She hadn't ever wanted to be back there, she had wanted to hide from them all but there was no way to do it, and in order to avoid Sobek's glare on her, she turned on Letari who was looking back at her sheepishly.
Frowning at her twin, she grabbed the taller woman and hugged her tightly. Letari sighed happily and hugged her back, though her head turned so she could watch Malik.
"Hello," Letari said warily and Etani pulled back, looking around at Malik, who was staring at the two of them curiously and comparing the differences between them.
Letting go of her, Letari grabbed the man and hugged him tightly, his body rigid and tensed in what he assumed was an attack, but then he was hugging her back tightly.
Etani smiled, incredibly relieved that Letari had taken to him. It would have made their lives difficult if Letari didn't like him.
"Etani…" Daemon growled at her back and while she tensed, she didn't look around at him.
Growling softly, he grabbed her arm and forced her around to look at him, his eyes drinking her in and searching her for signs of injuries.
"I'm fine, Daemon," she said, but it was his turn to ignore her, tilting her head up and to the side, searching every inch of her, tilting it back the other way and then moving to her arms, searching for injuries. Tugging her robes up over her head, his eyes dragged down her form to find the scar at her hip and the one on her leg, but Letari had squeaked.
"What happened?" she demanded.
Daemon turned around her and saw the scars on her back, still looking relatively fresh.
"The brother who shot Malik decided to try and kill me," she said quietly, her eyes lifting to find Epharis staring at her with eyes glowing a faint green.
Malik was making an odd sound, and she glanced at him, his face indignant that she was naked and being examined by so many men. It no longer bothered her to have their eyes on her, it was when they started touching her that she had issue. Daemon was the exception, and she allowed him to move her around like a doll. It was easier than trying to shake him off.
Touching the scar, she shivered at the sensation of the scar tissue being pushed on, but it didn't hurt, so she didn't mind.
Sliding one arm around her chest, he hugged her tight against him and kissed the side of her head, his tension easing when he found her to be at least mostly intact.
Clutching his arm, she closed her eyes and leant back into his chest as relief flooded through her. She knew she was safe with him, even if she hated how possessive he was, but still, he would protect her until his dying breath.
"Your sister is whispering in your scion's ear," he murmured.
Alarm shot through her and she looked around, frowning at the suspicious sight of her twin trying to look innocent, but Malik looked horrified with wide eyes locked on hers.
"You get off him," she said, pointing at her twin, who immediately let go and backed away.
"Go get dressed, you savage," Letari shot back, and Etani glared at her, taking Malik's hand as he padded forward for her room. She knew he must be a little star struck by all the beings around him.
"I'm watching you…" she warned her twin and tugged Malik along behind her into her bedroom.
Versalis followed after them, amused and with his hands in his pocket to keep an eye on them, but Malik only sat down on the edge of the bed and looked around in fascination.
The moment she was dressed, she lunged for Versalis and he grunted, catching her.
With her legs around his middle, she clung to him and he laughed gently, crushing her ribs in an attempt to squeeze her to him.
"I missed you…" the man growled, and she nodded, her eyes closed as she felt his tension leaving him. "Don't ever leave us like that again… It's been agony without you…"
"I'm sorry. I couldn't be here," she whispered. "I couldn't see the hate in everyone's eyes."
They were all relieved to have her back, but soon that would fade, and they would hate her again. She knew it. Especially when Sobek had calmed down enough to demand answers, she didn't know how to give.
Sitting down beside Malik, she clung to him like a slug and looked at his profile, frowning in concern for the young man.
"Don't listen to anything she said."
"She threatened to have me castrated if I ever try to have sex with you."
"Oh…"
"Yeah, that you should listen to," Versalis said, and she leant back to look up at him. "She's threatened almost all of us with the same thing."
"I'm betting that excluded Dirdos," she said and Versalis grinned.
"And me," he said.
"You?" Tilting her head, she tried to understand the connection between the two men, but she wasn't seeing it.
"And Uzo, of course."
"Is Uzo really your uncle?" Malik asked, picking up a lock of her hair and playing with it between his fingers.
"Not by blood, but he is an old friend of my father and we simply adopted each other."
Malik nodded, smiling as he wound the strands around his fingers twice, and then gave it a gentle, playful tug.
"That Jaia… why is he not dead?" Malik asked, his face carefully calm, but she exchanged a glance with Versalis.
"Let's not discuss that just now," she said as Versalis tightened his grip on her, and she leant into his chest once more.
Everything was so familiar and yet it was all entirely strange, everyone in it beloved and strangers in equal measure.
"You're not doing anything!" a voice raged from the other room and they all looked towards the door.
"That can't be good," Versalis sighed, and she slumped against him, really not wanting to go out there.
"She's my wife!" Epharis boomed back.
Fear flooded through her as she looked from the door to Malik.
"Uh oh…" Versalis breathed, and she jumped off his lap just as the door to her bedroom burst open.
Epharis stalked in, his eyes turning to find her.
"Come here," he growled even as she backed away and Malik jumped to his feet, growling as Versalis grabbed him and dragged him out of the way.
"You owe me six months' worth of time, woman," the lich fumed while she shook her head, shrinking back from him.
"There was no timeframe set, Epharis. I could have stopped it after a week," she said, pressing back into the wall as he stalked forward.
"Do not think for a second that you are getting out of this. We had a deal and if you don't come quietly, I will make sure you're awake for it."
"Epharis, you can't do this right now," Daemon fumed but Epharis ignored him.
Long fingers curled in her hair and she whimpered, digging in her feet until his hand lifted, and she immediately stopped fighting him. He smiled down at her, drawing her closer to him.
"Good, it's about time you learnt how to obey," he purred. "Keep your pet away, he won't want to hear what I'm going to do to you."
Malik growled dangerously, but Versalis only gripped him tighter, both she and the vampire king knowing Epharis was goading him and knowing full well that Epharis wouldn't hesitate in killing him in an instant.
"I'll go, just leave Malik alone," she whispered.
The lich nodded, dragging her from the bedroom and out into the sitting room.
"We will be back in a few days. We have a lot of time to make up," he said happily while she tried not to look up, her eyes locked on the ground beside his feet.
This was why she had run, the controlling men taking what they wanted from her body regardless of how she felt about it.
Dirdos inched forward and slipped a small silver flash into her hands. She knew what it was, they all did. It was to ensure her body remained empty.
"Thank you…" she whispered, following along behind Epharis.