He’d stumbled about, much the same way Max and Illarion had when they’d first been transformed into humans. He couldn’t quite seem to get the hang of his huge dragon body. “Oh, this is so weird.” Then he’d slapped his tail into the wall. “Ow! Have to watch that.” He jerked it back and smacked himself in the head with the barbed end.
Instantly, he’d returned to being human so he could rub the unintended injury he’d done himself. “Oh my God! Is that blood?” He’d held his hand out to his mother. “Look at that. I’m bleeding!”
Trying not to laugh, Sera ran to him while Edena had mocked her brave brother.
“Oh my God! Only my idiot twin could knock himself out with his own tail. How stupid are you?”
“You do it and see how hard that thing is to control. I swear it has a mind of its own.”
“No, sugar, that’s your front tail.”
“Edena!” Seraphina had gasped. “I can’t believe you said that to your brother! Where did you even hear that?”
“Good grief, Matera! I’m almost thirty years old. I’m the last of my friends who hasn’t had a lover yet. And if that’s what concerns you, then you need to talk to your son about where he’s been planting that shorter front tail lately.”
Growling, Hadyn had rushed at his sister, but Sera had caught him. “Stop! Both of you! And just who have you been courting, young man?”
Before he could answer, Edena spoke for him. “Wouldn’t call it courting.”
He’d gaped at her.
“Hadyn? Look at me and answer my question. Why didn’t you tell me?”
He’d lifted his chin defiantly. “It’s not a discussion a man wants to have with his mother.”
“And it’s not his fault. They crawl all over him whenever you leave us.”
“Is this true?”
He’d nodded bashfully. “They say that my father had incredible stamina because he was a dragon and they want to know if I take after him.”
Horrified, she’d stared at her son. “And you allow them to test you?”
Unabashed, he’d grinned at her. “Every chance I get.”
“You are so grounded. Go on and stand over there, and bleed.”
“What?”
“I mean it, Hadyn. Go over there before I do you more harm.”
Pouting, he obeyed.
She turned back to her daughter. “All right, Deenie. Your turn.”
Edena moved back and shook her arms out to her sides. With a deep breath for courage, she changed forms and immediately smacked her head into the ceiling. “Ow!”
“Hah!” Hadyn had teased in his deep, raspy voice. “Told you!”
“Hush, Hadyn. Or I’ll step on you.”
“Like to see you try.”
Seraphina growled at them. Why did they always have to fight, all the time? It made no sense to her and she wanted to choke them both. “Kids, stop!”
Satisfied they were quelled for a minute, she walked to Edena. “How do you feel?”
“Hadyn was right. It’s strange. Did you feel like this the first time you changed?”