Page 12 of Buoy
“I don’t exactly go to a fancy school, Rhys. Or any school. Not since…” He slammed his mouth shut and crossed his arms.
“You went to school before you were a pirate?”
“Yeah. Well. No. Not exactly. There wasn’t a school in the colony.” His eyes widened, and he pushed to his feet.
Rhys snagged his wrist before he could get away. “Whatever your secrets are, I won’t tell. Surely you know that by now. Tell me about the colony.” His grip loosened, and he released Soren.
“Can’t. Already said too much.” Soren paced. “Too much. Now you know.” He threaded his fingers through his hair and tugged.
“I don’t know anything, Soren. I don’t know what you’re so afraid of. Please, come back. Eat the cherry tart with me.” He unwrapped the treat and offered it to Soren.
Soren eyed the pastry, then Rhys, then the tart, before settling beside him again. “Okay. But you can’t say anything.”
“Won’t say a word.” Rhys tore the tart in half and gave Soren the bigger piece.
After taking a nibble, Soren hummed his happy trill, then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “So. What’s sex?”
Rhys groaned. Nope. He would not have that conversation. “I’ll have my father come with me tomorrow, and he’ll explain.”
Slowly, Soren nodded. They finished their sweets in silence. Soren seemed to have calmed down. When the sun started to fade he sighed.
“Have to go. I’ll see you—”
“And my father.”
“And your father.” Soren gave him a smile. “Tomorrow.”
SOREN (AGE 12)
Soren eyed the two adult dragons. Rhys’ mother came too. Apparently, asking about sex was a big deal. Soren just wanted answers.
Rhys looked like his father. Not an exact match, but enough to tell they were related. The distinct difference though, was his father had a gray mouth and black tongue. Soren only knew of one reason for that. Fire lung. When dragons breathed fire, but were force shifted to their human form, it messed them up. Their dragon could no longer breathe fire and their human body weakened over the years. Soren wondered what happened, but he wouldn’t ask.
Rhys must have gotten his eyes from his mother because they were a lovely bronzy brown, just like his. But the auburn hair came from his father, for sure. Soren wondered which parent Rhys would inherit his horn shape from. Probably his father, as his mother’s horns started at her forehead and went back with a soft curve. While his father’s started at the temple like Rhys’. They went back then skyward in a gentle bow.
“Can you go past the docks this year?” Rhys distracted him from staring.
Soren dropped his shoulders. “No.”
Rhys’ mother smiled and pressed a finger under Soren’s chin to tip his head up. Skies she was so tall, so was her pair bond. Soren had to crane his head back uncomfortably to look her in the eye. Her smile faded. Maybe she could see the soft bruise under his chin. “Do they hurt you on the ship?”
Soren shook his head vigorously and stepped away. “They treat me well.” His stomach grumbled in answer, too.
But Bellani had whipped him with a belt the week before. He was glad he could finally sit again without hurting.
The four of them strolled over to the storage shed to stay hidden from Vex.
“Sweetie, do you know what consent is?” Rhys’ mom asked.
Soren thought for a moment. “Permission?”
“Mmhmm. You always need permission to have sex. That goes both ways. If you don’t want it, say so.”
Rhys’ parents talked about consent, and when someone forced themselves on someone without that consent, it was rape. A vile crime.
“I still don’t know what sex is,” Soren mumbled.
And then he learned, his cheeks getting hotter and hotter as they went on. Glancing over at Rhys, his friend’s cheeks were as red as his felt.
