By the time night fell, Etani was mostly able to walk on her own. Dancing was beyond her still, as Loki soon found out as he pulled her into a racing jig. A furious Jagum threw him bodily through the window and into the castle when she made a silent plea for help that he seemed to sense.
Etani was very grateful for his rescue and narrowed her eyes at him, his eyes narrowing in return before she grabbed him and pulled him tight against her. He growled and his arms went around her, just below her backside, lifting her up and spinning her. She gasped, clinging to him though she knew he wouldn't hurt her.
Daemon had moved at her gasp, but he quickly settled back against the wall when he saw there was no immediate risk. And in retaliation, she wrapped her arms around his neck and bit his ear. It wasn't a hard bite, it was quite tame. But he still growled and she growled back, amused by the threat his growl posed.
"Stop teasing him," Kai called out, and Etani looked around, sticking her tongue out at him. He threw a small spiky red ball of something at her that she caught easily, her brow arching as he peeled another of the things and then ate it.
She yelped as Jagum threw her over his shoulder and wrapped his arm around her thighs, trapping her there while she peeled the little thing and then shoved the spiky peel down the back of his shirt. He threw her from him, and she landed hard on her feet, staggering and falling down onto her backside. Daemon was at her side in an instant, but she was watching the were-cat, laughing at his struggles as he tried to get the hard skin out of his clothing. Popping the flesh into her mouth, she recoiled in disgust at the taste, immediately spitting it back out onto her hand and looking at it, then at Kai, who had started laughing.
Daemon crouched down behind her and looked at the little slimy white ball.
"Lychee?" he asked, but Kai only laughed harder.
The demon took it from Etani and broke it open, flicking out a little brown seed before he stuffed it into his mouth and chewed happily. She was revolted, especially when he seemed to enjoy the thing. He too began to laugh at the expression on her face, and when he refused to stop laughing, she shoved him over onto the ground.
At some point most of the group had settled around her in the grass and Etani dropped back, delighting in the gentle conversations of those around her and how good it felt to have people she could rely on.
A face popped into her vision, and she smiled up at the crimson-haired Queen.
"I still can't really believe you're alive," Nayishma said as she sat down, motioning for Adella to join them.
Rolling onto her side, she looked at the two of them suspiciously before she lifted up her left hand in question.
Nayishma blushed prettily, and Adella nodded. Etani was happy for them, but also sad that she hadn't been there to see the wedding. Reaching out, she took Nayishma's hand and examined the simple but very pretty ring.
Giving Adella an approving look, she took the violet haired mermaid's hand and examined that ring too. It had a small red gem in it, while Nayishma's was elaborately carved. The metal was the same, and they made for quite a pretty set.
Smiling, she placed their hands together and lifted them to her lips to kiss their joined fingers gently. She was so very glad that Nayishma had found someone who made her happy, and she extended her free hand to cup Adella's cheek, glad for her existence.
Adella blushed and smiled warmly, though their pleasure faded as they looked up and Etani turned to see Jaia standing there.
The mood had gone from content to wary in a second as she looked up at him, and her smile faded, his face hardening at her loss of enjoyment as she looked at him.
Without a word, he offered Etani his hand. She hesitated, her eyes going to Daemon, who was staring at the hand as though it was going to attack her.
Finally, she accepted the hand, and he helped her up, leading her away from the group, where she stopped to pick up a quill and parchment to be able to communicate easily. She did not like being unable to speak. She had gotten good at simple requests, but she didn't think that would work very well with him.
As they walked, he kept his hand hovering just off her lower back in case she stumbled, but she was mostly steady, even without her watching her feet.
Turning to him at the foot of the steps to the palace, Etani settled herself down on the third step from the bottom and looked at him while he leant against the railing, taking her in.
"I can't believe you're alive," he said in wonder. "I might not have believed it at all if I hadn't been able to touch you."
She frowned up at him, unsure of what to say to that statement. What did one say to a man who had said he would love no other woman only the day before, but was now married to someone else?
Dropping her eyes at the thought, she stared down at a leaf that had blown into the courtyard, and when he reached to touch her again, she jerked back.
"I'm not allowed to touch you?" he demanded, his face darkening.
Lifting her left hand, she tapped her ring finger with her right index. He scowled, looking down at the ring in question.
"Kai was crazy, and you were dead. What else was I going to do?" he snapped, glaring down at her.
Her brows lifted, and she stared at him. She didn't think marriage was a good cure for being alone, but that was her opinion.
Picking up the parchment and quill, she scribbled down on it and then handed it to him though it was getting dark.
'You got married simply because you were lonely?'
He stared at her words and then at her, his face angry, but he didn't reply.
Etani shook her head and motioned for the parchment back. He handed it to her, and she scribbled down her next thoughts:
'I think you were just afraid to be alone.'
He went very still at the statement as he took the parchment, and she lifted her chin as his angry stare landed on her face.
Again, he didn't speak, but his hands trembled slightly as he crushed the paper and threw it away.
"You don't know what you're talking about," he growled.
She watched the ball of parchment rolling away in the wind, effectively making her silent again.
"You were dead, and Kai wasn't Kai. I am a man, I have needs."
She looked up at him again and shrugged, twirling the quill between her fingers, and then she pushed herself to her feet.
When he moved to block her leaving, she frowned at him and she motioned to his arm, which he offered.
Gripping his wrist, she shoved up the sleeve of his shirt and wrote five words on his skin, her anger and pain at his being so ready to drop the memory of her making her words harsher than she intended.
'Next time, get a prostitute.'
She headed back in the direction of the group, but Jaia's hand caught her wrist, and he spun her around with a brutality she had never thought him capable of.
His fingers squeezed her wrist painfully and she tensed in preparation to throw him off her when his hand collided with the side of her face and she staggered back, her head ringing, but he refused to let go of her wrist.
The group had gone silent in shock for one breath before they moved, but Jaia had pulled her closer, his furious face mere inches from hers.
"I waited for you for two years, and she was there when you weren't. You're the one who went and got herself killed. It's your fault."
She didn't even think about it, she simply moved, and suddenly he was screaming in pain as she drove the point of the quill into his chest, his words ripping what was left of her heart to pieces.
He glared at her, but his glare faded as he saw her pain and she staggered back from him, trying to hide her distress, but there was no hiding it from him.
He reached for her, but Jagum was already on him and the vampire threw himself back to avoid being skewered by the enormous bone claw.
Daemon reached Etani first and his hands found her face, touching the red welt Jaia's hand had left on her cheek with a tenderness that made the whole situation so much worse.
She was struggling to stay calm, but her walls were crumbling, and she looked up at him, his eyes widening as he saw her panic.
He wrapped his arms around her, and they were moving, rounding the corner of the castle where she could cry without the others seeing her.
He clutched her tightly to his chest and endured her silent tears with her face buried in his chest, furious at Jaia for saying it, but knowing in her heart that it was true. It was her fault, but that didn't mean she wanted him to tell her that.