Creon chuckled and shook his head. "You'd never make it that long without them," he snorted. "You'd be up our butts the entire time making sure the girls were okay. Do you think we've forgotten what you were like the first few weeks after they were born? You were determined to never sleep again."
Trelon pointed to Creon and scowled. "Two weeks," he threatened again. "I guarantee my two could show Spring and Phoenix a lot of new things during that time."
Creon blanched at the thought and clamped his lips tightly together. Kelan chuckled while Mandra looked back and forth between them. Trelon knew his brothers finally understood he was at the end of his patience.
“Fine!” Kelan finally muttered, casting a look of resignation at Mandra. “I still think we were shorted some of the lights that we originally had.”
“I don’t care,” Trelon said with a wave of his hand. “No more. I’m calling it stopped, finished, completed. The grids are maxed out. I’ll be lucky if the whole palace doesn’t go up in smoke tonight. That is not the Christmas that I want to give Cara and the girls.”
“You could always plug Ha’ven into the circuit,” Mandra joked.
“Since we just found out about that little talent of Ha’ven’s, I don’t think tonight is the time to test just how powerful he is,” Trelon snapped with an accusing glare at Creon.
“Don’t blame me,” Creon protested. “His powers were matched by ours during the war. I think he is more powerful now than he was then.”
Trelon ran his hands through his slightly longer hair. It was finally beginning to grow back out now that the girls were getting a little older and he was getting a little wiser on how to prevent them from setting it on fire whenever they sneezed.
“Listen, I’ve got to go make sure those two girls of mine haven’t hidden any more of those deranged creatures they have duplicated. Cara sent one of the warriors down to tell me our living quarters were infested with them. Just… don’t add anything else,” he said with a tired sigh. “I swear I’m going to need a week’s worth of sleep after this holiday is over.”
“I’m not so sure that is a good idea,” Mandra reflected with a sympathetic grin. “Who knows what those two girls of yours would get into while you were asleep.”
“Or who would get stuck watching them,” Kelan muttered under his breath before he cast an apologetic look at his brother. “Sorry, Trelon. I didn’t mean that the way it sounded. Amber and Jade are adorable.”
“I know,” Trelon interrupted. “They are just too damn smart and hyper for their age. They are just like their mother and I wouldn’t change it for anything in the universe.”
“Neither would we,” Creon added. “If you and Cara need some time alone, Carmen and I can watch the girls for a few days. They love playing with Phoenix and Spring.”
“Hell, Ariel and I would love to have them. Jabir might be a little younger than them, but now that he can change into a dragon, he can definitely keep up,” Mandra volunteered with a huge grin. “With all the animals, what’s two more?”
“Mandra,” Kelan started to admonish before he clamped his lips closed. “Trisha and I would be happy to have the girls come stay with us as well. Bálint is great with them and Trisha is awesome with kids.”
Trelon chuckled and shook his head. “As much as I appreciate the sacrifices that all of you are offering, it isn’t necessary. Amber and Jade make every single day an adventure and I have to admit, that I look forward to discovering what new things they think up and learn. No, as much as I thank you for your offers, Cara and I are having way too much fun. How many fathers can boast that their daughters are already replicating demented symbiots?” He asked with a grin filled with pride.
“Not mine,” Mandra said. “Jabir just attracts animals.”
“Bálint is good at hiding and playing tag,” Kelan said with a nod.
“Spring is good at digging holes that I fall into and Phoenix can disappear just like me,” Creon added with a smug grin.
“The only one that seems to be on the receiving end of Amber and Jade’s attention is poor Zohar,” Trelon admitted with a reluctant smile. “Even he seems to know how to handle them. No, I think we would all agree that life is much too interesting to miss a day of it. For now, I’m ready to go spend some time with them before tonight’s dinner. I think that is why I’m so irritated. I’ve missed seeing what they got into over the last few weeks.”
“Trelon! The girls have found the crystal enhancer! Symba and Goldie are drunk and are going to destroy the living room if we don’t get them out of here,” Cara’s voice rang down from the upper balcony.
Trelon released a savage curse and shifted. He ignored the laughter of his brothers as he quickly flew up to the third story balcony. He landed just in time to see Symba roll out the door and look up at him with a huge lopsided grin before sinking down into a soft puddle at his feet. Goldie came wobbling out a moment later. Abby was pushing on the golden hindquarters of the grinning symbiot as it staggered out and collapsed next to Symba.
No, he thought as he heard the giggles of his two precocious daughters, I wouldn’t miss this for the world.
*.*.*
Morian smiled as she watched her growing family. A sigh of contentment escaped her when a pair of strong arms wrapped around her rounded waist and pulled her back against the hard warmth of his body.
“How are you feeling?” Paul asked, pressing a kiss to her shoulder. “You should have rested longer this afternoon.”
A low huff of breath and a roll of her eyes was her answer to Paul’s insistence that she take it easy. She had never felt more energized in her life. She knew that she was healthy. Her and Paul’s symbiots made sure of that! She wore enough of it on her now to make sure that the slightest twinge was checked out and reported to Paul.
“I’m feeling happy,” she replied, leaning her head back against his shoulder. “This is so beautiful.”
They were quiet as they took in the huge reception room where they had decided to move the dinner to accommodate the growing number of participants. Originally, it was just going to be for close family and friends, but the excitement had spread throughout the palace and now everyone who lived or worked in the palace was in attendance.
Morian’s eyes wandered over the room. Festive lights, woven with fresh greenery from the forest, outlined the doors and windows. A huge twenty-foot tree, brightly decorated with garlands of red, the twinkling of soft white lights, and decorations that each of the women had created stood in one corner of the room. Colorful presents for the children overflowed under it. These gifts would be delivered to children throughout the city later in the week. Several long tables filled with a vast assortment of food, including some from Earth, offered a wide variety of refreshments.
Yes, Morian admitted silently, she was tired, but it was in a good way. A low chuckle from behind her drew her eyes back to the tree and presents. The tips of several tiny dragon tails could be seen moving in and out of the colorfully wrapped presents.
“Look in the tree,” Paul murmured in her ear. “About a third of the way up and slightly left of center.”
Morian covered her mouth with her hand to keep the giggle from escaping. Bálint, in the form of a dark purple and gold dragon, sat on a branch in the huge tree. He was carefully holding out a small red ornament in his hands to the tiny figure sitting beside him. There was something about the protective way her grandson had his tail wrapped around Alice’s petite frame that told her that destiny might have plans for those two in the future.
“Have either of you seen Alice?” Ha’ven asked in concern as his eyes frantically searched the room.
“She was playing with Phoenix,” Emma added with a worried smile. “We were talking to Carmen and Creon and just looked away for a second and she was gone.”
Morian released a soft laughed and nodded. “She is fine. Paul just pointed out that she is receiving her first Christmas present,” she said, nodding toward the Christmas tree.
A low curse escaped Ha’ven before he grunted when Emma elbowed him in the stomach. The four of them stood there watching the two children, one in the shape of a dragon, the other in a bright red dress. A small snort escaped Morian when Ha’ven took off at a fast pace when Bálint licked Alice’s cheek.
“I wonder what’s gotten into him?” Emma asked, puzzled by the dark look on Ha’ven’s face as he talked to Kelan who had stepped in front of him. “He’s acting like Alice just received her first kiss or something!”
“She did,” Paul replied with a chuckle. “It isn’t easy for a father to realize he has competition for his daughter’s affection.”
Morian couldn’t hold back the burst of delighted laughter when Ha’ven’s face turned mutinous at Kelan’s shocked look. It looked like it wasn’t going to be easy for her son either from the look of panic on his face as he glanced toward the tree. A sigh escaped her as she felt her daughter stir deep inside her.
“It’s time for the carols and storytelling,” Paul said, giving Emma an apologetic smile. “I know you and the other girls have it under control. I think Morian should sit down for a little while.”
“Yes,” Emma agreed, glancing at where Cara was waving her hand to her. “Some of the older children, Abby and I are doing the singing. Cara is handling the special effects while Ariel, Carmen, Riley, Tina, and Trisha are doing most of the acting.”
“What about Pearl?” Morian asked, glancing around.
“She and Asim will be in toward the end,” Emma replied with a delighted grin.
“This, I’ve got to see,” Paul chuckled with a raised eyebrow. “I wonder if Asim has given her back her shotgun yet.”
“You’ll have to wait to find out,” Emma laughed as she waved her hand.
Chapter 6
“Then, Santa turned and asked Rudolph, the red-nosed dragon, if he would lead his sleigh tonight,” Tina said with a grin as Cara came out onto the stage with the bright red glowing nose on again.”
“Red,” Alice clapped and squealed. “I like red.”
Laughter burst from the crowd as the children shrieked with delight when Cara made the nose shine really, really bright as she pranced around in her dragon form. She turned toward the other dragons, Trisha, Ariel, Abby, and Carmen and shook her tail at them before winking at the kids again. Riley stood next to Cara dressed as the Abominable Snow Monster, complete with pink high heels and a matching glittering pink jacket. She waved and blew kisses to the kids.
“Momma pretty,” Roam growled, clapping his hands.
“That’s right, baby,” Riley replied with a grin. “Daddy isn’t touching this jacket.”
“Damn… Darn it, Riley,” Vox snapped above the laughter. “Aren’t you ever going to let me live that down? You’ve got a damn closet full of the hideous things now.”
“Damn, damn, damn, damn,” Roam started chanting. Soon, the other children started chanting it as well.
“Damn it, Vox,” Riley snapped with a glare. “I told you we needed to watch our language!”
Vox grimaced and bent forward to scoop Roam up on his lap. Almost immediately, his son shifted into a squirming ball of hissing fur. Holding him against his chest, he whispered in the cub’s ear before setting him back down on the ground in front of him.
“Sorry, momma,” Roam said after he shifted.
“That’s okay, sweetheart, just don’t say it again,” Riley smiled with a little wave before she flicked a wayward strand of curly blonde hair that had escaped from her furry hat. “Sorry, Tina, go on.”
Tina rolled her eyes and turned back to the crowd. “Rudolph saved the day and all the other reindeer… I mean dragons… wanted to be his… her… friend after that. The End.”
“More! More!” The kids sitting in the front yelled above the clapping of the adults.
Abby shifted and stepped up to the front of the stage area that had been set up outside in the courtyard. With a wave of her hand, the lights dimmed around her. She smiled down at the kids as she began to speak in a low husky voice. Behind her, a holographic image of a young dragon appeared drawing sounds of oohs and aahs from both the kids and the adults alike.
“Long ago, there lived a young and restless dragon,” she began. “He was loved very much by his parents, but he was different from the other dragons from his village, for he was born too early and his wings were too weak to allow him to fly. His parents didn’t care, for he was the light of their lives, but the other children in the village made fun of him. For years, he watched as the other dragons, young and old, flew high up into the air while he was destined to walk. When he was still just a boy, a terrible sound came from the mountain above the village one night. As the mountain shook, all the villagers fled into the sky, all that is, except the young dragon whose wings were too weak for him to fly. His parents tried to lift him, but he had grown too tall and strong from all the walking he did and they could not carry him. Heartbroken, they refused to leave him. The next morning, after the mountain had finished its shaking, the boy found himself alone. His parents had protected him from the great rocks that swept down the sides. Unable to bear the pain of his loss, the boy disappeared up the mountain in a fit of rage, determined to tame the beast that had taken his parents from him.”
“Oh, poor dragon,” Phoenix cried out, staring up at Abby with wide, glistening blue eyes. “Poor, poor dragon.”
Abby nodded and held her folded hands over her heart. “Alone and sad, his heart grew hard and cold as he watched the villagers return to their homes and rebuild. Still, he did not come down from the mountain.”
“Where he live?” Zohar asked with a frown.
Abby turned and pointed to the top of the image of the mountain. There, it zoomed in to show the entrance to a large cave high above the clouds. As she did, the image of a dragon, dark and powerful, stood on the edge of the opening, looking down at the village far below.
“The old dragon listened to the laughter and joy of the villagers as the sound rose up the mountain day after day. He watched the young dragons as they flew far below, yet he knew he was destined to stay on the mountain forever, for he had nowhere else to go, no one else who cared about him. He also believed that as long as he was there, the mountain would sleep and keep the villagers safe,” Abby said with a compassionate sigh. “Yet, when he heard of a new celebration called Christmas, he could no longer contain his rage. Now, the old dragon is determined to stop the villagers from celebrating this new holiday while he is all alone. He plans to steal Christmas from under their noses while they sleep and keep it for himself. This will be the one thing he can do to extract his revenge for all that he has lost. He will sneak down the mountain and take all their presents, all their lights, all their wonderful treats back up to his cave, so that when the villagers wake up, they will know what it feels like to be sad and unloved.”
“He need friend,” Roam exclaimed with a scowl as he folded his arms across his small chest. “I be his friend. He no steal Christmas then.”
The other children murmured in agreement. Abby smiled and nodded. She bent down to look at the dozens of wide eyes staring up at her, mesmerized by the tale of the Old Dragon of the Mountain.
“That is exactly what he needs, Roam,” Abby replied softly. “He needs a friend to show him that Christmas is not about the lights, not about the presents, not about the food, but about being there for others, being a friend, loving someone whether they are family or not. Christmas is a time of peace, of acceptance, and of making every world a better place.”
“I be his friend, too!” Spring announced, standing up and folding her arms across her chest.
“Me, too!” Amber and Jade said at the same time.
“I teach him how to be nice,” Zohar declared, standing and looking so much like Zoran that Abby had to bite her lip to keep from chuckling.
Soon, all the children were arguing over who was going to be the Old Dragon’s best friend. When Zohar waved his hand and declared since he was the ol
dest, and the next ruler, he would be the Old Dragon’s bestest friend, the argument turned into a pile up as Roam, Amber, and Jade tackled Zohar. In exasperation, the women dove into the pile since the men seemed more amused than concerned by the tangle of arms, legs, and squealing bodies.
*.*.*
A loud whistle pierced the air, drawing the attention of the adults toward the stage. Ariel stood in the center of it with her hands on her hips. She gave Mandra an exasperated look when she caught him whispering in Jabir’s ear. From the guilty look on his face, he was giving their son some hints on how to fight.
“Okay, everyone! It is time for the lights to be turned on,” Ariel hollered above the mass of growling and snarling children.
She breathed a sigh of relief when the kids immediately quit their struggling. Drawing in a deep breath, she gave a huge smile before she continued. She would worry about strangling her mate later.
“When I first mentioned Christmas, I thought to focus on the more traditional concept of it. You know, friends and family getting together and a time of peace,” she continued. It had been a difficult decision to leave the religious elements out of it. After a lengthy discussion with the other women, and finally the men, they had come to agree that it would be a celebration of rebirth and of peace among the three star systems. “Unfortunately, it would appear that some have taken on the spirit of competition after watching an old Earth movie.” Ariel pressed her lips together and glared at Riley.
“What?! I like movies,” Riley exclaimed with a slightly defensive shrug. “How was I to know they would take the Christmas vacation one seriously?”
Carmen and Trisha’s choked snorts caused Ariel to shoot them a nasty look. Straightening her shoulders, Ariel continued with a nod to Cara. A look of unease ran through Ariel when Trelon leaned over and whispered in Cara’s ear. Cara cast Ariel a weak smile before she nodded to Trelon.
As if by magic, the lights around the courtyard and down through the lower gardens came on. With each flick of his finger on the tablet, Trelon’s face relaxed. The dancing lights around the courtyard took on a life of their own when everyone heard Abby’s lilting voice as she sung about a heartfelt Christmas in the mountains, swept over the crowd.