Page 7 of The Flame Game

“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 divorce.”

“Yes. He’s not the quitting kind, although she ultimately forced his hand. He could not enter his own home without being sickened by her crimes against him. You have done a great deal towards healing those old wounds, but a larger house for your new pets would not go amiss, so he can fully bury the reminders. With your twins and the two young gorgons in your care, plus Sunny, your charming kitten, and your new puppy, you will find yourself challenged in terms of space. If you would like, your mother and I can begin searching for a new home for you, one that will handle your familial needs without requiring you to move in a few years.”

“Let me guess: I will be incapable of stopping after the twins, because I look at him and get ideas, and then I’ll want to fight for every orphaned gorgon whelp to cross my path. Then I’ll end up with even more little gorgons under foot.”

“You have guessed correctly.”

“There are worse ways to go. Hey, do you like babysitting?”

“You will find yourself having a difficult time getting rid of me now, and your mother will do what I cannot.”

“Try not to cause a multi-pantheon war arguing over whose turn it is to babysit, please. I like Quinn’s family even though they’re crazy.”

“Your tolerance for the weird and weirder will serve you well in the future.”

“Are you game to come to Easter dinner? We invited Quinn’s uncle. It should be hugely entertaining.”

“I have not participated in that particular religious ceremony before, but we shall be there, although your mother will have to wait for the moon to rise to make her appearance.”

“I’m sure we can figure something out if the moon isn’t up during the day. If she can’t manifest, she can somewhat be present, correct?”

“It is tiring for her, but yes. I have more restrictions than she does.”

“Because the moon reflects the sun’s light?”

“Yes.”

“Will you two be wed? Or do divines not do that?”

“Would such a ceremony please you? If such a thing does, she is a most sentimental creature and would likely enjoy bringing me low as often as possible.”

“As it seems like she’d enjoy it, absolutely.”

My father’s soft laughter reminded me I’d never heard such sounds from my human asshole of a father. I announced, “Then you absolutely should, but only because she would like it. Then you’d make those pesky archangels bring you presents, because it’d be rude for them not to. You are family. And you’re not like the other part of the family. They’d just get smited.”

“I believe you mean smote,” my father corrected. “I was asked about your sensitivity to angelic song and their halos. Your mother’s ability to reflect my light is the primary source of those woes. I do not know if you will be able to overcome that, but you will find the angelic host will be cautious around you in the future. There are some benefits to their powers.”