Yuletide Revelry: A Wicked Kingdoms Christmas Short
Graceley Knox
1
"If you touch that cookie, you will lose a hand." I growl the words at Kirin, my hangry mood worse than usual due to the small being growing in the vicinity of my bladder.
"You've already had five of them, Ev!"
"I don't care if I've had seventy of them, you little thief. I'm preggers. I can have all the cookies I want. It's almost Yule. I'm celebrating." Yule is one of my favorite holidays. Mostly because it involved a chance at a few days off with my crew in the old days. Now it involves all the treats I want, that I don't have to make myself. And presents. There is a mountain of presents under the towering fir tree in the great hall. I'm pretty sure we've got St. Nick beat here, no joke.
"You're going to get fat if you eat them all!"
I press a hand to my chest in mock affront. "How dare you!" I throw a spoon at Kirin.
Eryn peers over the top of her book, rolling her eyes at the both of us. "I can't take you two anywhere." She reaches her hand into the bowl of caramel popcorn on the table next to her and shakes her head.
"We're home. Who cares?" Kirin kicks his boots up on the table, probably only to annoy Eryn.
"We have guests." Eryn looks pointedly to the left, where the Unseelie princess, Kiara, sits with her guard, Brigid.
"Puh-lease. They're practically family now. They've been here for how long?" I look to Kirin for an answer, enjoying the easygoing conversation.
"Uh, I think, like, three months now." Kirin counts on his fingers like a five-year-old. "Yeah, you're going to pop that kid out when? Another three months, right? So three months."
Worry flows through me at my impending due date mixed with an unearthly excitement to meet the little monster that will be equal parts of Dare and myself. "That was painful to watch, Kirin."
He shrugs and turns back to his own book, the three of us falling into a comfortable silence. I lean forward, grunting at the effort it takes with the giant stomach in front of me. This kid is going to be fucking massive. Like, honestly. I look like I could pop any day, let alone in another three months. I take a sip of my hot cocoa, humming in contentment.
The spawn kicks and tumbles inside me and I follow the movements with my hands and smile at the flurry of activity. Simone has been working on a spell to ask her ancestors for the gender and we're going to try it today. I'm so excited to find out, but I refuse to try it until Dare gets back.
As if my thoughts summon him, the doors to the main hall bang open, a blast of cold air blowing in, and Dare, Dagan, and Dax walk through the doors, covered in weapons and looking dangerous.
I whistle for Dare, laughing when he winks at me. He hangs up his heavy coat before making a beeline for me. Instantly his hands go to my belly. The kicking starts again and a wide smile lights Dare's face.
"I missed you while you were gone." I rest my smaller hand over his and turn my face up for a kiss. He indulges me, his lips brushing mine, once, twice, and then firmly crushes them against mine and parts them with his tongue. I hum into his mouth, his taste like a shot of alcohol to my system. He makes me tingly and warm all over.
"I was only gone for a few hours. We have to patrol the area. I'm not taking any chances that the Order has found another way into the castle walls."
"We've sealed off all of the tunnels that they told us about. They can't get in."
Dare's mouth forms a thin line. "I won't risk it."
I pull him down for another kiss and pull back, smiling up at him. "I know. And I appreciate it." I hand Dare one of the cookies he's come to crave as I have. Simone calls them sympathy cravings. It amuses the shit out of me.
"Hey! How come he gets a cookie?" Kirin shouts.
"Because." Dare chuckles.
"Not cool, man. Bro's before h—"
I throw a cookie at Kirin's forehead, the sugary creation crumbling on contact. "Oy! He's my baby daddy. He gets a cookie!"
Kirin shoves a few crumbs of cookie in his mouth, flipping me the bird at the same time.
"You ready to go see Simone? Find out if we're having a boy or a girl?" I push up from my seat and Dare lets me grab his arm for leverage.
"I can't wait, mo grá. Let's go."
After about ten minutes of me waddling down the corridors to get to Amren's section of the library, I'm out of breath and cranky. That should have taken me, like, three minutes tops. Dare pulls out a chair for me and even though I want to pace to expel some of the excess energy flowing through my veins at the moment, I take it, thankful to get off my feet.
"Where are they?" I lean forward as far as I can, peering around the corner. "We're the ones who are late here."
Dare rubs a hand down the back of my head, smoothing my hair. "I'm sure there is a good reason, mo grá."
"Better be a good reason." I grumble the words under my breath but Dare hears them. He chuckles before fidgeting with the hem of his shirt. I raise a brow at him. He never fidgets.
Dare clears his throat. "Are you nervous, mo grá?"
"I'm fucking terrified." It's true. All I want is a healthy baby. But I can't help but wonder if Dare will be disappointed if it's a girl. Or if he wants a girl.
Dare kneels in front of me and places his hands on my belly. "Why are you scared, Ever? Nothing scares you."
I laugh. "You know that's not true. I don't want to disappoint you."
"How could you disappoint me?"
"I'm assuming you want a son?" I rest my hand over his.
"I do not care about the sex of our child, Ever. I only care that it's healthy, happy, and safe." He leans down, kissing the space between both of his hands, and I sigh. How the hell did I get so lucky to have Dare in my life? I mean, sometimes I want to smack him, but most of the time, I just want to be around him, letting his presence envelope me in safety and love.
"That's all I want too." I just need this baby to be safe. I have no doubt that it'll be loved. That's not even in question. But the Order has its own plans for my offspring, and while I'm pregnant, there's not much I can do to fight back against it.
"I found them! They're over here!" Arela's lyrical voice rings out, startling both of us out of our little bubble.
"Gods, Arela. You scared me half to death." I press my hand over my heart, running wild in my chest. I wasn’t this jumpy before I found out I was expecting. But now, every little thing startles me. It's annoying as hell.
"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to. I thought you heard me coming." She smiles sweetly at me and she's instantly forgiven.
"Is Amren right behind you?" I attempt to rise from my chair but give up when the move proves too difficult with a large belly.