The Angel of the Undercity & A Homecoming

[Oriena]

Juliana ought to know better than to step between Oriena and quarry, for the challenge might only make her more inclined to cruel play. The flat of her gaze pinned Juls, but on the flip of a coin she accepted the distraction. Her lips twitched to behold those pretty little blushes, but Ilesha was silent, and Oriena much prefered prey that bit back. The other woman seemed equally mute but for the breath of a word Ori barely even caught. Unless either little mouse fathomed the courage to squeak, she ignored them both. Though neither did she chase them away from her company.

Her nails tapped the arm of the chair. The power still suffused her with delicious warmth, though she no longer did anything with it. Nox wasn’t exactly a common name. A brow rose, consideration plain, though she doubted Juliana had any idea why she would be interested. Yun had been looking for him. Since the little fucker was also a traitor to his own murderous kind, he was only likely to bring trouble to Kallisti’s door, though admittedly that didn’t concern her much. It wasn’t like Oriena didn’t court trouble of her own.

Whispers scratched the edges of her mind, dulled by Zeke’s narcotics. The tablet.

But what she asked, was: “Why would either of them care about a child?”