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

by Susan Illene

  Ruari worked his jaw. “I can handle her as long as she remains in her human form.”

  “Let’s go.” Lorcan led the way to the village.

  All of the onlookers had gone back to whatever they’d been doing before. As they got closer, the ground turned muddy. Cobblestones had yet to be laid in and around the village. Between the visitors trampling through the area and construction destroying the grass, it was a mess to walk through. The recent wet weather hadn’t helped, either.

  They moved beyond the outer circle of huts and into the central part of the village. All the pathways had been made especially wide to accommodate both humans and dragons. Some people held tankards in their hands filled with alefire, and drank heavily from them. As Aidan, Bailey, and the rest of the group passed, many stopped to stare. Word had spread that a slayer would be coming today. Bailey didn’t have a particular scent they could identify as being one of her kind, but her close proximity to Aidan gave her away. They knew he’d mated with a slayer.

  She glanced at him, expression strained. “This is unnerving.”

  “You’ll be fine,” he reassured her, though he could understand her discomfort.

  Lorcan gestured toward the large, two-story building at the center of the village. “The pendragons are waiting for us in the common house.”

  They followed him inside, shutting the door tightly behind them. Aidan gazed around the room. There were hearths on each end with fires burning low in deference to the overwhelming heat from the crowded place. Two long trestle tables were set in the middle, and there was a door on the far side where servants came and went from the kitchen. The Taugud and Faegud had each brought a few of their humans to help during the festival, and they’d managed to hire a handful of locals who were brave enough to work with dragons in exchange for food and supplies.

  In the corner of the room near the stairs, the Faegud and Taugud pendragons—Hildegard and Nanoq—sat together at a square table. All conversation in the room stopped as everyone turned to look at Aidan, Bailey, and the rest of their group. Most of them focused on the slayer at his side. He glanced down, noting her tense expression. Bailey was doing all she could to hold herself together.

  Hildegard stood. “Well, get over here, slayer. Let me get a better look at you.”

  Lorcan stepped aside and gestured for them to pass. Aidan put a hand on Bailey’s back, guiding her around the trestle tables and toward the Faegud pendragon.

  Lorcan’s mother was an imposing sight, whether in human or dragon shape. She had a large build, stern visage, and stood as tall as Aidan. She’d braided her brown hair, so it hung in a single rope down her back. Hildegard wore the same style of clothing as last time Aidan saw her—a heavy red tunic and pair of black pants. Though appearing battle-worn and middle-aged, she had a way of carrying herself that led one to believe she could bowl right over every shifter in the room without breaking a sweat. The fact she’d killed the last pendragon of her toriq, a formidable warrior, and taken his place led credence to the theory.

  Aidan nudged Bailey in front of him to face the woman. He didn’t like subjecting her to such scrutiny, but he did not have a choice. They needed Hildegard to approve of Bailey if they wanted her to get back to her family someday.

  The Faegud pendragon put a finger under the slayer’s chin, lifting it. “They said you were small, but I did not expect a girl who appears to have just left her mother’s nest. Surely it would take little more than a light breeze to knock you over.”

  “I’m good at pushing back,” Bailey said, eyes flashing.

  Hildegard nodded. “You should never let anything knock you down.” The Faegud pendragon squeezed the slayer’s arms, poking and prodding her. “There’s a bit of muscle in there, but I still find it hard to believe you can fight a dragon without getting yourself killed.”

  Bailey lifted her brows. “I’ve challenged your son to a duel during the games tomorrow. You can see how I handle myself then.”

  The Faegud pendragon glanced between Lorcan and Bailey. “Well, that should be entertaining.”

  “I promise not to embarrass him too badly,” Bailey said.

  Everyone in the room laughed. Aidan suspected no one would want to miss that fight.

  “Good girl.” Hildegard squeezed Bailey’s shoulder. “Handle yourself well while you’re here, and I’ll consider letting you participate in the battle in the spring.”

  Nanoq stiffened in his seat. He’d been quiet and watchful so far, but now he looked like he might have an apoplexy. “Now Hildegard, let’s not go that far.”

  “Why not?” she asked, looking down her nose at him. “If the slayer is as good as she says, she might be useful.”

  “I do not think…”

  “Let me be the judge of that. If she does well here, I trust she’ll be fine elsewhere.”

  Aidan breathed a sigh of relief. That was the next step to helping Bailey reunite with her family. The ranch would fall within Hildegard’s territory if their battles were successful, so they had to make certain the Faegud would tolerate a slayer living on their land.

  “Thank you.” Bailey dipped her chin, remembering the instructions Aidan had given her on how to show respect. She also knew the stakes involved, even if the Faegud pendragon didn’t know all the details yet.

  “Enough serious talk. Let’s drink!” Hildegard gestured at a servant, who rushed forward with tankards. “And you two—sit.”

  Aidan and Bailey plopped down in the chairs across from the pendragons. When Hildegard wanted something, she got it.

  Chapter 10

  Aidan

  Aidan awakened to Bailey curled into his side. They’d stayed up until almost dawn, drinking and chatting with Hildegard and the other shifters who’d stopped by to visit the common house. No one questioned Bailey’s presence with the Faegud pendragon there. Aidan had spent half the night wondering why Hildegard had taken such an interest in the slayer, but then he remembered from his childhood days that she’d always been a champion of females. He’d watched many times as she pushed them all to become better and stronger. Hildegard never managed to have any female children herself, so she took others under her wings instead.

  After the Faegud pendragon had released them, they were shown to a room upstairs where they could rest. It didn’t have any furniture, but it did have a thick mattress on the floor and camrium blankets that were comfortable enough. A wood-burning stove sitting in the corner helped keep the chill out of the air.

  Bailey stirred, her brows knitting before she cracked her lids open. “Oh, God, my head hurts.”

  “I warned you not to drink too much,” Aidan said. He had been careful to consume as little as possible so that he could watch over his mate. One of them needed to keep a clear head, and Bailey had never drunk alefire before. He’d had no idea how it would affect her. Thankfully, she hadn’t said or done anything to offend anyone and may have made a few new friends. If anything, the alcohol had helped her relax so that she could enjoy herself more.

  Bailey pressed a hand to her forehead. “I only had two cups, and it took me all night to drink them. It didn’t feel like they were that strong.”

  “It doesn’t take much, but it affects each person differently.”

  “This sucks.” She moaned. “How long until the pain goes away?”

  Aidan rubbed at her temples, hoping to provide a little relief for her. “I think you’ll find a good meal will help.”

  Dragging Bailey from their pallet, he helped her get dressed. Then they cleaned their teeth, using a bowl of water left by the door, before heading downstairs. The room was already half-full with shifters. Most of them hadn’t fared any better than Aidan’s mate, hung over from drink, but they tore into their food with enthusiasm. Aidan’s sister, Phoebe, had arrived late last night. She sat next to their cousin, Donar, at the end of one of the trestle tables. Aidan and Bailey headed their way, taking a seat across from them.

  “You look like hell,” Phoebe said, grinn
ing at Bailey.

  “I feel like it, too.”

  Aidan gestured at a servant, who quickly returned with plates of food for them. Their trenchers were filled with eggs, sausages, and toasted bread. It wasn’t a traditional shifter meal to begin the day, but it was what the humans preferred to cook. As he’d discovered the previous evening, all the dragons had decided they liked the food so much that they had asked that it continue to be prepared during the festival. Aidan took a few bites and decided he enjoyed it much more than the oatmeal Bailey usually ate when she first woke. He would have to see about getting them a few chickens in the spring. While he’d grown used to eating the birds for their meat, he had not realized their eggs could be appetizing as well.

  “You were right,” Bailey said after she finished her meal. “I am starting to feel better.”

  Aidan gestured at her mug of water. “Drink all of that as well—you’ll need it for today.”

  Phoebe watched Bailey drink. “I heard she’s going to fight Lorcan.”

  “Challenged him yesterday,” Donar said, pushing his empty plate away. He’d had the servants refill it twice since Aidan and Bailey sat down. Donar would eat an entire house if he thought it edible.

  “Yep.” Bailey set her mug down. “He looks like he needs a good fight.”

  Phoebe laughed. “Just watch out for his teeth.”

  Aidan’s sister hadn’t come to look for a mate. Phoebe already had a secret female lover and had no desire to take a male until she was ready to have children. She only attended the festival because Nanoq required she and Aidan make an appearance. Their father had been the previous pendragon, which continued to place them in a higher position than most within their toriq. Phoebe had the strong build of a female warrior, but she was also beautiful. She had long, black hair with a streak of silver running through it and smooth olive skin. Many males in the room cast surreptitious glances at her, unaware she had no interest in them.

  “Are you going to be participating in the games today?” Bailey asked. She’d perked up since the food had settled in her stomach.

  Phoebe nodded. “Hildegard has challenged me at archery. I plan to make her look bad.”

  “Good luck,” Lorcan said, taking a seat next to Phoebe. “She’s been practicing for months now, and her skills have improved considerably.”

  Until the Faegud had returned to Earth, they’d mostly stayed in their dragon forms. Archery wasn’t a skill they’d needed to master, but now that they intended to start living in their human form more—those who could shift anyway—the toriq was practicing with weaponry that they’d hardly touched for centuries.

  Phoebe looked down her nose at Lorcan. “I was holding a bow and arrow as soon as I was strong enough to pick them up, over two hundred and fifty years ago before you were born. Your mother has a lot of catching up to do.”

  “We shall see,” he said, smug as ever.

  Shifters began hurrying from the common house, heading outside. Aidan, Bailey, and the rest of their group followed. The games were about to begin, and they didn’t want to miss the opening speeches. They went to the large field just beyond the village where Hildegard and Nanoq stood together, waiting until the crowd settled to announce the beginning of the competitions.

  “Happy Dragomas!” Nanoq yelled.

  Cheers went up among those in human form, and the dozen dragons that were present let out loud roars. It had been a long time since the Taugud and Faegud joined together for a holiday. Aidan was glad he’d helped make that happen by negotiating the treaty.

  “We’ve got a long list of events for today before we end it with a feast to rival any we’ve ever had before,” Nanoq continued. “I hope all of you plan to work up a good appetite.”

  More shouts and roars followed, everyone’s spirits high.

  Hildegard spoke up. “The first two competitions are archery and tunnel digging.” She pointed at the locations for each. “Those who plan to participate should begin preparing now.”

  Aidan and Bailey followed Phoebe and the others as they headed toward the archery area next to the lake. Targets had already been set up by a shifter from the Taugud toriq, who had been placed in charge. After he spoke with everyone who wished to participate, he called out eight names and the order they would compete. Phoebe and Hildegard would go last. There was to be a twenty-minute warm-up period first before the competition began.

  “What’s tunnel digging?” Bailey asked, glancing across the field where the event would take place.

  Donar’s features twisted. “A filthy game the Faegud enjoy.”

  Aidan explained it in further detail, telling her about his own experience with the competition when he’d come down to negotiate the treaty. He hadn’t been very good at it, though at least he hadn’t come in last. “The one who digs the farthest without their tunnel collapsing wins.”

  Bailey held up her slim hands. “Yeah, I’m definitely staying out of that one.”

  “A wise choice,” Donar said, nodding knowingly.

  Lorcan chuckled. “It would be fun to watch you try, though.”

  Shouts went up across the clearing. The tunnel digging competition didn’t require very much preparation, so they’d already begun. From the archery field, they could watch the dirt fly as dragons dug into the ground. Observers over there cheered loudly for friends and family who were participating. Aidan counted at least twelve holes being dug, each going in a northerly direction so there would be no crisscrossing of paths. They would have an hour to see how far they could go.

  Halfway through it, the archery competition began. Other than Hildegard, there was only one other Faegud shifter competing. The rest were from Aidan’s toriq. Two females from the Taugud went first, one of them winning easily against the other. Then two males went—one being from the Faegud. Both of them landed their arrows with impressive skill, and it ended in a draw. They would both move to the next round.

  “I want to get that good,” Bailey said, glancing up at Aidan.

  “You are almost there.”

  She shrugged. “I could be better.”

  Bailey was always pushing herself, but that was likely a common trait among slayers. If they didn’t work to become as skilled as possible with their weaponry, they wouldn’t survive. She rarely sat around for long, always needing to stay engaged in some activity or another during her waking hours. Aidan had noticed it before they’d moved in together, but he’d thought it might only be when he was training her. Now he knew she was that way all the time.

  It was finally Phoebe and Hildegard’s turn. The Faegud pendragon went first, sending three arrows down range to her target. Two landed in the center circle and one just outside of it. Phoebe went next, all of hers striking in the center. They pulled their arrows and went a second time. Both females landed their arrows in the circle this time, but Phoebe still finished a point ahead and advanced to the next round.

  Hildegard took it in stride, going over to clasp Phoebe’s arm and give her a look of respect. “Well done, but I will not make it as easy for you next time.”

  “I hope not,” Phoebe said, lifting her chin.

  The second round began. Aidan’s sister continued to land her arrows at the center of her target, as well as a male from their toriq. The other Faegud shifter did not perform as well this time and lost his chance to advance to the final. In the end, Phoebe won by one point. Her prize was a thick golden necklace made especially for the festival games.

  Hildegard announced the next events. “Those of you who plan to compete in the flying race or the boulder throwing contest, go meet with the organizers.”

  “That’s me,” Aidan said.

  “Which one?” Bailey asked.

  He grinned. “Flying, of course.”

  “I’m off to throw some boulders.” Lorcan flexed his arms, then looked at Bailey. “I’ll see you soon. I do hope you’ll put up a decent fight before I defeat you.”

  Bailey snorted. “You better do well at boulder throwi
ng because that’s the only event you have a chance at winning.”

  Donar stepped away from them to join Lorcan. “I’m going as well.”

  As they walked away, Aidan leaned down and whispered in Bailey’s ear, “Of course he prefers to toss boulders. I believe there are fish that can fly faster than my cousin.”

  “I heard that,” Donar said over his shoulder, tossing them a glare.

  Bailey waved. “Good luck!”

  Aidan and his mate walked toward the village, needing to pass through it to get to the east field where the flying race would be held. Aidan pulled his canteen from shiggara and drank deeply. He needed to hydrate as much as possible before the event began. The race usually consisted of crossing between seventy to eighty miles of territory, and he would be flying as fast as possible for the whole journey.

  They reached the gathering area, and Aidan left Bailey to go enter his name. The organizer informed him he had ten minutes before the race began. “You must fly south to the Red River, grab a blue stone from the other side of the riverbank, and return with it in hand.”

  When Aidan went back to Bailey, he gave her a quick explanation of the race. Then he began to shift to his dragon form. With his mate watching, he was more determined than ever to win. Last time he’d competed against the Faegud in this race, he’d come in second. He couldn’t let that happen again.

  Bailey kissed the top of his head for luck after he shifted, mindful of his scales and spikes. He licked her on the neck in return, and she swatted at him. “Seriously, Aidan? Go win the race.”

  Some of the shifters who were on the sidelines gawked at them. He ignored them and flew toward the starting line where fifteen other dragons were waiting for the signal to begin. This event was going to be ugly. Almost no one came out of this competition unscathed, mostly because there were no rules other than acquiring a stone and returning as quickly as possible.

  Aidan moved to stand behind the others, wanting nothing to do with the initial tangle that would develop once they took flight. The organizer waited off to the side, stoic until the dragons had settled and become quiet.