She merely eyed Kavala when the Konti reacted to what she had done. She had been about to let Raiha deal with the outpouring - because Raiha had volunteered to do it at the start, even if Kanikra had finished the job for her - but now that Kavala had spotted her, Kanikra was going to stay there. Not because she particularly relished or wanted a conversation with the depressed Konti, but because she vaguely wanted to smack her for announcing her name. It was something she preferred kept quiet. The less people knew about her, the harder it was to distinguish between the sister souls of the Akontak, and the more content Kanikra was. Since Akajia had essentially rebalanced the two of them, Kanikra had had to do more than pay lip service to the concept of compromise when she wanted something.
She nodded as Cugacon left, watching him leave before reaching to wipe her hands. She doubted that the sickness would have anything catching, but the last thing she wanted was to take it anywhere else. She hadn’t missed the way Kavala had glanced at her infant son. He was Akontak. Kanikra wasn’t about to bother the child Raiha had helped bring into the world that day in the water. But it almost amused some tiny part of her that Kavala thought she would. The infant had rapidly become Kavala’s world, and was likely the easiest way to get through to her. One glance might unsettle her or piss her off. There was strategic value there. But it was risky, far too risky, to try. Not only because Raiha would give Kanikra the fight of her life if she tried it, and it went against her modus operandi. If she got caught, she could well have had to birth a brat to take his place.
Kanikra was not interested.
“It was the kindest way,” she told Kavala once they were alone. She wasn’t defensive or aggressive in response to the way Kavala was looking at her. It was that maddeningly bland indifference. Was that expression, the expression that Kanikra really and truly did not give a shyke, better than their just-departed client’s complete lack of emotion? Did Kanikra care about anything besides herself and her own survival? It was hard to find any evidence of it. “She wasn’t in any shape to be swallowing. This way, she didn’t feel a thing. Warm hands stroking her, and then that was it. Besides, the season is winding down, as my dear sister keeps fussing over, which means stores will be limited. Save what you have... and use it to help something or someone that will live to benefit from it.” Raiha didn’t share the outlook... but after all these years of listening to her sister, she could understand the logic. Idly, as she faced Kavala, she wondered what the older woman would say if she realized that it had been Raiha that had volunteered, even if Kanikra had been the one to carry it out.
She nodded as Cugacon left, watching him leave before reaching to wipe her hands. She doubted that the sickness would have anything catching, but the last thing she wanted was to take it anywhere else. She hadn’t missed the way Kavala had glanced at her infant son. He was Akontak. Kanikra wasn’t about to bother the child Raiha had helped bring into the world that day in the water. But it almost amused some tiny part of her that Kavala thought she would. The infant had rapidly become Kavala’s world, and was likely the easiest way to get through to her. One glance might unsettle her or piss her off. There was strategic value there. But it was risky, far too risky, to try. Not only because Raiha would give Kanikra the fight of her life if she tried it, and it went against her modus operandi. If she got caught, she could well have had to birth a brat to take his place.
Kanikra was not interested.
“It was the kindest way,” she told Kavala once they were alone. She wasn’t defensive or aggressive in response to the way Kavala was looking at her. It was that maddeningly bland indifference. Was that expression, the expression that Kanikra really and truly did not give a shyke, better than their just-departed client’s complete lack of emotion? Did Kanikra care about anything besides herself and her own survival? It was hard to find any evidence of it. “She wasn’t in any shape to be swallowing. This way, she didn’t feel a thing. Warm hands stroking her, and then that was it. Besides, the season is winding down, as my dear sister keeps fussing over, which means stores will be limited. Save what you have... and use it to help something or someone that will live to benefit from it.” Raiha didn’t share the outlook... but after all these years of listening to her sister, she could understand the logic. Idly, as she faced Kavala, she wondered what the older woman would say if she realized that it had been Raiha that had volunteered, even if Kanikra had been the one to carry it out.
Good job guys. Excellent writing, as usual. I'd expect nothing less!