Blacklake-Book4-1 Three Cousins

Chapter 21
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Ezra peered at her watch and mumbled, “Gonna be hard to get up at four when my alarm goes off.”

Thought about that a moment. Maybe she oughta call Zarade and beg off her early shift. Then disregarded suggestin’ that quickly enough. I’d seen the results of someone irritatin’ her a bit ago. Took three ambulances to haul those the constables didn’t drag away.

Be interestin’ if Papa would act as judge, considerin’ the victim, if ya could call Ezra that, is a favorite niece—that’s a great human word. Papa prolly needs to pass the decision along to another clan leader. I almost smiled. Another clan leader would prolly come down on them even harder. If only to ingratiate himself with his council leader.

“Why—ya—smilin’?” Kriz asked, and held his tea cup out, as Mama walked among us in the dayroom with her blackened kettle.

I looked around. Was he talkin’ to me? Thought I just thought the smile.

“He does that a lot for no reason,” Mama murmured. Such a wit. “Ya know ya’re gonna have to expel all that tea ya’ve been drinkin’?” She gave Kriz a look that implied serious irritation. But tonight I learned it isn’t just an ogre hen’s expression that originated the warnin’, not to irk an ogre hen.

Aunt Karzy said, “Leave my little bully alone. Don’t need anyone holdin’ his hand to see him to the potty in the middle of the night.”

Uncle Razi smiled. “He figgered out the method of it long before his siblings.”

“But took four years before he began speakin,” Ezra said, her upper lip a bit tight over her tusks.

“Shut—up,” Kriz growled. “I’m sittin’—right—here.”

I studied Tizir, Ezra’s mama, for a moment, to judge if the lighter mood the last twenty minutes had calmed the hen down. She took considerable offense at Valley idjits confrontin’ her youngling. Good thing she wasn’t gonna be their judge in the next ten to forty-eight hours.

“We best be gettin’ home, Mama,” Erut said to his mate. I was shocked he even came over with Tizir this evening when we called to let em know what happened—right outside their front door. Not to be—disrespectful—but never could fit him into the Birs clan. Lacks most any assemblage of personality. Not a big focal point in any family gatherin’. Tizir definitely wears the pants in the family, to leverage a human expression. They do have good expressions. Though a few make no sense.

The lack of emotional energy Erut exudes is maybe an explanation why we all aren’t sittin’ in their den tonight, instead of ours. My papa, Bliar, has always, definitely, been the center of the fire for the tighter knit group we call our close folk.

Tizir asked Ezra if she was gonna be okay. Ezra laughed, what we ogres call a laugh. The sound made Thomas, sittin’ next to her, jerk a bit, like he feared a fight was about to start. Poor human.

Odd that he even wanted to come over here. Had to expect I’d be at Ezra’s side, and choose to avoid me. But I looked over at the stern posture of Daze, sittin’ a bit apart from the rest of us near the glass wall that faces the Lake. Glad he was open to drivin’ the human over.

Made us all cringe, gotta admit, when Thomas strode in and embraced Ezra with a bear hug—another human expression—they clearly don’t know much about bears. Notin’ our reactions, Thomas rushed to explain it’s a human thing, to give comfort. We all exchanged looks. In hindsight, it was kinda funny.

~ Ezra ~

I was sleepy enough to just jump up and head home with Mama and Papa, but something in me wished to spend time with Thomas. He’d been so cute, all worried about me and all. So I told them to go ahead. Asked Daze if he could drop me off. That quieted the room, big time.

Heat maybe flooded my face. Not something that happens to us ogres, much. “It was—just so nice of Daze to bring Thomas over—uh.” Didn’t know where to go from there.

Maybe Daze read my discomfort. “Not a problem at all. Ya ready?” he asked Thomas.

The boy-man nodded and everyone rose in a whoosh, except for Kriz. He studied his cup. Guess he felt committed to finishin’ this one. He is frugal. Not one to waste a drop of tea.

I led the procession, with Thomas and then Daze behind me. I sensed Ike studyin’ me, holdin’ back a meanin’ful thought no doubt, but didn’t follow us. As I reached the door, Mama and Papa were trailin’ us.

Outside, we crawled into our respective OMs after murmured good nights. Did Papa say good night? Prolly not. He pretty much lets Mama do all his talkin’—more so than most mated bulls. Mama had included a bus on my cheek, with a healthy clack between our tusks.

“That collision, you make—” Thomas said softly as Daze got the engine going and the defroster on high. “You know—the tusk thing. That sounds like it hurts.”

Had he been followin’ my thoughts? Daze and I both cracked up. Thomas in the seat in front of me vibrated or something.

After a moment, as our growls subsided, he turned to Daze and said, “I’ve seen you and Akar—do that. Wanted to ask before. You were laughing at me just now, the two of you, right?”

Daze nodded. His enormous mitt rose and he stroked his chin. I could almost hear his heart laughin’ from the back seat. “Our tusks are—”

Maybe he was stuck. “Participate in a lot of our—more personal interactions.” That didn’t explain it well. Maybe like explainin’ a hug that wraps ya up intends support. Prolly a lot more sensuality behind what we do with our tusks, than oughta be talked about in mixed company. I’ve seen the splatter of bruises on a pair returnin’ from their honeymoon—a good human tradition we smartly took as our own.

“So both trolls and ogres,” Thomas said, maybe to himself, noddin’ like he was categorizin’ something profound in his memory banks. “Don’t think all married couples do it, but my mom and dad do this hard collision-thing nose-to-nose when they kiss each other. You know, a playful, personal connection-thing. Maybe we aren’t so different.”

I expected Daze to snort. He didn’t. The fog coverin’ the windshield was pretty much gone, so he placed his SUV in reverse.

I would never even tell Ike, who I share everything with, but I wondered what it would feel like to kiss Thomas. Such a fragile creature. Without tusks, wouldn’t be such a bruisin’ exercise, like it is with us. Not that it’s something I’m overly experienced at. Hmm. Could I hurt him? Not that I would consider, ever, plungin’ my tusk into his temple.

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