"I don't care who she is, you don't come barging into my home and messing with my friends, understand?" Daisy's brother? She hadn't been expecting that. She kept her furious front up -- it was all she had to defend herself with at the moment -- but behind it she wondered what it meant. A week, her father had said. A week before she had to face him again, and she'd barely had a couple of days. "What do you want?"

"She's my sister."

Ess waited, but that seemed to be all he thought she needed as an explanation.

"And?"

"And she's our responsibility. You have no right to interfere. She shouldn't even be with your sort. So leave her alone."

"I can't."

The figure in front of her took a step forward. His two companions backed him up, though a tad reluctantly, Ess thought.

"You've done enough damage. Go find your own kind. We'll find her and we'll make sure she doesn't get hurt by you anymore."

"Really? So you know where she is? You know where she went, who she's with? Do you even have the slightest idea of what she did or who she saw when she was with 'my kind'?" She cocked her head to one side. "Or maybe your father does. Is that it? Has he changed his mind? Because last time I spoke with him he was pretty adamant that I had to find her. Maybe you should take me back there to see him. No? It doesn't matter. I know the way. I can pay him a visit myself, give him your regards, tell him how sorry I am that he sent you to take me off the case."

Ah, that hit home. While Daisy's brother held onto his look of contempt, his companions looked a little less assured. Ess decided to ramp it down a notch.

"Look, I just want to find Daisy, that's all. You do too, I understand that. So fill your boots. Go look for her. I'll rain every blessing of the Mother on you. But I'll look too, because it can't hurt, right? We both have our own skills, I'm sure. And if you find her first, I'll be delighted. We're not enemies."

"You think we're allies?"

"Allies? No. I don't think you'd ever lower yourself to ally yourself with 'my kind'. But if you really want to find your sister, you won't close any doors. Now, may Mother Gaia and all her handmaidens smile on your endeavour, may she bless your search and keep you in her hands till Daisy is found." She smiled and held a hand out to the door.

Daisy's brother glared at her for several seconds. "I don't need your Mother," he snarled at last, then spun on his heel. "And keep out of my way."

"Just one thing," said Ess, as he reached the door. He stopped and turned towards her. Ess smiled sweetly. "If you touch any of my friends again, even the Mother won't be able to save you." She waved a hand at him. "Blessings on you."

She stared at the open door after they'd left, fighting the nausea the relief dumped in her stomach. She started as Shades laid a hand on her shoulder. Damn, but he moved quietly, or maybe she was concentrating too much. She placed a hand on his and leant into his damp chest.

"You're a tiger when you get going, you know that? I like a girl with spirit." He kissed the top of her head.

"No bitch messes with my man's mind, except me." She eased herself out of his hold and slammed the door shut, turning and leaning against it as if to hold the hordes out. Shades looked at her quizzically.

"Still don't want to tell me about it?"

Did she! Were bears Catholic? Of course she wanted to, but that damn old man had done such a number on her. She closed her eyes and saw the face of the king filling her vision, his terrible injunction descending into her brain. She shook her head and forced a smile.

"No. Woman's work. You just lie around the place waving your muscles and looking cute."

He raised an arm, flexing it. The wet material of his sweatshirt clung to him, outlining the bicep. "That what you want?" he said, but she could still hear the note of concern, see the worry behind the smile.

"Idiot. Go change. You're dripping all over my floor. Oh, and -- " She punched him on the shoulder. "That's for calling me a mad bitch. And that - " She punched him again. "That's for scaring me. And this is for everything else." She flung her arms around his neck, pulling his face down to her level, kissing him hard, ignoring the bruising on her lips as his wet clothes soaked through her robe. Her legs shook, her joints turning to water as the adrenalin drained from her system and the realisation of what had happened finally dawned on her.

"Wait," mumbled Shades, trying to push her back, but she clung to him, unsure she could stand by herself. "Just let me -- " He reached to the side and carefully placed his half-full mug of coffee on the table. "Okay, I'm --"

She flung herself at him and he caught her, staggering for a moment as she buried her face in his neck.

"Don't you ever scare me like that again," she said as he picked her up and turned back to the bedroom.