Page 51 of Lyric

When I spoke, the two birds darted up into the sky.

It was as if they came to say, “You are meant for each other. This is right. This is who you are.”

EPILOGUE

Lyric

Leer squealed and jumped naked out of the bath, dripping water all over the place. He was three years old now, entering what many called the defiant mode. He didn't understand yet that there were proper times to shift and proper times to stay a little boy. Right now he was headed for the backyard.

“I got him,” I called to Jinn from the hallway as our son ran by me, giggling.

I chased after him and he shifted before I could catch him, his wings unfurling to scrape the hallway walls, his little square butt bobbing up and down.

Leeran chirped and bounced his way down the stairway. Little imp.

I finally caught up to him and grabbed him around his teensy armored body. When I pulled him up into the air his dragon legs and arms wiggled, his wings tried to pump. But it was no use.

“Caught ya now.”

He shifted back to human, squirming and crying out. “Da Da! No. Go fly now.”

“It's not time to fly yet, sweetie.”

He was still learning. He had maintained about a two-second flight, falling more than succeeding. But that didn’t make him stop trying.

“Wanna go.”

“Nope. It's bedtime now.”

He wailed in protest for about five seconds, then went limp as I brought him to my chest for a big Da Da hug.

“Da Da, bedtime story?” he asked.

It was great how easily he could be distracted.

“Only good boys get bedtime stories. What do you think? Have you been bad or good?”

He peered up at me with wide blue eyes. “I shifted but I not bad.”

“Are you sure?”

“I good boy. Love you, Da Da.”

Jinn met us downstairs with a towel in hand and took the toddler from my arms. “Let's get this naughty boy dry so we can get him into his jammies.”

He stuck out his chin and pouted. “I not bad.”

“Well, let's see,” Jinn began. “You got water all over the floor. You made your Da Da chase you. You shifted when you didn't have permission.”

He shook his dark wet head. “I not do that.”

I looked at Jinn, trying to hold back my laughter. “Now we can add lying to that list.”

He rolled his eyes at me.

“Here, give him back to me. I’ll dress him for bed and get him to sleep.”

Jinn let out a long sigh of relief. “You do have a magical way with him.”

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