was, convinced that Quincy didn’t like her, yet she tried to adjust her appearance to make herself more appealing to him.
She was pitiable.
She answered the door when a knock sounded. Quincy stood on the other side of it. She noted that he wore a navy blue tank with matching pants, a color she loved on him because, when paired with his many silver markings, it reminded her of a night sky.
“We need your help to create an inoculation to Nyx’s toxin,” she greeted him.
His silver eyes met hers for an extended heartbeat of time. What was it she couldn’t read in that gaze? She simply had no idea. And his meaningfully-issued response only confused her more.
“I’m all yours,” he said.
Metis had a more difficult time escaping the next time she went to meet with Eirik and Deimos. It was sometime between midnight and dawn when she reached their temporary shelter among the trees.
The air was so cold that her breath plumed around her head. The loud crunching of her booted feet on the dead leaves carpeting the ground heralded her arrival. When she arrived, Eirik was awake and standing outside the rocks covered by a canopy of wide branches and leaves that he had erected with his limited abilities.
They had decided that keeping his location hidden, even from other Mercesti, was essential in light of the scope of their plans. This arrangement was much easier for her, she had to admit, since she had respectable shelter.
“I come bearing good news,” she said as she stopped a few feet from him.
“You had better,” he said in his deep voice. “I grow tired of waiting.”
And she grew tired of his griping, but knew better than to voice that thought. She had to bide her time to achieve her goals. For now, Eirik played a key part in making sure things went as she planned. There was also the fact that he was probably the only being on the plane who could appropriately deal with Deimos in her absence.
“Very soon, we will have the lure needed to draw the Lekwuesti and Kynzesti females to you.”
“How soon?”
“By tomorrow or the next day.”
He considered this in silence. She wondered—not for the first time—whether he was debating whether to slay her rather than continue to trust that she was upholding her part of their plans.
“Did Deimos enjoy the gift I sent him yesterday?” she asked to break the silence.
Glancing over his shoulder into the shelter where Deimos lay sleeping, Eirik gave a short grunt. “He enjoyed the hunt. She was a worthy bit of prey.” He looked back at Metis. “His violence is escalating. The female was hardly more than a mass of torn flesh when he finished with her.”
She waved that away. “He cannot help what he is. I have assured him that he can have the two females you seek once we are through with them. He will cooperate with our plans.”
Eirik’s eyes narrowed. “You had better do whatever you have to in order to ensure that. He has tasted the Lekwuesti now. I expect it will be nearly impossible to keep him off her when she is back with us.”
She didn’t allow her concern to show. Any sign of weakness would spell disaster. But she could silently acknowledge that she worried over Deimos’ increasing aggression.
“He will be fine,” she said. “He can make use of the Kynzesti female if needed.”
“I require her abilities, as well,” Eirik snapped. “Allowing Deimos to kill her would—”
“Who said anything about killing her?” she interrupted coolly. “Just allow him to relieve some of his aggression through her if he requires it. I will instruct him to feed on animals while you search for the scroll.”
Eirik shook his head. “You fail to recognize the bloodlust in your own creation. I will tell you once again: you had better do what you can to control him. I might need him to transport me with his unusual abilities at some point. But if he interferes in my plans, I will kill him. Then I will return and do the same to you.”
She stiffened,
She was pitiable.
She answered the door when a knock sounded. Quincy stood on the other side of it. She noted that he wore a navy blue tank with matching pants, a color she loved on him because, when paired with his many silver markings, it reminded her of a night sky.
“We need your help to create an inoculation to Nyx’s toxin,” she greeted him.
His silver eyes met hers for an extended heartbeat of time. What was it she couldn’t read in that gaze? She simply had no idea. And his meaningfully-issued response only confused her more.
“I’m all yours,” he said.
Metis had a more difficult time escaping the next time she went to meet with Eirik and Deimos. It was sometime between midnight and dawn when she reached their temporary shelter among the trees.
The air was so cold that her breath plumed around her head. The loud crunching of her booted feet on the dead leaves carpeting the ground heralded her arrival. When she arrived, Eirik was awake and standing outside the rocks covered by a canopy of wide branches and leaves that he had erected with his limited abilities.
They had decided that keeping his location hidden, even from other Mercesti, was essential in light of the scope of their plans. This arrangement was much easier for her, she had to admit, since she had respectable shelter.
“I come bearing good news,” she said as she stopped a few feet from him.
“You had better,” he said in his deep voice. “I grow tired of waiting.”
And she grew tired of his griping, but knew better than to voice that thought. She had to bide her time to achieve her goals. For now, Eirik played a key part in making sure things went as she planned. There was also the fact that he was probably the only being on the plane who could appropriately deal with Deimos in her absence.
“Very soon, we will have the lure needed to draw the Lekwuesti and Kynzesti females to you.”
“How soon?”
“By tomorrow or the next day.”
He considered this in silence. She wondered—not for the first time—whether he was debating whether to slay her rather than continue to trust that she was upholding her part of their plans.
“Did Deimos enjoy the gift I sent him yesterday?” she asked to break the silence.
Glancing over his shoulder into the shelter where Deimos lay sleeping, Eirik gave a short grunt. “He enjoyed the hunt. She was a worthy bit of prey.” He looked back at Metis. “His violence is escalating. The female was hardly more than a mass of torn flesh when he finished with her.”
She waved that away. “He cannot help what he is. I have assured him that he can have the two females you seek once we are through with them. He will cooperate with our plans.”
Eirik’s eyes narrowed. “You had better do whatever you have to in order to ensure that. He has tasted the Lekwuesti now. I expect it will be nearly impossible to keep him off her when she is back with us.”
She didn’t allow her concern to show. Any sign of weakness would spell disaster. But she could silently acknowledge that she worried over Deimos’ increasing aggression.
“He will be fine,” she said. “He can make use of the Kynzesti female if needed.”
“I require her abilities, as well,” Eirik snapped. “Allowing Deimos to kill her would—”
“Who said anything about killing her?” she interrupted coolly. “Just allow him to relieve some of his aggression through her if he requires it. I will instruct him to feed on animals while you search for the scroll.”
Eirik shook his head. “You fail to recognize the bloodlust in your own creation. I will tell you once again: you had better do what you can to control him. I might need him to transport me with his unusual abilities at some point. But if he interferes in my plans, I will kill him. Then I will return and do the same to you.”
She stiffened,
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