Ka'Cit's Haven (Riv’s Sanctuary #3)

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.”