A New Beginning

Chapter 17

I pounced on the big bug and chomped it a couple of times before swallowing it. It was just as juicy as the other three I had caught.

"Tessa, what are you eating?"

I looked up at Mom and smiled. "I ate a bug."

She blinked slowly before replying, "You shouldn't eat bugs."

"Why not? They tasted good."

"What kind was it? Some can make you sick."

I showed her the image, matching it up to the Blood Memories. "Grasshopper. They are good to eat."

She was quiet for a moment before she looked in a different direction. "Keegan, did you ever eat grasshoppers?"

"Well... I did eat quite a few during a student exchange trip to Thailand. They aren't bad, actually. Why?"

She sighed before gliding towards the house. "You get to explain to Tessa that grasshoppers aren't just a different kind of berry."

Dad flew over and landed beside me. He glanced towards the house and then back at me, whispering, "Just don't let Mom catch you eating them."

I grinned widely at him as he winked at me.

He peeked over his shoulder again, before saying, "Now, what do you say that we catch the biggest one we can find, and once she falls asleep, we put it in front of her?"

I flapped my wings and trilled in anticipation. "Yes!"

Both of us began searching the shrubs and plants for grasshoppers, comparing their sizes across the mindlink. I wasn't used to limiting my mindvoice so only one person could hear me. It was strange, but I didn't want Mom to overhear our discussions.

My eyes focused on a big brown grasshopper. It was the biggest one I had seen. This one even had wings. It was going to be hard to catch and kill it without damaging it too much.

"How about this one?" I asked Dad.

"It looks perfect. I'm sure she will love it. Do you think you can catch it?"

"I think so."

I crouched down and slowly crept closer to it. This one was smarter than the last ones. I didn't get very close before it bounded into the air and flew into a nearby bush.

It took me a bit to get close to the bush. I tilted my head as I looked at the number of leaves. Where had it landed? I didn't see it. I poked my head into a few openings but still didn't see it. As my head went under the bush, I heard it spring away and quickly pulled my head out to track its flight.

I carefully noted the clump of grass it had landed in before inching my way forward. I was so close... An idea occurred to me, and I partially unfolded my wings as I peered into the tall grass.

It burst out with its wings buzzing, and I swatted it with my wing, sending it back into the grass. I pulled some grass on top of it and pinned it. Carefully, I peeled back the grass until I could see its head.

My claw quickly pierced its neck and back. It kicked a few times before it stopped moving. When I cautiously lifted the grass up, its legs slowly crossed in death.

"I did it, Dad!"

"Great job! Mom is napping, so let's put it in front of her."

I grabbed the grasshopper before flying towards him. Just wait until he saw it. All of its legs were even still attached. Dad landed on a tree branch and nodded towards Mom, who was sunning herself on a flat rock.

I quietly glided down and landed in the soft grass. It was hard to walk with the grasshopper in my hand, but I carefully slid it right in front of her nose before backing up. To avoid her hearing my wingbeats, I trotted beneath the tree Dad was perched in before flying up.

Mom didn't usually nap long at this time of the morning, so Dad and I wouldn't have to wait long for her to wake up. Taureen even pulled out the video recorder as he sat in the lawn chair. I wasn't sure where Aeria was, although I could see Dirk snoozing in her chair.

My eyes widened as Mom stirred slightly, and my claws tightened on the branch in anticipation. Her eyelids fluttered open, and her gaze focused on the brown object in front of her.

With a surprised screech, she reared back as flames erupted from her jaws. The flames almost instantly vanished as she realized what had happened. Her head swung around, and she immediately located us in the tree.

"Keegan!" With that, she launched herself into the air.

"Run!" Dad immediately followed his own advice as he swiftly took flight.

I quickly dropped off the branch and turned my dive into a fast flight as I looked for a good hiding spot. A loud splash made me look back. Glimmers of gold and silver beneath the water showed that Mom had caught Dad.

I really needed my best hiding spot.

Banking to the side, I glided low until I landed with my feet running as I dashed under the rose bush. The leaves mostly blocked my view, but Mom was still too busy dunking Dad to have seen me race into my hiding place.

Apparently, Mom didn't like grasshoppers.

I curled up and settled down for a long wait. My eyes followed Mom as she finally got out of the pond and circled the backyard, searching for me.

"Tessa, come out, come out, wherever you are..."

Prudently, I remained silent, although she knew that I had heard her. Her golden scales disappeared under a few bushes where I normally hid. She flew up to the branch where Dad and I had sat, before slowly gliding downward as she drifted from side to side.

I had never seen her glide so slowly before. How she remained in the air was a mystery. Her path got lower and lower to the grass until she landed on the ground not far away. With her nose near the ground, she kept walking closer and closer in an almost straight line.

The exact line that I had run along when darting under this rose bush.

My eyes widened as she looked up and grinned triumphantly at the leaves hiding me. Uh oh. With my hiding place no longer a secret, I bolted.

I barely reached the grass before Mom tackled me. We rolled several times before Mom pinned me to the ground with her hands.

"Well, well, well... what did I find?"

"Uh, can I claim that it was Dad's idea?"

"It likely was, but he already got dunked for it. You were the one who put it there."

With that, she began tickling me. I squawked, squirmed, and wiggled, but I couldn't get free. I saw a glimpse of blue before Dirk landed on Mom's back. She was momentarily distracted, and I managed to get out of her grasp.

With reinforcements on hand, I grabbed her ankle to pull her off-balance. Without even looking away from my now-pinned brother, her tail pushed me over. Turning my head, I spotted Dad lying on a rock in the sun as he watched us.

"Come help us!" I called to him.

He spread his wings wider before jumping into the air to come to our aid.

It took all three of us a few minutes to finally pin Mom. Once she huffed out a big breath of defeat, we all laid down in the grass to relax and catch our breath.