“Let’s hope so,” Paul laughed. “I don’t think Morian will be able to keep the women out much longer.”
24
“What’s taking the Queen so longs to gets here?” Jabir asked, rubbing his nose. “I’s getting hungrys again.”
“I hears something,” Zohar said, waving his hand.
“Does you wants us to goes back to the babies?” Alice asked, worriedly biting her lip and picking up her bow and arrow set.
“No, we’s might needs you here,” Zohar said.
“I’s sees my daddy,” Jade laughed.
“Our daddies are going to helps us,” Amber said excitedly.
“Why’s mine got colors all over him?” Roam asked puzzled.
The kids backed up closer to the end of the ride and waited until it drew to a stop. Each of them watched in confusion as the men piled out of the ride, looking somewhat like they had already been in battle.
“Phoenix,” Spring cried out when she saw her sister.
The two little girls rushed to each other, wrapping their arms around the other and falling to the ground in a fit of giggles. Both were talking so fast that no one could understand what they were saying. Only when Creon stepped closer did they release each other and stand up.
“I’s was telling Spring about how you was fighting the balloons in the kitchen,” Phoenix explained.
“I’s did the balloons,” Alice beamed. “It makes you pretty.”
“Yes, it made us all pretty,” Ha’ven growled, picking Alice up in his arms and swinging her around in a circle. “You and I have to talk about your balloons and a few other things.”
“Are you mads at me?” Alice asked. Her bottom lip trembled and she stared at Ha’ven with huge, worried eyes. “I’s just trying to protects the babies.”
Ha’ven’s gaze softened. “No, I’m not mad at you,” he whispered. “But, I think we’d better talk about some of the things you can do that you forgot to tell Mommy and me about.”
“Okay,” Alice said, wrapping her arms around her dad’s neck and squeezing him. “I’s can do lots of things.”
“I know you can,” Ha’ven murmured with a sigh, his gaze locking with Zoran’s.
Zoran turned when he felt a slight tug on his pants leg. Looking down, he saw his son standing there looking at him with dark, golden eyes. He knelt and rested his hand on Zohar’s thin shoulder.
“I should have listened to you,” Zoran said in a grave voice. “I’m proud of you.”
“I’s a leader likes you, Daddy,” Zohar said. “I’s had lots of helps from the others, though.”
Zoran gazed around the room at each of the other men. They were laughing and talking to the younglings. Viper was teasing Roam about the paintballs and how he had booby-trapped his dad. Cree and Calo were standing and chatting with Paul about how creative the kids had been and that they were looking forward to the day when Hope would be old enough to join Morah and Leo on their own great adventures, while Kelan and Mandra listened avidly to Bálint and Jabir describing how they had planned out everything. This was what it meant to have a family. This is what it meant to have friends.
He turned his gaze back to Zohar who was watching him and smiled. “Yes, you did have a lot of help. That is what a good leader does,” Zoran said.
“We’s waiting for the Queen,” Zohar explained. “Are you going to helps us?”
Zoran stood up and lifted Zohar in his arms. He was about to explain that the Queen was just make-believe when the loud sound of thunder shook the room and the lights flickered. He turned in surprise to Trelon.
“I didn’t program that,” Trelon muttered, turning to look at the throne that was beginning to glow. “… Or that.”
Everyone turned and watched in amazement when a ghostly doorway appeared and a figure walked forward, followed by several other strange looking creatures. Behind the figures, they could see what looked like all different types of creatures in the background and a large, black castle. Zoran carefully lowered Zohar to the ground and stepped in front of him.
“Who are you?” He asked, glancing once again at Trelon, who shook his head in confusion.
“I am the Queen of the Symbiots,” the majestic figure said with a wave of her hand. On either side of her, large replicas of the miniature figures that Jade and Amber had created moved to the side. “I am from the Land of Halloween.”
“Uh, Zoran, I did not program this,” Trelon muttered out of the side of his mouth.
Zoran nodded. “What do you want?” He demanded.
The figure descended the steps and bent to smile down at Zohar peeking out from behind Zoran’s leg. Zoran immediately dropped his hand down to shield his young son. His other hand moved to the knife at his waist, but something told him that the figure in front of him was not a threat.
“I came to say thank you,” the Queen whispered. “… For sharing with me the beauty of your friendship and love.”
“You likes my sparkles?” Alice asked, stepping away from Ha’ven.
“And my mirror?” Phoenix asked.
“I’s just had Dirty Worm silk, but its fun to plays with,” Spring said.
“Yes, it is very fun,” the Queen laughed, turning her attention to Phoenix. “And your mirror to the universe was beautiful and showed me there is much more out there than just the Land of Halloween. Alice, your sparkles lit up the land and made everyone very happy. The ghosts and ghouls and monsters really love your balloons,” the Queen added.
“I’s can give you some of my Tickle Bugs,” Jabir offered shyly.
“That’s alright, Jabir. I wouldn’t want to take your Tickle Bugs,” the Queen assured him.
“Oh, you can take them,” Mandra insisted. “I know where you can find dozens of them.”
“You’s do? Can I’s have more?” Jabir asked, turning to his dad with a hopeful expression.
“No, I really don’t need Tickle Bugs. Halloween has enough mischievous creatures, thank you,” the Queen responded.
“I’s can show you how’s to make booby-traps,” Roam said. “My mommy showed me how to makes them.”
“They are lovely booby-traps, too,” the Queen chuckled.
Jade and Amber were whispering frantically to each other and glancing at the Queen before they both stepped forward, wringing their hands together. The Queen stared into the eyes of both little girls and waited. Jade finally released a breath and spoke first.
“We’s gots our own minions, but they are a parts of Symba so we can’t gives you those,” Jade said, glancing at her sister.
“All we gots is a broken robot in the ballroom,” Amber said, glancing at her dad. “He’s only a little broken, though.”
“Yeah,” Jade said with a hopeful smile. “He walks like this.”
Everyone laughed as Jade walked around with her mouth open, dragging one leg and moving one arm funny. She stopped and looked at the Queen with a serious expression. The Queen reached up and tenderly touched Jade’s cheek.
“I think a broken robot would be perfect for the Land of Halloween,” the Queen whispered. “You are truly a wonderful friend.”
Jade threw her arms around the Queen’s neck and held her tight. Slowly, one by one, each of the other children came forward and wrapped their arms around her, as well. The Queen closed her eyes as a wave of emotion swept through her.
“I knows who you really are. You’s will be alright,” Phoenix whispered to her. “I’s going to miss you, though.”
The Queen bowed her head and pressed her lips against Phoenix’s forehead. “I will miss you, too, little one,” she whispered, standing up and stepping back. “Thank you, my friends, for everything.”
Zoran and the others watched in disbelief when the figure waved her hand and stepped back through the doorway that had reappeared. She glanced back once, her eyes holding Zoran’s for a long moment before she bowed her head in respect.
“The Valdier, Sarafin, and Curizan have grown much since I first came to this world
,” she whispered. “Your bond will keep you strong. I must go, but there are others of my kind who will watch over you.” Her gaze turned to Creon and she smiled at him. “… Fear not for your daughter, warrior, her future may already be written in the stars, but she is stronger than you realize.”
Creon’s throat worked up and down. His hands tightened protectively on the small shoulders of his two daughters as the figure turned. The other creatures that had come with her jumped through the doorway just before it disappeared, leaving all of them standing there in silence.
“Who was that?” Viper finally asked.
“That was Aikaterina. She’s my friend,” Phoenix answered, turning to look up at her father with dark brown eyes filled with sadness.
“Daddy, I’s hungry. Can we gets something to eats now that the babies are safe?” Jabir asked, breaking the tense atmosphere and mobilizing the men into action.
“Let’s go feed the kids before the women get back,” Paul suggested quietly.
*.*.*
Back in the control room, Dulce sat back in the chair and shook his head in amazement. For almost two hours, he had been glued to the screen, watching the events unfold. What had begun as a final check of the camera system had quickly turned into an adventure straight out of the archives.
When he had first noticed the dragonlings and the other royal families’ younglings in the throne room, he had been shocked and dismayed. He had quickly scanned the area searching for signs of their parents. A smile tugged on his lips and his gaze moved to the screen where he was replaying the vidcom footage.
In fascination, he studied how the dragonlings, the Sarafin cub, and the Curizan Princess all worked together. It didn’t take long for him to realize what they were doing. It was the way they were doing it that he couldn’t figure out. At least, not until the very end and he realized he was seeing something extraordinary – even magical.
Reaching over, he saved the video footage to a disk and slipped it in his pocket. He would store it in the archive for safe keeping. His gaze moved back to the group of men. Deep down, he felt his dragon stir and whimper.
“I know, my friend,” Dulce murmured in a soothing tone. “One day… One day, we will have a chance to find a true mate for us. Until that day, we will help Lady Cara and watch over the younglings as if they were our own.”
Dulce rose from the chair when the last of the group exited the castle and gave the command to shut down the program. Reaching for the comlink attached to his waist, he gave a brief order for a cleanup crew to go through the castle one last time – with specific instructions on how to deal with some of the items they would find.
Tomorrow, the ride would be ready for the festival. He fingered the disk in his pocket, wondering if he should share it with Lady Cara. He knew it would only be a matter of time before the mischievous and brilliant human female discovered what had happened.
Looking out the window of the control room, he watched the men walking quietly back along the path. The younglings were running around, playing and excitedly talking. His eyes lit on their faces.
You no tell on them, will you? His dragon asked with a snort.
Dulce released a soft chuckle and shook his head. “Lady Cara will find out soon enough. We should just be thankful that we weren’t there,” he replied.
We go find us mate, his dragon growled.
A devious smile curled Dulce’s lips and he fingered the disk one more time. After several long seconds, he shrugged his shoulders. What did they have to lose? There was a warship leaving for Lady Cara’s home world in a few weeks, maybe he could make a deal with the Dragon Lords to be on it.
How would you like to go see if we can find us a mate? Dulce silently asked his dragon.
About time! His dragon growled with glee.
"Yes, it is about time," Dulce replied, stepping out of the control room and heading back down to the floor of the cavern.
25
“That was wonderful, Riley,” Trisha laughed as they quietly let themselves into Paul’s and Morian’s living quarters.
“The show was da-bomb! I haven’t laughed that hard in years,” Riley admitted. “I’m so glad you were able to get tickets for all of us, Morian.”
Morian laughed while she removed her jacket. “It helps having friends in the right places,” she teased before she stopped and gazed at the numerous bodies sprawled all over the living room. “It would appear that the men had just as much excitement as we did,” she chuckled.
The women’s gazes passed over the room. Cree was sound asleep with Hope on his chest. Calo was in the chair next to him, a stuffed animal and pink blanket still clutched in his hand. His head was thrown back and soft, regular snores filled the room.
“Oh, my,” Melina whispered, walking over to gently scoop Hope up into her arms. “Let’s go back to our living quarters,” she murmured when Cree and Calo both suddenly came awake.
They both nodded and rose stiffly out of the chairs, looking around disoriented for a moment before rubbing a hand over their faces. They nodded to Morian and the other women before quietly exiting the room.
One by one, the women woke their mates. They gathered the children and their belongings before quietly wishing Morian and Paul a good night. Morian sighed when she closed the door behind the last one.
Leaning against the door, she stared at Paul with a tender expression. “Thank you,” she whispered as he picked up the last of the toys and placed them in a basket near the window.
“For what?” He asked, turning and wrapping his arms around her when she came forward.
“For being you,” she said. “… For giving me such a beautiful family. … For finding me.”
“I’m the one who should be saying thank you,” he admitted. “You know, if Morah is half as adventuresome as the other kids, we’re going to have our hands full.”
Morian tilted her head back and laughed. Looking at him again, she cupped his cheeks and brushed a kiss against his lips. Her breath caught when his arms tightened around her and he pulled her closer, deepening the kiss and leaving her breathless.
“I wouldn’t expect her to be anything less,” Morian murmured.
“She’ll be just like her mother,” Paul said, bending and sweeping Morian into his arms and walking toward their bedroom. “… Adventurous, intelligent, strong, and incredibly brave.”
“You are such a charmer. I’ll remind you of that when she goes on her first adventure,” Morian giggled, pressing a kiss against his skin. “Did you know that you have glitter on your neck?”
“Well, I guess I’ll just need to get a shower before I make love to you then,” Paul murmured, setting her on her feet and stepping back so he could pull his shirt off.
“How about I help you?” Morian suggested with a seductive smile. She pulled off her own blouse and tossed it to the side. “I’ll just make sure that you don’t miss a spot.”
In the other room, Morah giggled and wiggled her nose. A moment later, a tiny gold dragon with shimmering crystal scales fluttered to the floor with the help of the golden symbiot lying next to the crib and hurried to the door. In the background, she could hear her parents’ soft laughter and the sound of the shower. Pushing the door open, she hopped down the hallway to the kitchen. No one heard the sound of the cookie jar lid when it was removed. Well, no one, but a golden symbiot and the two floating figures enjoying the pumpkin shaped cookies with her.
I hope you enjoyed The Dragonlings’ Haunted Halloween 2: Night of the Demented Symbiots. This story will definitely not be the last of my Dragonling stories! There will be more to come as they grow up. Hugs ~ S.E. Smith
Afterword
If you loved this story by me (S.E. Smith) please leave a review. You can also take a look at additional books and sign up for my newsletter at http://sesmithfl.com and http://sesmithya.com to hear about my latest releases or keep in touch using the following links:
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Excerpts of S.E. Smith Books
If you would like to read more S.E. Smith stories, she recommends Touch of Frost, the first in her Magic, New Mexico series. Or if you prefer a Paranormal or Western with a twist, you can check out Lily’s Cowboys or Indiana Wild…
Additional Books by S.E. Smith
Short Stories and Novellas
For the Love of Tia (Dragon Lords of Valdier Book 4.1)
A Dragonling’s Easter (Dragonlings of Valdier Book 1.1)
A Dragonling’s Haunted Halloween (Dragonlings of Valdier Book 1.2)
Night of the Demented Symbiots (Dragonlings’ Haunted Halloween 2)
A Dragonling’s Magical Christmas (Dragonlings of Valdier Book 1.3)
A Mate for Matrix (Pets in Space Anthology)
A Warrior’s Heart (Marastin Dow Warriors Book 1.1)
Rescuing Mattie (Lords of Kassis: Book 3.1)
The Beast Prince (The Fairy Tale Series)
*Free Audiobook of The Beast Prince is available at:
https://soundcloud.com/sesmithfl/sets/the-beast-prince-the-fairy-tale-series
Boxsets / Bundles
Dragon Lords of Valdier Boxset Books 1-3
The Alliance Boxset Books 1-3
Science Fiction Romance / Paranormal Novels
Cosmos’ Gateway Series
Tink’s Neverland (Book 1)
Hannah’s Warrior (Book 2)
Tansy’s Titan (Book 3)
Cosmos’ Promise (Book 4)
Merrick's Maiden (Book 5)