Crawling into bed later that evening, she had been glad for the chance to be alone, but it was not to be, Letari simply stalking in and flopping down onto the bed, soon followed by Kai and Versalis.
Before she knew it, her bed was groaning under the mass of bodies and she managed to get herself free, sitting huddled at the foot of the bed with her arms wrapped tightly around her legs.
She loved them all dearly, but she didn't want to be touched for extended periods. Watching over them, she rested her chin against her knees and closed her eyes, dozing off in that position.
Something touched her hair, and she shifted, frowning slightly in irritation at the contact that she was sure was someone stroking her hair.
Her eyes opened slowly, and she yawned, looking around herself to find that no one else was awake in the room. Shaking her head at the real feeling of her dream, she turned and slipped off the bed.
Being careful not to make any noise, she slipped from the room and crossed to the bathroom, her hand lifting to rub her eyes.
Still exhausted from the events of the past months and her lack of real sleep, she headed for the basin and ran the water, catching some of it in her cupped hands and lifting it to her mouth to drink.
Movement caught her attention, and she glanced up, expecting to find one of the others.
Her heart stopped as she found black eyes and a wide, shark smile in the mirror.
Reaching under the basin and spinning in one motion, she knife rose between them, but there was no one for her to defend herself against.
Her heart was pounding in her chest as she searched the room, her eyes sweeping across and up, but he wasn't there. There wasn't even a whiff of his scent in the room that would suggest he had ever set foot in there.
Turning to look in the mirror, she found nothing but her own pale, terrified face.
She had imagined it, imagined him, and she sank onto the floor against the wall beside the basin, recognising the symptoms even as her breathing began to speed up, rushing in and out of her airways.
Clamping her eyes shut, she wrapped her arms tightly around her legs and made herself as small as was possible in the cramped space she had, her knuckles white at the force of her grip on the knife.
Opening her eyes slowly, she lifted the knife and traced it slowly across the skin of her leg beside her eyes, watching the trickle of blood rolling down her skin.
The crimson gave her something to focus on as it trailed down her thigh, the sting of the blade a sweet relief from her panic, and she buried her face back into her knees.
"Etani!" someone screamed hours later, the word repeated again and again, but she couldn't bring herself to respond.
The door to the bathroom burst open, but she knew they wouldn't be able to see her where she was.
"Could he have come back?" Daemon raged, a low growl sounding.
Footsteps approached slowly, a quiet pace compared to the shouting, and she recognised the pace, her mind snapping alert at the slow, predatory steps.
He was there, he was coming for her. He came to a stop before her, finding her cornered and small in the little space between the basin and the wall.
Her fingers tightened on the knife, squeezing it until her hand shook, but she was ready, she wouldn't let him hurt her again.
A hand rested against her head and the knife flashed, a splash of blood, and someone was swearing, jerking back from her and her knife.
She had missed, they were the wrong height. Neah was close to seven feet; this person was not.
Versalis had a long cut across his face, running from ear to ear, a strike that would have slit the throat of the Hunter, but it was the wrong man.
Looking at him with wild, terrified eyes, she held the knife out between them, unsure. She thought he wasn't Neah, but she couldn't be sure, for all she knew he could change his shape.
Others spilled into the room and the vampire waved away the offers for help, his pale lavender eyes locked on hers.
She was sure it was Neah in a disguise, and she knew she could see through the disguise, she was certain of it. But the man before her didn't change, he refused to change back.
Her hand began to shake, but she refused to let the knife go, knowing he would come for her if she dropped it, and she would be at his mercy again. She couldn't let that happen.
Her eyes remained locked on his, and slowly a twinge of doubt sparked up in her. Was he Neah? She didn't know for sure anymore. Could Neah change his shape, or had she made that up in her mind?
"Versalis?" she whimpered, confused, and scared. Had she just attacked her friend?
"Yes, sweetheart, it's me," he said gently, and he reached out for the knife, slowly slipping it from her fingers and tossing it to the side.
He didn't try to pull her out of the corner, but instead moved closer and motioned for the others to leave, though he did accept a wet cloth to wipe his face clean of blood, the deep cut already healed and scarred.
"You're okay, I'm here," he murmured, moving forward, and crossing his legs so that he was nearly touching her.
"I saw him in the mirror…" she whispered, staring at him desperately. "I was so sure I saw him in the mirror but there was no one there."
His jaw clenched, and he reached for her, taking her hand gently in his.
"I was so sure… so sure he had come for me. Don't let him take me…" Her voice was broken, tiny and afraid.
"I won't let him take you," he growled.
Searching his face, she wanted to believe him, but she couldn't, but she felt Neah would have her if he wanted her. "I'm scared, Versalis… I don't want to go back to him…"
"You don't have to. You can stay here with us."
Could she stay there with them? Could they keep her safe? She didn't know, but she wanted to believe him, she really did.
"Do you promise?" she whispered.
"I promise. I won't let him touch you."
She stared at him for several long minutes, watching as the scar across his face began to fade, his perfect face returning from the imperfection she had caused.
"Where's Uzo?" she asked, her attention going to the room that was entirely devoid of other life.
"Uzo?" Versalis called out, and the Fae slipped into the room, coming to sit down between Versalis and the wall after the vampire shifted across to give him room.
Looking between the two men, she finally felt her tense muscles begin to release.
"I'm sorry I cut you… I thought you were him."
"Don't apologise, I'm just glad you are able to protect yourself," the vampire said tenderly.
"Come on, a scar would make him look more rugged and less pretty," Uzo said, inching closer to her and looking at the vampire conspiratorially. "He's far too pretty, like a girl."
Etani looked at Versalis while he glared at Uzo, and she smiled slightly.
"You are pretty," Etani said in a small voice.
"I'm not pretty."
"You're totally pretty," Uzo agreed.
"I'm not pretty!"
"You're pretty like a girl," she said, and he turned his glare on her.
"A girly girl," Uzo teased.
Etani reached out and tugged at Versalis' long hair, smiling very slightly.
"The girliest of girly girls," she agreed.
"You're both horrible," the vampire grumbled while Uzo laughed. "I'm a manly man."
To prove the point, he lifted his shirt to show them his muscled chest and rather defined abs. He had been working hard to train for the war and coupled with the markings spreading across his chest and shoulders, he looked quite impressive.
Her eyes trailed down his chest, but Uzo was laughing even harder.
His cheeks flamed red at her eyes dragging down his form and he pulled the shirt back down.
"Manly man!" Uzo howled and then grunted when Versalis shoved him over.
"Now if I did that I'd be in trouble. Why can men go around without shirts on but not women?" she asked.
Versalis shrugged. "Men are perverts. They can't handle seeing a shirtless woman." The vampire supplied.
"You used to see me shirtless all the time."
"And I enjoyed the view."
They both looked at Uzo, who made a face.
"You're my niece, he's a pervert, and you need to keep your clothes on. In fact, you need more clothes. Layers."
With that, he started throwing towels and fresh clothes on top of her, and she couldn't help but laugh.