the fact that you got pregnant to a lich," Sobek purred while she glared at him.
"A lich?" Apophis demanded, staring at her and then Sobek before turning on Daemon.
"She did. Her husband is the lich in Ayathian," Daemon said and Apophis looked at her again.
"Well if nothing else, Sobek has opened us up to a whole new era of mixed species," he said dryly before stalking from the room.
Sobek grinned wickedly. "You could always give me a child you know," he cooed and she slapped him.
He jerked back, holding his cheek but he was laughing as he left the room, almost bouncing in his retreat.
"Gods… think they own everything," Uzo said and the pixie tittered, fluttering down. With a burst of sparkles, a tiny woman was standing before them.
She had a round, cheerful face and small, pointed ears, her transparent wings tight against her back and wearing nothing but shreds of colourful fabric.
"I'm so glad it got to be me!" she squealed in a voice that made Etani's ears sting.
"Me too," Etani lied smoothly, the pixie seeming even more excited by the lie. It didn't hurt her any to lie to the creature but it made the pixie happy. When she started to care about what others thought she didn't know, but it seemed to be working.
Her hair was a spectacular shade of purple that was short and stuck up in a little curl above her head and her eyes matched at a softer shade of violet.
Smiling at the pixie, the tiny woman approached and it was Etani who bent down for once, the kiss was soft and sweet. The pixie smelt of water and fresh air, her skin was cool and smooth as silk.
The magic that flowed into her was slow and warm, curling around her like a blanket that left her shivering, but there was no obvious change in herself.
She cupped the pixie's cheeks and rested her forehead against the smooth, small head of the pixie. The tiny woman quivered in excitement as though she were going to explode.
"I won't ever forget you," she whispered. The pixie squealed, exploding into a cloud of sparkles and zipping from the room.
Etani snorted, looking after the glittering light, amused.
"You're cruel," Uzo said. Looking up at him with wide, innocent eyes, he met her gaze with one of disbelief. "And I'm not falling for that. You're as devious as Apophis."
"I am perfectly kind and nice," she said, giving him a mock glare.
He tapped her nose and Daemon grinned, pulling her into his arms.
"So close now, only twelve left!" he crowed.
She couldn't help but grin at his enthusiasm, allowing him to pull her from the room.