Nia had to stifle a laugh at that while Lauren openly chuckled.
Riv’s eyes narrowed and he growled underneath his breath.
Geblit’s body relaxed a little. “Your spawn will make a great fighter,” he said.
They all went silent then.
To admit that he might actually like the child was a moment no one wanted to ruin.
Riv made a sound in his throat. “What business do you have? You don’t run errands.”
Geblit snatched his hand away from Lauren, his skin growing a little darker in color.
“Right,” he said. “That’s because this is out of the ordinary. I had to do it myself.”
Nia glanced between them.
Time for her to leave and give them some privacy.
“I’ll be inside if you need me.” She nodded to Riv and Lauren. “Nice seeing you again, Geblit.” And she meant that. She hadn’t seen him since that day he’d bought her and taken her to the Sanctuary.
If not for him, she wouldn’t be safe right now.
She began walking away when his voice caught her ear.
“Actually, Nee-ya. This business concerns you.”
Nia turned. “Huh? Me?”
Geblit moved over to his hover car and took out a small package and a piece of transparent paper rolled up like a scroll. There was writing etched into it that she could not read.
“These are yours.”
He handed her the package, ignoring her confused stare.
“What’s this?”
“Your identification bracelet and the authorization deeds.” Geblit spoke as he reached over in his car for something else.
Nia blinked and her gaze flew to Lauren and Riv. Lauren shrugged.
“What?” she asked again. “I…I don’t have an ID bracelet.”
“Now you do.” Geblit finally found what he was reaching for and took it out. It was a small device that looked like a stapler.
He moved toward her. “Your wrist please.”
Nia shook her head. “I don’t understand. What’s this about?”
Geblit sighed, his eyes narrowing with boredom.
“Your identification bracelet. The one you get when you’re legally registered? No longer a refugee? A full resident of Hudo III with equal rights.” His bored look didn’t change. “Surely you know what that is. That other troublesome human has one.” He jerked his head at Lauren.
Nia’s eyelids fluttered as she blinked at him. “I know what it is, but I don’t have…” Her gaze moved to Riv.
“Did you have something to do with this? This doesn’t have something to do with what happened a few weeks ago, right? I told you guys it was okay… You didn’t have to…”
But the confusion on Riv’s face made her words stop in her throat.
Riv’s eyebrows moved a little, his frilli scrunching up as he frowned. “I’m just as confused as you are.”
“Sohut?” she asked.
Riv shook his head. “He would have said something.”
“Then who…”
“Don’t tell me he did not tell you he was giving half of his assets to you.” Now, Geblit looked annoyed.
“Who?” They echoed each other as they all focused on Geblit.
“Ka’Cit Urgmental.”
Nia’s heart beat so hard in her chest she was sure it imprinted into her skin.
Did she hear right? “What?”
Geblit squeezed his eyes shut. “He came in some time ago and filed the documentation. I am surprised he didn’t tell you about it, considering the…extent of the filing that had to be done.”
Nia blinked. “He paid for me?” Her voice was but a whisper and the package and paper that she held in her hands trembled a little as her fingers shook.
“He paid for your freedom,” Geblit corrected. “Now—”
The green alien reached forward and grabbed her wrist so fast, she had no time to respond.
Next, all she felt was a dull pain on her wrist.
Nia stared at her wrist as he let her go, her eyes widening with every second.
Before her eyes, the tattoo was etching across her skin. A tattoo just like the one Lauren had.
Geblit whipped a thin transparent disk from somewhere and placed it underneath her mouth.
“Please deposit your DNA sample.”
“I don’t understand…” Nia blinked at the tattoo.
Lauren and Riv still looked just as confused as they glanced at each other.
Geblit huffed out a breath.
“You open your maw, deposit your fluid on the disk.” His eyes narrowed at her as if she was being an idiot. “And don’t get any of your fluids on me, I beg.”
“No, I mean, I don’t understand all this.” She gestured at the tattoo and the papers I her hand. “Why would Ka’Cit do this?”
“And why did you have to come out here to complete the registration?” Riv growled.
Geblit huffed out another breath and his hand fell with the disk still held between his fingers. “Because of the sheer amount of assets being transferred.”
“What?” they all asked.
“Ka’Cit Urgmental’s estate is…considerable. You receive half of that.”
“What do you mean considerable?” Nia could hardly breathe.
“Considerable enough that an official had to travel out to the middle of nowhere to hand over the papers to you,” Geblit quipped.
Nia began shaking her head. “I can’t…I can’t accept this.” Her gaze met Geblit’s and now he looked confused. “You have to take it back. I can’t…take this.”
“And why the phek not?” Geblit’s eyes narrowed once more.
A soft hand tugged on her arm and she realized Lauren was pulling her to the side.
She was so weak, she went without protest as Riv and Geblit began to converse.
“Did you know he was going to do this?” Lauren whispered.
Nia shook her head. “No idea. I…I don’t understand why. Has he contacted Riv since he brought me back?”
Lauren shook her head. “No.”
“I can’t accept this.”
Lauren gripped her arm tight. “Yes, you absolutely can.”
Nia blinked. She hadn’t expected that response.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean,” Lauren’s gaze became pointed, “blessings are sometimes disguised. And this is a blessing. You will be free. Truly free. You can’t give that up.”
Nia shook her head again. “You don’t understand. How can I accept such a huge gift from…”
“From a stranger?”
No.
But she couldn’t find the right words.
Or, rather, she didn’t want to say the words that came to her mind.
How could she accept such a gift from a man who hadn’t spoken to her in weeks? Who hadn’t called to say even hello?
Who seemed to have
