Read Online The Old Dragon of the Mountain's Christmas (Dragon Lords of Valdier #9) by S.E. Smith - Free Book Online
Authors: S.E. Smith
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table before leaning forward to pick up her own plate as she tried to think of what to tell him.
“Mm, I’ve always had a soft spot for hot apple pie and whip cream,” she reflected. “Of course, anything goes well with whipped cream, if you ask me.”
“Anything?” He asked, looking at the white, fluffy cream then at her.
Edna waved her fork at him and laughed. “You have a very one track mind, my darling alien,” she replied dryly before taking a bite of the pie.
“It’s not that hard to have when I am near you,” he muttered before bending his head to focus on his own dessert.
“You are amazingly good for my self-esteem,” she replied. “Hanson was too in his own way. We met at a Hollywood party. Back then, it was all glitter, glitz, and an insane amount of money. The big studios held the world in the palms of their hands and musicals were still very popular. I had been hired as a singer in one of the new ones being produced with some of Hollywood’s biggest names at the time. Abby’s grandparents were working on the choreography and music while Hanson was one of the producers.” She smiled as she remembered the days. “I don’t miss it, but it was nice to have been a part of that era. He came to me and that was it. We spent the rest of the evening dancing and talking. We did that for almost forty years before he fell asleep one night and never woke up.”
No longer hungry, she set the plate down on the small table next to her drink. She hated it when she got melancholic. Even though the memories were happy, they still hurt when she thought that Hanson was no longer there to share them with her. So many of her friends had either moved away, lost contact or passed away that she sometimes felt an overwhelming sense of loneliness inside her that she wondered what the future would hold for her. The one bright spot in her life was Shelly, Crystal, and Jack.
*.*.*
Christoff leaned forward and set his empty plate down on the table in front of him. Sitting back, he turned to look at her. She had that sad smile on her face again and her eyes glistened with unshed tears.
“You are lucky to have had someone,” he murmured, reaching out to touch her hand. “I have spent centuries alone. Until today, I never really knew just how alone I was.”
Edna looked at him in confusion. “Centuries? How is that possible?” She asked.
Christoff turned her hand over to stare down at her palm. He ran his thumb along the sensitive skin, noting how soft and delicate it looked against his own rough, scarred hand. He wondered how much to tell her, before deciding she deserved to know the truth about him before he claimed her.
No, after! His dragon roared, fighting inside him. She not want me.
She might… want us if she knows, Christoff replied in a hesitant whisper to his dragon.
She not, his dragon snarled with a shudder. You see other girls in village. They make fun, laugh at us.
She didn’t laugh at me for being smaller than other males, he argued. She said she liked my size.
She not see little wings, his dragon mourned. Her dragon no want me.
“Christoff,” Edna said in a gentle voice, touching his cheek. “What is it? I see… I see something running across your skin.”
“My dragon, he is afraid,” Christoff admitted in a soft voice. He released her hand and stood up to stand by the fireplace. He stared down at it for several long minutes before he turned to look at her again. “I was born premature. I should have died. I would have, if not for my mother and father’s determination. Because of that, I was… different from the other younglings in the village. I was smaller, not as strong, and….”
He stopped and glanced at where Spark was on the bed next to Bo. His symbiot lifted its’ head and looked at him with sad eyes. He glanced at Edna before turning back to stare at the fire.
“And…,” Edna asked, rising from the dark brown leather sofa.
Christoff swallowed and
“Mm, I’ve always had a soft spot for hot apple pie and whip cream,” she reflected. “Of course, anything goes well with whipped cream, if you ask me.”
“Anything?” He asked, looking at the white, fluffy cream then at her.
Edna waved her fork at him and laughed. “You have a very one track mind, my darling alien,” she replied dryly before taking a bite of the pie.
“It’s not that hard to have when I am near you,” he muttered before bending his head to focus on his own dessert.
“You are amazingly good for my self-esteem,” she replied. “Hanson was too in his own way. We met at a Hollywood party. Back then, it was all glitter, glitz, and an insane amount of money. The big studios held the world in the palms of their hands and musicals were still very popular. I had been hired as a singer in one of the new ones being produced with some of Hollywood’s biggest names at the time. Abby’s grandparents were working on the choreography and music while Hanson was one of the producers.” She smiled as she remembered the days. “I don’t miss it, but it was nice to have been a part of that era. He came to me and that was it. We spent the rest of the evening dancing and talking. We did that for almost forty years before he fell asleep one night and never woke up.”
No longer hungry, she set the plate down on the small table next to her drink. She hated it when she got melancholic. Even though the memories were happy, they still hurt when she thought that Hanson was no longer there to share them with her. So many of her friends had either moved away, lost contact or passed away that she sometimes felt an overwhelming sense of loneliness inside her that she wondered what the future would hold for her. The one bright spot in her life was Shelly, Crystal, and Jack.
*.*.*
Christoff leaned forward and set his empty plate down on the table in front of him. Sitting back, he turned to look at her. She had that sad smile on her face again and her eyes glistened with unshed tears.
“You are lucky to have had someone,” he murmured, reaching out to touch her hand. “I have spent centuries alone. Until today, I never really knew just how alone I was.”
Edna looked at him in confusion. “Centuries? How is that possible?” She asked.
Christoff turned her hand over to stare down at her palm. He ran his thumb along the sensitive skin, noting how soft and delicate it looked against his own rough, scarred hand. He wondered how much to tell her, before deciding she deserved to know the truth about him before he claimed her.
No, after! His dragon roared, fighting inside him. She not want me.
She might… want us if she knows, Christoff replied in a hesitant whisper to his dragon.
She not, his dragon snarled with a shudder. You see other girls in village. They make fun, laugh at us.
She didn’t laugh at me for being smaller than other males, he argued. She said she liked my size.
She not see little wings, his dragon mourned. Her dragon no want me.
“Christoff,” Edna said in a gentle voice, touching his cheek. “What is it? I see… I see something running across your skin.”
“My dragon, he is afraid,” Christoff admitted in a soft voice. He released her hand and stood up to stand by the fireplace. He stared down at it for several long minutes before he turned to look at her again. “I was born premature. I should have died. I would have, if not for my mother and father’s determination. Because of that, I was… different from the other younglings in the village. I was smaller, not as strong, and….”
He stopped and glanced at where Spark was on the bed next to Bo. His symbiot lifted its’ head and looked at him with sad eyes. He glanced at Edna before turning back to stare at the fire.
“And…,” Edna asked, rising from the dark brown leather sofa.
Christoff swallowed and
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