fter some time, Jade became aware Darryl was looking at her, not the water.
"What is it?"
"You know, you look like Selene."
"Do I?" Jade queried, her heart beating a little faster.
"Yes. I think it's the circlet more than anything else."
Darryl touched the crescent moon, and Jade shivered.
"I saw a picture once... She looked just like you."
He kissed her, and Jade's mouth clung to his, her heart beating fast, feeling like she would melt into the sand.
Was this it? she thought. Was this feeling what Kat had tried so hard to describe? This feeling like she was melting, like she'd fly apart into a thousand pieces if his hands came off her face? And then his hands moved to her waist, and she felt her glamour dissolve in an instant, but she didn't care because he was touching her.
"I think I love you," he breathed against her mouth, eyes closed.
And Jade felt, suddenly, like her heart would break.
"Endymion," she breathed, suddenly knowing who he was.
Darryl's eyes opened, startled, and in her eyes he saw the night sky and the stars, and he gasped.
"Goddess," he whispered, taking in again the glimmering of her circlet under the light of the full moon, the glistening of her jet black hair, and suddenly he realised it wasn't just the night making her skin grey - it actually was grey.
Jade noticed at the same time, and gasped, tried to wriggle out from under him, but Darryl stopped her with a hand on her hip.
"You are beautiful."
"Why aren't I white, I was white last time you touched me," Jade gasped, distressed.
"When was that?"
"When you came to my house," Jade replied. "You touched me and I glowed."
"Ah..." Darryl said. "Marc and I had done a sunrise ritual to summon you. We thought the other one hadn't worked, you see. We always share power in our rituals, that's probably what made you glow, his sun power. I hadn't grounded. I'm sorry."
"Summoned who? What are you talking about?" Jade attempted to lie, knowing it was futile.
"Jade," Darryl whispered. "Selene. My goddess of the moon. I've been waiting for you my whole life. You are beautiful."
He kissed her again, and she melted into his arms.
"I love your hair," and he buried his face into her hair, which had come unfastened during his attentions, smelling the Jasmine scent that wasn't her perfume, but her skin. "I love your eyes, and the way they show all you've seen. I love your mouth, so soft and startled like you've never been loved before. And I love your skin," he moved his mouth from hers up along her cheek to whisper in her ear. "It is silver, like the moon, and it is the softest, silkiest, most beautiful thing I've ever seen. And that includes when you entered the room this evening."
"Kat is beautiful," Jade whispered, her final defence.
"She is," Darryl allowed. "She is a sun goddess, no? Bright and fierce and passionate and she burns with a light which scorches if you love it too long. You are dark and sweet, and cool; you are wisdom and comfort, of night and passion of a different sort. I have worshiped you from the day I was born, and I will worship you until the day I die."
And then Jade had no more defences left against him; for she loved him, and he loved her for all that she was and ever would be. And then it didn't matter than he was mortal and she wasn't, as Jade surrendered herself into his arms and cried.

***

Kat and Marc had entered the house instead of going out onto the beach, and he had cautiously led her to his bedroom. He hung up his suit jacket, removed his cufflinks and rolled up his sleeves. Carefully, without touching the rest of her, Marc loosened one of the ribbons in her hair. He slowly unwound it, then coiled it and placed it on his desk. A second, and a third, and a golden chain, and some bobby pins followed the first ribbon. There was a sort of seduction in it, as Marc moved his hands through her hair, removing ribbons, chains and pins, allowing the curls to cascade down her back, gently massaging her scalp, relieving the ache of having the weight of her hair piled on her head for the past 7 or so hours.

It took him over an hour, and then he had his hands buried in her hair, gently rubbing her scalp. Kat groaned softly in pleasure as he massaged her, moving his hands gently down her neck to her shoulders.
Jade was distressed, Kat realised, and she sent a thought to her sister, concerned.
Jade?
He knows, was all Kat got back before the connection was lost as Marc placed a kiss on the junction of her neck and her shoulders.
Well then, Kat thought, lifting her hands to Marc's face. I guess it won't matter if I...
She pulled his face down to hers and they kissed upside-down, but that was no hindrance to the heat that flowed between them.
Kat stood and Marc gathered her in his arms, holding her close. The heat and passion was there, and yet, it was manageable today. Marc brushed a hand down the length of her hair.
"Sleepy?"
"A little," Kat admitted, snuggling her face into his neck.
Marc breathed in the scent of her hair, and ran his hands over her back.
"Let me help you with your dress then."
Kat smiled and shifted back so he could lift her dress enough to get enough slack in the straps, which slid over her shoulders until her dress was in a glittering red puddle on the floor. Marc's eyes slid slowly over her body.
"You're beautiful," he breathed.
"I think you said that already," Kat teased, hanging her dress over the back of a chair.
"Do you want to borrow a t-shirt?"
"Why?"
"Because..." Marc's eyes strayed again to her bare breasts. "I don't know that I can just sleep with those pointing at me."
Kat laughed, and Marc closed his eyes, reminding himself fiercely of his promise to take things slowly. She had lost her love, he reminded himself.
"Sun's rising," Kat said suddenly, and he opened her eyes to see her slip into the bathroom. "Close the curtains?"
Marc watched the sunrise, and when Kat came out, she'd scrubbed off her makeup, and was covering herself with her arms. Without speaking, Marc handed her a t-shirt, and she turned her back on him to put it on.
He got the feeling it was more for his benefit than hers.

Then, tired, they clambered into his bed. Kat curled up against him, fitting like she'd slept there every night of her life. Marc sighed, and was just drifting off to sleep when she murmured, and whispered something that sounded like, "Peter". Marc stopped putting his arm around her mid-motion, and sighed.
"What is it?" Kat mumbled, mostly asleep.
Marc sighed again, and completed his motion, ending up with his arms around her.
"You called me Peter," he told her, quietly.
"I did? Oh, Marc, I'm sorry," Kat said, distressed and instantly very awake.
"It doesn't matter," Marc lied, eyes closed.
"It does matter," Kat replied, wriggling close, and propping herself up on one elbow. "It does, and I'm sorry. I didn't do it on purpose."
"I know. That's why it doesn't matter."
Kat sighed.
"I'm sorry, Marc. I guess it's just... I don't know, you make me feel comfortable. I feel like I've slept beside you for a thousand years and that there's nothing more natural. When we walk together I fit under your arm like we're two pieces of a puzzle. And when you kissed me the other night it was like my soul caught fire. I just... I'm confused. I thought there would only ever be one person who did that to me, but here you are, and you do it too. I guess you just remind me of what I used to have."
Marc felt one of her tears splash onto his chest, and opened his eyes as he tightened his arms.
"Oh, Kat, don't cry. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you cry."
"I miss him so much," Kat whispered. "And you feel so much like him. You hold me the same way, you touch me the same way, you kiss me the same way... Ptah, where are you? Why did you leave me?" Kat added, whispering in ancient Egyptian.
Marc sighed again, and wrapped his arms tightly around Kat.
"He didn't leave you on purpose, Kat. These things just happen some times. It is terrible, but... life goes that way sometimes."
Kat buried her face in his shoulder, then looked at him again, feeling him gently stroking her back.
"Marc," she said firmly, looking at him.
"Yes, Kat."
She kissed him hard, demanding, and he responded by rolling over, pinning her down and kissing back harder.

Kat trembled, and wondered - was it possible? He was exactly like Ptah in so many ways, and he responded in exactly the same way. Could it be? Surely it wasn't; Marc's soul was old, but he remembered nothing! Ptah was immortal, Marc was a mortal. It just wasn't... possible. But wasn't she both immortal and mortal, a little voice inside her head whispered. She was immortal, but right now, due to the summoning, she was mortal. Couldn't Ptah have been summoned to Earth in mortal form? And if he'd had his memories blocked, or gods forbid, erased, he wouldn't know who he was, or what he'd left behind. It would explain why he had left her without explanation. But he would have arrived in the base of his temple, and they would have helped him; unless his temple had been subverted...

Kat's thoughts were broken by the feel of Marc's mouth on her nipples - he had ripped his shirt to get at her. Kat gasped, and opened her mind to him - if he was Ptah, her Ptah, he would recognise her, surely? And something in him did recognise her, his mind opened to hers and as her light blazed within his mind, the mists cleared, and Kat cried out in joy, because she recognised him. He was Ptah; of that she was 300% certain.
"My love," she whispered, placing a hand on the back of his neck and pressing towards him.
Marc stilled, and his mind slowly closed to her, but as it did, Kat saw the mists returning, and wept.
"No, he's mine!" she thought violently, angry.
"Kat?" Marc asked, covering her with his torn t-shirt. "I'm sorry, are you okay?"
"You're him," Kat sobbed. "You're him, I know you are."
"Kat..." Marc sighed. "I'm sorry. I lost control for a while there. I shouldn't have touched you. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
"You are him, Marc. I recognise you."
"Kat, you know that's just not possible. You aren't old enough for him to have been gone as long as I've been alive."
Kat placed her hands on each side of his face, and looked into his eyes.
"Ptah?"
Marc gently removed her hands.
"Just Marc, Kat."
"But... I was so sure."
"I'm sorry, Kat. I'm sorry I can't be who you want me to be."
"No, Marc, no. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I keep thinking you're a memory."
"Let's just sleep," Marc whispered. "We only have 6 or so hours until the others will be here to meet you. Let's just sleep. We can talk about it in the morning."
"I'm sorry, Marc," Kat whispered, as he curled himself along her back.
Marc sighed, and drifted into sleep.
Kat watched him for a long moment, then stifled a sob, and reached out for Jade.
Meet me in the kitchen.