Trisha grabbed Bálint and Jabir in her arms while Kelan scooped up Zohar and Spring. Vox had Roam on his back and Amber and Jade in his arms. They swept out under Ha’ven and Christoff’s arms and onto the wide ledge that was beginning to crumble.
Ha’ven turned his head, making sure that the others were clear. He could feel his body shake as the power swirled around him, greedily seeking a way past his self control.
Ha’ven
, Emma’s voice reached out to him. Let me help you.
The energy…
Ha’ven whispered back to her.
I have you.
Her sweet voice washed through Ha’ven and he could feel her calming force as she shielded him from the swirling bands of energy.
The boulder above them suddenly shattered into thousands of pieces as Emma added her strength to Ha’ven’s. Both men fell to their knees with the release of the weight. Ha’ven shook his head when Christoff looked at him in astonishment.
“Let’s go,” Ha’ven said, pushing up off the ground with his hand and striding toward the air bike.
Christoff started to follow him, but turned back to the cave at the last moment. His eyes catching sight of the small gifts on the table. Looking back at the entrance, his lips tightened. Hurrying back inside the cave, he quickly grabbed the two gifts off the table and reached for the small leather bag he kept near the end of his bed. In it were the few items he had taken from his home down in the village centuries before.
He turned just as his symbiot surged toward him, knocking him back onto the bed as a large piece of rock from the ceiling caved in where he had been standing. Breathing heavily, he gripped the frame of the bed as the mountain emitted a soul-shaking shudder. He heard Ha’ven’s shout of warning before everything grew dark as the rest of the entrance to the cave collapsed, sealing him inside the mountain that had shadowed his life.
“Give me light, my friend,” he whispered.
His symbiot shook, exhausted from the trails of the day and Christoff’s own tired soul. Rising from the bed, he stepped around the large piece of rock that had fallen and made his way over to the entrance of the cave. Resting his hand on the rock, he released a tired sigh. There was no way he could escape in time. Turning to look at his symbiot lying next to the bed, he slowly climbed back over the debris and sat down on the edge of it. Using the faint light of his symbiot, he reached for the two brightly wrapped gifts.
He set one down on his lap while he carefully opened the first one. A glitter of light caught on the delicately carved images of two dragons. He lifted one of them. Each hung from its own chain. When he picked up the other, he realized that the two could connect together. His eyes flashed down to a folded piece of paper. Picking it up, he carefully opened it and tilted it toward the light.
As long as you hold your family and friends close to your heart, you will never be alone.
Tears burned Christoff’s eyes as he carefully slid the dragons together and clipped both chains around his neck. Setting the box down, he picked up the other gift with a slightly trembling hand. Carefully opening it, his throat tightened when he found a beautiful water-filled glass dome. Inside was a dragon and what looked like a symbiot in the shape of a Werecat standing in front of a brightly colored tree like the two little girls had given him. When he tilted the dome, white flakes floated down around the two figures. He saw a small lever on the bottom of it. Twisting it, the delicate sounds of music filled the dark, cold cave.
Swallowing, Christoff turned the lever until it wouldn’t turn any more. Holding it against his chest, he turned and laid down on the bed. He patted the bed next to him. Within seconds, the symbiot was lying beside him.
“Rest, my friend,” he whispered. “My dragon and I are tired, too. I think it is time to move on to the next world, what do you think?”
Warmth engulfed him. He slowly stroked his symbiot as the light faded from it. He drew comfort from knowing that he had lived a good, if lonely, life. He had done what he could to soothe the mountain, and in the end, he had discovered friendship in the smallest, pure form.
Closing his eyes, he felt the mountain draw in a deep, calm breath before the storm. A golden wave of warmth engulfed him as the mountain exploded outward. Finally, he could rest.
“Not yet, my warrior,” a soft voice whispered through his consciousness. “I hope you accept my Christmas gift to you.”
“Daddy! Mommy!” Amber and Jade cried out when they saw Trelon and Cara standing in the makeshift medical unit set up for the villagers.
Trelon and Cara turned as one, their eyes widening in relief when they
saw
the girls shift into their dragons so they could run faster. Cara bent down and scooped Jade up while Trelon lifted Amber into his arms. They moved together, sandwiching the girls between them as they sought the solitude of their little family while they fought for control.
“Oh, sweethearts,” Cara whispered, holding Jade tightly against her while she pressed her lips to Amber’s temple. “Why did you run away?”
“We’s didn’t,” Jade whispered. “We’s was saving Christmas.”
Amber nodded and sniffed. “We’s gave presents to the old dragon of the mountain, but the mountain ate him,” she sobbed, wrapping her arms around Trelon’s neck and burying her face against it as she cried.
“Oh, baby,” Cara whispered, looking at Trelon with haunted eyes.
“The volcano has always been an active one,” Trelon murmured. “Our scientists knew it could erupt at any time, it was merely a matter of when. It was a minor eruption, but the villagers will have to be relocated.”
Cara nodded, stroking her hand over Jade’s hair and down her back. She leaned her cheek against her daughter’s dirty hair, just thankful to have her back in her arms.
“Mommy,” Jade murmured in a sleepy voice.
“Yes, sweetheart,” Cara murmured softly.
“Amber’s and I’s don’t mind taking naps no more,” she mumbled as she rubbed her cheek against Cara’s shoulder. “We’s decided we’s like them now.”
Trelon chuckled and bent to kiss Jade’s cheek. “All it took was an adventure that made me age a few centuries to get them to finally agree to take a nap.”
“Trelon!” Cara chided with a soft giggle, snuggling closer to him and Amber.
*.*.*
“Roam!” Riley breathed.
She pushed through the crowd of people in her way, determined to get to Vox and her son. They were standing near the air gliders talking to Ha’ven. She picked up speed until she was almost running by the time she threw her arms around Vox and Roam.
“Momma!” Roam crowed with a happy smile.
Riley’s hands ran over Roam’s dirty face, searching him for injuries. “Are you hurt? Did Daddy check you over? Are you hungry?”
Vox frowned down at Roam. “I didn’t exactly have time to check him over,” he replied gruffly. “I was trying to keep him alive. Roam, are you hurt?”
Riley bit her bottom lip and waited for Roam to answer. She breathed a sigh of relief when he finally shook his head. Leaning weakly against Vox, she touched Roam’s dirty cheek with her fingers.
“I’s okay,” Roam said with a smile. “I’s hurt my paws when I’s almost went over the cliff and I’s think my tail was broke ‘cause it hurt really bad and Spring said it was crooked, but the old dragon’s symbiot fixed it and I’s don’t hurts no more.”
“… Almost went over a cliff,” Riley and Vox murmured in horror, looking at each other before turning to stare back at their son.
“Medic!” Vox roared.
“Doctor! We need a doctor!” Riley cried out, turning around in a panicked circle. “The tent!”
“I’s told you’s I’s okay!” Roam tried to tell his frantic parents. “I’s hungry, though.”
“Food,” Riley whispered with wide eyes. “I’ll get food, you get a doctor to look over him. And Vox,” she said, gripping his arm as he started to turn away. “I’ll skin you alive if you let him out of your sight.”
Vox grinned. “I’m not letting him out of my arms,” he promised. “Go get food for our son. I’ll meet you in the medical tent.”
Riley nodded, watching her mate and son walk away. Her hand fluttered to her stomach as it turned. Focusing, she tried to assure her cat that Roam was alright.
Not Roam,
her cat groaned.
Then, what’s wrong,
Riley asked in aggravation as her stomach rolled again.
It his sisters that is making stomach funny,
her cat snapped.
They worse than Roam.
Riley stopped and swayed for a moment.
Sisters!
Turning, she looked at Vox when he turned to glance at her. “Vox! You potent Tomcat!” Riley roared.
Vox just grinned. He wondered how long it would take Riley to figure out that their afternoon together had been very productive. He also wondered how long it would take for her to realize that there was more than one cub in the oven this time.
*.*.*
“Abby,” Zoran said, watching as his mate moved among the villagers, asking questions, talking, but most of all listening to what they had to say.
She looked up and gave him a sad smile. He walked over to her. She and the other women had arrived shortly after word had been received that the mountain was erupting. Zoran had initiated an emergency response team that immediately set up temporary lodging, food, and medical services for the villagers displaced by the eruption.
Abby had arrived and begun working with the emergency response team. She had been working tirelessly, pausing to look at Zoran only when anyone new came by in the hopes that Trisha, Kelan, and the others had returned with the children. His chest hurt every time he saw the fear and the uncertainty flash through her eyes when she realized that there was still no news of their son.
“More permanent lodgings are being built not far from the valley,” Abby finished telling an elderly female. “It is very similar to the valley you came from.”
Zoran watched as Abby patted the female’s hand and rose out of the chair that one of the warriors had placed near the bed. He held out his arms to her when she looked at him with an expression that showed what the stress of not knowing was doing to her. His arms circled around her and he held her close against his body as he buried his face in her hair.
“Nothing yet?” She asked in a husky voice.
A shudder went through Zoran and he shook his head. “No,” he said. “Not yet.”
“Oh, Zoran,” Abby fought to say through her tears. “If anything…”
Zoran leaned back and cupped her face in his hands. “They will get him and all the other younglings out.”
Abby bit her lip and nodded. She had to have hope and faith that Trisha, Kelan, and the others would be successful. The alternative was too painful to even imagine.
“Mommy! Daddy!” A young voice cried out behind them.
Abby and Zoran turned at the same time. A low cry of relief escaped Abby as she hurried forward and scooped Zohar up in her arms and buried her face in his small neck. Silent tears escaped her as she held him against her. Only when Zoran wrapped his arms around both of them did she relax and give in to the relief.
Zoran looked at Kelan and smiled. “Thank you,” he said in a quiet voice. “Abby and I… Thank you.”
“No thanks are needed, brother,” Kelan replied, pulling Trisha and Bálint against his side. “You have a very brave, and very smart, son.”
“I’s a leader, daddy. Just’s like you,” Zohar said with a huge grin. “I’s lead the dragonlings, Roam, and Alice to the old dragon of the mountain to saves Christmas.” The smile on his face turned down and his eyes grew sad when he continued. “The old dragon’s a nice dragon’s. He just lonely. He don’t come down no more from the mountain. The mountain went boom.”
Zoran’s hand trembled as he ran it over Zohar’s hair. “I know the mountain went boom,” he said tenderly. “We’ll talk about your adventures tonight.”
“Okays,” Zohar said with a yawn. “I’s don’t want to eat bugs for dinner. Jabir says they’s good, but I’s like mommy’s dinner better.”
Abby gave a watery chuckle and hugged Zohar against her. “I promise no bugs,” she said, pressing a kiss to his cheek before looking at Trisha and Kelan. “The others?”
“All the children are fine,” Trisha promised, adjusting her hold on Bálint. “There was only one casualty that we are aware of,” she added in a quiet voice.
Abby nodded sadly. “To have this happen so close to our first Christmas,” she said with a shake of her head.
Zoran brushed a kiss across her temple and hugged her close. “It gives us even more to be thankful for when we think of what we could have lost,” he said.
“Yes,” Trisha and Kelan murmured. “It does.”
*.*.*
“Ha’ven,” Emma called out, staring at where Ha’ven and Alice were standing talking with Vox.
Ha’ven turned and scanned the crowd. They seemed to know that he was looking for someone special because they parted to reveal Emma’s delicate form where she stood in a small opening. His breath caught in his throat when he saw the late afternoon sun shining down on her. The colors of her aura were almost blinding in their brilliance.
Instinctively, his arm rose and he reached out to her. A slow smile curved his lips as she took first one, then another, and then another step toward him until she was running, the colors surrounding her reaching out to wrap around him and Alice with a warmth and love that left him shaken. His arm closed around her and he pulled her to him, holding her like he would never, ever let her go.
“Oh, Emma,” Ha’ven whispered, pulling back far enough to cover her lips with his.
It took several long seconds before they both felt the slight tapping on the sides of their head. Ha’ven reluctantly released Emma’s lips, staring into her eyes before he felt the tiny hands of his daughter turning his head. He chuckled when she looked at him with a raised eyebrow, so much like her mother.
“You’s kissing mama,” Alice said.
“Yes,” Ha’ven chuckled. “I’m kissing mama.”
A slight frown of confusion twisted Alice’s face. “Does that’s mean Bálint is supposed to kisses me?” She asked, tilting her head to the side.