The general didn't look up from his study of the mantis's body, taking in the slaughter with impassive yellow eyes.
Like most of his kind, the general was tall with skin as black as the void of space. Red, glowing symbols were etched into the left side of his torso, arms and face. Only a few appearing on the right side of his body. His immense rack of horns showed his age spanned centuries and that his status belonged in the upper ranks of the Tsavitee horde.
He treated Elena's existence like air. So unimportant it didn't bear acknowledgment as he focused on Elise. "You were not supposed to return in this manner. Your presence suggests your mission did not go as planned."
Elise's lip curled. "Blame your contact for that. He was useless. Not even able to arrange a proper distraction. He tipped off not only the Phoenix but the Tuann as well. Because of that, I was compromised. It was either abandon the planet or face capture."
"Our masters won't be pleased to know you've once again failed in your assignment."
Elise's scoff was scathing. "They should have let me do things my way. Targeting anyone in Kira's vicinity was bound to alert her to our presence. You know the lengths she'll go to protect her own."
The general looked unmoved. "That is why we suggested you kill her."
Elena's small sound of protest attracted the general's intimidating stare.
Elena fought the urge to duck her head and hunch in on herself. Auntie always said when up against a bigger predator you couldn't show weakness. You had to bluff so they didn't decide you were prey and attack.
Elise made a restless move, somehow making it seem like an accident as she blocked his line of sight. "We had an agreement. Touch the Phoenix and this alliance is over."
Lothos made a noncommittal sound as he moved his attention back to Elise. "This reflects poorly on your record. They will punish you."
"Nothing I haven't faced before."
"Where is my nephew?" Lothos made a show of looking around the room. "I do not see him with you."
"You'll have to talk to him about that the next time you see him. I broke him out of the prison where he was being held. He is the one who decided to return to their custody."
Lothos pinned Elise with a penetrating stare. "That's difficult to believe. Aeron knows the stakes."
Elise's shrug was careless. "I created the opportunity as you requested. His subsequent decisions are his own responsibility."
"Aeron is of vital importance to our cause. My other brothers won't look kindly on his continued absence. You want them on your side."
"You're not telling me anything I don't know."
That response seemed to satisfy Lothos as his attention shifted to Elena. "Who's this?"
"She's nothing. Nobody important."
Heat flooded the back of Elena's neck as embarrassment and something worse filled her.
She’d spent years yearning for the woman in front of her. Nights and days dreaming about their first meeting.
And this was how her egg donor described her. As nothing.
Elena felt her heart breaking. Cracking into tiny little pieces as her girlhood dreams shattered around her. It was one thing to refer to Elise as her egg donor in her head. Another entirely to hear her mother dismiss her so casually. It didn't matter that Elise had already warned her not to trust anything out of her mouth from here on out. Her words rang with a note of truth that Elena had a hard time denying. Elena really was nobody to her. That was certainly more believable than her egg donor’s claim of love.
Elena kept the pain those words caused off her face. Survive. That was the only thing she needed to do. Just survive.
Lothos's gaze remained locked on Elise's face, his expression considering. "Then it won't matter if we dispose of her."
"I considered that," Elise admitted. As if it wasn't her child's fate up for debate. "But she was seen in Kira's company on more than one occasion. She has ties to the Phoenix that we might be able to exploit."
"You want me to protect her." Lothos's face left no doubt as to how much he disliked that suggestion.
"You know how Kira is. She won't abandon a child she feels responsible for. She'll come for her. You can use that opportunity for your plan."
Lothos looked like he was considering. "It would be better to give her to the masters. They can vent their anger on her instead of you."
Elena's stomach curdled. Her breathing stuttered for a brief second before she caught herself, forcing it to resume a normal cadence.
She knew how bad that would be for her. She'd overheard Aunt Kira and Uncle Jin talking one night. They were two of the strongest people Elena knew. Anything that could put that amount of pain and fear in their voices was better off avoided at all costs.
"I disagree. We need the Phoenix's cooperation. If the child is harmed, she will not bargain," Elise said. "I can take anything the masters throw at me. The child can't say the same. She's far too weak to survive their anger."
Lothos narrowed his eyes at her. "You're not trying to hide something from me, are you?"
"Of course not," Elise answered lightly. "I learned my lesson the last time."
The moment dragged as Lothos stared. Suspicion forming behind his eyes.
Elena found herself holding her breath. What would she do if he realized Elise was lying? Fight? She'd die.
But maybe that would be better. Being ripped apart at the seams didn't sound like a bucket list item.
No. Survive. Those were Auntie's orders. Survive at all costs. No matter who you had to sacrifice or what you had to do.
Easier said than done.
An eternity later, Lothos seemed to come to a decision. "Very well. I'll believe you. For now."
Elise's face remained apathetic. As if it didn't matter to her whether or not Lothos believed her.
Lothos's gaze shifted to Elena. "Does she understand our language?"
"Of course not. She's Tuann. You know their kind. Only ever interested in their own matters."
Lothos's frown sent another jolt of adrenaline through Elena system. "Are you sure?"
Shit. He knew.
And Aunt Selene would have sent her to time out for using that word.
Elena fought the desire to flee, trying not to react outwardly in any way.
Pretend. Pretend.
Of course, a Tuann wouldn't know the Tsavitee language. They would have no reason to. They hadn't fought in a war against them. Even if they had, Elena doubted most would have taken the time to understand their enemy.
A human might have. A Haldeel scholar definitely would have. But not a Tuann, who were the very definition of arrogance.
If not for Elise's disguised warning, Elena would have already given herself away.
She couldn't help but be upset about that oversight. Only a few minutes in and she'd already endangered her cover. She needed to be better than this.
"If she knows a little, it's probably due to the Phoenix's influence. She was obsessed with studying the Tsavitee and everything about them," Elise answered, sounding bored.