your husband is rather prized. I will get to see his true shape soon enough. That will make things interesting for you, as he will be in high demand among gorgon females.”
“I will light them all on fire if they even think about it.”
“That is something you have gotten from me. I am quite jealous when anyone looks at your mother.”
“I’ve been known to show up as a cindercorn to defend my territory,” I admitted.
“You get that from me.”
I pointed at my husband’s legs. “He likes it.”
“He does like being the center of your universe. So, back to serious matters. I recommend you begin researching how Audrey McGee became involved with gorgons, as she was unaware of your husband’s heritage. They were not close. Love had nothing to do with their union, although it is one of his regrets in a way. The regret fades day by day and will soon be gone, as he comes to terms with the role that union played in his union with you. He would not have had the patience or the fortitude to handle you without having coped with someone like that woman. He learned much about patience and tolerance from that relationship.”
“I’m very good at testing his patience.”
“Most would not be proud of that.”
“I’ve been doing better. I only make him sigh a few times a day now, and I have to work at it now. Either he’s become even more patient, or I’m doing better at being a reasonable adult. Do you think caring for two gorgon children will help when the helpless human babies come along?”
“You will be fine. Yes, caring for them will help you handle your offspring, although I would not assign them as humans. They will be adept shapeshifters and will need to learn early on how to control their powers. The first time they witness you or your husband shift, they will do their best to mimic you, as that is what young things do. They will not have your struggles with shapeshifting.”
“But will they be legally human?”
Legally human mattered; while we had weird abilities, Quinn and I still classified as humans. Barely. When it came to the law, classifying as human made a huge difference.
“In the eyes of the law, they will classify as humans. All of your children will have a majority of human genetics, but they will be shapeshifters. You’ll find you’ll throw many fillies, and your first son will take after his father more than you. The fillies will be proper little cindercorns, although you may find the existence of wings to be vexing, especially as they grow older.”
“Winged cindercorns could take over the world. I’ve seen what I can do to a skyscraper. Give me enough napalm, and it’s gone.”
“Yes, I have been educated on your skills at destruction. That is definitely from my side of the family.”
It amused me that my father seemed so determined to categorize all of my behaviors by who had contributed to my general inclinations. “We don’t talk about the skyscraper incident, however. It makes Quinn twitchy.”
“Yes. He is reminded he feared losing you, although he is very appreciative of the aftermath. He has come to terms with that, for the most part.”
“You’re nosy, aren’t you?”
“I am,” my father replied with zero evidence of shame. “I have a great deal of spying to do to catch up for lost time. As compensation for my ways, you will find you will often have easy access to a babysitter should you need one during the daylight hours, and your mother will likely show up to introduce herself soon. She can be shy, and she may try to stealthily make herself known. Your charming awkwardness comes from her. Just look for a woman who trips over her own feet when the moon is visible in the sky. That is likely her. She tends to manifest in a form that will not draw attention to herself, as she is somewhat shy and reclusive.”
“You are anything but shy and reclusive.”
“She does tend to enjoy hiding behind me for some reason, much like you do with your husband.”
“Well, I know where that tendency came from now.”
My father chuckled. “When you begin researching Audrey McGee, start with your husband’s career in the police force. The scheming began early, even before his union with Audrey McGee. His awareness of her first corruptions will be a better guide for the investigation than anything else.”
“And they were still together for a while before he filed for