Aubrey was sitting on the bed, chewing on the handle of Natalia's dagger. Natalia was sitting next to her, cross-legged, and when she saw it was Avice, she quickly took the dagger from Aubrey, sheathing the blade as subtly as she could. "I didn't expect you back so soon."
Avice pursed her lips, a playful tone in her voice. "Was that a knife? I don't think I can ever trust you again."
"It was a dagger," she said haughtily, pulling Aubrey into her lap. "I'm teaching her to kill all men. Aren't I, Aubrey?" This last sentence was said with a coo, and she kissed the baby's cheek. Aubrey squealed and reached for her hair, gurgling. "She's going to make me very proud one day."
"I told her that she should continue in her family's tradition and kill her father when she's in her 20s."
"Listen. I consider myself a role model to you in many ways - don't you dare contradict me on that - and if you were interested in knowing how I became this way, it's because I killed my father when I was in my 20s."
She shrugged. "I don't know. I'm going to go talk to them, so you can talk to Aubrey more about killing boys."
