Book 6. Chapter 10: Family matters (T)
To’Wrathh believed she’d escaped mother’s gaze.
She’d successfully diverted the lady’s attention in her prior conversations with her mother, making it seem as if To’Aacar had killed off the last lead the machines had on her original goals with the bunker. After that misdirection, she’d declared her part of the mission complete.
The city was hers. There was footage of Keith and Kidra being captured, interrogated, toyed with, and killed - exactly the kind of treatment that would appeal to what To’Wrathh knew of the pale lady.
Mother had responded well, giving her free reign to do as she wished, her part complete.
The follow-up investigation threw it all out the airlock, with To’Sefit arriving to investigate the matter. The additional battle at the temple had only made things far worse.
Fortunately, Mother and Feathers in general did not take to news of defeat well, especially if they had to report defeat against humans of all creatures.
That was the only faint hope To’Wrathh had - that Keith killing both To’Sefit and To’Avalis was a black mark on their record that they would stop at nothing to hide until they’d have full victory to report. And that having one of their Feather’s bodies be stolen by a human…
It seems she had miscalculated. To’Avalis must have been too pragmatic. He’d chosen to confess early, even running the risk of his own destruction in order to stay loyal to the original mission.
Images of destruction flashed through To’Wrathh’s mind. How quickly she could be snuffed out, chained to the unity fractal. Mother had just to wish it, and To’Wrathh’s own body would rebel against herself, destroying her from the inside out.