A Dragonlings' Magical Christmas (13 page)

“No!” Ha’ven barked in surprise.

“Oh’s,” Alice replied with a sigh, turning to look at her mom. “He’s says he’s supposed to protect me’s likes you do’s mama. He’s likes my colors.”

Emma bit back a laugh and shot Ha’ven a look of warning when he started muttering about having another talk with Kelan about his son. She leaned forward and brushed her lips against his to silence his threat to take them back home and never let Alice out of his sight again. He looked moodily down at her when she rubbed her thumb across his bottom lip.

“I’m building a wall around the house by the time she is ten,” Ha’ven swore under his breath.

“Yes,” Emma replied with twinkling eyes. “And she’ll just teleport herself to the other side of it. We have time, Ha’ven. She’s still just a baby.”

“He likes her colors,” Ha’ven muttered darkly.

“Just as I like yours,” Emma told him before she reached up and touched his face with her fingers. “Thank you for bringing her home.”

“Always,” Ha’ven replied in a husky voice. He looked around the small encampment. “Let’s go back to the palace. They have everything under control here and I… I need to hold you and Alice for a while.”

“Me, too,” Emma admitted, closing her eyes for a brief moment. “Do you think we can all
fit
on the air glider?”

Ha’ven glanced at the transport next to him and nodded. “Definitely,” he said, handing Alice to her. “Sit in front and hold on to Alice. I’ll take it easy.”

Alice giggled and looked at her mom and dad. “I’s been on an adventure,” she said. “I’s slept underground and climbed a mountain. This is for babies!”

Ha’ven paused and looked at Emma. “I’m building that wall as soon as we get home,” he growled, sliding onto the air glider behind Emma and wrapping one arm around her and Alice when they both laughed in delight. “I love you, Emma.”

“I love you, too, my protective warrior,” Emma murmured as they started to rise.

“Bálint says he’s my protector,” Alice laughed. “Just likes daddy.”

Maybe building that wall isn’t such a bad idea, after all,
Emma thought in amusement to Ha’ven as they sped off toward the palace.

*.*.*

Mandra nodded as Jabir continued talking. “And’s I shows them how’s to eat bugs, and’s how I’s saved Bálint from a… a… a… herbivore, but he wasn’t really in danger, it justs wanted the food he picked. And’s I almost fall from the mountain, but Alice used her colors, but’s it made her sleepy and’s we couldn’t wake her up. And’s….”

Mandra finally laid his fingers gently against Jabir’s lips to silence his son. If nothing else, it gave Jabir time to draw in a deep breath. He looked up and saw Ariel standing in the doorway to the tented area that had been set up. An amused smile tugged at her lips, but the glisten of tears in her eyes told him that she had heard the adventures their son had been telling him about.

“Hi,” she whispered quietly. “Do you have room for mommy?”

“Mommy!” Jabir said, turning excitedly on Mandra’s lap. “Mommy! I’s been on an adventure with Bálint and’s Zohar, and’s Amber and Jade and’s Alice, she saved me with her colors, and’s Roam, and’s Phoenix and Spring. Spring can digs big tunnels unders the grounds. We’s slept in one and it was so fun.”

“That sounds like quite an adventure,” Ariel murmured, sliding into the chair next to Mandra and holding her arms out to Jabir. She hugged him tightly against her the moment he climbed onto her lap. “Where?” She started to ask before she just shook her head. “I’m just glad you’re safe. You shouldn’t go off by yourself.”

Jabir nodded with a sigh. “I’s knows,” he reluctantly admitted. “We’s just wanted to saves Christmas for you and the other mommies.”

Mandra leaned forward and brushed a kiss against Ariel’s lips when he saw she was about to burst into tears. He could handle anything… anything that is, but Ariel crying. It tore him up.

“How about we go home?” Mandra said, rising out of his chair and drawing Ariel and Jabir with him. “You need a bath. I can see some of the dirt in your ears. Who knows, you might have a bug or two in there too,” he teased.

Jabir’s eyes widened with pleasure at the thought. “Can’s I keep them? Can’s I?” He asked with a pleading look. “Please! I’s takes good care of them.”

Mandra shook his head and chuckled. “You are so much like your mother it is scary,” he muttered. “Yes,” he finally added. “If we find any bugs in your ears, you can keep them.”

“Yay’s!” Jabir laughed in delight. “I’s love them and feeds them and makes them a bed and…”

Mandra gave Ariel a pain-filled glance as he pulled her and Jabir out of the tent and towards a supply transport. He waited until they were aboard before he pulled both his mate and his son into his arms and held them close. Brushing a kiss along Ariel’s neck, he continued to listen to Jabir talk about his adventures and the new animals he saw and the ones he wanted to keep and the list went on and on…

“The next one gets to be more like me,” he whispered in her ear.

Ariel’s delighted laugh echoed through the supply ship drawing smiles from the other warriors aboard. Her heart swelled with love as she leaned back against Mandra’s huge frame, thinking about what he had just said. Jabir was old enough to have a little brother or sister. There was just no guarantee that he or she wasn’t going to love animals just as much as their big brother.

Two days later, everyone sat around the brightly lit tree in Paul and Morian’s living quarters. They had already opened presents in their own quarters at the crack of dawn thanks to the kids… the little ones as well as the big ones. Now, they had gathered to share gifts with each other.

“What is this called again?” Vox asked Riley.

Riley glanced at the long thin tube and rolled her eyes. “A marshmallow gun,” she said. “Tina and I had one when we were kids.”

Tina glared at Riley and shook her head. No, they hadn’t. They had straws and popcorn seeds that hurt like hell if you got hit with the wrong end. Riley shook her head and held her finger to her lips.

“We can shoot each other and eat them?” Viper asked, looking down the barrel of the toy with a suspicious look. “It won’t hurt like the salt from the shotgun, will it?”

“Of course not,” Mandra replied, shooting both Vox and Viper. “See!”

“Oh boy,” Carmen laughed, looking up as colorful, tasty bullets began littering the air. Who’s “Whose brainchild was this one?”

“Mine,” Cara replied, picking up a small marshmallow that landed next to her and eating it. “I was going to do the soft darts, but Trelon was afraid the girls would hoard them if they found the darn things, then use them against him. This way, they just get on a sugar high.”

“Better at getting them hyped up than the Pixie Stix at Easter for getting them hyped up?” Trisha asked, ducking when Kelan aimed at Zoran and almost hit her.

“Sorry,” he mouthed, blowing her a kiss.

“Pixie Stix?” Melanie grinned. “I haven’t had those in years. I wonder if they even still make them?”

“We could find out,” Cree said, gently rubbing Hope’s tiny back.

Calo nodded. “I know transports make regular trips to Earth. I could ask someone on one of them to bring some back for you,” he said.

Melanie shook her head. “No thanks, I don’t miss them that much. I was just curious,” she replied with a laugh. “They really are nothing but sugar and not very good for you.”

“How is the transition of the villagers going, Abby?” Morian asked, smiling up at Paul when he handed her a cup of hot tea.

Abby smiled at Morian. “Very well,” she said. “They seem happy with the new location and have already begun adding to the buildings. It helped that there weren’t a lot of people displaced by the eruption.”

“It is a shame about Christoff,” Carmen commented, sinking down on the couch and watching as the kids played with their new toys. “I found out that was the name of the dragon on the mountain. After learning more about the way they treated him, I think they got off extremely light. He was too good for them.”

“I basically told them that,” Trisha said with a nod of her head. “At least his older brother finally realized his mistake, even if it was far too late.”

Abby sighed. “I had no idea when I heard the tale and modified it that it was based on a real person,” she admitted. “I feel horrible that he was killed.”

“He’s not dead,” Phoenix said, looking back and forth between her mom and Abby.

Carmen frowned as she looked down at her youngest daughter. Both she and Creon had avoided talking about what happened back on the mountain in front of the girls. They both felt the girls were too young to deal with the reality of death.

“Phoenix,” Carmen began, looking to Creon for help.

“She’s right, mommy,” Spring said with a smile. “He’s not dead. Aikaterina tolds her that she gave him a very special Christmas present.”

Carmen reached up and squeezed Creon’s hand when he laid it on her shoulder. Biting her lip, she was afraid to ask any more questions, but knew she needed to know the answers. Creon slipped his hand from under hers and walked around the couch to sit down next to Carmen. The other men, sensing that something important was going on, stopped shooting each other and slowly worked their way back to their mates.

“Phoenix, did Aikaterina tell you what gift she gave Christoff?” Morian asked, sitting forward as far as her expanded stomach would allow.

Phoenix looked up from where she, Spring, and Alice were playing with their dolls. Her eyes grew distant for a moment before a small smile curved her lips and she looked at Abby. She blinked several times before a puzzled frown formed between her eyes.

“No,” Phoenix replied. “But, I knows what it is. I’s can sees him. He’s lying in a meadow high on a mountain. His symbiot is next to him and the sun is shining downs on him.”

Carmen bit her lip and looked at Morian who smiled and nodded. “Do you know which mountain, Phoenix? Is he hurt? Does he need help?” Morian asked in a gentle voice. “Perhaps we can help him.”

Phoenix shook her head and turned her attention back to her doll. “No, he’s fine,” she said, reaching for a small hairbrush for her doll. “Edna’s going to takes cares of him.”

Abby gasped and sat back in stunned disbelief. Her eyes sought Zoran’s in confusion. Could it be? Could Christoff be on her mountain? If so…

“Oh, my,” Abby whispered, her hand going to her throat.

“Oh, my,” Morian said as her hand went to her stomach and she looked over her shoulder at Paul. “I think there is about to be another present,” she panted, struggling to rise.

Paul tenderly lifted Morian in his arms as her sons began panicking. His eyes flashed to the top of the Christmas tree when a sparkle caught his eye. At the top of the tree stood the golden figure of a slender woman instead of the star that had graced it earlier. She was staring down at Morian with a smile. He blinked when he heard Morian moan and once again the star was there. Shaking his head, he carefully skirted the couch and headed for their bedroom even as the frantic voices of Zoran and the other men rose in the background as they called for a healer.

He tenderly lowered Morian to the bed and sat down beside her, holding her hand as a wave of pain swept through her. He didn’t complain at the crushing pain of her squeeze. Instead, he lifted their joined hands to his lips and pressed a kiss to it.

“Do you really think Aikaterina sent Christoff to Abby’s mountain?” He asked, trying to keep Morian’s focus on him and not the pain.

Morian gave him a tight smile and nodded. “Yes,” she whispered. “I think it might be best to send a ship back for him. Aikaterina wouldn’t have sent him there without a purpose.”

“Morian, the healer is here,” Abby said, stepping into the room with clean linens. “Paul…”

“I’m staying,” Paul said, shifting to the side, but never releasing Morian’s hand. “This is one Christmas present I wouldn’t miss for the world.”

“Me, neither,” Morian replied with a grimace.

*.*.*

“Where’s everybody’s gone?” Amber asked, looking around the suddenly empty room.

“Yeah’s,” Jade added with a puzzled frown. “Mommy and Daddy says they’s was never taking their eyes off of us agains.”

“I’s thinks that’s Grandma is makings her baby,” Jabir said. “I’s heards mommy says it was almost finished cooking.”

“So’s who’s Aika… Aika… You’s knows, the lady you’s was talking about,” Roam asked with a frown. “I’s never heards of her before.”

“She’s a goddess,” Spring replied. “She’s gots lots of symbiots at her house. They’s told Phoenix they’s come from there.”

“Symbiots?” Bálint asked. “Likes ours?”

“Yes,” Phoenix replied. “There are rivers of them in the Hive.”

“Rivers?” Roam repeated, his eyes wide with delight. “Can’s Alice and I’s have one then? We’s don’t have a symbiot. It would’s be nice to have’s one of our own.”

Phoenix frowned. “I don’t knows,” she admitted. “We’d have to asks Aikaterina if you could’s have one.”

“How’s we do that?” Roam asked, scooting closer to Phoenix.

“We’s could goes to her house and asks her,” Zohar suggested.

“But’s, my mommy and daddy says I’s can’t go on no more adventures,” Roam groaned in frustration. “At leasts not tills I’s older.”

“Then, we go when we’s older,” Zohar stated with an air of confidence. “Then’s it will be alright.”

“Okay,” Phoenix replied with a grin. “When’s we’s are older, we’s gets to go on another adventure.”

The decision made, Amber and Jade soon confiscated the marshmallow guns and bags of ammunition. While the grownups stood around outside waiting for the new baby dragonling to finish cooking, the dragonlings, plus Roam and Alice, decided they would enjoy eating all the sugary treats, play with their new toys, and plan their next adventure… when they were older, that is.

Author’s Note:

I hope you enjoyed this adventure. I had always planned to write a full length Dragonlings’ adventure. This story is leading up to it. There will also be additional novellas featuring the delightful group and their growing families. These stories are written for the fun and love of families and friends. My world to yours, I hope you find love and laughter in it.