She stared after him and she was eternally grateful that there were no mind readers in the area. Sex had never been something that interested her, but now all she could imagine was him and what it would feel like to be with him.
Forcing her mind away from the subject, she shook her head and followed the others out of the room. She could feel her body working as she made her way up the stairs, and while she didn't feel out of breath, she felt warm from the muscle use.
Turning, she glanced around and squeaked, finding Daemon right behind her.
"We are going to stay close in case something decides you look particularly tasty," he said, smirking at her surprise.
It seemed that her guard was what drew the attention, not her.
Guards she had seen a hundred times looked bigger and more intimidating, their eyes curious on her. They noticed the differences in her and she felt them watching with interest.
She was feeling horribly fragile and exposed, sliding her hand into Kai's as he prowled at her side. His movements were impossibly smooth and graceful, more like a cat than a human. No wasted movements, nothing spared. His fingers squeezed hers gently as they swept past the throne room and Alaric's voice reached them.
Cursing, Kai pulled her to a stop, and they turned back to see what the king wanted.
"Where are you lot off to?" he boomed, all eyes turning to the small group.
"To see Epharis," Jaia said, and Alaric found her behind the vampire. She offered a weak smile, but there was a whisper that went out as people saw and noticed her.
Inching closer to Kai, she glanced around nervously and found there to be way too much attention on her. It was making her nervous and she didn't like it at all.
"He will be in his rooms," Alaric said and grinned.
Etani realised he had pulled them back for that exact reason, to have people notice her and what had happened.
She clenched Kai's hand and he glanced at her, curious as she gave a gentle tug backwards towards the door.
He wanted people to see her, wanted them to know she was weak and defenceless.
Jaia and Versalis glanced back at something she didn't hear, and Jaia forced on a smile, bowing to the king.
"Please excuse us, we have a meeting to attend," Jaia growled.
A man caught her attention, his wide face split into a malicious grin as he watched her go. In that moment, she knew she needed to arm herself.
They moved quickly through the halls and as they reached the rooms the lich owned, the man in question stepped out with his head lowered over a book, scowling.
Jaia cleared his throat and the lich looked up.
She had gone still, watching the man she had never seen before. It was hard to tell if he was beautiful or not, gaunt and terrifying as he was, and those eyes burned into her soul as his attention dropped to her.
She wanted to run very fast and very far away from him and never come back.
"You two need to talk," Versalis said slowly, doubt in his voice as he heard the frantic pounding of her heart.
If she ran he would catch her, if she stayed there his eyes would set her alight. She was frozen, fear radiating off her in waves.
Giving a grunt of irritation, he jerked his head towards the door and Kai gently pushed her forward.
She moved slowly, her eyes locked on him and sidled under his arm, never once turning her side or back to him.
"Hurt her and Alaric will spend the next year trying to piece you back together." Versalis warned.
Snorting his amusement, Epharis turned to follow her into the room and closed the door on them.
She had backed away from him until she was as far away from him as she could be without having her back against the wall, wary and afraid of the man.
Setting the book down, his eyes found her, and he smiled slowly. The smile sent shivers down her spine, and she inched another step backwards from him.
"What do you need?" he said with a malicious tone.
"You know what I need, Epharis," she said, and his brows lifted.
"My, don't you look different as a human."
He was across the room and on her before she managed to take two steps back, his fingers curling in the front of her shirt and pulling her closer to him.
Her body moved on instinct, driving her palm up into his nose.
He growled in pain, blood beginning to drip and she had retreated.
"Little bitch..." he growled and turned on her.
Lunging, she suddenly found herself lifted off the ground by the throat and she choked, her nails digging into his wrist as she struggled to breathe.
"You would think that after everything you would finally have learnt to be nicer to me. But you're too stubborn. Don't forget I can kill you easily now, if I chose to," he whispered, sneering at her as her face turned red.
"Let... go!" she gasped and then she was falling, landing hard on the ground at his feet.
Looking down at her, he reached down to cup her jaw and tilted her head back up look up at him.
"What will it be like to have you now?" he asked with a leer. She jerked back, pushing herself to her feet once more.
"You know full well you would kill me if you tried," she said and yelped as he caught her again, pinning her to the wall.
With a growl, his hands found the hem of her dress and he lifted it to grip her thighs, his fingers painfully hard and bruising.
"Stop!" she cried, and he only laughed, removing one hand to grip her jaw.
"Or what, Etani?"
She didn't have a response, looking up into his cruel, terrifying face so close to hers.
"Reverse what you did," she whimpered, his nails cutting into her skin to make her flinch.
"Why should I? You're so much more agreeable now," he grinned, nudging her cheek with his jaw. Sliding one leg forward to wedge between her legs, he hoisted her dress up higher and she squirmed, trying to wiggle herself free of him.
"Please!" she gasped, his hands cold on her and his nails cruel on the soft skin of her stomach.
"I've never had a human before, it'll be quite interesting," he replied and grinned as she tried to shove him back.
His grin vanished when she slapped him though, the blow hard but hardly enough to do more than sting.
His eyes seemed to glow in his anger and his fingers curled in her hair, dragging her from the wall and throwing her against the backrest of the couch.
He followed, his hand on her back as he forced her forward against the backrest.
His nails cut her skin as he forced the fabric up over her rear and she shoved herself back, stamping down on his foot and turning, driving her elbow into his sternum.
He staggered back and growled; eyes furious.
Reaching for her so fast he was nothing but a blur, he gripped the back of her head and slammed her head down on the end table.
She screamed in pain, blood flowing, and she found herself upright again as he turned her to face him.
A boot slammed against the door, and it was flung off its hinges to land hard on the door, Versalis stalking into the room.
They had both frozen, her hands on his wrist to try and free her hair from his grip, his using her hair to try and force her back onto the table.
His teeth were bared, but his eyes had turned to the door and while he was distracted, she kneed him in the groin.
Clutching himself, he snarled, and she saw his hand moving, aimed for her face and then everything went black.