Page 12 of Grumpy Dragon Christmas

“It’s fine, Qrow. I want to have more of a look around the market. I’m sure Drekkan can find somewhere to eat where he is on his own.”

I growl. My Jade is not spending any time on her own. It doesn’t matter this wasn’t in the plan. She is not to be left unattended at any time.

“If you say so,” Qrow readily agrees, and my desire to end him rears up again.

“No,” I growl.

“No?” he queries as Jade steps away from his side and over to a stall selling cured meats.

“I will eat with the female. No one else.”

Qrow’s eyebrows practically disappear into his blue hairline.

“You’re a fixer. Fix this.” I turn on my heel and stomp away, although not too far away, enough I can watch him and Jade while not being seen. Qrow chats to her for a while, his arms flapping around like they always do when he’s attempting to win someone over. I should know, the nevver’s convinced me on a few occasions, usually with disastrous results.

But it doesn’t matter. The more I can get into the persona ofwell-behavedSarkarnii, the closer I’ll be to my goal.

The closer I’ll be to making the mayor pay for what he did.

“Hi.” Jade is looking up at me and I didn’t even see her approach. “Qrow said you don’t normally come to these things and would probably like the company, although the way you were growling just now, I’m not so sure.”

She looks around us. The market is empty in a fairly wide radius around me, with stall holders starting to creep back, albeit with fearful looks at me.

“It’s the sparks,” Jade says. She’s so close, her scent is intoxicating, and I’m breathing it in like a Sarkarnii starved.

“Sparks?” My voice goes strangely deep.

“Your fire.” She waves an elegant hand at the smoke surrounding us. “I know Sarkarnii like to make fire and smoke, but it is a little worrying when you’re surrounded by combustibles.”

I look around at the stalls and the stall holders, then heave out some more smoke and embers. Several of them squeak in alarm.

“For fuck’s sake.” Jade shakes her head and grabs my arm. I flinch at her touch. “Fine,” she says, dropping her hand away. “I get it. Come on then. Qrow’s going to show us where the best place is to eat.”

I wish I hadn’t reacted to her touch. I want her hand on me more than anything, but the moment is lost and instead I trail after her to where Qrow is waiting. He talks utter nonsense at us both as we follow him through the market, waves of Kitchik’s inhabitants parting in front of me with Jade at my side.

Jade eyes me occasionally, but otherwise she seems concentrated on Qrow who takes us to a large, covered area where the scents of cooking send my stomach tumbling.

“You two sit.” Qrow points at a table out of the way in a corner. “I’ll get the chefs to bring you a selection of solstice food.”

“Nothing vegetable,” I snarl at him, ignoring the buzz of my collar as I throw my leg over the bench and sit down.

It creaks under my weight. Jade slides in opposite me, settling herself like one of the tiny flying creatures they have on Kitchik. The ones which don’t even make much of a snack, especially if you flame them first.

She looks up at me as Qrow scurries away. “Would it kill you to be a little polite?”

I puff out a cloud of smoke. “Probably not, but it doesn’t get me what I want.” I lean forward until I’m close to her. “And I always get what I want.”

JADE

Arrogant. Twat.

I’ve met plenty of Sarkarnii. But Drekkan is absolutely the worst, sitting across from me, a smug look on his face I absolutely want to wipe off, with extreme prejudice.

And the fact he pulled his arm out of my grip earlier? I’m obviously beneath him and, well, fuck Drekkan. I’m not here to be friends with a Sarkarnii. I’m here to keep a low profile, try to get my head straight, and…I fail to suppress a shudder at what else I’m going to have to do here on Kitchik, given my daily growing bump.

I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.

Drekkan is glaring at me. His eyes spin with fire, the pupils onyx slits. I’ve never been in a position to study a Sarkarnii this close up before, given either I gave the huge males a wide berth, or they did me.

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