Chapter 133: Pepper
Botan gives me sad eyes and says, "Something smells really good and I'm a very hungry growing dragon."
Cute is not a good enough word. I like this little guy.
"No," Ashrac says with a frustrated look. "Your mother will expect you home."
Inside my head I'm calculating how much more food I need to make. "Okay," I say aloud, "I'm not cooking this alone so if you help, you can eat with us."
Cheers go up at the same time Ashrac raises his hands in defeat. "It's on you," he says to me. "They'll eat me out of house and home and leave a huge mess behind."
Kettle, black? "Why don't you run off to your little lab? We'll handle dinner."
"Fine." He spins and marches off grumbling.
"Botan and Rotan, you're in charge of setting the table. Drayce, Ejder, I need you peeling potatoes. Zara and Zora you're backup and will be doing what's required to get this meal on the table. Right now I need more meat and potatoes brought up from the cellar."
The kids hop to it and we have a meal for six growing dragon shifters, one large dragon shifter, and me, a very hungry eagle shifter within thirty minutes. The youngest twins volunteer to fetch their uncle after the table is set. Before I can stop them, they shed their clothes and run out the door. I can't do anything but laugh because it's such a shifter thing. On Earth, humans don't get it and shifters are careful about nudity even when they couldn't care less. This realm only has shifters, so naked seems to be a way of life.
"You really don't like Uncle Ashrac?" Zara asks. I know it's not Zora because while they might be wearing identical shorts and shirts, I noted the different colored bows in their hair when they introduced themselves. I can't help wondering if their mom had to put dots on their feet when they were babies to tell them apart. I'm sure it was easier after their personalities came out but I'm having trouble with the boys; it's a shame they don't wear hair bows.
I snap back to the question at hand. I'll need to handle this delicately. She's too young to hear the truth about her rotten un-uncle. "It's not that I don't like him, we just aren't compatible."
"But he's a dragon," she says with complete sincerity.
And this is what's wrong with dragons. Being at the top of the food chain is not the greatest place to be in my opinion. "Dragons are wonderful," I tell her, which is a bit of a lie and creates a slight twinge inside me. "When two people mate they should like more than the color of one's skin or scales. It's important that we're compatible in other ways and I'm afraid we aren't." Goddess, please let this be enough.
"You're lying," Drayce says with a slight quirk to his lips. "Dragons don't lie and it's a very bad thing to do because it becomes a habit."
Darn. So not fair. Called out by a twelve year old. If they want the truth, I'll give it to them. "In my world skin color is only that, a color. It's not something that defines us. What's inside here," I point at my heart, "defines us." Earth had too many centuries of fighting over skin color. Paranormal creatures helped to end the prejudice because they brought it on themselves. Skin color no longer defines a person. The world is divided into paranormal and human. The two exist together but that's where the prejudice is centered now. Sadly it goes both ways. The prejudice comes from all sides and even within their species. As an eagle shifter, I've met my fair share of shifters who look down their noses because I have limited power. Coming here and turning dragonbreath green is the first time I've been thrilled to have that particular power.
And speak of the green devil. Ashrac walks in followed by two naked boys. They scamper into their clothes and approach the table. "Wash your hands first," I tell them and smile when they groan.
One of them speaks over his shoulder as he heads out of the room. "You remind me of Mother."
I just laugh. It's when I look across the long table that I feel uncomfortable. Ashrac stares at me with the strangest expression. It's like he really sees me. I'm still in his shapeless clothes, the pants held up with one of his ties, so it can't be that. I turn away from him when the younger boys run back into the room. We begin passing platters of food and there's little talk when eating commences. Another shifter thing. We take our food seriously.
"This is so good," Botan finally says.
We're having beef tips, mashed potatoes, gravy, and enough green beans to feed an army. "You're part of the reason they're so good. Thank you for all your help," I say and Botan goes red with pride. He lowers his chin and goes back to eating. When we're stuffed and every last morsel is gone, the kids stand up and start their goodbyes.
"Good, get lost," Ashrac tells them.
"No," I say. "Now it's time for everyone to help with the dishes."
All eyes turn my way and I see instant rebellion on their faces. Before I can give them a mother lecture, Ashrac speaks up. "Come on, it will only take a few minutes if we all hustle. When we're finished, I'll take you into the lab and show you my latest project."
Now it's me with a strange expression on my face. Why? Because this is a side of Ashrac I haven't seen. Even though he's abrupt with the children and gruff behavior isn't exactly how you should talk to kids, it's obvious he loves them. That love is equally returned judging by the rush to clean the dining room and kitchen. Even Ashrac helps.
I'll admit to being curious about what he does in the lab. I've seen inside but all the electronic equipment is beyond me and there was no way I was asking him.
