The pair walked slowly, shoulders jostling now and again. Neither Kady nor Kiara spoke a word, the night all but spent. They approached the ant hill, and a single lantern and couple of ants stood waiting for them. Queen Atta and Flik.

"I was hoping I wouldn't have to place a curfew on you two," Queen Atta said when they drew near, "but perhaps I should. Do I even need to say how irresponsible it is to play hooky?"

"No you don't," Kiara said around a yawn. "We're sorry, it won't happen again."

Atta sighed, shaking her head before taking Kiara by the shoulder. "C'mon, let's get you to bed. You've got a long day ahead of you."

Kiara nodded, and shuffled with the queen, the two climbing the rest of the way up the hill to the entrance. Kady moved to follow, then paused at a look from Flik. "What?"

"I wanted to thank you," Flik said. "For being so kind to Kiara, I mean. She's been having a rough time, and I think she really needed somebody her own age to relate to. Thank you for being there for her."

Kady's eyes darted around, and he shifted from one foot to the other. "I, I really didn't do anything. It was nothing."

"Not nothing. Just enough." Flik smiled, and nodded his head to the top of the ant hill. "C'mon, you need sleep too."

The grasshopper watched through his spy glass, from the one safe vantage point he'd found between all the patrols and guards. "C'mon, what are you waiting for?" he muttered.

Kady and Flik were completely alone. Flik even had his back turned, as they were walking up the hill. But Kady didn't so much as lunge for him. The two reached the top and disappeared into the dark within.

"Oh no." The grasshopper lowered his spy glass and shook his head. He took to the air, just in time before the next patrol passed his way. "The bosses ain't gonna like this."

Chipendale half-belt as he scraped grasshopper innards from the bottom of his shoe, checking to see if it was clean.

"I knew it, I knew it!" Chakira shrieked nearby. "I told you we should've struck the minute that pit collapsed and their defenses were compromised, I told you!"

"Can it, woman," Chipendale barked.

"My stupid, idiot, teenage son!" She rubbed at her temples. "Who knew he'd grow up to be such a wimp? Where did I go wrong?"

"Relax, would you?" He lumbered to the mouth of the burrow, looking out over the pre-dawn meadows and sparse trees, glittering gray in the faint light. "We've still got an ace up our sleeves. I think it's time I called on some distant relations o' mine for a favor."

As Chipendale exited the burrow, Chakira looked back over her shoulder. That other human Chipendale had kidnapped, Kyrin, was awake again. Staring right at them. She repressed a shiver. The human didn't speak much, and didn't struggle against his bonds. But there was something in his eyes whenever he watched and listened to their conversations, especially recently.

He wasn't obedient because they intimidated him. While his face was passive, cold fury rested in his eyes. It was more like he was observing.

Waiting.