Page 17 of Dreaming of an Earth Christmas

“Daddy!”

Alexis looked down at her son first. He was pointing up at the sky while his wings thrashed and smacked her leg.

“What is that?” someone asked.

“Oh my God.” That agonized groan definitely came from Marta.

Alexis lifted her face and her jaw dropped. That was Althiss’ daddy, all right, and he was floating through the sky on a lit up hover crate, dressed in blood red priest’s robes, a remarkably accurate facsimile of a Santa hat resting atop his big feathered head, while what she’d assumed was a mythical creature drifted ahead with its wings outstretched.

“Is that a j’vinka?” L’xat asked, his voice hushed with awe.

“Yes.” Two women answered—Marta, despondently, Carlie, with enthusiasm.

“I thought you didn’t know about this?” Alexis hissed at her friend.

“I didn’t,” Carlie replied with a big grin, “but I know that j’vinka. He’s an old friend.”

Suddenly the j’vinka shook its head. Then its long snout opened, revealing two rows of very sharp looking teeth, and it screeched. There was no other word for it. The sound vibrated through the air, making her ears ache. She tried to cover the sides of Althiss’ head, but he turned out of her grip, adding his own healthy scream to the animal’s. Violet soon joined the chorus, and then Alice’s baby began to cry.

As if satisfied with the chaos it’d wrought, the j’vinka closed its mouth as K’thiss brought the hover crate in for a landing. The j’vinka let out a rough snort, and then it tapped the ground delicately with one paw before it lifted it and licked a talon clean with its forked tongue. Her normally dignified mate stepped out of the crate and shot the j’vinka a doubtful look before he walked closer to the children. “Ho, ho, ho,” he said woodenly. “Merry Christmas.”

Alexis looked at Carlie, and Carlie looked at Alexis. Her friend had her lips glued together, but her blue eyes were sparkling with mirth, and Alexis knew it was only a matter of seconds before the laughter she was holding back would break free. She took one more look at her husband as he stood there looking awkward as all get out, now holding up several lumpy long red tube socks, and she lost it.

Alexis doubled over in hysterical laughter, and it only got worse as Carlie joined in. She could hear the faint notes of some type of flute in the background, and when she glanced up again, K’thiss was glaring at her, which only made her laugh harder. She grabbed Carlie’s arm, and the two women tried to control themselves, but by the time they were able to stop, Alexis was practically crying.

“Best Christmas ever,” Carlie whispered before she took another deep breath and released it, trying to clear her expression. “Sorry, Santa. Your entrance was amazing,” she said louder with a wave for K’thiss.

“Thank you, Lady Carlie,” he replied seriously, with no sign remaining on his face that he’d seen them break down laughing only moments before. He was handing out the red socks. The children already had theirs and Althiss and Violet were sitting on the ground doing their best to empty them. Althiss had discovered that there was a small glider toy inside his, and that was enough incentive for both of them to dig deeper, although Alexis wasn’t sure their little arms were long enough to manage it on their own.

“For you, k’lisseth,” K’thiss said, and he handed her one of the red socks.

“Thank you,” she replied earnestly, sticking her hand inside as she watched her mate. K’thiss was still standing there, waiting for her to discover her gift.

She pulled out a scroll that looked like it was made of the bark the priests used for their offering prayers. Alexis carefully unrolled it, smiling with pleasure at the sight of K’thiss’ slanted handwriting marking the sheet. He’d learned a little English for her over the past few years—sometimes leaving a note was better than any comm, but she knew it took a lot of effort for him to form their letters and words, and this was an entire paragraph.

She began to read.My Christmas gift for my k’lisseth. A trip back to our home in Lisseethi. Althiss stays with Carlie and Sseith. I love you, lady of the lisseth flowers.

Alexis glanced briefly at Carlie. “Lady Carlie assisted me. Does it please you?” K’thiss asked.

She looked up and lifted her hand to straighten his Santa hat. “It’s a wonderful gift.”

“It will be good to be alone, to shelter you beneath my wings, to take you once more to the falls and kiss you beneath the glow of the night blossoms,” he said, his voice growing hungrier as his description continued. Even his silly costume didn’t dim the way her body reacted to his tempting words. “Maybe it is time—time for another youngling,” he said with a look down at her stomach.

Alexis brought a hand there, imagining for a moment what she’d looked like swollen with child again. She smiled faintly. “Maybe.” She glanced at Althiss as he happily swung his red sock around in circles as if it were the best gift he’d received that evening. Her smile grew stronger. “Let’s decide after we get there—what do you think? For now, I just want to focus on enjoying you and me, and the chance to have a little time alone. Thank you, K’thiss. Like I said, it’s a wonderful gift—just what I needed.”

She placed her hands beneath the red robes he wore so that she could feel his scales, and she leaned into her husband before she lifted her face for a kiss. His lips were warm and inviting, and he kissed her softly before he angled his head, urging her to open to him, his tongue pressing inside to dance with her own. She’d just slid her hands all the way to the base of his wings and was pulling him tighter when some tinny, recorded music filled the air.

“I saw mommy kissing Santa Claus, underneath the mistletoe last night…”

Alexis turned her head, pulling back from a rather dazed looking K’thiss. She looked to the side, but it wasn’t Carlie holding up the viewscreen with a mischievous smile—it was Marta. Alexis shook her head and grinned as the other women all joined in with Marta’s laughter.

“You did good, Sseith,” she called out to Carlie’s beaming mate. He might not know why they were laughing, but he’d made his woman happy, and she could tell that’s all he cared about. That’s what all the men there wanted for their mates.

Alexis turned back to K’thiss and held his cheek in her hand. “I love you, K’thiss. You make a perfect Santa Claus,” she said, and then she kissed him again. If Marta was going to keep playing that ridiculous song, they might as well make it good.

Sleep in Heavenly Peace

T’KALINTH

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