=Nightshade=
Previously Night's Shadow
Eva stood with an amused expression on her face at the kids’ responses. Aine grinned unabashed, merely raising a middle finger to Tom in tandem with her friends’ insults. Her mother would have said something similar, but she was supposed to be the diplomatic one in this situation. “Now, now,” she said calmly, poker face impeccable, stepping between the teens and Tom, hands held out in a peacemaking gesture. “Easy, there. I do realize that tensions are running high here; however, there is one clear solution I can see. Why don’t you”—she turned to Tom—“allow me to take young Koda here into my own care? I can assure you that it would be the most... ah... convenient outcome for the both of us. Koda gets to stay, and you get off scot-free. Sounds good to you?” Or else I will call the police to haul your ugly ass to the station for child abuse, motherfucker. Try me.
Aine could guess what her mother was thinking, and had to force herself to keep from laughing at the unusually reasonable tone she spoke in. Wow, my mother, reasonable? That’s rich, usually she lets her battling skills do the talking for her in cases like these... though I’m glad she’s trying to talk it out first, I get the feeling if he was suddenly hit in the face with a Sucker Punch he would be rather less inclined to leave Koda alone...
Aine could guess what her mother was thinking, and had to force herself to keep from laughing at the unusually reasonable tone she spoke in. Wow, my mother, reasonable? That’s rich, usually she lets her battling skills do the talking for her in cases like these... though I’m glad she’s trying to talk it out first, I get the feeling if he was suddenly hit in the face with a Sucker Punch he would be rather less inclined to leave Koda alone...