Page 5 of Purring, Presents, and Parties

A mix of emotions swamped him as he lifted both humans a little higher and carried them to the center of the room.

“We’re flying!” Zuri giggled.

At the same time Ari yelled, “Zoooooom!”

There was no single piece of furniture large enough to set them both on, so he settled for the floor.

As he knelt down, Ari looked at Zuri. “We’re coming in for a landing!”

“Is it Sorn Station?” Zuri asked, barely able to stifle her giggles. “I’ve always wanted to visit there.”

“Sorn!” Ari repeated, the word slightly slurred. “Sounds like porn.”

The women laughed uproariously at that. Focused on setting them down gently, Bazium ignored their nonsense. Once the humans were on the ground, he released them incrementally to allow them plenty of time to adjust to a lack of support.

Zuri slumped sideways, putting an elbow on a nearby puff and supporting her head with her hand. “The room is spinning.”

Bazium sounded a negative rattle. “It’s perfectly stationary, I assure you.”

“Frowny sound!” Ari declared, pointing a finger at him. Her features weren’t cheerful any longer; now her mouth was turned down and her eyes sparkled with unshed tears. “I hate that rattle.”

Unprepared for her sudden switch from gaiety to melancholy, Bazium frantically started up a soothing rumble.

“I’ll never rattle like that again!” he swore. “I’ll have my backplates removed and never rattle again. Only please don’t shed water from your eyes.”

Ari sniffed, dropping her accusing finger into her lap. “Don’t do that.” Her shoulders slumped a little and she stared at the floor. “You’re always unhappy. Every day. Unhappy with the Apogee Assembly, unhappy with other Talins, unhappy with the laws; you’re even unhappy with me.”

“No, never!” he denied, trying to draw her into his arms.

She pulled away, going from sitting on her legs to half falling backward and sitting on her backside. Wrapping her arms around her legs, she looked up at him. A single tear slid down her face.

“If you’re not unhappy with me, why are you always making frowny sounds at me?”

Her question nearly broke him. He’d been working so hard to build a future for her and the other humans that he’d neglected the present.

“No more frowny sounds,” he promised. He didn’t try to wrap his arms around her. Instead he moved closer and opened up his arms in an invitation. She stared at him in silence for several submarks before uncurling and falling into his arms. He adjusted her until she was snuggled up against his body, headon his shoulder and most of her weight supported by his arms under her butt.

She nuzzled the strip of exposed skin at his neck, sending shivers of sensation tingling down his spine.

“I’ll try hard not to cry,” she whispered, her breath hot against his skin, “when you break your promise.”

Her words were almost like a physical blow.

Before he could react, Kasium strode in through the front door, sounding a surprised rattle. “I didn’t expect to see either of you here.”

Then he sampled the air through his nose slits and sounded a rumble of disgust. Rounding on Bazium, he sounded an aggressive rattle. “Why would you give them alcohol? They’re sensitive and it can easily become toxic for them.”

Bazium kept up his soothing rumble as he looked up at the looming and angry healer. “They were like this when I arrived.”

Kasium sounded a frustrated rattle. “Someone among the humans is making it, and I can’t figure out who.”

As much as Bazium didn’t like it, he had to set Kasium straight. “We don’t own these humans, remember? Prohibiting alcohol is something the humans would need to decide as a group.”

Kasium sank to his knees next to Zuri. That’s when Bazium realized she was sound asleep with her head still propped up on her hand. He was both impressed and a little concerned that none of their rattling had woken her up.

“Is she well?” he asked as Kasium leaned in close.

“She’ll feel ill tomorrow,” Kasium predicted. “But I’ll be here to see that she recovers quickly. This isn’t the first time my clever little bootlegger has indulged like this.”

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