Page 56 of New Nebraska Home

“Really? Huh, I am going to have to think of a new plan.”

Leif reached for my hand and we chatted all the way back, his tiny mitt engulfed by mine, his mood lightening everything around him. As we walked, I noticed more and more fireflies coming out and hanging around the kid. That was odd; I only saw two when I went to get him.

I wondered if their presence had something to do with the kid. It may have been his gift, or maybe it was just mother nature telling us she was happy.

I just hoped it would remain safe enough for him to stay. We couldn’t be with him twenty-four/seven. Eventually, he would have to go to school. He would have to live his own life. How long was the Temple going to plague him?

And that shifter, Sid Zmei. What was he? He smelled… wrong, like evil and something else, something chemical. It was familiar, but I didn’t know what it could be.

I did notice that he seemed to recognize what I was. Nothing good was going to come of that.

“Hey, Malik?” Leif’s voice pulled me from my train of thought.

“What’s up, kiddo?”

“No one’s going to make you leave, are they?”

“Let them try,” I said, giving him a wicked smile and letting my dragon peek out from my vision. I knew my brown eyes would shift to golden with long, sharp pupils.

Leif gaped as his smile widened. “That’s so cool!”

“You wanna see something really cool?” I asked, looking around to make sure no one was peeking out of their window.

“What?” he bounced on his tiptoes, then rocked back on his heels.

“I can change my size, so how about I shift right now, get really small, and sit on your shoulder the rest of the way home? If anyone bugs us, I’ll get huge and eat them. How does that sound?”

It was a risk, but I just had to make this kid smile. No one so small, so pure, should have been exposed to the cruelty of the world. Not this young. He hadn’t heard about Amelia yet. Liz would tell him tonight, and I just couldn’t let him go from rejected to heartbreak.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. But you have to carry my clothes. Deal?”

“Deal!” He was still bouncing on his toes. I looked around again. Once I was convinced we weren’t being watched, I shifted to a dragon about the size of a gecko. I crawled out of my clothes and then up Leif’s leg, making myself comfortable on his shoulder, my tail wrapping around his neck for support.

“Can you breathe fire?” Leif whispered.

I opened my mouth and barked a mighty ball of fire. That was probably about the size of a lighter flame.

“Cool,” Leif whispered before bending at the knees and keeping his back straight while he gathered my stuff.

My dragon purred and butted his head against Leif’s chin. We claimed this child as ours. He was now part of our family. We would love him, support him and protect him with our lives forever.

If anyone dared to hurt this child or his sister,we would rain down hellfire so intensely the entire world would know dragons are real.

Liz

THERE IS INCOMPETENCE, THEN THERE IS CORRUPTION

Brock came upstairs after making his call. He looked five years older and so weighed down. I supposed we were all feeling that way, though. It had been a long day, and there was so much to unpack, I didn’t know where to start.

“Mind if I sit with you?” Brock asked. I moved the pillow beside me on the couch and made room for him. He sat down for only a second before wiggling around and putting his head firmly in my lap.

“That’s better,” he said.

I ran my fingers through his hair as he slid his eyes closed and just breathed.

“How was the call?” I asked.

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