Despite everything, he smiled at the bewildered look on his friend’s face, and shrugged. “Pretty much.”
Severo let out a baffled laugh. “They sure hang a lot on you all holding back based on vague consequences.”
“I think it’s more that they know we are aware of how easily things can get messed up, just by changing one thing. I mean, we see it every day. How a single thing, even just one wrong turn, can change someone’s entire future, leading to an uncountable number of people being impacted.
“And when it comes to what is going to happen to me, or to Killian, after this is over…again, I don’t know. I don’t know how far-reaching my choice will be, and what consequences it will lead me to, even without my family coming after me.”
Severo’s mouth opened, but the man quickly barked, “Fuck,” as the ship violently rocked. The lights went out for a split second, before the ship shook even more, until finally, they were left with sirens and system alarms blaring.
One particularly high-pitched bird-like alarm had him growling, “Ah, fuck me. We lost comms!”
“Solar flare?” Severo asked, his face pinched.
“Based on the alarm, my guess would be fucking yes.”
Killian held tightly to Skya,as people around him screamed with each violent rock of the ship. “IT’S JUST A SOLAR FLARE!” he yelled! “We’re fine!”
Well…based on the screaming system, fine was an overstatement. They’d lost comms, for sure, which…was both in their favor, and not. As while it did mean it was harder for the traffickers to communicate drop offs and sales, it also meant their revolt and escape plan just became more of a pain in the ass. Because not being able to call out for help was sucky.
Though he had tinkered around with computer parts, and deconstructed that old ship in one of Severo’s parents’ garages many years ago. So after some time, Killian likely would be able to fix it. He just wasn’t sure if it was worth fixing, or if it would be faster to just flytothe help.
While the alarms continued, the ship eventually stopped shaking.
Skya, who had remained calm during the whole thing, huffed, “Loud!” The baby was clearly irritated, as the alarms continued, even when the ship stopped shaking.
He smiled and ruffled her curls. She was possibly the most taken care of person on the whole ship at the moment. The day after waking up, Riker and some men had arrived with changing supplies, a bed, clothes, and more for the toddler.
He could only assume the Skinwalker thought treating her well would be best for his own survival. It had been too much food, and just stuff, for one little girl though. Not to mention the clothes. While he’d found things Skya could wear, they were oddly of all different sizes. Their laziness was to the other children’s benefit, at least, and the last two days, the little ones had been semi well-fed, cleaned, and clothed.
Thankfully, the adults had not been aggressive, or even dared to ask for any of it. He was, however, now surrounded, and was basically taking care of all thirty-seven children in the cell, including Skya.
Killian sighed. He’d become a full-time babysitter in no time. Not that the children were much trouble. They were all prettyquiet, not talking much at all. Which…while he didn’t want them being loud, the fact was, they were scared, and he’d rather them be loud and annoying than frightened and teary-eyed.
Killian glanced over when someone cleared their throat, and found one of the children standing there, shifting shyly on his feet. To be honest, while he didn’t know the kid, he recognized him, mainly as he’d noticed the little boy tended to stare at him more and just longer than the others.
Though, Killian supposed, what really drew him to the boy was the look in the kid’s eyes. The little boy seemed to accept what was happening, as if he was used to dealing with horrible shit. The kid wasn’t the only one who had that look, but he was the only one who didn’t seem scared, on top of his apparently odd obsession with staring at Killian.
Possibly a little taller than three feet, the boy was skinny as hell, with light-pink curly hair, big brown eyes, a button nose, pointed chin, and freckles on his rounded pale cheeks. He was a cute little shit, that was for sure, and based on hair color alone, Killian was sure the child was a Cryptid…he just didn’t know what exactly he was.
“Need something, Kiddo?” Killian asked, after likely a moment too long of staring.
The kid licked his lips, before slowly plopping down in front of him. Curling up, his arms wrapping around his bent knees as he rested his head on them, the Cryptid asked, “Why are you here?”
He smiled. “A greedy parent. You?”
“Greedy guardian. Names Zentry, but you can call me Zenny.”
“Ah,” he hummed carefully, making sure to keep his smile in place. Though it was hard to hold back the surge of anger at the kid being sold by people he should be able to trust. “Well, Zenny,I’m Killian, and this—” He nodded down to Skya in his lap. “—is Skya.”
His brow rose slightly as the kid, who was still smiling, just nodded and remained where he was, with his eyes on him, or rather…possibly on something Killian couldn’t see. Because as those big brown eyes stared, they started to change color, until they were a deep blood-red color, bringing even more questions up in his head as to what the boy was.
Zenny Vullen staredup at the very pretty older Cryptid, struggling to look away. He knew he should. Despite the even smile on Killian’s face, he knew his staring was making the other Cryptid uncomfortable…he just… It was just hard…
His gaze traced the bright glowing red line that ran between him and the man, hoping with everything in him that he wasn’t imagining it. Yet, he was also afraid that if he looked away for too long, it would disappear.
Seeing lines wasn’t new to him, he saw them all the time between other people, but it was different this time. Because for the first time—the very first time—a line was connecting him to someone else.
He had a connection with this man. Maybe not yet, but in the future he would. And the clear, bright-red line was proof of that.
