Page 38 of The Emerald Boa's Lover
“That sounds—” His emerald eyes see the ‘don’t you dare cross me’ stare and realises which side his bread is fucking buttered. So to speak. “…we really should meet this boy before we make any decisions. You’re 16. That’s a little young to be going to a Hokesh festival with a boy.”
“We’re only going to watch the parade and buy a bead necklace! Not shuck.” She hisses and slams her tail again.
“What your mouth young lady. Is that tone I’m hearing?” I point at her and she whines with frustration.
“Dad,please,don’t embarrass me when Vekna gets here? Please?” Just then Uzoti slithers down from the hygiene level and Suzu tries to get her brother to come to her defence. “Uzoti! You’ve met Vekna. He’s really noble and sweet, isn’t he? You’d trust him to take me to the Hokesh festival for the parade and a bead necklace, right?”
“What did Dad say?” Was his immediate response. He moves to my side, folds his arms and narrows his red eyes on Suzu. “Because meeting a guy on a school trip to the wrestling arena, is not the same thing as being alone with him at a romantic festival.” That’s my boy. I even fist bump with him, and smirk at Suzu. Her bottom lip starts going, and I shake my head, because I know exactly what’s going to happen next.
“Daddy!” Here we go. I put my hands on my hips and Dalahan abandons his desk to go to his weeping daughter. Oh Lord, he’s so whipped. “It’s not f-fair. I’m 16. Why can’t I go on a date? Vekna is a nice guy and he’s coming to meet you first. I work hard at school and I’m a good girl, aren’t I? Why don’t you trust me?”
“Oh honey?” He tries to soothe her, his tail coiling around her. I share a look with Uzoti when he huffs, equally not impressed, and he turns to hiss by my ear.
“She’s been talking about Vekna non-stop for the last 2 months. They talk on their com-gems all the time. He’s into computers and books and issucha nerd.”
“There’s nothing wrong with being a nerd.” I remind him. I wish Uzoti would be a bit more into books, if I’m honest. He’s more of a jock, which again there is nothing wrong with. I went to college on a football scholarship, after all. Uzoti spends hours at the wrestling area. He is excellent with a javelin and plans on being a hunter when he grows up. The thought of him out in the jungle scares the shit out of me, but Dal explains that as a hunter he will be providing not just for himself, but Orna’s food supply, so it’s a highly honoured position. He will be respected and earn a really good wage for his services. Since he’s going down that route, I encourage him to train. So I don’t worryas muchwhen he’s out there on his own or with a hunting party one day. Uzoti is also obsessed with his training, so I don’t have to worry about girls, or boys, with him.
“Uzoti? Can you take your sister up to your room please?” Dal asks sweetly, and the deadpan on my face matches Uzoti’s perfectly. “Now?” That wasn’t a request.
“You heard him.” I urge Uzoti into action. I won’t undermine my husband, but I’ll kick his ass when the kids are out of earshot. The moment both their blue scally tails are out of sight, I round on my lover. “What are you doing?”
“Hang on.” Dalahan coils his tail loosely around my feet and reaches for my hands. “Now just hear me out.”
“I always do.” I brace myself with a smile. Dal doesn’t underminemeeither, but he’s really good at persuading me to see his side. Sneaky minx.
“Look, Suzu is 16.”
“I’m aware.”
“She’s going to be interested in boys and dating now. If we coop her up forever she’ll end up rebelling and doing something far worse than going to a Hokesh festival for a bead necklace. The place she’s going is a regular hang-out for youths, and we’re going to meet Vekna first. If we don’t like him, we can send him on his way.”
“Agreed.” I nod firmly.
“But? If wedolike him, I think we should let them go.” Dal chewed his green scaly lips together and waited for me to agree. When I didn’t, he huffed and rubbed his thumbs over my knuckles. “Let’s just meet the boy. Apparently, he’ll be here any minute.”
“Okay.”
“And you need to be nice.”
“What do you mean by that?” I take my hands back and fold them over my chest.
“Well?” Dal sang like he wasn’t sure how to tactfully explain himself. “Suzu just told me she’s afraid you’re going to scare him off and gloat that you know how to kill a man without leaving any medical evidence.”
“…good?” I do.
“Charlie?” He chides me.
“Dal?” I counter. He sighs and hangs his head forward.
“She is 16. All she wants to do is go to the festival and get a bead necklace. Very tame, very public, very sweet. Nothing untoward. What’s so bad about that?”
“Because I was a 16-year-old boy once, and yes, I wasn’t into 16-year-old girls, but I still remember how 16-year-old boysthink.And what they thinkwith.”Dal snorts and folds his arms, shrugging and chuckling.
“I seem to remember you thinking with the same part of yourself last night? You’re not 16.”
“No, I’m happily married, the kids were at a friend’s house, and you put your Gcorket outfit on for me. So it was your fault.” I smirk. We still had a strong spark of attraction, even after 16 years. We have been bonded and married for well over a decade now. I thumb at the underside of my platinum wedding ring. It has an emerald in the centre of the thick hand, and a tiny sapphire on either side. Like a visual reminder of my family every time I look down at it. “I also rememberyoubeing just as into it, thank you very much, and you know what worries me?”
“What?”
