“Aren’t I your son too? I should have told you he came to see me but kept it a secret, so shouldn’t I get grounded too?”
Uriel was amazed they were already trying to protect each other.
“Little big brother, you don’t need to get involved with this,” Kristoph said, looking at Uriel with pleading eyes he purposely ignored. “I disobeyed Dad by leaving Valleywood more than once without his permission. I was expecting this.”
“Oh, for Odin’s sake, are you trying to brown-nose your way out of a punishment?” Uriel said to Kristoph.
“Is it working?” Kristoph smiled.
“Three weeks,” Uriel told him.
“Come on, Dad, I was safe when I teleported. Do you really have to ground me for three weeks?” Kristoph said. “Father, talk to him, please.”
“Hey, leave me out of this.” Azazel raised his hands in surrender. “Take your punishment like a man. Besides, if I help you I’ll get grounded too and that’s not happening.”
“Fine,” Kristoph pouted.
Uriel sighed and pulled his son into a hug, kissing his forehead. “I love you, Kris, and I know that I can go overboard sometimes, but don’t leave Valleywood without my permission again.”
“Okay, I won’t do that again.” Kristoph wrapped his arms around Uriel.
“I wasn’t ready to have this conversation with you yet, and certainly not here, but I get what you did with both your father and brother, and that’s the only reason you’re not being grounded for six months.”
“Yay for understanding,” Kristoph cheered, stepping back.
Uriel couldn’t help but chuckle at his kid’s antics. “Go in the kitchen while I talk to Donald.”
“Okay,” Kristoph said, then walked over to Donald, hugging him. “Thanks for trying to take the blame with me.”
Donald smiled. “It’s what brothers do, right?”
Kristoph chuckled. “Yeah.”
“Do you want me to stay?” Azazel asked.
“No,” Uriel answered. “Go meet Blue. He’s been dying to talk to you.”
“All right.” Azazel kissed Uriel on his cheek, then walked over to Donald and pulled him into a hug. “Don’t be too hard on him, nothing is what you think it is.”
“I know. Kristoph explained things to me.”
Azazel smiled and touched Donald’s stomach, then walked toward the kitchen. The silence between them dragged on, and the awkward tension grew between Donald and Uriel.
“Three weeks,” Uriel said, breaking up the awkwardness.
“What?”
“You’re grounded for three weeks, like Kristoph.”
Donald’s eyes widened, and seconds later, he chuckled. “How long have you wanted to do that?”
“Since you were four and climbed that saucer magnolia tree in your parents’ backyard because you thought you could fly like me. You could have, but you hadn’t sprouted your wings yet.”
“I wish I could remember that,” Donald said.
Uriel looked down for a second, then back at his son. “I never wanted to give you up.”
“I know. Like I said, Kristoph told me.”
