Ethan smiled down at the little girl, Xeisha, her small hands still wrapped tightly around his leg as if he were some kind of human shield. She stared back at him for a long, searching moment, wide eyes studying his face with a seriousness that felt oddly mismatched with her size. Then, slowly, she loosened her grip, stepped back, and turned her gaze toward Xenon, her expression sharpening.
"You…" she said, lifting a tiny finger and pointing straight at him, her voice suddenly haughty and accusatory. "You've befriended a human, Xenon! Just wait until I tell Father. You'll be in so much trouble!"
She had grasped the situation immediately. Ethan clearly knew what Xenon was, and Xenon had just broken one of their clan's most sacred laws. No contact with humans, under any circumstances.
