"Don't worry, we can send for them later." She waved Bryn out into the hall.

"What happens after the gift opening?" Was it too much to hope that everyone would go home so she could collapse in bed?

"After the presents are opened, we say good-night and guests are free to leave or mingle for a while longer over hot cocoa."

Was she included in the list of people allowed to leave? The only way to find out was to ask. "Does that mean I can go lie down? I'm exhausted."

"Normally, the answer would be no. But I know you've had a hard time this evening, so you can leave when the guests do."

"Thank you."

"All right now. Chin up. We are going to walk into that ballroom smiling like we don't have a care in the world. Understand?"

No, but that didn't matter right now. "One smiling granddaughter, coming up."

Plastering a grin on her face, she accompanied her grandmother into the small ballroom, where families congregated around individual Christmas trees. It looked like a scene out of a movie rather than something in real life.

Her grandfather stood there surveying his domain like the lord and master he thought he was. "You're late," he said without changing his facial expression-like a ventriloquist who could talk through a fake smile.

"No harm done." Her grandmother reached down and pulled a shoe boxsized rectangular package from under the tree and handed it to him.

Why did he get the first gift? You'd think they'd let the little kids go first.

He carefully opened the package without ripping the paper. Inside was a box of cigars that reeked from three feet away.

"Thank you, Marie. This is perfect. I was running low."

"You're welcome."

Stepford wasn't a strong enough description for this exchange. Disingenuous might be better. Was this the same thing her grandfather said to her grandmother every year?

Her grandfather pulled a small blue velvet jeweler's box from his pocket and handed it to his wife. She popped the lid and smiled a smile that didn't reach her eyes. Turning the box so Bryn could see, she said, "Aren't they lovely?"

The teardrop sapphire-and-diamond earrings were amazing, but they didn't seem to mean anything to either of her grandparents.

"They're beautiful," Bryn said. She wanted to add, and you people are crazy, but that wouldn't help the situation.

Her grandfather nodded, like her response was appropriate. He pulled a long thin blue velvet box from his other pocket and handed it to Bryn. The plant-of-the-month and dessert-of-the-month club memberships she'd bought for them seemed vastly inappropriate now.

Popping the lid open on the box, her breath caught in her throat. A sapphire-and-diamond bracelet winked at her from the box. "It's gorgeous."

Both grandparents seemed pleased by her reaction.

"Let's see what it looks like on." Her grandmother removed the bracelet from the box and fastened it around Bryn's left wrist, where it fit snugly enough that it couldn't come off over her hand. She moved her wrist back and forth in the light, watching the stones sparkle.

"I love it. Thank you." Without thinking about it, she leaned in and kissed her grandmother on the cheek and then did the same thing to her grandfather. He appeared embarra.s.sed, but something in his expression softened.

Were they not supposed to do public displays of affection? She didn't care right now. "You'll probably think my gifts for you are lame. I can tell you what they are if you want, or you can be surprised."

"What did you buy?" her grandfather asked.

"Since you seem to like food as much as I do, I bought you a dessert-of-the-month-club membership." She shrugged. "You're kind of hard to buy for since you seem to own everything already."

He grinned.

To her grandmother she said, "I knew you loved gardening, so I bought a plant-of-the-month-club membership for you. I hope that's not stupid."

"I think it's thoughtful," her grandmother said. "And we can take care of the plants together so I can teach you how to garden."

"I'd like that."

"I'm not sharing my dessert," her grandfather said in a deadpan tone.

Bryn laughed. For a moment, all was right in her world, or if not right, at least not bad.

Waitstaff rolled in silver carts covered with steaming china cups of hot cocoa. Half of the drinks had a large marshmallow floating in the chocolate-colored liquid. The others were plain.

The scent of chocolate mingled with the fresh-cut-pine scent of the trees and created a happy smell.

"Cocoa?" her grandmother asked.

"Yes." Bryn headed toward a cart and arrived at the same time as Jaxon, who actually wore a genuine smile on his face.

"Was Santa good to you this year?" she asked.

He held out a set of car keys dangling from a key fob with an emblem she didn't recognize.

"You got a car?"

He looked at her like she had two heads. "Not just a car, it's a Bugatti Veyron. There are only three hundred made a year."

Okay. So it was a fancy elite sn.o.bby car. "Oh, that's great." She tried not to laugh, but he continued to glare at her.

"I'm sorry. I don't know anything about cars. I'm sure yours is the best car ever invented and everyone will be jealous. There, is that better?"

"That's what you should've said the first time." He reached for a cup of cocoa with a marshmallow and offered it to her. "I a.s.sume this is what you want."

"How did you know?"

"I've seen you eat. 'Less is more' isn't an adage that applies to your diet."

She opened her mouth to argue and then stopped. "You're right."

"Your grandmother takes hers plain." He handed her another cup, which she accepted with her left hand. He didn't let go of the cup.

"Are you planning on taking it back?" she asked.

His breath caught. "That's a Vanleigh."

"What's a Vanleigh?"

"Your bracelet is a Vanleigh." He released the cup and then pointed to the bracelet. "See the signature V on the clasp?"

She set the cocoa down to look at the mark he indicated. "Does that mean this is a limited edition one-in-three-hundred bracelet that your friends will be jealous of?"

"No. It means it's a one-of-a-kind bracelet that most of the women in this room would kill to have. And you had no idea." He shook his head like he was astounded.

"Do you know what I see when I look at this bracelet?"

"I hate to ask."

"I see a pretty bracelet that sparkles when I do this." She moved her wrist back and forth so it caught the light. "The person who made it, or how much it cost, doesn't matter."

Jaxon dramatically touched his forehead. "Take that back before my head explodes."

Boom!

The teacups on the tray rattled. The Christmas trees shook, and everyone froze.

"I don't suppose that's fireworks?" Please, please, please let it be fireworks.

Kaboom! Boom. Boom.

"It's lightning," Jaxon said. He set his cocoa back on the cart and scanned the room. Bryn shoved her china cups on the cart and ran to her grandparents.

"Is this another attack?" she asked her grandfather.

"So it would appear. Marie, take all the women and children into one of the stormproofed rooms. I'll gather our forces and launch a counterattack."

"It's Christmas Eve, d.a.m.n it." Bryn said to no one in particular.

"They don't appear to care. Come with me," her grandmother said.

No way. She wasn't a sit-on-the-sidelines-and-let-the-men-fight-for-her kind of girl.

"Bryn." Jaxon grabbed her arm and spun her around. He placed his white-lipped mother's hand into Bryn's hand. "Take care of my mother."

Double d.a.m.n it. "Sure." She looked at Lillith's terrified face. "It's okay. We're going somewhere safe."

"I can't lose this baby, too." Lillith's eyes were huge.

As if by some unspoken word, all the women gathered in the center of the room while the men stalked the perimeter.

"If you'd all follow me, we'll head into the storm shelter," her grandmother announced in an "Isn't this a lovely change of events" voice.

Bryn put her arm around Lillith's shoulders and guided her along behind her grandmother. She wanted to ask questions, like, is this a storm shelter or some kind of bunker they'd had built in case of attack? Asking that question might upset Lillith even more. What had Lillith meant when she said she couldn't lose this baby, too? Had she lost other babies? How far along was Lillith and how delicate was a dragon pregnancy? She knew humans had to be careful to avoid certain things during pregnancy, but she had no idea how their dragon counterparts worked.

She itched to join the men in the ballroom, to help plan a counterattack. Even if she didn't fight, she wanted to know what was going on. d.a.m.n Jaxon for putting her in this position.

Chapter Thirty-One.

They walked down a hallway toward the library and then turned down a smaller hall, which led to a set of enclosed stairs.

"Be careful on the stairs," her grandmother called out. "They aren't very wide, and we don't want anyone to fall."

The steps ended in a well-lit room, or rather, many rooms which flowed into one another through giant archways. There were several sets of couches and chairs in various areas. Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves covered one wall, and a row of shelves contained toys for children of all ages. At the far end of the room, wait staff set trays of cocoa out on what looked like an enormous buffet table. Platters of cookies and bottled drinks were also set out along the buffet.

"Is this some sort of bunker?" she asked her grandmother.

"It's a shelter that can keep out weather or enemies, as the need arises." She cleared her throat and spoke in a loud voice. "Please help yourself to cocoa or snacks and make yourself comfortable. Children, help yourselves to the toys. We have our own fully stocked kitchen. If you'd like anything besides what is being served on the buffet, just ask.

"Bryn, come with me," her grandmother said in a normal tone of voice.

She followed, bringing Lillith with her. They stopped at a set of cream-colored couches. Once they were seated, her grandmother took Lillith's hand.

"This shelter has enough food and provisions to last six months. The walls are designed to be earthquake-proof so that even an Orange dragon can't blast through. You and your baby are safe."

Lillith blew out a shaking breath. "Thank you. I know it's ridiculous, but twice before this I lost-"

"No need to explain," her grandmother said. "I understand better than you know."

Her grandmother had lost a baby, too? What the h.e.l.l?

"Can I get either of you anything?" Bryn asked.

"Why don't you bring us some cookies and cocoa," her grandmother said.

Bryn did as she was asked. After she approached the buffet, other women did the same. Had that been her grandmother's plan?

Back at the couches, Bryn kicked off her shoes, which made her grandmother's eyebrows shoot up.

"If it weren't for my current obligation, I'd be up there helping with the counterattack. Consider shoes off to be a small rebellion by comparison."

"Then it's good Jaxon asked you to take care of me," Lillith said. Her color seemed to be returning.

"If he hadn't, I would've dragged you down here kicking and screaming," her grandmother said. "And I could do it."

"I have no doubt about that." Bryn laughed. "Now I know where my stubborn streak comes from."

The sound of women talking and eating drifted through the room. Bryn glared up at the ceiling. "We can't even hear what's going on, can we?"

"Sonic waveproofing has the side effect of soundproofing. Which isn't bad."