Page 12 of A Very Denarius Christmas
Now my mate was grinning as he cast a challenging glance down the table, as if daring my Great-grandfather to find a way to explain that part of his tale. Meanwhile, Hamish chuckled and cast a glance down at his plate as he forked his steak. I just hoped he didn’t voice the thought that had suddenly popped into my head. That the reindeer had been supper before the long flight, because that would certainly upset our princess.
“Happily grazing where they belonged,” Great-gramps said, shooting Hamish a look as he popped a bite of steak in his mouth. “Dragons have no need of reindeer when they have wings.”
She squealed at that, pleased with the story, and not long after, wiggled to be let out of her highchair so she could go play, her empty plate left behind as she and Griffin rushed off to enjoy their toys.
“So, what was on the roof?” I asked once the kids were out of earshot.
“Santa.”
“Great-gramps, come on now.”
“I’m serious. It was Santa,” he replied. “Well, technically, it was Lochlan, delivering the presents for the little ones that he’d brought home from the city. But he did dress in fur robes, and he did come down the chimney, because he always did have a flare for drama. The gifts he carried brought great joy to the dragonets, but it was the intelligence he’d gathered while in the city that allowed us to make our next move. As strong as we have always been as a species, it is our cunningness, our honor, our fearlessness and our will to survive that will always be the true strength of dragon kind. We were meant to be the peacekeepers. Groomed to end wars and see the world thrive, not to amass power and treasures. That is what the world needs from us again. That is how we will survive what’s coming.”
His humble words, delivered in his strong, rolling brogue, were a firm reminder of the true meaning of the season. That we were meant to live our lives with kindness, mercy, and generosity. Tending to the world around us, down to the last creature and plant. To protect and nurture it for the generations to come after us and instill in them that they must be ready to protect it too, before there was nothing left.
Chapter Seven
Ionus
New Year’s Eve was upon us, and the family had gathered to ring it in at midnight. While the current year brought us more joy than we’d ever known, the incoming one was certain to do the same, given three brothers remained to find their mates. Surely the Goddess had plans in place for them and those dreams would be fulfilled.
There wasn’t a doubt in my mind that war was upon us, and it was best for all to be mated by then, as we drew strength from our mating bond.
Laughter filled the air, cutting through my depressing thoughts. As I turned to face the family, I quickly saw why.
“You seriously have an egg pouch?” Mattias teased Caro. Instead of a chest strapped baby carrier, he wore one that carted around his beautiful dragonet-to-be egg.
“I do,” Caro growled. “Cade deserves to ring in the New Year with us.”
“That is seriously freaking cool. How does it work?” Leave it to Odem’s inquisitive side to stir the conversation in another direction. While Caro and Emerson happily showed Odem how it worked, taking it off and strapping it to Odem’s chest, Odem strutted through the crowd of Clan Denarius and Drakemyre’s as our family of mage’s joined in the celebration.
“Raven, welcome,” I greeted her with a hug. “Thank you for joining us.”
“We wouldn’t miss it for the world. This year has been one for the record books, has it not, my friend?” The broad smile upon her face said it all, she was elated to be a part of this, a part of our mixed clan of friends and family.
“Aye, it has been. Never has there been a better one.”
“You feel it too, Ionus. Don’t you?”
With a heavy sigh, I agreed. “I do and I only hope we’re prepared for what’s to come.”
“Is one ever truly prepared to battle those that should be friend rather than foe?”
“Never. For so long we believed there were no remaining dragons aside from us, that all had perished, and now we’ve found otherwise. I only hope we get to the rest of them before the Gorynych do.”
“They’ve spread their evil wings far and wide, as you’ve come to learn.”
I sighed, recalling Emerson’s kidnapping and our meeting with the Merdragons.
“There is much to come for your family this year, Ionus. Be prepared for both love, laughter, and pain.”
There wasn’t a doubt in my mind that Raven would soon be deemed high priestess of her coven. Her vision and knowledge never ceased to amaze me. All these centuries my brothers andI had lived a routine, mundane existence, and now there wasn’t a day gone by that didn’t bring about something new. Whether it be a gift granted by the Goddess herself to one of our dragonets, or one in the form of finding new dragons, such as the Drakemyre’s and Merdragons.
It frightened me to think, let alone dare to ask, what was next to come.
This was the first time we used the open courtyard our houses were centered around to host a gathering. The scent of meat being cooked over an open flame and the children’s laughter filled the air and I knew many more gatherings such as this would fall upon this great land.
Family.