"You can't be serious! Love?!" She looked around at the rest of them, and they were all nodding sagely. They had to be messing with her: there was no way she was the Goddess of Love and Beauty.
"You're lying," she said, her attention turning on Loki, but he only shook his head in delight. "Who decided that?"
"No one does, it's just known," Bast said.
"Love," Daemon said before he burst out laughing, which turned to a yelp when she slapped him on the arm.
"It's not funny!" she cried.
She screamed and her hands flew up to her face as a whirlwind of movement had the curtains bursting open and then shut again with a little squeak, the door to her room open and there was a grunt from inside, everyone piling out to see what the problem was.
Digging her palms into her eyes, she whimpered, her vision had gone red all over, blinding her.
Daemon was immediately at her side and tugged the cloth down over her eyes, his lips meeting her forehead for an instant before he pulled away at a warning growl from Epharis and Jaia.
Ignoring them, Etani reached for the couch and then across to the chair before she found the curtains and drew them open.
She knew they would all be glaring at each other and she didn't much like it, given there was only one man there that she wanted to be near, and that was Daemon. But saying so didn't seem like a good idea, so she decided to escape instead.
A hand caught hers and she was led outside, the soft padding of feet at her other side telling her that Letari had decided to join her and the person she suspected to be Kai.
"I really need to get you a new body," she said to her sister, who made a soft murmuring sound of agreement, still scared she had made a mistake in trying to brighten up the room.
"I'm okay, Lee, just my eyes," Etani explained, reaching for her sister with one arm to hug her. The short hair and equally short height of the girl was a shock. She was so used to Letari being around the same height as her.
"They will recover quickly enough," Kai said as he led her towards the daybed on the balcony.
Sitting down, his hand lingered, cool on hers.
"You're cold," she said, gripping his fingers and ignoring his quiet protest, she offered her wrist to him which he took a little too eagerly. Sinking his teeth into her skin, she turned her head in the direction of Letari.
"How have you been, Lee? We haven't had much time to talk."
Letari made a happy sound and wrapped her arms around Etani's upper arm, her cheek soft and warm as she nuzzled her older sister.
"She's been quite brave," Jaia said as he stepped out onto the balcony and sat down across from them, Letari immediately leaving her side to sit next to him.
She could feel his uncertainty and she could barely contain her grin.
"You had better treat my sister well, Jaia," she teased.
He growled in response, but Letari made a happy sound in the back of her throat.
Kai's head lifted, and he licked the spot gently to make her shiver, his fingers warm once more. "They make quite the couple," he said, his voice wicked.
"Oh, shut up," Jaia snapped and stood, approaching Etani.
"Kai, why don't you fetch some bags so we can get a store of blood going again?" she suggested.
He quickly left the balcony while Jaia sat at her side and accepted her clean wrist. His bite was almost tender, and she gave him a gentle bump with her shoulder after his teeth had retracted
"What is going on with you two?" she whispered.
"She has a crush, I believe," he murmured, his breath causing her hair to tickle her cheek.
"Well, you had best be nice to her," she warned.
She could feel him tensing at her side. "I am not interested," he said in a low growl.
"That's not what I said. Be nice, and if you do not take to her, then let her down gently. If you hurt her, I will kill you and put you in the body of a pig for the next ten years," she said, turning away from him at the arrival of Kai.
She took the bag and pump from him, extending her arm for him to insert the needle.
"You're the only one I desire, I will never love any other woman but you," Jaia whispered, so close to her ear that his lips brushed the delicate skin and made her shiver. Pretending she hadn't heard, she knew they both knew she had heard every word, and the promise contained in it. Something inside her broke open and warmth filled her, her eyes swimming with tears that she quickly hid. His words had opened that tiny little box of emotion she had locked away, and she knew in that instant that she was still in love with him. Deeply and passionately.
Only once Kai said it was ready did she begin her work of pumping the blood out of her system and ignore the eyes of Jaia that she felt on her. She would not forgive him for abandoning her, but there was no denying she had felt a thrill at his words.
After a while, another figure appeared on the balcony and the scent of Versalis reached her as he bent down and kissed the top of her head, the gem singing to her, but she resisted the urge to grab it.
"It feels like forever since I've seen you," she said to him.
He laughed gently. "It has been. You've been gone for months and now you can't see anything. May I?"
Letari made a happy sound as she shuffled sideways and allowed the vampire to sit. Her giggle had Etani frowning in their direction.
"Touch my sister and I will remove your fingers, Versalis," she said in a warning tone, but he only laughed.
"I would never. Your sister has a mind that requires a man greater than I could ever wish to be. But she blushes so prettily."
Still, she glared in his direction as Letari giggled again and she wanted very much to throw the man off the balcony, but she accepted his words and instead, turned to Kai.
"Make sure he doesn't touch her," she whispered.
Kai squeezed her hand gently. "No one will hurt her," he murmured, and replaced the bag when the first had been filled.
She wasn't so certain, and she had to wonder what kind of pull Letari had on them all. Was it like her own? She didn't know, but the thought worried her. She didn't want Letari to go through the same things she had gone through.
Three bags later and she was leaning against Jaia, her eyes hooded behind the cloth. Kai had led Letari away into the room, leaving her alone with Versalis.
"What happened to her?" he asked finally, and Etani blinked, rousing herself.
"Hmm? Letari?"
"Yes," his voice was soft, concerned more than anything.
"When we were in our early twenties, there was an accident. Well… the first boy I ever kissed threw me off the wall of Ceress when I accidentally almost consumed his soul. My death broke Letari's mind, and she has been like that ever since. Ava and I work to keep her happy and occupied, but I do not know if it is possible to reverse what happened. She used to spend most of her time as a cat when she was in her body. I'm sure she will return to doing so once the ability to transform is hers again." She was smiling, sad at the memories filling her mind.
"What other powers does your sister possess? Is she like you?" Jaia asked.
Etani shrugged. "We never really got the chance to find out what she was capable of. Shape-shifting was the big thing, and she liked that we were jealous of her. She would sometimes explode with unfocused magic when she got scared or angry, but it always manifested in strange ways. Bubbles or lightning; there was no way to predict it. Do you feel the same draw towards her that you have for me?"
"Yes and no," Versalis said thoughtfully. "The pull towards her is somewhat erratic: strong and then gone entirely. It's not like the pull you emit. Yours is more…" He trailed off.
"Lust. Plain, uncomplicated lust," Jaia supplied.
"Yes, but for Letari it's more like the need to protect rather than the need to claim and… mate," Versalis said, coughing delicately. "With you, every cell in my body is telling me to throw you down and have my way with you. With her, every cell of my being is telling me to protect her and keep her safe."
"Is it like that with everyone?" she asked, fascinated.
"I believe so. But I feel you affect some stronger than others. Some want to mate, others want to possess," he said.
She felt Jaia shifting at her side, taking the bag and replacing it with another, but she was growing weak.
"But it's not like that with Letari?" she asked, and Versalis laughed.
"Oh Mother, no; her pull makes her feel like a sister, not a lover. Though it's possible that if she were fully intact in her mind, she would have the same pull that you have. But it seems that her magic has altered it enough that she is protected. It might even be possible for you to do something similar."
She wondered if she would be able to change how people reacted to her, but the idea scared her. What if everyone around her left, once they were no longer drawn to her? Was she really so selfish that she would keep them enchanted like that? She wanted to say no, but a part of her was saying yes. She was that selfish.
She tilted her head back to enjoy the sun on her face and sighed, yelping as she almost fell backwards. But Jaia had planned for such a situation. His strong arm went around her.
"I think that's enough blood for one day," he said gently, carefully pulling the needle free of her arm.
Sitting up again, she had to agree.
"Etani?" Sobek called from the sitting room.
She stood, wobbly, clutching at Jaia as he led her towards the door. Reaching for Versalis, her fingers grazed his shoulder. He turned and he swore loudly, an odd rippling heat coming from behind her, and then something was driving through her back. Her breath hitched as her world ripped away and she felt herself falling, screaming into the silence of blackness.