It was a week before he let her go and she was simply glad he hadn't made good on his threat and allowed her to be awake for it. She had only started to stir a few hours previous when he had already finished with her and she crawled from the bed, groggy and confused.
"I'll give you a week, then you can make up more of your time," he said.
She nodded silently, staggering to the door and out into the sitting room, then out into the hallway.
"Your Highness, are you alright?" a quiet voice asked.
She nodded again, accepting a soft hand of one of the guards and he hesitated when she slid her arm up over his shoulder, unsure on if he was allowed to touch her.
"Go get one of the others," he said, his arms going around her middle to help support her.
He wasn't human, and she was disappointed, inhaling the scent of elf from him.
"Hungry…" she muttered as she clung to him, leaning against him.
"One of your friends will be here in a minute, you'll be okay," he murmured.
She nodded once more, accepting his words as her face nuzzled into the nape of his neck, simply enjoying the warmth of him while the world shimmered and danced around her. She couldn't focus on anything at all, only the stationary form of the guard holding her.
The sound of hurried footsteps came down the hall, but she had started to doze off, his arms around her the only thing keeping her upright. He was talking fast, fear at his situation and nervousness at whoever it was that had come for her.
Arms that were too hot slid around her and there was a gentle murmur by someone else as she curled herself into the warm chest, arms going around her and picking her up off the ground, cradling her tight against him.
She knew who it was, at least distantly, and she mumbled sleepily about her favourite dragon coming to her rescue that made him laugh softly. It was only a few steps of the gentle rocking motion of him walking that had her dozing off in his arms.
***
When she woke, she was still in his arms, cradled protectively with someone clutching her hand, a head resting against her calf.
"Welcome back," Dirdos murmured as she yawned, looking up at the giant man before slumping back against his chest and nuzzling him contentedly.
"Where's Malik?" she mumbled.
"Versalis took him to get something to eat, he'll be back soon," Dirdos murmured soothingly.
She relaxed at the news, enjoying the relative safety of his arms.
Looking around, she jerked as she found the wide eyes of Kai a mere inch from her face and she shrank back from him, gaunt and hungry with that same desperation she knew from his being locked on the basement.
Without a word, she extended her arm to him and he bit into it with a ferocious need, drinking hungrily and gnawing at her flesh. She was didn't care, but she was already tired, and she looked down at herself, frowning at how thin she had become. Epharis must have been really savage with her if that much of her energy had been consumed.
Forcing himself back from her arm, he gasped for air and licked the wound repeatedly, both to help it heal and because he wanted more but he knew he had to stop.
Jaia pulled him away from her and she turned away from the both of them, ignoring the whimper of rejection coming from Kai.
Fingers squeezed her hand, and she looked around to find Hunter was clutching her fingers, Uzo leaning against her legs, both men watching her with pained expressions.
Smiling, she turned away and buried her face in Dirdos' chest, the warmth of him flooding her system and leaving her feeling deliciously warm.
"You need to eat," Dirdos said quietly, but she ignored him, enjoying the warmth and comfort of his hold on her and it was lulling her back towards sleep.
"Sobek, back off…" Uzo warned, the name dragging her eyes back open, and she looked around at the man in question as he loomed over her.
Reaching down, he gripped her arm, and she yelped as she was yanked forcefully out of Dirdos' lap, collapsing into a heap on the floor with her arm extended above her head in the God's grip.
"How did you do it?" he snarled, staring at the golden bands that had turned an odd red-gold she hadn't noticed.
"I don't know," she mumbled, too tired to care, and she found herself leaning back against his legs, drowsy with how warm he was.
"Sobek…" Daemon warned, but he ignored them, studying the bands.
"How did you do it?!" he screamed.
She jumped at the sudden volume, her eyes opening and she looked around in confusion, their attention on the God that had her arm.
"What?" she asked, unsure of what it was he was talking about.
"How did you use magic?" he raged.
She couldn't understand where the anger was coming from, only shaking her head in confusion. "I don't know. I was scared and Winter wanted to help," she muttered, giving her arm a tug but he refused to let go of her. "Sobek…" she whined, not wanting to have to play his games right then.
"You partially broke the binding," he growled, but she only shrugged.
"Does that mean I can eat?" she asked.
"Only one way to find out," Daemon said.
Malik arrived back a few minutes after Daemon had left and she smiled at the pair sleepily, still on the floor against Sobek's legs, her arm still clamped in his grip.
"Malik," she murmured.
His face lit up, and he came forward, only to be dragged back by Versalis.
"Don't tempt Sobek, he will kill you," Versalis murmured, and she frowned, wanting her Malik to be with her on the floor, but Versalis was right, until he was stronger, he was at risk.
"She shouldn't be able to use magic," a low voice said, and she looked around to squint at Hades, his hard eyes locked on her.
"Fuck off, Hades," she growled, her lack of energy making him smirk.
"You should be nicer to me when you're in that state. Taking you would be exceptionally easy and those around you are the only ones keeping you safe."
"You wouldn't take me," she huffed.
"No, I've already seen what my wife does if I have a lover, but I'm not the only one who wants your abilities."
"Everyone wants my abilities…" she muttered, irritated with the lot of them and she'd been conscious for only a few hours in total. "It's like I never left," she sighed, her eyes flicking to Kai, who was staring at her with a desperate longing, and Jaia who was glaring at her.