The Copperhead's Choice

Chapter 66

"Wouldn't you like to know?" David smiles wickedly at them over Ebony's shoulder.

"You know. I'm honestly not sure anymore."

"I'll let you figure that out." He blinks quickly, like the demons do. "Unless. Unless she tells me otherwise."

"What? What am I saying things about? Sorry I'm not listening."

"Should I tell them about the eggs?"

"You can If you want."

"I don't." He narrows his eyes at them. "She keeps us alive. She feeds us. She controls us. In return, we protect her. We feed her. We die for her. We entertain her. We do her bidding. All without question. Most of the time."

Ebony hears all this but isn't interested in it. She knows this already.

He continues. "Zana was first to care for her. She had all of the responsibility. Then I came along. I am just as important to Ebony's survival as her breathing. Thanks to my stupid mother. So is Zana, important. Zeus and Daniel are learning. Zillah and Zia will follow her as workers sooners or later. Probably sooner rather than later is I teach them right."

"Hold on. You said you found her on the street. Now you're saying you came along?"

"I'm a liar. Get used to it." He smiles wider, showing his teeth as Ebony hugs him tighter. He looks down and frowns.

"Why are you frowning?" Crimson asks, wondering is he should be concerned.

"Nothing."

"What are your duty's as workers." Ash asks.

Mine?" David looks back up at them. "Or ours? Zana and mine."

"You and Zana."

"Entertain. Feed. Protect. Obey. Advise. Worry when she's upset or out of our sight." He glares at them for a minute. "Or when she's being touched by someone other than us. Keep her alive. Report to her. I do most of that. I will assign what Zeus, Zillah, Zia, and Daniel will do." He smiles again at her at her hug. "Anyway. Zana protects. That's mostly all she does. Besides doesn't disappoint, most of the time, and obeys. When I'm not around she tries to entertain. I think Ebony finds Zana's failer to entertain on purpose more amusing than watching me do anything." He chuckles.

"I don't blame her. I do a lot. I; worry. I worry about her a lot. I try to advise. When she'll listen. I now how to feed her. What she like to eat. For instance, these things." He tosses an avocado he's pulled from thin air up into the air and catches it, making it disappear again. "She loves these things. Why? I can't l tell you. We both obey. All 6 of us do already. If you watch, you can see Zia and Zillah get excited around her already and wait for her to feed them."

"I have noticed the feeding thing. What's up with that?" Dawn Mist asks.

"A worker must always be watched by the queen while eating. They must always wait for her to say for them to continue."

"You don't wait for her to say go ahead."

"That's because she didn't know. That's because of what she thinks I am. But that's not important. You wanted to know about eggs?"

"Yeeeaaaaahh..."

"I don't want to." Frost gets stared at by all of his brothers. "Fine."

David sighs before speaking again. "The queens don't la eggs. Especially not this queen." HE strokes her hair, earning a purr, which he smiles at. "Only workers can do that. But it's the queen's duty to hatch them. And take care of them after that. Unless she doesn't want to, then she gives them to new, or back to the actual parents. That is what Ebony will have to do if any of her workers..." HE thinks about something. "The only demon pairs she has are Zeus and Zana. And Zillah and Zia. All of which are siblings. I mean. The pairs at least. They are brothers and sisters with each other right?"

"That's right. Would that be a problem?"

"The only problem if they had children together would be if they had a clear baby."

"What's wrong with clear?" Maple asks.

"Clear is the worst demon color. It's a sign of... weakness, I guess. They would have to destroy it."

"Oh."

"Yeah. And no parents want to have to destroy their children, do they?" David looks at Midnight. And then stares at Crimson.

"No way. I would kill myself if I had to destroy my daughter." Midnight hisses.

"That's what demons think as well. And that's usually what they do. Kill their whole family or abandon the clear somewhere. Or... eat it. Much like- no. I won't say it. It may offend some people's ears and corrupt their feelings about mother rabbits. But. That's very rare I think."

"What happens to those who fail to obey?" Dawn Mist asks.

"Depends on the queen. Most eat those particular demons. Or if they feel really mean and the demon's mate is a disappointment as well, she will force whim or her to eat the other."

"Cruel."

"Yes. But it's just the circle of life." He nods. "When needs be, the queen becomes a cannibal. We must do everything that she cannot."

"What about queens' children. If that happens?"

"It can." He nods again. "It's not common, but it can happen. Unfortunately for most queens at least, for the queen if she does decide to have children. She does not get to decide who with. The workers vote on it. If their smart enough."

"Ah, that's not fun."

"No. but fun is not what demons were created for. Now. If you'll excuse me, and even if you won't, Ebony is falling asleep. We'll talk to you later. I need to go make her sleep. I would also like for you to bring Zillah and Zia up to Ebony's room." He walks through their cluster and out the door Water Trickle holds open for him. Then he gets stopped once more.

"How do you know so much about the demons?" Creek asks suspiciously.

David smiles at them. "I createdthem." Thedoor slams shut and he walls off with a mostly asleep Ebony in his arms.