Stinger stared.
The little Queen went to hold Kiza's hand. Easily, she clasped her fingertips through his daughter's. Linked, hand and hand, Entitled, and Splice. As if it was easy, simple to hold the hand of someone who could kill you with just a word. As if it was easy to hold the hand of something so beneath you.
Then again, it was probably very easy for one of them to hold the hand of a Splice.
It was easy for them to take. It was their right, after all, the owners of the Verse. They took. They could take a hand in a hold… Just as easy it was for them to order them the Splice that dared touch them to lose a hand. It was a vivid memory in Stinger's mind. He remembers how hard Caine had flinched, just a pup sold to the Aegis than… How much bile had risen in his own throat as the hand had been severed. A serving Splice, barely old enough to tetter about, had been pouring a drink to an Entitled. The Entitled had leaned just the wrong way, touched the soft feathered hand of the poor little Splice. Just a fleeting brush. If it hadn't been for the beautiful blue feathers shinned and combed beautifully, the Entitled wouldn't have felt it at all.
With a casual flick of their fingers, the human had taken that child's hand. Barely looked as the poor thing had been taken away sobbing.
Stinger is wondering what this sort of hold would cost them. It is casual and whole, this hold, innocent as anything he has seen a Human do to someone else. The hive went a flutter around both his daughter and this Entitled Queen. Agitated, still, but calming slightly. The oldest looking woman, who looked like the Entitled, gave a slight whimper. Whilst the dark-skinned young woman inched forward. Inched forward, hand at her fashionable belt. Large dark eyes narrowed. Probably prepared to launch herself to save the child.
Stinger hastily stepped forward, and in a soothing hum.
He wished his skills were better, he wished he could be able to speak more clearly. But his little sisters were better listeners than he was a speaker. They calmed, they eased. They didn't return to their hive, much to his own personal agitation. They simply hovered about the three of them. Stinger looked back to the Terristals. How an Entitled had gotten tangled up with them, Stinger did not know.
The Terristies did not look happy. The older woman was pale, hands clutching at her elbows. The man was pale as well, but stood firm and looking unwavering. The youngest woman, the one that was glaring at him. And Stinger gets it. He really does. These poor Terristies must've picked up this Entitled, called her their own. Or she had picked them, made them love her, and brought her to hide on the Earth. For whatever reason. There was close enough resemblance between them for them to appear a genetic family. She had similar eyes to the man, had black hair like the older woman, her skin tinted just like her if a little darker in its olive tone. A good disguise.
A dangerous amount of sheeve work in the making, and possibly a death sentence for him and Kiza.
"Is there a way to make them go away?" a soft question, from the Entitled.
Stinger did not give her away. Did not stutter a majesty as he wished. Just tipped his head slightly, making sure not to look the seeming child in the eye. Not while she held his little larva's hand.
"Tell them," he tells her, simply.
He is surprised by the slight upturn of her lips he gets. Too soft to be a smile, too real not to be a flash of amusement. Perhaps that amusement will be enough for Kiza and him.
"I'm afraid it will be a little hard for them to understand me. Can you please help me?"
Stinger is surprised by the question. Entitleds rarely asked. But he supposed she had to hide just a little while longer. Head whirling with scenarios, he bowed his head slightly, deeper than before. Submissive and obliging.
"Of course."
AN:
Sorry, I didn't post chapter 74 on Tuesday guys, my old laptop decided to die on me. I didn't have access to upload it on my phone. Luckily, I was actually already planning on replacing my old model and had already bought a new one a couple of weeks back during Cyber Monday. Since this has happened to me in the past too many times to count for buying kinda cheap laptops until now, I didn't lose anything too, cause I am paranoid about keeping backups of everything. So no worries! I got my new laptop last night but decided to postpone posting the last chapter on the regular upload day. So two chapters today my lovelies!
Happy Holidays,
Moon Witch '96
