They came to a slow stop at the top of a ridge with a passage that led straight up, a few minor passages leading up to join at a plateau above them.
"Odds are they will go for the widest path, throw as many of them at me as they can," she breathed, studying the path.
It was a good ten minutes from their position to the plateau if she ran full speed, and she turned to look at the two of them.
"You two go, I'll clear your tracks and start midway down, and they'll only see my tracks," she said when she decided they were at the right spot.
They nodded, and she hugged them both tightly, Vincent waiting for Hunter to change forms. She smiled at the two of them as they shivered into nothingness.
Making quick work of the tracks, she glanced up at the passage and then out at the water, exhaling slowly as she knew she was going to have to move fast once they caught up to her.
Five minutes later someone made a mistake, and she whipped around at a cracking of a twig, scanning the tree line and taking a cautious step backwards, her body tensed and ready to run.
It was terrible, the fear and tension in her, the knowledge that all of those dearest to her were only a matter of feet away, and she couldn't be with them. This plan wasn't great, but it would buy them more time.
She would have to sprint through the forest and then up onto the passage. Once at the top she would throw herself over the edge and into the ocean, but she still had to outrun them all before that happened.
They were still, and she turned her head, searching the trees for them, but they were exceptionally well hidden, not a flash of movement or a shred of colour out of place. She had to admit she was impressed. If only they weren't hunting her.
Turning her head, the other way, she searched the trees to her right and then slid her foot back, searching the cover just behind her. But there was nothing. Nothing at all to indicate that so many of them would be there. How many had come for her? Was it just her friends or was it the Gods too? Anubis was as fast as she and Kai. If he was there the plan would be ruined before it started.
Lifting her chin slightly, she sniffed the air and her head snapped around as the wind rustled the trees, the scent of werecat tickling her nose.
Baring her teeth, she spun, and the shout came out, Daemon calling for them to "Go!"
They exploded out of the trees and she streaked for the brush leading to the path, hearing four behind her and more in the trees trying to cut her off.
Running full speed for the forest, she broke through the foliage and huffed out a breath of relief as the cool protection of the forest washed over her.
They were still after her and she grinned, knowing they would be falling behind, and she changed directions, throwing them off. Laughing softly to herself as she could almost feel the enraged glare as Daemon tried to find her, but she was long gone.
She was not safe yet though, and she shrieked as something came bounding out of the trees for her and he crashed into her, long fingers curling tight around her arms and dragging her to her feet.
"Got you," Kai snarled, wrapping his arms around her so tight her shoulders ached.
The scent of him hit her and she whimpered, writhing to get herself free, but he refused to let go, panting quietly in her ear as he strained to keep her contained.
"Let go!" she cried, fear flooding through her as she heard the others moving, tracking her.
"Stop fighting," he growled and lifted his head, letting out a short whistle that was met with cheers in the distance.
"Let go, Kai!" she screamed, genuine fear flooding her system, and she fought him, doing her best to free herself from his grip.
She could hear them getting closer and she knew she had to do something, or they would catch her.
"Please, please Kai!"
"No, Etani, you have to come back with us," he murmured, tilting his head down to inhale the scent of her hair and skin.
He hadn't planted himself properly, and she took advantage, jerking herself forward suddenly to throw him up over her back. His back hit the ground with a grunt of pain, but he rolled onto his front and was up after her even as she bolted.
Another sharp whistle and he was pounding after her, alerting them to her escape. They were angling to cut her off, suspecting she might head for the water, but that wasn't her plan. She was heading up.
"Etani!" a voice screamed from somewhere in the forest and she swallowed hard, certain that was Daemon, but she couldn't think about it. She needed to keep moving. She couldn't go back to them and see the fear and hatred, couldn't endure the resentment and mistrust. Why couldn't they just leave her be? Because they were addicted to her and being apart from her would hurt them.
She hated herself for what her magic did, and she ran as fast as she was able, hearing Kai on her tail and the rhythmic pounding of paws as Hunter joined in on the chase.
He was mere feet behind her, and she was panicking, trying to decide if she should change paths and head straight for the water, or if it was wise to head up the mountain. He wasn't going to fall for it again. She knew that.
Fingers curled around her braid, and she screamed in pain as he used it to jerk her backwards, his free arm going around her waist.
"Stop!" he yelled, but she refused to be still, writhing and struggling in his arm while his fingers got a better grip on her hair, using it to keep her still.
"Kai let me go, damn it!" she screamed, knowing he was not a fighter, but would simply have to hold her long enough for the others to get to them.
Hunter skidded into view and he growled, his ears back, but Kai assumed he was as angry at her as everyone else was, having no idea that Hunter wanted her safely back in the cave.
She had to do something, anything to get free, and she spun in his arms, her face going pale as she looked up at him. That handsome face with the lips that tilted down ever so slightly, soft, dark eyes turned hard in his anger, and his strong jaw, but the tension melted away as his eyes met hers.
"Come back…" he pleaded, his voice low and sad, the sound cracking her resolve.
"No… Kai, please," she whimpered, trying to ignore the longing inside her.
Hunter paced around them, unsure what to do and without hands he couldn't help restrain her, anyway.
"Stop fighting me!" Kai growled, struggling to keep hold of her small, writhing frame.
"I'm sorry…" she breathed and then drove her foot into the side of his ankle.
He snarled in pain and let go of her, dropping as the bone snapped and she took off again, the others less than twenty seconds behind her. She needed to gain footing.
Hunter sniffed Kai for only a second before he followed her, and she let out a huff as she burst out of the trees and started up, turning and throwing a tree down between herself and the wolf.
Grinning at him, he let his tongue loll out before he growled and barked at her, prowling and then scrabbling to get over the tree as she ran up the path.
Looking back about halfway up, she saw them running up the path after her, the sight of them all down there making her heart ache. Even the lich was down there, and she shook her head, knowing she would be in such trouble if he got his hands on her.
Turning, she continued up the path and stood, panting hard with her hands on her knees as she watched them once more, sweating and pleasantly exhausted from the strenuous run up the steep hill.
Counting them, she squinted as she tried to figure out who was missing, Kai being one of them, but there were two others. She didn't know how long Kai would have been out of commission, but she didn't think it would have been that long and the lack of him made her nervous.
"Etani…" Kai's voice reached her ears, and she turned, horrified to find him not where he was supposed to be. He was opposite to where he was supposed to appear, and she didn't know what to do.
"Kai..?" she whimpered. His face, his voice and then his scent washed over her and it was all she could do not to throw herself into his arms and beg him to forgive her. What was he doing there? Why was he behind her instead of racing the others up the path?
He knew her too well; he knew that she would plan for where he would likely appear, and he had gone the other way. She knew he was a genius, but Jaia was supposed to be the tactical master, not Kai.
He moved between her and the water, his face flushed with the run and his expression pained, but even with the ankle likely still hurting, he had caught up to her so quickly.
"Kai, no…" she whimpered, torn on what to do. She couldn't go back down, or they would catch her. If she tried to run for the cliff he would catch her and if she stood frozen for too much longer, they would all catch her.
"E!" Letari cried and her heart broke, turning to see her twin with her hair cut short again, and she knew Letari would be laughing as she explained the fleas. But she wasn't laughing then, those huge green eyes taking her in, pained and confused, but then going wary as she sensed the thoughts running across her twin's mind. She had to convince Letari to help her, or she wasn't getting away. Movement behind Letari made her heart freeze, Uzo's pale face and vivid blue eyes showing his anguish as he stood behind Letari. They had thrown the three most important people in the world at her, and it was agony.
'Let me go… just let me go…' she pleaded with her crazy sister, seeing the fear, the pain, and then the acceptance crossing her face.
They had ambushed her, throwing those she loved the dearest into her path and trying to make her hesitate long enough to get their hands on her and contain her. It was working magnificently.
She knew they were manipulating her; she knew they had planned it and still she stood frozen, drinking them all in.
Letari's eyes moved from her to Kai as acceptance seemed to take over her, and taking two steps, she lunged at Kai with a delighted scream, wrapping herself around the startled vampire.
Etani took her chance, throwing one desperate, aching glance at her precious uncle and running for the cliff even as Daemon and Versalis came up into the plateau. With the enraged scream of the demon following her, she threw herself off the cliff and plummeting down into the icy depths below.