It was then that the sound of boots announced an arrival, and the three of them were hit from the side by a whirlwind of black hair and anger as Versalis found them.
"Why didn't you tell me you found her?" he snarled, and gave her a hard kiss on the lips that made Letari start giggling.
"One down!" she said through the muffling of Etani's hand.
Etani seriously considered killing her sister just to get her to stop talking.
"When I make you a body, I'm not going to give you a mouth," she threatened, and Letari's eyes widened, but she knew it was an empty threat.
Versalis glared at the lot of them, and Etani shrugged. "Things have been complicated. Did you know Kai has a brother?"
Versalis froze, and his eyes turned to Kai.
"She got the fairies to make her forget," Kai said darkly.
"So she... in the basement?"
Kai shook his head at the weird question.
She looked between them suspiciously. "What happened in the basement?" she demanded, but when Versalis opened his mouth, Kai shook his head furiously.
"Don't worry about it," Versalis said finally. "It's not important."
"Stop keeping secrets!" Etani finally yelled, her irritation getting the better of her. She wanted to know what had happened, but they both had their best stubborn faces on, and she glared between them.
"I'm not talking to either of you for the rest of the week," she snapped and released her sister, swapping her grip over her face for a gentle hold on her hand as she pulled the smaller woman along. "Come on, Lee, let's go get you some clay."
The two men followed after her quickly, but she stuck to her word and refused to speak to either of them, though it made her maliciously happy to see their growing distress when they realised she was going to do what she said.
"Alaric! Make her talk to us!" Versalis called to the giant of a man, who looked around as they approached him down the hall. His eyes found her, and he bowed politely. Etani returned the bow and Letari copied her.
"You really shouldn't punish them like that," Alaric said, but his face was amused.
"Thanks…" Versalis said moodily.
"I hear you are going to war," Etani said to Alaric.
Alaric nodded, his face cautious. "It is looking that way, I'm afraid."
"Oh, please, don't pretend like you're not gleeful at the prospect of taking over another Kingdom."
His eyes widened for a second and he looked over Etani's head to Kai who seemed to be trying to tell him something without actually spreading. Alaric frowned and then looked down at her, his pretence at being an innocent victim dropping and he was the blood hungry warrior king.
"You know me well, my dear," he said. His eyes were dangerous, his grin wicked, and the sight of it got her blood burning.
"I want in," she said.
His face darkened. "I would expect no less from you," he said, and his hand was heavy on her shoulder. "It's good to have you back," he said as someone called out to him and he turned. "You'll have to excuse me. And I want my ruby back, Etani."
Bowing once more, the king departed, and Etani looked down at Letari.
"Perhaps we should go talk to Aurora," she said, and Letari nodded.
"I'll go get them," Versalis said petulantly, and hurried away.
Etani watched him go, seeing the slump in his shoulders. But she was still angry at him, and so she had no pity for the vampire king.
"I'm going to check on Jaia," Kai said, sounding incredibly anxious.
Kai watched her hopefully, but she turned away without saying a word and headed down into the kitchens, where a store of clay had been when she died. Much to her delight, it was still there, though it was quite dry.
Letari moved away immediately to collect water, and the two of them set to work on getting the clay back to a smooth consistency.
***
Anubis came into the room first, his breath steaming in the chill of the room. He glanced around and nodded, allowing the small form of Aurora to enter.
"Anubis, Aurora," Etani said as she worked a large handful of clay into a smooth ball and added it to the growing pile of them.
"Etani," Anubis said. His dark eyes were as hostile as ever, but Aurora made up for it in her relief at getting the meeting with her. "I'm so glad you're back, Etani, it's been a nightmare!" she said.
Etani looked up from her work of a new ball, dunking it in the water and squishing it between her fingers to work moisture back into it. "What's happened?" she asked, surprised by how much she felt she cared about the goings-on of Winter.
"Nothing, really; Aurora has done an excellent job, all things considered," Anubis growled.
"I'm sure she has. Yet you do not feel so, Aurora?" Etani asked.
"No. I was expecting years, centuries, before I was going to be thrown into the role! I didn't think it would be a few days!"
Etani looked up at the distressed woman and used the back of her hand to brush a splash of water from her cheek. Letari was already filthy, but Etani at least was still mostly clean.
"I'm sorry you have had to deal with that. I cannot change what has happened, but I am quite proud of you for stepping up the way you did. They were right to recommend you."
Aurora's eyes filled with tears and Etani dropped her attention to the clay, picking out a large dry patch and tossing it into a bucket, giving the young woman time to compose herself.
"Are you going to take back the magic of Winter?" Aurora asked after several seconds.
Etani considered this for a moment before she looked up Anubis.
"She is young," the jackal head growled.
She nodded her acceptance. "Well, I suppose that depends on one question, Aurora. Do you want to be queen?"
"No!" Aurora cried.
Etani went still, not expecting this. "No?"
"No! I am not prepared to be queen. I can't do it! The only reason Winter isn't in ruins is because of Anubis! Take it back!"
Etani watched the young queen for a long moment. Her beautiful face was drawn and she looked utterly exhausted, as though she hadn't slept in years.
"Do you have an heir?" Etani asked.
"No; not yet."
"And you wish to surrender Winter to me?" Etani asked again.
Anubis was watching her with the same hostile glare as ever.
"Yes. I am not ready to be queen," Aurora said.
Etani pushed herself up from her seat and moved to the sink, washed the clay from her hands and approached the young queen. Anubis tensed and she wondered why he disliked her so much.
"This is your last chance, Aurora. Are you certain? You will no longer be queen until I die or abdicate," Etani stressed for a third time, eager for the return of her magic but that urge to request threefold was impossible to ignore.
"Yes, I'm certain. I surrender the magic of Winter to you," she said.
Etani sighed, her hands going out to the young woman. Embracing her, she felt the cool intelligence of the magic as it moved from the young woman and into her, leaving her tingling all over.
"Will you agree to be my emissary in Winter? To deal with the basic needs of running?" Etani asked, and Aurora nodded quickly, her shoulders lifting. The relief on her face was huge.
"Yes, I can learn that way. Oh, Your Majesty, I'm so glad you're alive," she whimpered, and hugged her tightly. Etani hugged her back, a rush of pleasure going through her that someone she didn't know was glad she wasn't dead.
"How have things been with Megara?" she asked finally after she had settled herself back in her seat and accepted more clay from Letari.
"That's why I'm here," Anubis said.
Etani nodded, trying her best to ignore him.