Page 16 of Delinquent Dette
“You first. You smell like family.” The child sat down next to him.
“I’m Hallr’s papa. Your Farfar.” Frikka cleared his throat.
“My name’s Cinder. Papa said you were living in the wild.” The little one pouted.
“I normally do.” Frikka reached over to pat the child’s head.
“Do you get to beat up mean Drakes and eat wild animals and poo wherever you want to?” Cinder blinked up at him innocently.
“I kill the mean Drakes. All of them.” Frikka nodded once sharply.
“Cool. I drawed a picture of me killing a booger dragon the other day but it’s on my iPad in the house. Papa says I can’t play with it until after dinner and lessons, though.” Cinder kicked his bare feet in the dirt.
“Well, it is not bullshit. This is good thing. What lessons?” Dettes often got stuck doing etiquette and silly things.
“Maths was yesterday. I had French this morning and learned how to say a dirty word.” He beamed.
“Which one?”
“Merde.” The inflection was all wrong, but the boy’s heart was in the right place—in the gutter. “Do you know any swear words in French?”
“I know many of the Danish swears. All the swears.” Frikka offered the little one a grin and received one back that reminded him of Sten’s mischief.
“Ooooh. Teach me!” Cinder bounced on his bottom and stared up, eyes as wide as saucers.
Frikka leaned his head to the side. “What about the butthole word?”
“I know that one already. Røvhul.” He beamed.
“Hmm, good, good. What aboutFanden?”Devil. Frikka eyed the kid, and he nodded sagely.
“Okay, what about shit?”
“Lort.” The little Dette was a pro.
But there was one that Hallr detested and wouldneverteach the kids. Juvenile as it was… “Tispik.”
The child frowned and glanced over. “I don’t know that one. How bad is it?”
“It’s a willy word.” Frikka waited.
“Cool.” The way the child’s face lit up with pure chaotic energy made Frikka smile. “How come you’re not coming over to say hi?”
Frikka frowned and thought of a way to explain. Of course, adults telling children to keep secrets was a terrible idea. But… “I’m grounded and not supposed to be out of my room.”
“Oh… You must have been really bad.” He gave Frikka a toothy grin. “What did you do? I got grounded once for hiding a stink kitty in a booger dragon’s car.”
“Booger dragon?” Frikka eyed the child curiously.
“Slang. All boogers.” He nodded once.
“Ah. I did worse than a skunk.” Frikka frowned, thinking. “I cut a Loch’s tail off and turned it into a belt.” Frikka grinned and Cinder’s eyes went wide.
“But I like Uncle Gaelin and Stefan…” Cinder pouted and Frikka didn’t know those names. “Uncle Powel is okay, too.”
That was a name he knew. Stefan Loch. Eamon’s prized Drake son. “I only am mean to bad Drakes. Powel is a good Drake?”
“All Drakes are stupid. Some are less stupid, like my brothers. And father.” Cinder frowned. “But Powel put lots of gold in my savings and is teaching me how to do stocks. He was mean to Papa once and doesn’t want me to ever have to listen to a Drake when I grow up if I don’t wanna. But you’re grown up! If you don’t want to be grounded, you can tell them no.”
