Giggling, I lowered the blanket to my chin.“You watched them?”
Tisvali shrugged.“Of course.We didn’t engage with trespassers back then unless absolutely necessary.We couldn’t risk attracting the human authorities’ attention, you see.But keeping an eye on them was a must.It’s how we kept track of local developments in the human world but also prevented visitors from committing other crimes in addition to trespassing.And the two males in question were doing exactly that.”
“By smoking weed?”
He nodded.“You don’t destroy a plant for a purpose other than its Nature-intended one.That’s why I saved the weed from the humans once they passed out in the early morning hours.”
I could barely hold my laughter in; he sounded so serious.“What did you do with it?”
“I placed its remains in my home garden.The plant has since reincarnated,” he announced with pride.“I would invite you to seeit, but as of now, visits to my garden can only happen in Karim’s presence.Unless I have a haircut wish.”
He got up with agility one would never expect from someone as bulky as he was.“Speaking of Karim, I’ll go to the food chamber to get everything he asked me to provide for you.”Tisvali quickly headed for the inner door in his long white dress and perfectly combed green hair.
“Hey, wait.”I sat up with the blanket clutched to my chest.“Is Karim with Deidre?”
“Don’t sound so worried.”Tisvali waved his hand dismissively in a gesture he must have picked up from her.“The Lake Lady is getting away with her years of transgressions lightly, and she knows it.I’ve warned her to stop breaking all the rules, especially without me by her side, but when has she listened?”Tisvali snorted.“On that note, I’ve brought you an egg.”
I blinked.“O-kay?”I knew from Deidre that eggs were smuggled into the Kingdom in limited numbers each month, because their half-human bodies needed the egg-specific proteins and amino acids.But why would Tisvali give me something so precious?
He shot me a grin.“No need to act surprised out of modesty, human.Karim told me what you did for my Lake Lady.You stood up for her when I wasn’t here to defend her, so you’ve more than earned my egg for this and next month.I left it in the wall cooler while you were sleeping, so I’ll fetch it along with the other stuff.I’ll be back in a sec.”
“Wait!”I swung my feet to the ground.
He poked his head through the flowery curtain of the door.
“You don’t have to carry food around for me.I’ll come have breakfast in the kitchen–er, food chamber.”Then my face heated as realization hit me.“It’s just that… I don’t have anything left to wear.”
Tisvali’s lips tipped up in a knowing smile.“Deidre sent you a dress.It’s on the day stand.”
I looked around, perplexed.There wasn’t any furniture in thisroom, except for the bed.If a slab of stone even counted.
He chuckled.“It’s a day stand, human.It’s next to where you lay your head to sleep during the day.”
Right.It figured.
I leaned over the upper edge of the bed.There, squeezed between the bed and the wall, was a big rounded stone.An ivory dress lay neatly folded on top.
“Thanks.It’s good she planned ahead.”
Another snort.“The Lake Lady?Planning ahead?No, as high in the clouds as her head was yesterday–literally, she simply knows how these things go the first time.”
“Which things?”I asked tentatively, though I thought I knew the answer.
“You humans are so unknowing,” Tisvali muttered.His head disappeared behind the greenery before he enlightened me.“The partner’s clothes are always torn off; it’s the tradition.”
Why was he hiding from view as he spoke?Was he embarrassed to talk aboutmossstuff?I choked back a giggle.
“The male partner’s strength must be demonstrated before his stamina is put to the ultimate test,” he finished.
Ah.“But this applies to the first time only, right?I don’t have to worry about this new dress getting cut into ribbons?”
A short pause.“Don’t you worry.Deidre is getting exactly what she used to want: her clothes getting shredded by Karim’s claws.”Tisvali chuckled, then muttered more to himself than me, “Tearing dresses is fun.Male and female ones alike.”
I bit my lip with a grin.“All right, give me a minute and I’ll join you.”
Silence fell.I thought he’d left for the kitchen when, “You sure you can walk all the way there?”
Startled, I nearly dropped the dress I’d just unfolded.“My ankle is fine.You saw I went to the surface on my own yesterday.”
