She found she was starting to get a little desperate for freedom though, bringing the subject of wanting to see the sky up with the twins. They were a little nervous at first but they decided they would all go up around midnight. The three of them could protect her and protect others from her if the need arose.
When midnight rolled around, everyone was feeling giddy with the excitement of going out on a mission, though she wasn't sure if it was their feeding off her excitement or her feeding off theirs. Regardless, she was fidgeting in her seat in the last hours leading up and then had almost run to the door when Jaia returned with clothes and a cloak for her to wear.
Taking them, she hurried into the bedroom and changed into a simple pair of black pants and a dark grey tunic. The cloak had a large hood and it hid her face well, trailing down to brush the ground with her bare feet.
Stepping out, she approached Jaia and smiled, watching his tense face as he fixed her cloak to better hide her from view.
His tension was making her nervous and she caught his hand, their time together and blood connection meaning she didn't need to ask the question. He put on a smile and touched her cheek, drawing her in to kiss her forehead gently.
Handing her over to Kai, she gripped his hand in both of hers and Versalis hovered just behind her, almost looming over her but it was comforting rather than annoying.
Jaia looked at the three of them tensely before he nodded and motioned for them to follow.
Creeping up the stairs, they paused at the top for Jaia to ensure the hall was clear and they slipped out into the castle. She quickly realised why Jaia was tense. Security around their little underground room had been increased significantly and no less than nine guards were slumped against the wall or lying on the ground. Their breathing told her they were still alive, only unconscious or sleeping.
They moved almost silently down the hall, the vampires always moving like a breath and her training meaning her bare feet didn't make a sound on the marble.
Their pace was slow and careful, Jaia scouting ahead to ensure every hallway was clear before they passed down it and finally, he led them into a small room. There was no door to the outside, but the window was open and big enough for them all to get through easily. The smell of the outside had her itching and her tension had Jaia smiling. Going first, he jumped through the window and quickly ensured the garden was empty, returning to help Etani out next.
She stepped up into the window and grinned when be caught her waist and eased her down onto the grass, taking the opportunity to kiss her cheek before letting her go and she moved away for the others.
As soon as she was free, her head turned upwards and the glittering night sky was magical.
Dropping into a cross legged sit on the grass, she stared up and simply breathed in the air.
She could feel the three vampires moving around her, pacing and alert to their surroundings, ensuring they were given the privacy they needed, they failed to look up however.
A loud thump sounded behind them and Etani froze at that feeling of power looming over her.
The vampires had turned, ready to rip whoever it was apart.
"Epharis," Etani said simply, not needing to see him to know the feeling of his rage flowing off him in waves.
"Etani..." his voice was a low growl, furious at her continued ability to hide from her when she wanted to.
She didn't take her eyes off the sky, listening to the tense breathing of the men around her.
"Where have you been?" he demanded when the silence had stretched on too long. She had been ignoring him, drawing patterns in the stars.
"Recovering," she said simply and frowned when he moved around her, coming to stand in front of her so that his face blocked out the sky.
***
"Move," she said, her tone not angry or tense, but there was a definite threat in the single word.
His eyes narrowed at her, forcing her to look at him and she hated it. She had come out for the sky, not him.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Jaia said calmly even as Epharis had reached for her, the lich going still. Her eyes had followed the movement of his hand with clinical detachment, it stopping only a foot from her shoulder.
"Why not?" Epharis asked of the vampire, his eyes still on her. She followed his arm up to his face and met his glare with her own calm.
"Well, it's your arm," Jaia quipped and Epharis closed the distance to her.
He didn't get the chance to touch her, she however, touched him.
In one move, she had risen to her feet, her right hand landing on his wrist, her left just above his elbow. Lifting her left foot, she planted it against his ribs just below his shoulder and heaved.
She didn't know, nor care, where the strength came from, only that in a breath she found herself holding his arm.
The lich hadn't made a sound, blinking first at the arm and then his shoulder that was oozing blood.
He seemed relatively calm at the loss, right up until she slid her left hand down to her right at the wrist, swinging the arm back like a bat and stepping into the swing, she almost took his head off, the tense muscle making a satisfying thud and blood spraying.
The lich flew back several feet, crashing down on his feet, crouched and sliding with teeth bared.
She watched him dispassionately, lifting the arm up against her own shoulder, ready for the second swing.
The sight was so utterly absurd, yet it was completely terrible at the same time.
In her mind, he had it coming. All he had to do was say her name. All he had to do was let her die with their child and that thought tore at her. It burned inside her, digging itself into her heart and branding her soul.
Approaching him, she felt her friends coming up behind her to see what she was going to do.
She hadn't told them what Epharis had done, she hadn't been ready and their confusion at her rage at the lich was what stopped them from detaining her.
Walking forward, the lich watched her and when she drew back the arm, he made no effort to stop her.
The arm and her body seemed to blur as she swung, the weapon slamming into his chest and sending him flying once more. She followed, the anger that had formed in the dungeon bubbling up inside her and the knowledge that as soon as she killed him, she would die, was keeping her from losing her mind.
The lich landed hard, but he was on his feet in the next instant, watching her approach, her face devoid of emotion.
When Jaia made to stop her, it was Kai who stopped him. The exchange between them was silent behind her. Kai had seen that room, had seen them and her response to the lich. She needed to do this.
Dropping the arm, she came upon the lich and between steps, she drove her foot up under his chin.
His body snapped back, landing hard on the ground and he didn't bother to get up this time.
Stepping over him, she dropped down onto his chest, her face grim and her hands went around his throat, squeezing.
He looked up at her, not making a single effort to defend himself and she resented that.
Squeezing, she watched as his face began to turn purple, smiling at the joy the sight gave her.
The feeling it gave her was odd, something like her body squeezing even as she tightened her grip, the urge to let go growing stronger but she refused, fighting it with every ounce of strength inside her.