A Dragonlings' Easter (Dragon Lords of Valdier 6.5) Read Free Page A

grandmother’s face. The only time Pearl had an expression like that was when she was up to something. That always meant someone was about to get their ass whipped BIG time.
    “ What are you up to?” Riley hissed, glaring at Pearl.
    “ It’s okay, Riley,” Cara said with a grin. “The guys are determined they are going to find the most eggs. Pearl and I figured it would be fun to watch them try, sort of like a reality television contest.”
    “ Yeah, Survivor,” Trisha muttered walking up to stand by them. “I’m betting on the kids. Pearl and Cara have already got them primed. I swear I saw them feeding the kids Pixy Stixs.”
    Riley ’s eyes widened at the mention of the pure sugar-filled concoction. “You didn’t even let me or Tina have those when we were kids!” Riley said, glaring at her grandmother. “Now you are feeding them to your great-grandson?”
    Pearl shrugged as she watched Roam turning around and around in a circle trying to catch his own tail. A huge grin crossed her face when he stopped suddenly and fell over. Of course, the minute he did Amber, Jade, Spring and Phoenix were on top of him.
    “ All’s fair in love and war. And darling, we are going to have a war. The kids want those eggs. I just gave them the extra umpf they needed to win. They’ll sleep like rocks tonight after the sugar wears off. Now, as for the guys… well, let’s say they don’t have a clue as to what they have gotten themselves into being so damn stubborn. This is going to be more fun than a fight at the bar on a Saturday night,” Pearl said with a smirk.
    “ You…” Riley hissed, pointing her finger at Pearl. “… are a menace to the universe.”
    “ Well, someone had to take the position,” Pearl retorted. “Now, let the games begin.”
    “ You mean the slaughter,” Cara giggled.
    They watched as Amber and Jade looked up as Harvey, Carmen and Creon’s symbiot, and Symba, her and Trelon’s symbiot, hopped over. It was so strange to see golden rabbits the size of a miniature pony.
    “ I think everything is ready. The men are working on their ‘strategy’ to figure out where the eggs might be hidden,” Abby said with a shake of her head as she joined them. “I tried to talk Zoran out of it but he pulled his ‘I’m the King of Valdier’ attitude on me.”
    Riley rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Vox did that to me, too.”
    “ And you let him?” Carmen asked in surprise as she bent to hand small baskets out to the symbiot ‘bunnies’ who would accompany each child.
    Riley raised her eyebrow at Carmen and looked at her in disbelief. “Of course not! But the big oaf wouldn’t listen to me so I told Roam to bite daddy on the ass the first chance he got if daddy dearest got in his way.”
    Emma ’s soft giggle drew smothered laughs from the other women as they turned to watch the guys plan their opening battle. They had no idea that the odds were stacked against them. The kids already had their eyes on the colorful prizes and they weren’t about to let anyone else get them – not even their dads.

     
    Chapter 5
    “Okay, on the count of one hundred you guys can go,” Abby called out.
    “ One hundred! Why are they getting to go now?” Vox demanded, pointing to where the kids, along with a symbiot bunny, were either crawling or wobbling toward the lush flowerbeds.
    “ Because they are kids, you dope!” Riley snapped. “It’s called a head start.”
    “ Personally, I think they got the head start when Cara and Pearl gave them the sugar candy,” Trelon muttered as he watched Amber and Jade race across the thick grass on their hands and knees squealing with glee.
    “ Trelon!” Cara rebuked.
    “ What? We’ve never done this either and our dragons love eggs,” he complained. “Shouldn’t that count for something?”
    “ He’s right,” Kelan finally admitted, rubbing his stomach. “I’m hungry and my dragon thinks the colored eggs will taste better for some reason.”
    “