“You don't have to listen to rap to know what OG means.”
“Well, I'm sorry, Great Lion Goddess, I'll brush up on my urban lingo for you.” He bent into a bow and waved his hand out.
“Good,” I said primly.
“Mama, look!” Dominic called.
All of us looked toward the sound of Dominic's voice just in time to see him do a free fall toward the mini-castle, wings pulled in tightly.
“Dominic!” I screeched as I jumped up. I ran for the veranda stairs, but I knew I wouldn't make it in time. It was like Rian and Brevyn all over again. In my mind, I saw my twins—my other twins—hurtling down the side of Castle Aithinne. “Dom!”
A few feet above the play castle, Dominic swooped up, giggling. “Mommy!”
“Oh, sweet, flying babies,” I whispered as I collapsed to my knees.
“Dominic Finnian Morningstar, never do that again!” Azrael shouted at our son. “You scared all of us.”
Dominic flew over to me, eyes wide and filling with tears. He was bawling by the time I opened my arms. Dom barreled into my embrace, and I rocked him in my lap. As I stroked his thick, black hair, I looked up at Az.
“Don't look at me like that,” Az said as he crouched beside us. “He needed to know that what he did was dangerous and wrong.” Then he started rubbing Dom's back between his wings. “All right, it's okay. Just don't do it again.”
“Daddy?” Dominic looked up at Azrael with his huge, green eyes, and Az melted.
“Come here, my sweet boy.” Azrael reached for Dominic.
Dom sniffed, then leaned hesitantly toward his father.
“It's all right, you're not in trouble.” Azrael took our son and settled Dom over his shoulder.
But Dominic wouldn't let go of me. “Mommy.”
“I'm okay, you just scared me a little.” I nuzzled his face.
“Dom'nic!” Sebastian landed beside me and pointed at his brother. “Bad boy!”
Dominic started crying again, and everyone who had followed us to the edge of the veranda retreated to their seats. Yeah, I would have too. With Sebastian in the mix, it was bound to get ugly.
“Bastian!” I grabbed his pointing hand. “That's not your job. And your brother isn't a bad boy.”
“Mama.” Sebastian frowned at me. “Dom was naughty.”
“Yes, for once it wasn't you,” Azrael drawled.
Sebastian scowled at his father, then his brother. “Nuff, Dom. Let's go. Nuff cry.”
I chuckled. “He's trying to rush the punishment so Dominic can return to playing with him.”
Azrael grimaced. “Of course, he is.” Then he leaned back and wiped Dominic's tears away. “Okay, Sebastian is right, that's enough. Go and play.”
Dominic sniffed and looked at his brother.
“Nuff now,” Sebastian said. “Fly!” He spread his dark wings and grinned.
Dominic smiled and spread his wings too.
“But fly safely,” I said to them both.
“Love you, Mommy,” Dominic said as he stepped out of his father's lap.
