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Davide sat under a brilliant moon on the balcony of his third story bedroom and watched the night flight of the eagles. He followed their dark shapes soaring above the field of wild flowers beyond the manicured lawns of the Childress Estate. They reached the lawn and circled several times, obviously aware of him. He waved and they dived toward his balcony. The larger bald eagle landed first, near his feet, and then the smaller one next to her mate. Davide grinned and waited for the shift.
Within milliseconds, the eagles morphed into Roth and Rainey Beowolf, his parents. The exhilarated look on his mother's face made Davide pat the chair next to him. "Take a seat, Mom, and tell me about your flight."
For several minutes Davide listened to his mother's enraptured descriptions. He never tired of her enthusiasm. Finally, she rose and reached a hand toward her husband. "If we don't leave soon, I'm going to bore Davide to tears."
"Never," Davide responded, his voice sounding bittersweet. His mother placed her hand gently on his cheek and his father patted his shoulder.
His mother changed the subject. "Zoe isn't coming to your birthday party this year, either."
"When did you find out?" Davide frowned.
"Fawn called earlier today and told me."
"What country is her tour group in?"
"She's in Spain—Barcelona; soon to leave for Madrid."
"I haven't seen her in two years. She used to attend every party."
"Did the two of you have a falling out?" Roth asked.
"If we did, then I don't know about it. I've sent her emails and she's only responded to a handful, saying how busy she is. I've left her voicemails, too. It's not like her."
Roth patted his shoulder again. "Keep trying, son. We'll see you in the morning."
"Okay, Dad." Davide watched his parents lower their heads to speak the Prayer of Secrecy that would shift them back into eagles. They flapped powerful wings and lifted skyward. He watched their ascent and disappearance behind low clouds. He blew a breath and rubbed his temples, thinking about Zoe. The strange attitude these past two years of his best friend baffled and depressed him. They had grown up together. Zoe had even babysat him when she was a teenager. He remembered fondly the pillow fight wars they'd often found themselves in. God, he missed her.
Davide caught sight of his parents zipping in and out of the clouds, diving and chasing one another. To take his mind off Zoe, he remembered the first time his mother had shifted when he was ten years old. For years she had faithfully followed her husband's instructions. His father had taught that the key to shifting rested in focus. Shortly before her first shift, he remembered seeing his mother in tears. He'd walked past the cracked library door and heard the desperation in her voice. "Roth, I'm a failure. I'll never be able to soar with you."
"Soiuer, you cannot give up. If it's meant to happen, it will."
His mother had sobbed and Davide had peeked beyond the door to see his father gently kissing her tears away.
He also remembered her bursting into his room a few days after the crying incident and exclaiming, "I did it, Davide!" She'd rushed back out and he'd run behind her while she searched the house for his father and found him in the surveillance room talking to Johnson, one of the many bodyguards employed by Hank Childress to protect his family. When she'd burst into the room looking like a wild woman, both Roth and Johnson had rushed toward her.
Grinning, Davide remembered how she had thrown her arms around his father's neck and kissed him passionately. His father hadn't known the reason for her joyfulness, but he had participated wholeheartedly in that kiss. When she pulled away, she'd repeated her words. "I did it!"
Although Johnson had given her a quizzical look, his father had known exactly what she was talking about, and so had Davide. His father had hustled her from the surveillance room and nodded for Davide to come with them. Back in the privacy of their own quarters in the huge mansion, Roth had hugged his wife and twirled her around. After he'd set her down, she said, "Watch."
While Davide and his father watched, his mother had lowered her head, silently moving her mouth in prayer, and shifted into a bald eagle. Davide would never forget that moment. He'd looked at his father, a legend among shapelings with the rank of Shapeling Master, and seen tears fill his eyes. It was the only time he'd ever seen him cry. His mother's accomplishment had fulfilled her consuming desire to soar with his father. Since that time, however, she had never attained the ability to shift into any creature other than the bald eagle, but it was enough. Her happiness was complete.
Davide stood and walked to the railing. Watching his parents' soaring antics, he asked himself a question. What about you, Davide? Is your happiness complete? The answer to that question was a no-brainer. No. He sucked in the sweet smell of spring, and sighed. All his life he had been told about how his parents met and how the son of their love was prophesied to become the Great Prince.
"What a crock," Davide whispered into the breeze, "a Shapeling Prince unable to shift." Long ago, he had determined the universe had played a dirty trick on him. Since babyhood, his parents had trained him in the art of shapeling focus, to no avail.
He shook his head. His mother was only half shapeling and she had attained the ability to shift into at least one creature. His twelve year old sister was making great progress, and here he was, supposedly a prince, who had never even come close to shifting. Even with his inability to shift, however, his parents had never wavered in their belief that he was the fulfillment of prophesy; that he was the Great Prince spoken of by sages.
Disgusted, Davide turned from the balcony and the midnight flight of his parents.