Lost Love

Two

I followed Sam to one of the guest rooms in the back of the house with Alistair and Steph in tow. They both know how Tommy is when he gets riled up but they still insisted on coming with. When we reached the room Dad lets Sam and Ricky use whenever they come over, Sam froze as we heard crashing and an outraged little yell. She looked to me and I sighed and opened the door.

Inside was a disaster area. Luckily the room was enchanted so nothing was currently burning, but all the furniture was either flipped, broken into pieces, or a small pile of ash. Ricky stood on one side of the room, chest heaving, clothes ripped and skewed, arms half shifted, and his eyes a dragon's burning blue. He was staring at something across the room worry and fear on his face. I followed his gaze and saw a tiny red and blue dragon, fully shifted, surrounded by a pile of ashes. My heart broke.

Shifters don't shift until they're well into their teens and yet, my friends' three year old son just did. Despite the obvious danger of the situation, I ran to Tommy and picked him up.

Newly shifted are not to touched. They are not someone to be in any way close to. It's dangerous, they're almost animals when they first shift and strike out at everything in range. Shifters feel when they're about to shift and its drilled into their minds that they have to get away from everyone. Doing what I did was extremely dangerous to both myself and Tommy. I could be hurt and he could hurt himself trying to get away.

But he didn't. He was raging, shredding a chair with his claws when I found him, but as soon as I came within two feet of him, he stopped and looked up at me with pained green dragon eyes.

As I picked him up, a white mist surrounded us and he nuzzled his head into my chest as I stroked his back and whispered non-sensical things. What seemed like hours later, he stopped breathing heavily and his claws retracted. He was in no way calm, and I suspect in pain, but I stood up from my kneeling position on the floor to meet the shocked gazes at the door.

Ricky had shifted back and was by the doorframe holding Sam who stared at me with her mouth open. Alistair looked at me as if I was insane and Steph looked as if she had just seen an impossible magic trick.

Still holding Tommy, I raised a hand to tell Sam to stop. She had ripped herself out of Ricky's arm to run to her son but I knew that if she got close he would rampage again.

"Not yet Sam." I told her. "Soon, but not yet."

She nodded and went back to Ricky who held her closely and stared at me trying to figure something out.

"How?" He asked, voice steady.

I shook my head. I didn't know either. I should be bleeding or unconscious right now. I did what I did without thinking.

"I have no idea."

I looked to Steph and she read the message written in my eyes. Get them out of here. She nodded and pulled Alistair, Sam and Ricky out of the room and closed the door. I sank to the floor and heard a small voice in the back of my mind.

Tia, it said, it hurts.

I hugged Tommy close to me and collapsed to the floor.

"I'm sorry baby." I said. "You weren't supposed to shift yet."

Tia, why do I do things early?

"I don't know Tommy. Do you want to visit Mother and ask?"

He nodded and left my mind, closing his eyes. It's not usually good to fall asleep shifted but I knew somehow that Tommy probably should.

"I'm going to take you upstairs to a shifter room. I'll be back to see you after I explain the situation to my Mom and Dad." His eyes shot open and he pushed himself as close to me as he could get.

Tia don't leave me alone!!

"I'll be right back sweetheart."

No, Tia, please.

"Do you want me to bring your mommy and daddy?" He looked as if he wanted to say yes but he just shook his head.

No, I might hurt them.

"You didn't hurt me." I said softly. Sam and Ricky so desperately want to help him, but he's always so afraid of hurting them. I think its a Familiar thing.

He just shook his head again.

Tia you're different.

"How am I different Tommy?"

You have an Air around you. I don't think I could ever hurt you.

"An Air?" He nodded but closed his eyes again. He looked exhausted.

Tia, please don't leave me.

I sighed, knowing that even if I wanted to I couldn't. "Okay sweetie." I said. "I'll stay, but only until you fall asleep, then I'm going to go get your parents."

Okay.

I stood and carried him upstairs to the shifter holding room. There's a bed in here but its a metal frame and heavily enchanted not to break, burn, or tear. I stayed with him till he fell asleep then I all but ran downstairs to go find Sam and Ricky. Mom found me first.

"Lilly," she said as she caught my hand, "what's happened? Are you okay?"

I must have looked distressed if that's the first thing she asked.

"I'm okay Mom. Just dealing with Tommy." Her face went from slightly panicked to concerned.

"I heard. Is he okay?"

"Sort of. He's not raging anymore but Mom, he shifted."

She covered her mouth with her hand. "Oh the poor dear. What is he?"

"A dragon."

Her eyes shut and a tear trickled out. "Tell Sam that we're always here to help." She turned and walked away.