Partner

Starting this, I expected something with crying and screaming and... not what it turned out to be. Especially the end. I don't know what Mik's thoughts are, that he would jump to that conclusion, as the chain of custody on the genetic material of Sidhe was not well guarded, though the ones doing the testing weren't told what they were testing, and Sidhe have been used in places like Valease as a kind of slave, where they can be tamed enough. The genetic resources of Valease are great.

So. Jumping to conclusions.

I'm hoping. Really. Really.

'cause the Sidhe are still arguing on what to do with the one who made the weapon and it's getting nasty.

Read, Review and Enjoy






The ride back was like… it didn’t happen. Mik was in a daze as he stared out his window at the people going about their day as if nothing had happened. Shopping for new tech since their old stuff was illegal now. Complaining about the price of coffee. Calling other drivers names like biggest asshole ever.

They didn’t care that there was a species being hunted to extinction because of Valease’s own inability to hunt the real killers. They didn’t care that someone was hurting because of this.

Mik reached across the seat and took Paw’s hand reassuringly.

The Sidhe gave Mik a small, sad sort of smile as the car pulled to a stop in the apartment underground parking lot. The two climbed out and took the elevator to the empty floor. Sidhe were trickling in.

Souse and Essuan sat side by side with their mesa. Lillow sat nearby with Mik and Paw’s mesa. Hohi stood behind Essuan, on hand on his sister’s shoulder. The others milled about, seemingly unwilling to be there.

They were all eyeing the elevator and staircase, as if hoping the doors would open and allow them to leave.

Paw moved to the center of the floor and waited until the Sidhe gathered in a circle around him. The Sidhe looked downward, jaw clenched until the last Sidhe gathered. Mik slid to Paw’s side and gave his lover’s hand a squeeze.

Lover.

Paw gave Mik a small smile before untangling his fingers from Mik’s and looked about him at the others gathered. They were all watching him with apt attention. This was what it meant to be in the presence of Whisper. Those that were bored, that were looking for a way out, were all watching Paw with a respectful demure.

“The people,” Paw sighed and fell into Sidhe. Explaining about the incident, about what had happened and all the information the people had about the incident. Mik watched the faces around him change from polite attention to confusion and some to puzzlement, others to anger, hatred even. Some bore teeth and called for war, called for blood, rallying their people…

Except. Souse’s tribe listened quietly. Careful to hide all expression from their faces as Paw finished. Mik blinked his eyes and then rubbed them as Paw sighed.

“Did you just use power?” Mik asked, needing to know if his mind had inserted the call for war.

“Auh,” Paw murmured.

When Mik moved to take Paw into his arms, the Sidhe waved him to the side. Mik stood to the side and clasped his hands as he had seen Violet do for Essuan. A type of subservience. If any of the Sidhe could see beyond Paw and see Mik, through Paw, then he wanted it to be one of a willing people, actively doing the wishes of Whisper.

He sort of heard the questions. What did Whisper wish them to do? How to go about killing people? How to…

“Paw,” shit, not his name, “Whisper,” Mik stepped close to Paw, “we need someone who knows the systems. Someone with the knowledge.”

That one, that one, take from that one

Mik batted at the whispering voices and turned his attention to Paw, “Someone, there has to be someone who knows enough about the world to remove that key piece.”

Paw turned to Mik, startled, “the key? He’s… this one would have to find him.”

Find. Find? Key!

Thousands of minds turned their attention to the world of the people. Not a few thousand, but tens of thousands. They turned to the people and sorted through them like a bushel of berries, tossing aside the bad, setting aside the good for later and keeping none. Not a one.

“What are they looking for?” Mik asked.

And who were they, if only a small percent of the Sidhe population still had power? Who were these minds that skilfully sorted the people minds? If only a small percent of the population had power, and each mind had a different power?

A united front of an army of power users would decimate the people on a battlefield.

“The key piece,” Paw murmured, “Let them do their job, come away.”

Plucked, like so many of the minds, Mik was pulled away and set back into his own body and his own being. Paw could do that so easily. Whisper could do that so easily.

Around them, the tribe was silent for a long moment before a mesa started screaming. Essuan turned her attention to the babe, taking it from Lillow and bringing it against her own shoulder comfortingly. Lillow had a blank look on her face and Hohi looked like he desperately wanted to touch Lillow. Mik made a motion with his head, toward the girl, and Hohi jumped at the opportunity. The large male pulled Lillow into his arms and murmured soothingly to her.

The others were in one or another state of shock. A glance about and Mik knew that he couldn’t care for this many Sidhe.

“Wish Edno were here,” Souse muttered, “he knew much about biology.”

“What?” a cold chill ran down Mik’s spine as he turned to Souse, “Edno knew what?”

“Biology,” Souse responded, “he often spoke of little things that he could alter to make them do whatever he wanted. Ninninininis.”

“Nanotechnology?” was not biological warfare. Well. It was. Just. Not in a way that was. Nanotechnology could be stopped if the right frequency was emitted within the given area.

“That one.”

Mik’s stomach fell out from under him, “I. I have to go speak with Mari.” where had Edno gone? What kind of biological weapon could kill the Sidhe so quickly when they were immune to nearly everything? Perfect genetic structures, it would take DNA from a massive group to even begin to structure a weapon that would work against Sidhe. But nanotechnology didn’t need to meet biological laws, the laws of nature didn’t quite apply to it.

By the gods, what had Edno done?


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