"You didn't see the battlefield, Etani. He didn't create a weapon, he created death. You are death."
She turned and Versalis was holding out the red crystal. "When you transformed, this was around your neck. It matched your heartbeat so when I got my chance, I ripped it off you,"
She had become transfixed by it, watching its dull silence and feeling a sudden, aching need to touch it.
"That's what changed your eyes?" she asked
"Yes, it happened as soon as I touched it, apparently."
Her eyes slid up to his face.
"I can feel you, like a presence in my mind. I can feel the power that is sitting inside you, coiled and ready. Etani, if you use this power, you can destroy our world, or even Faerie if you wanted to."
"No one can destroy Faerie," she retorted, fear flooding her.
"No, no one can. You can, you are the creator of worlds, and you are the destroyer,"
Silence stretched between them as she tried to understand what was going on.
"Can you kill a demon?" Kai asked, looking thoughtful.
"No, they are eternal. They can only kill themselves," Versalis said immediately.
"But she cut in him half," Kai argued and she was baffled again.
"She killed whichever fool allowed him to take over their body, but I imagine he will be back. He orchestrated your entire family?" Versalis finally asked.
"He claims so," she replied and pulled her foot up onto the couch beside her, pulling at the chain. "Do you suppose this will come off if we cut off my foot?" she asked and when the silence stretched on, she looked up at their horrified expressions.
"It's not like it won't grow back," she said, frustrated.
"Knowing Epharis, it will be unable to be removed unless by him."
"What is the purpose of the stupid thing?" She ground her teeth as she pulled hard on the delicate chain, trying to break it.
Jaia moved to her side and stopped her, meeting her eyes before she looked away. He frowned, palm on her cheek and forcing her to look at him.
"We'll figure it out, it's okay," he said gently, and she bit her lip, fear and pain filling her.
He leant up and his lips met hers in a tender, gentle kiss that made her whimper, her fingers finding his shoulders as she leant into the kiss.
A throat cleared and they looked up to a very irritable looking Versalis.
"Could you not?" he asked, Kai snorting laughter.
"Don't be jealous," Kai said.
Blushing, she leant back from Jaia and as he stood, she caught his hand and pulled him down beside her.
"Tell me what happened."
"Well, everyone was all riled up and there you were running for Alaric," Jaia said
"The most amazing thing any of us have ever seen," Kai interrupted
"And then you were up on his shoulder and you two were screaming. After that the fighting began," Jaia continued.
"And you were ripping a hole in that whole field," Kai interrupted again and Jaia frowned.
"It really was magnificent to watch," Versalis interjected.
"So you were off like an arrow ripping everyone apart and Alaric was going after you and everyone seemed to be having a great time but then Epharis said something was wrong–did you know he can see through all of those dead? Anyway, he said there was a stranger on the field and things weren't going well. So we all decided to just go down and try to cover your back and then that Daemon guy had gone flying like a comet," Jaia paused, staring at her.
"We've never seen anything like it, you kicked him further than even Alaric can boot someone," Versalis said wonderingly.
"So we were trying to get to you and people were trying to get away from you and then you were screaming and we had to retreat. After that you began to change and you cut Daemon in half and then turned on Alaric. I swear it looked like you were going to eviscerate him. We had to protect him and Versalis was shouting about the gem and Kai went for it. But you moved so, so fast and he was bleeding and you kissed him. Versalis had the gem and you were changing back," Jaia exchanged a look with his twin. "And then I stabbed you in the heart," he finished sheepishly.
She had been staring at him blankly, unable to process what they had been saying. She didn't have a clue and shook her head slowly.
"This is all insane," she breathed but then looked down at the small mark on her wrist before turning her attention to the gem Versalis had around his neck.
"We don't think it's a good idea if you touch that," Kai said gently.
Etani frowned, disappointed.
"What did you do to Kai?" Jaia asked, squeezing her hands when she flinched.
"I don't know. I've never done that to another before."
"You can do that to yourself?" Versalis sounded fascinated.
"Yes, it's called a host and I was wearing one when I first came here. You create it out of clay, and I can sort of… put myself inside it. And then I am it." She bit her lip as she tried to understand how it worked. "You have to make a perfect replication of the anatomy of the creature you are wanting to be. Human is often the most difficult and I don't specialise in male." Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment. "If an organ isn't attached properly the whole thing breaks apart. If a ligament isn't joined you can't walk or move. If you get it right, it's sort of like a kiss, I take myself and put it in the host. I took Kai's soul and put it into a host. I have never been able to do that before."
"You know, it sort of reminds me of the reanimation powers of a lich. Is it possible your only being partially turned manifested into that rather than reanimating him in his body?"
"I suppose it could be possible. Taking my abilities and warping them," she replied, thinking.
Feeling a soft brush on her cheek, she turned to see Jaia watching her throat and she smiled slightly.
He had been on blood packets for some time and while they fed him, she knew he craved the real thing.
Turning to better sit, he lunged and bit down with ferocious need. She cringed at the pain while still pulling him closer.
"You have me wondering what else I am capable of doing now," she said in a strained voice as he chewed on her neck, growling between greedy gulps.
"It could be anything, really," Versalis said, his eyes lingering on her throat but he knew better than to try that now, especially with how things had gone between her and Jaia. Vampires didn't tend to like sharing much when they got attached.
Jaia drew back from her and licked the wounds gently, his face smeared and looking a little guilty at the ravaged flesh of her throat.
Biting the tip of his tongue, he licked up the side of her neck slowly and she shivered at how sexual it suddenly felt when he did it. He responded with a low growl and her cheeks burned, trying not to look embarrassed at his flirting.
Versalis and Kai picked up on it and shifted uncomfortably, Versalis' eyes taking on a feralness that made Jaia glare and tug her closer to him.
"That's enough, you two," Kai snapped, immediately taking the side of his twin against Versalis by glaring at the king.
They had just settled into an uneasy truce when someone screamed from inside the castle.