---
The maids noticed instantly. Their spines straightened. Their gossip faces disappeared.
Bat Bat's eyes widened. "Auri!" Bat Bat shouted.
Auri bowed slightly to Bat Bat with polite seriousness.
"Bat Bat," Auri greeted.
Bat Bat puffed up proudly.
"Praise me," Bat Bat demanded.
Auri nodded.
"Wow, you are so smart," she said. "We bats respect you. You are the number one."
Bat Bat looked satisfied.
She looked so satisfied, in fact, that a maid near the wall silently mouthed, thank you, to Auri like she had just prevented a natural disaster.
Sekhmet exhaled slowly and looked at Elena.
"Elena," he said.
Elena's gaze met his.
"Yes," she replied.
Sekhmet's voice lowered slightly.
"Come with me," he said. "Privately."
Elena blinked once.
Then she nodded immediately.
"Yes," she replied.
Bat Bat's eyes widened in alarm.
"No!" Bat Bat shouted. "Private talk is bad! Private talk means trouble!"
Sekhmet stared at her.
