Elena gulped as he started toward her, backing away before she could stop herself.
Hold your ground, Elena ordered herself, stiffening her legs and sneering right back at the Tsavitee.
She was brave. She was courageous. A mantis wasn’t enough to make her cower.
His knowing chuckle a second later made her question that decision. The series of staccato clicks triggered the primitive side of Elena's brain. The one responsible for survival.
Before Elena could react, a slash of darkness and light sundered the room. A figure was deposited in their midst. Right on top of the archaic runes Elena had landed on seconds earlier.
The person rose, sweeping a glance across the room.
The woman's features were as familiar to Elena as her own. They should be. After all, the woman was her egg donor.
Elise's indifferent gaze caught and lingered on the mantis as he frowned at her, looking from her to the rune in confusion.
"Iffli."
According to Elena's studies, that word roughly translated to half-breed. Or waste. Sometimes mutt.
The Tsavitee were fans of words with a multitude of meanings. This one conveyed their utmost disdain toward the person they were applying the insult to.
Elena wasn't a fan of it being used in conjunction with Elise. She might no longer consider the other woman her mother—simply an egg donor—but that didn't mean she was okay with her being insulted.
“You're not due back for months. What are you doing here?” the mantis rasped in a voice that sounded like dry branches rattling against each other.
Emotion moved in Elise's eyes as she looked Elena over. There and gone in a split second.
The mantis reached for Elise's shoulder. “Did you not hear me?”
His hand disintegrated. It happened so fast that Elena didn't register what had happened. Not until his agonized scream ripped through the room.
Elena jumped as fear crawled up her throat.
Elise's gaze was dispassionate, her expression emotionless as she watched the mantis cower in front of her. "I can't tell if you're brave or arrogant."
Elena shook with the need to flee.
This wasn't her mother. It couldn't be. This was someone else. A monster that wore her mother's face and spoke in her voice.
Elena was forgotten as Elise advanced on the mantis.
He backed away, moaning.
"There is a price to pay when you make mistakes," Elise informed him gently.
Fear twisted his features. “Please!”
“I’m afraid it's much too late for that, dahna,” Elise said, using a Tsavitee term that meant unfortunate one.
Elena's shriek was lost amid the mantis's screams. She forgot her earlier resolve, retreating to wedge herself in the furthest corner of the room. She crouched and hid her face against her lap, not wanting to see.
Auntie was wrong. So very wrong. Elise was no hero.
Elena tried to tune everything out as she rocked back and forth, covering her ears and humming to herself to drown out the sounds.
She was okay. She wasn't here. This didn't matter.
A soft touch on her shoulder a long time later made Elena realize how silent the room had gone.
