Christmas with Dragons: Book 4: A Post-Apocalyptic Holiday Tale (Dragon's Breath Series)

by Susan Illene

  Danae nodded. “Miles and I will be there, too.”

  Hank pointed a finger at me. “I better see you there as well. We’ve got a big surprise coming, and you don’t want to miss it.”

  “If I’m not busy battling the rogues, I’ll definitely come,” I promised.

  “Good.” His gaze moved down the corridor. “Now I’ve got to see who else might be lurking around in here. Ya’ll take care of yourselves and enjoy your holidays.”

  “You, too,” we replied.

  Hank and his entourage moved past us with some of his people ducking their heads into the various stores to check for people. It never ceased to amaze me how he could get around the way he did and not run into too much trouble. Everyone accepted him without reservation—even most of the criminal types.

  “Well, my theory just went out the window,” Danae said after Hank was out of earshot.

  “What’s that?” I asked.

  “With the way he gets around so easily and all the information he gets, I thought for sure he was a sorcerer.” She sighed and shook her head. “But I checked him when he passed, and there are no power vibes coming off of him. He’s a regular, old human.”

  I lifted a brow. “The world could be a mysterious place even before dragons and magic returned, you know.”

  “Yeah, but people aren’t supposed to be that good without superpowers.”

  Conrad put his hands on his hips. “What about me? I can kick some dragon ass, and I ain’t got no advantages.”

  Danae gave him an incredulous look. “Do you really want to argue that point?”

  “Let’s go,” I said, not wanting to stand in the middle of the mall for that debate.

  Chapter 9

  Aidan

  Aidan soared through the sky, heading south toward the dragon neutral zone. He carried Bailey in a special harness he’d designed so that it would be easier to transport her for the long journey. Her back rested against his chest, and strands of her hair fluttered against his face. They almost had to cancel the trip, but the temperature rose enough in the afternoon to make it bearable. From his high vantage point, he only spotted small patches of snow remaining in areas shaded from the sun. The rest had melted away.

  They reached the mountains south of the fortress, and Aidan scanned them for a place to land. Bailey had told him more than once that she wished she could see the view from the top. This was a good opportunity to give her that.

  He selected one of the peaks with a gentle roll at the top where they could easily stand and walk about a little. Descending at a steady decline, Aidan made a soft landing. As soon as he was certain Bailey could stand on her own, he unclipped the harness and freed her. She moved away to gaze about her with awe in her eyes. While she explored, he shifted into his human form and sent the harness to shiggara.

  “This is amazing,” Bailey said, smiling at him. “You didn’t tell me you were going to stop here.”

  After all the troubles she’d faced in recent months, Aidan had wanted to do something to cheer her up. “It was a surprise.”

  She turned to face north. “I can see parts of Norman from here.”

  He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. In the direction they looked, he could make out buildings and houses in the distance. They appeared small, similar to the toys the human children played with at the fortress. Aidan was used to viewing the earth from above, but it was like seeing everything for the first time with Bailey.

  “Wouldn’t it be amazing to have a house right here?” she asked.

  He rested his chin on her head, amused. “The view would be nice, but it would make it easy for our enemies to find us. Even the Thamaran would be tempted to cross the border and attack such a vulnerable target.”

  “I suppose you’re right,” Bailey said, looking to their left where they could glimpse parts of the interstate off in the distance. “The border really isn’t that far away.”

  Aidan turned her about in his arms, so she faced him. “There are some places that are best enjoyed for brief periods.”

  She rose up on her toes and kissed him. “Thank you for doing this.”

  “It is my pleasure.”

  “The mating festival is pretty far away,” she said, worrying her lip. “Are you sure I’m not too heavy to carry for that long?”

  Aidan pretended to look annoyed. “Do you think I cannot handle it?”

  “No, that’s not what I mean.” Bailey shifted from foot to foot. “It’s just that you hurt your back, and I don’t want to be a burden.”

  He picked her up and swung her in a circle. “You weigh almost nothing.”

  Bailey let out a shriek. “Aidan put me down!”

  “Are you convinced your mate is strong enough?” he asked.

  “Yes!” she said, eyes wide as he spun her one more time. He had to teach his mate to never question his strength or prowess. A female dragon would not do such a thing—unless it was intentionally meant to offend—but Aidan understood Bailey came from a different culture.

  He set her back on her feet, holding her arms until she was steady.

  She glared at him. “That was not funny.”

  “Neither was you doubting my ability to carry you.”

  “Fine.” She sighed. “I won’t do it again, but I’m still worried about leaving town at a time like this.”

  They’d had this argument more than once before departing. Aidan understood Bailey’s concern, but he also had no doubt she was grasping at any excuse not to go to the festival. “It is only until tomorrow evening. All recent sightings of the rogues have been to the north, far beyond Norman. I am certain the town will be fine until we return.”

  Bailey’s shoulders sagged in defeat. “Yeah, I guess so.”

  “Good. Now we must go if we wish to make it before sunset.”

  “Just one more minute.” She turned and took a few steps forward, taking in the view a final time.

  Aidan stood still and watched her. Bailey wasn’t a slayer right then, but rather a woman trying to find her place in the world. She didn’t have her usual warrior uniform on, either. Aidan had designed an outfit that would fit in more with the female shifters who would be attending. The pants were still tight, hugging her thighs and buttocks, but the top was entirely different. Her sleeves were long and slim, and her bodice tight until it reached her hips where it flowed down loosely at an angle, covering more of her left thigh than her right. It was a style that had become popular among the females of his kind. Bailey looked feminine and graceful in her new clothes, which were the first of several gifts Aidan planned to give her during the holidays.

  “Are you ready?” he asked.

  “Do we really have to go?” She was going to argue about the festival until the bitter end.

  “You promised Nanoq, and the Faegud pendragon is expecting you.”

  “I know.” She dragged her heels as she moved closer to him. “Alright. Let’s go.”

  Aidan let the flames overtake him, and shifted into his dragon form. Once finished, he strapped Bailey back into the harness, and they took off into the sky.

  ***

  They flew over the wide chasm that marked the southernmost border of Taugud territory and entered the neutral zone on the other side. It stretched across the entire state of Oklahoma, and east into Arkansas and west to Texas. There were no bridges to cross, and the chasm dropped hundreds of feet below, making it treacherous to climb. Humans on either end were cut off from each other. It was the main reason Bailey hadn’t been able to return home yet, though she would also have to enter dangerous territory once she left Oklahoma. Until Aidan could escort her all the way to her family’s ranch, he did not want her to attempt the journey.

  The Faegud—a toriq with a mixture of pure and shifter dragons—took up the northeast part of Texas. Aidan had worked out a treaty with them a few months back. There were a lot of stipulations that went into the agreement, one of them dealing with the mating festival and another invol
ving the Taugud assisting the Faegud in taking territory in central Texas. If their battles were successful, Aidan could get Bailey safely home. The only catch being that he wouldn’t be able to stay with her. Visits were the most he could hope for, but he had an idea on how to prevent him and his mate from being split apart. Aidan would just have to wait to act on it.

  He turned eastward, flying over a body of water called Lake Texoma. On the other side, he spotted a spacious clearing with a village at the far end. It consisted of a circle of small buildings and a large, two-story structure in the middle. His cousin, Donar, had helped to build the village over the past month, along with many others from the Taugud and Faegud. It had been tireless work to get it done in time, but it would be a place where mates from both toriqan could live after the festival was over.

  The Taugud had only been able to provide enough stone for the central meeting house. Loads had to be carried from the mountains in the north and then treated by their masons to render them fireproof, both of which were time consuming. For the rest of the structures, they’d used wood. After testing numerous trees and other vegetation, they’d finally found a few new sources that could withstand a shifter’s second flame—a unique blend of blue and purple fire that could render certain materials fireproof. Oak was one of them. Once it was treated, nothing could burn it, and it became stronger. Aidan had already constructed a few pieces of furniture for his and Bailey’s home that were made from oak, but he hoped to eventually renovate the rest of their house with it.

  He touched down close to the water and freed Bailey from the harness before shifting into his human form. Aidan could have landed closer to the village, but he wanted to give the slayer time to adjust. She handled shifters well enough, but not everyone at the mating festival could take human shape. Maintaining control around pure dragons took a lot more of her concentration.

  “There’s got to be at least a hundred of them over there,” she said, her back rigid as she stared at the village. “I don’t know if I can handle this.”

  Aidan completed his shift. “Yes, you can. I will be by your side the entire time.”

  “You’ve got more faith in me than I do,” she replied, sighing.

  “Aidan!” a male voice called out.

  He turned his gaze toward the woods south of them and found Lorcan and Donar walking their way. Lorcan—the eldest son of the Faegud pendragon—had been the one to yell his name. He appeared to be in good spirits, but Donar had a sickened expression on his face as if he was about to lose the contents of his stomach. There was no telling what might have caused Aidan’s cousin to feel ill. In all likelihood, it was the food they were serving. Donar could be rather particular about what he ate.

  “Who is that?” Bailey asked, nodding toward Lorcan.

  The Faegud shifter walked as if he owned the world. Lorcan wasn’t one to be deliberately cruel, but he did love to test the individuals around him. In his human form—as he was now—he had a muscular, medium build, wavy brown hair that ran past his shoulders, tan skin, and orange eyes. The dragon blood within him was strong, but not so much that he couldn’t shift.

  “That is Lorcan,” Aidan replied. He’d told Bailey all about the people she would be meeting, so he did not have to explain further.

  She crossed her arms. “He looks like he needs to be taken down a peg or two.”

  Aidan chuckled. “There will be contests and games tomorrow afternoon. You are welcome to challenge him then.”

  “Maybe I will.” Bailey glanced up at him with a gleam in her eyes. “If you don’t think it will cause any trouble.”

  Aidan was glad to see her nervousness going away. “It won’t. If anything, it will draw an enthusiastic crowd.”

  Lorcan stopped in front of them. “I would gladly try my hand against you, slayer.”

  Bailey frowned. She often forgot dragons could hear much better than humans.

  “Lorcan, this is my mate—Bailey,” Aidan introduced.

  “I’ve heard much about you.” He held his arm out, offering her the traditional shifter greeting. “It is good to meet you.”

  Bailey hesitated for only a moment before clasping his arm. She gripped Lorcan so hard he winced before she let him go. “I’m glad to meet the dragon whose ass I will be kicking tomorrow.”

  Aidan laughed. He’d told Bailey she didn’t have to worry about offending this particular shifter. Lorcan enjoyed it when others challenged him.

  Donar patted the Faegud shifter on the back. “You shouldn’t have agreed to fight her. I have come to suspect the more she restrains herself from killing our kind, the more vicious she is in battle. Not to worry though, I’ll make certain a healer is close at hand.”

  “Donar.” Bailey smiled at him. “It’s been a while since I’ve trained with you. Maybe you should stop by the house sometime so we can get in a little sword practice.”

  Donar grimaced. “I think I’ll pass. You’ve abused me enough.”

  Lorcan gave Aidan an amused look. “I can see now why you chose this female. She is more than a good match for you.”

  “What were you doing before we arrived?” Aidan gestured toward the woods. “My cousin’s face appeared rather green.”

  Donar cleared his throat. “Your brother…he is having quite the time with his prospective mate. I’ve never seen anything so…vile.”

  Lorcan laughed. “Let’s just say my cousin, Freya, is not what he expected.”

  Aidan’s jaw dropped. “You offered him Freya?”

  “Yes. No one else will have her, so we thought it would be a perfect match,” Lorcan said, appearing pleased with himself.

  A loud bellow came from the direction of the woods, and they all jerked their gazes in that direction. Ruari came running out of the forest with no shirt on, his pants hanging in tatters from his waist, and only one boot on his feet. His chest, face, and bald head were covered in scratches, and blood was smeared across his skin.

  “What the…” Bailey began.

  “Dear Zorya.” Aidan wasn’t certain that even Ruari deserved such a female.

  His brother ran toward them, gesturing wildly. He skipped right past Donar, Aidan, and Lorcan to duck behind Bailey. “Protect me from that crazy woman, and I’ll owe you a huge favor.”

  “What on Earth could be so bad?” Bailey asked, frowning at him.

  A moment later something else came running out of the woods. Aidan called it “something” because he had no other word to describe Freya when she was in this shape. Unlike any other shifter in existence, she could stop the change halfway between being a dragon and a human. Her legs were long and in the shape of a woman’s, but with scales over them. She wore no clothing to cover her private parts, which were also covered in scales. Her face was that of a dragon, and yet her long, blonde hair flowed behind her head. The worst part was the claws. She had long, delicate arms with small hands, but instead of human nails, she had talons jutting from her fingers.

  “Come back here, you coward!” she yelled. It came out somewhat garbled because of her half-formed snout, but intelligible enough to understand.

  “That’s…that’s actually possible?” Bailey looked mortified.

  “Only with her,” Aidan replied.

  Ruari gripped Bailey’s jacket. “Will you protect me?”

  “Um…” She looked between him and the crazy woman coming toward them. “Maybe, if you promise not to land on my lawn and burn it anymore.”

  “I’ll do anything. I swear,” Ruari vowed. It wasn’t often one saw a large, muscular man who appeared he could take on anything, quivering in fear from a female.

  Freya stopped halfway to them. She cast her gaze around, realizing she’d drawn dozens of eyes between their group and the dragons in the village. Fire rose about her, and a minute later she appeared fully human with her camrium clothing on—a black halter dress with a skirt that flowed down to her knees and a pair of mid-calf boots. The change brought out the beautiful woman with flowing blond hair that had
likely made Ruari think he’d gotten lucky to be offered such a mate. As long as she didn’t take on her half-dragon form, she was stunning.

  “Aidan,” she called out in a sweet voice, finishing her walk toward them. “It has been too long.”

  For some strange reason, Bailey pinched herself. “I’ve got to be dreaming.”

  “I can see you’ve been doing well, Freya,” Aidan replied. He had not seen her since he was still a youth—nearly two centuries ago.

  She pouted her lips. “Your brother needs work if he is to be my mate.”

  “He needs work, period,” Bailey said.

  “Is this the slayer?” Freya asked, lifting a delicate brow.

  “She is.”

  “I’ve heard so much about you.” She held her arm out to Bailey, who reluctantly took it while keeping her other hand on Ruari in a protective gesture.

  “That’s quite the trick you pulled back there,” Bailey said.

  Freya made a dismissive gesture. “It is nothing, but I needed Ruari to see that side of me. If he had stayed still, he would have been fine.”

  “She’s crazy!” he said, standing a little taller—behind Bailey.

  “Brother, I believe that is something you need to work out for yourself.” Aidan pulled his mate to his side, taking away Ruari’s protection. “Freya can be quite nice as long as you don’t upset her.”

  Donar snickered. “He could make a stone wall get mad at him.”

  “Yes, well, we must leave you to it.” Lorcan clasped his hands together. “My mother is expecting to meet the slayer, and we must not keep her waiting.”

  Bailey leaned closer to Aidan and whispered, “Think he’ll be okay?”

  “It is not up to us.”

  “Do not worry,” Freya said, looping her arm through Ruari’s. “It takes a lot of energy to shift into my half-dragon form, so he’ll be safe for a while.”

  Bailey still hesitated. Aidan was surprised she cared at all, but he supposed he shouldn’t have been. Becoming a slayer didn’t change the fact she had a good heart and wanted to protect anyone in need.