A Dragonling's Magical Christmas

Chapter 1-1

Chapter One

“Oh, goodness gracious! The guys are still at it. I wonder which one it was this time that shorted out the power,” Ariel groaned as the lights flickered and went out again, leaving herself and Carmen in the dark. “You’d think they would learn to work together after they almost caught the palace on fire the first time. I don’t know why they don’t just ask Cara for some help.”

Carmen’s soft laughter echoed through the room as she turned on several small, self-contained lanterns that Cara had dropped off earlier in the day. This was the fifth day in a row that the power kept going on and off thanks to the guys. Carmen turned when she caught a slight movement out of the corner of her eye, near the table filled with fresh baked cookies that she and Ariel had just finished making.

“They are having too much fun competing against each other to see who can create the best light show. Phoenix, don’t you dare,” Carmen warned. “You are supposed to be in bed.”

Phoenix’s warm, brown eyes turned to look at her mother. It had taken a little while for Carmen and Creon to realize that Phoenix’s eyes changed with her moods. Right now, they gazed back at her with a twinkle of mischief as she froze, caught in the act of pinching some of the delicious treats. Her body was stretched with her tiny claws gripping the edge of the table while the rest of her balanced on the chair. Spring was right below her with her mouth wide open, waiting to catch a cookie.

“Spring, you are supposed to be in bed as well, young lady," Carmen said sternly, ruining the reprimand by smiling.

Shifting, Spring gazed up at her mother with eyes the color of liquid gold. "Cookie!" Spring begged. "Hungie... Cookie, peese."

"You look so much like your father when you do that," Carmen complained with a soft laugh.

"Jabir does the same thing to me," Ariel commented, glancing at where Jabir lay sleeping in the crib that she and Mandra's symbiot, Precious, had morphed into.

Carmen chuckled again and bent to pick Spring up. "Just one, then it is off to bed. We have to save some for Daddy."

"I think we are going to have to make some more," Ariel pointed out, rising from the couch. "Phoenix has done a pretty good job of cleaning the plate."

Carmen turned and glanced down at Phoenix. A low groan escaped her when she saw that her youngest daughter was licking an empty dish. She would be lucky if she didn't have a tummy ache during the night.

"Oh, Phoenix," Carmen said with a sigh. "I hope you don't get sick."

"I’s not get sick, mommy," Phoenix giggled, holding her hands up to Ariel. "Milk."

"Milk! I’s want milk, too," Spring demanded, bouncing on Carmen's hip. "Milk."

"Shush," Carmen murmured against Spring's ear. "You have to be quiet, baby. Jabir is sleeping."

"Milk," Spring insisted in a lower voice. "And’s cookie."

"You might as well, Carmen," Ariel advised as she glanced up at the flickering lights. "I have a feeling the light show is going to go on for a little while longer and the girls are too.”