“No,” came the voice that echoed into the waiting chamber from the doorway that had once more been pushed open. The voice drifted, feminine but strong, resonating through the one with a pitch that was used to catering to larger audiences. However, the figure that stood just inside, framed by the twin doors, was even more diminutive than the willowy form of the woman already addressing the pair of dragons that had come to visit the House. “The baby will be leaving with me,” said the figure with finality.<br/><br/>Her expression matched the words, set in stone or ice. While her attire and short cropped hair made her androgynous, there was no denying the senuous dips of her mouth, the plush red of her lips, the smooth cream of her skin, or the thick fall of lashes that framed the pair of glacial blue that now blazed with trepidation as she stood her ground. Her hands cradled her hips, shoulders back, chin tilted in absolution as her head bobbed to the side to shake it. The men’s garments that doused her frame might have hid her feminine wiles underneath, but that was a mother’s stance she took now: protective of the one she had taken to nurture.<br/><br/>“And then she will be reunited with her father far to the north where she will be among her own people, surrounded by those that will protect her. Not watched over by ancient, untrustworthy predators whose blood runs chilled and whose motives are murky at best. No, you will not be touching the child. I will be damned if you are even allowed to see her. She is an innocent in all this; I intend to keep it that way. She does not ever need to know the bloodiness of her past.” It was final, then. Whipping her head furiously, she turned her full attention to Miri, who had turned away from the black herself to face Marlon, she who had disrupted this meeting.<br/><br/>The exotic slant of her eyes crinkled with unshed mirth as Miri regarded the woman quietly, considering both propositions that came from either side of her. While her cheeks cooled from the heat from the kiss that had been bestowed, she had regained the well taught composure until it emanated from her once more. Her arms folded demurely across her lower abdomen and her features remained placid, if not a little amused by the situation. It was with respect that she turned back to the pair of dragons, her gaze modest when it settled on Cria. “You are welcome to the House for as long as you wish to stay, so long as you adhere to the rules,” she intoned casually.<br/><br/>But at that point she turned and wandered away from the two dragons, over to the painted depiction of Lolae that had been altered by the black’s touch. Sepia lit up inquisitively as she studied the changes. This time, her head turned to address Marlon, her smile placating to the other woman. “Your mission is your own, beloved; the girl child is our responsibility. What you choose to do with her is now dependent on the fate of your two capable hands. I will promise you this: Death will not be hovering around new life, but I will make one request of you. Kindly, will you introduce Shahazen’s own brethren to her? It is his right, if not hers, to do so. I will accompany Death to where Life is held at an imbalance.<br/><br/>And from there her attention slid back to the two dragons, though first to Dorant. “Does this arrangement satisfy you, water dragon?” And then once more to the black, her smile turning colder than before. “And you shall follow me to where we are holding the sick. Come,” she beseeched, her feet carrying her away from the painting. She grazed pass the other female with an incline of her head, gesturing with the subtle movement to another door that would lead them out into another hall. That would take them to where the truly wounded were being kept comfortable until they either passed or survived. “Follow me, as you please.”<br/><br/>And with that, she left Marlon and Dorant alone in the room together, with, she would hope, Cria following after her.