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Holding Holly
Holding Holly [Sisters of Silverwood Book 6] by Viola Grace eXtasy eBooks www.extasybooks.com Copyright ©2008 by Viol...
Author: Grace Viola
Holding Holly [Sisters of Silverwood Book 6] by Viola Grace
eXtasy eBooks www.extasybooks.com
Copyright ©2008 by Viola Grace First published in eXtasy Books, 2008 NOTICE: This eBook is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution to any person via email, floppy disk, network, print out, or any other means is a violation of International copyright law and subjects the violator to severe fines and/or imprisonment. This notice overrides the Adobe Reader permissions which are erroneous. This eBook cannot be legally lent or given to others. This eBook is displayed using 100% recycled electrons.
CONTENTS Holding Holly Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten About the Author ****
The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author's rights is appreciated. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Holding Holly Copyright © 2008 Viola Grace ISBN: 978-1-55487-199-5 Cover art by Martine Jardin All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher. Published by eXtasy Books 4
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Holding Holly Sisters of Silverwood Book 6 By Viola Grace [Back to Table of Contents]
Chapter One Holly Baker loved and hated the holiday season. It brought out the best and worst in people, and whether they wanted to or not, they shared it with her. This was the reason that two weeks from Christmas found her driving into the mountains to put emotions and humanity behind her until after the New Year was well under way. Her sedan slipped slightly on the road and she slowed down. It would not do for her to end up in the ditch with no one to rescue her. A cloud passed in front of the sun and the fanciful part of her imagined something greater up there than water vapour. It was the same part of her mind that saw gargoyles on buildings move and garden gnomes moon her as she passed. The silly part. Her car slipped sideways again and she slowed to a crawl. There was a steep curve coming up and going off into the ether was not the way she wanted to start her holidays. Her gifts to her friends had all been sent, her family calls had been made and no one would be looking for her until well into January. It was not the time to get into a car accident. Being a corpesicle was not on her agenda. Just before she rounded the corner, she saw a flash, sun on a mirror perhaps, but when she came around the bend, the road was clear. Completely clear, as if it had never been snowed on. There was no ice, no snow and clear pavement as far as the eye could see. 7
Another hour of driving passed with that weird cloud passing between her and the sun half a dozen more times before she pulled onto her strangely clear gravel driveway. The greenery on either side was slightly singed, but the gravel was nice and dry. It was rather odd, even for her life. Two miles down the gravel road and she was home. Well, her home away from home. No humans around for miles, and no creepy elves either. Holly shuddered as she remembered the person who came up to her as she was loading her car. He had reeked of power, arrogance and aggression. She had given him a brain blast and left him on the sidewalk before he had the chance to say anything. The only self-defence move that she had. It was that or stab him with her knitting needles. Frankly, the brain blast did less damage. It merely burned out his mind with everything she had been exposed to in the last fortyeight hours. The effect would wear off in an hour or two, her needles wouldn't. "Home again, home again. Jiggity jig." She parked and then popped the trunk on her sedan. Time to get serious. With her first shuttle to the house, she carried in her overnight bag and her dairy products. She put them in the fridge and opened the shed outside to fire up the generator. Lights came on and power revved through her home. She sighed happily and went to move the rest of the contents of her car into her house. She needn't have bothered. They were all inside and waiting for her.
"Is someone here?" She closed her eyes and opened her mind. Nothing registered aside from some indignant squirrels within a mile of her cabin. "Hello?" She got no response. The thudding of her car closing surprised her and she ran to the door to look. No one. Nothing. Whatever had run her errands had no footprints either. The snow in her yard was untouched. "Curiouser and curiouser." Holly did tend to speak while she was alone. The sound of her own voice was comforting, even if there was no one to hear it. She went back inside and closed the door. The fridge was running now, the silence when she had arrived indicated what usually happened up in the cabin that the power had gone out when the snow fell. As she didn't need the power when she wasn't in, she was not too concerned. There was extra fuel in the generator shed, so she was not concerned about running it for a few hours until she could get heat in the house by means of the cast iron stove and the fireplace. Life was good. For the first time since she had started to come up to the cabin, she dreamed. Dreams did not come to her easily, unless they belonged to someone else. Her dream was set in the ruins of a castle and she was wearing a fairy tale gown and tiara. Very nice. A dark shadow hovered just in the periphery of her vision and she whirled to confront it. "Who's there?" "Damn, you are quick." The shadow moved, it was a man. Sort of. He had large wings protruding from his back. He remained in the dark, keeping his features from her. 9
"You didn't answer my question. Who are you?" She moved toward him and he flinched back, the rustle of her skirts was distracting to say the least. "My name is Kevik." "Kevin?" That was a stupid name for a shadow. "No. Kevik, dragon lord of the Northern Wastes." That was better. "Kevik then. Why am I here? Or why are you here would be the better question?" "It is safer." Holly tried to fake him out again, but he moved away from her, keeping himself in darkness. "Safer than what?" "Meeting you before I can gather enough energy to shift again. Keeping track of you today exhausted me." His voice was wry. "Dodging you now is doing a good job as well." "How is it you are in my dream?" "You are in my dream, Holly." He laughed, it was a nice laugh. "It was easier than worming my ways though your defences while you were awake. I issued the invitation and you simply wandered into my dream. You look lovely in that dress by the way." "I like to dress like a princess for Halloween, but the noises of the excited kids' minds are too much for me most of the time. So, I come up here for that week, then return for a while and come back for the big holidays." "You don't like the joy of the holidays?" His voice was concerned and he took a step toward her. That was it, keep coming. "I love the joy, but feeling the joy fades away with the depression, the anxiety and greed that run rampant at that time of year. It makes me want to 10
curl into a ball or run for the hills." He moved toward her again and she sighed and knelt on the ground. The dream moon was high in the sky and cast her in a pool of light. Just a little closer and he would be in the light. Her gown was poofing around her as he moved toward her again. He did not give off the emotions of the magical creatures that she had met, he was still as a stone. However, his body was giving off all kinds of signals. He was worried that she was upset, and when he stepped into the light, her breath left her body. [Back to Table of Contents]
Chapter Two Lord, he was pretty. A metallic blue with silver hair, he was the color of her favourite Christmas wrapping. His chest was naked, his arms thick with muscle, she had to keep herself from leaping into his arms, and those arms were on an enormous body around seven feet tall. Even from this distance she could smell him, and the scent alone was enough to drive her to him, fresh cinnamon and vanilla cookies. Wait, scent? This was a dreamscape. There was no way that she should be able to smell him. "Are those wings?" He preened, there was no other word, wings flexed and extended in the bright moonlight. "It is my most comfortable form. It allows me to fly for short distances and still make contact with the human world." "What kind of contact?" Oh, she knew that look, it was lust. He wanted her, princess gown and all. A sudden lunge and he had her dangling from his hands. He lifted her by her arms until they were face to face. He smiled and she shivered at the fangs she saw there. The smell of cookies got stronger and then he brought her in for a kiss. Holly woke up. "Damn it!" Her body was humming and she could still taste him on her lips. That was the best dream ever. Trembling, she tried to go back to sleep, it was the last thing she remembered, that and the smell of cookies. The next morning there was a knock on the door and she rushed to answer it. No one was there, but a tiny and perfect 12
figurine was on the stoop. She picked it up and raised it to her nose. It was her. In beautiful detail. Holly was looking at herself in a ball gown with a tiny tiara. Laughter caught her up and spilled out the door into the frosty morning. A roar answered her laugh and almost made her drop the figure. Kevik was real, he was a dragon, she had kissed him and he smelled like cinnamon and vanilla cookies. It was a lot to take in. The steed crashing through the snow and up her drive was all too familiar. As was his rider. The Elven idiot from the city. She slammed the door, then locked and bolted it. Holly carefully placed her figure on the bookshelf and smiled at it. The smile faded as someone pounded on the door. "Come out, Holly. We need to discuss your courtship." "Not with you. Never with you." She screamed it at the wood. His frenzy, his lust was affecting her. She was catching it, feeling it and she didn't like it. "Open up. Let's talk about this." "No!" "You won't like what happens if I have to break in, Holly." She dashed to the kitchen and grabbed up her needles. Twelve inches of aluminium would make him stop for a while. She faced the door as he pounded against it. The wood splintered at the locks and his hand made it through one of the openings. A roar echoed in the valley and the hand disappeared. Cursing came through the door for a moment and then it was gone. His emotions faded from her senses and she calmed. 13
Wherever he was, he was out of her one-mile radius, and he had travelled fast. Another roar sounded far in the mountains, and if the elf was out there, he was going to have a long walk back. She shook her head and tried to repair the door as best she could. She may have to call a repairperson or go into town to get a new door. Damn. Holly put on some duct tape and then filled the crevices with spray foam. At least it would keep the wind out. She closed it as best she could and shook her head. Moron. What guy expected a girl to fall over on her back after he busted down her door? A love talker. "What?" She whirled to see the speaker, but there was no one nearby. He is a love talker. If he had been with you long enough, you would have fallen to his charms. Or so he thought. Personally, I think you would have stabbed him with those needles. The voice was strictly inside her head. No, I am not. I simply don't fit in your cabin, and therefore found another way to communicate with you. This is very effective, don't you think? "Um, I would have to agree. It does seem to work well. Who are you again?" A less than delicate snort ran through her mind. You met me in a dream last night. I am Kevik. Did you like the statuette? 14
"It was very pretty. Do you really smell like cookies?" She wanted to take the words back the instant that they were out of her mouth. A blush spread across her face, she was glad that he couldn't see her, whoever he was. It was a gift from Sahn-Tah-Kelas. You would say Santa Claus. He gifted me with it the year that I delivered his annual gifts for him. He said I would never get a woman if I smelled like fish. "Santa? You are kidding." I am not. He really said that. There was a pause. He may have had a point. Women seemed much more interested after the change of scent. Holly felt jealous all of a sudden. She didn't even know if he was real or if she had had a psychotic break. The thought of other women sniffing him irritated the hell out of her. Calm down. I can feel your irritation from here. "Really? Usually it is the other way around." Really. In addition, they may have sniffed me, but I didn't reciprocate. None of them were you. That gave her pause. She sought her mind for their connection, trying to see if he was just putting one over on her. She couldn't find the spot where his mind touched hers. But I am touching your mind so don't worry about it. Go about your regular day, I will fix your door later. He should not have tried to force his way in. There was the anger that she had been unable to find. However, it was not aimed at her, so it actually made her feel cared for. As if for once, someone was looking out for her. 15
Well. Someone who wasn't a friend from camp. Carolyn, Tara, and of course Valentine had been steadfast friends throughout the years. However, even the bond that they shared could be overwhelming when one of them was upset, so she did most of her communication online and over the phone. It was easier for her. A life of solitude had been destined for her from an early age, and it sucked. [Back to Table of Contents]
Chapter Three Knitting was her new hobby. Something that she could excel at in solitude and give to friends and family. It allowed her to get her creative side out and take it for a spin. Crochet was next on her list. Today's project was a sweater for a man. A big man. Holly hadn't realized how big until she started the second sleeve. She had just cast on and gotten to work. Apparently, she was knitting for her subconscious. Kevik was about this size, but somehow, she didn't think his chest needed to be covered up with a sweater. The fuzzy image in her mind was just right, no extra clothing required. She only stopped her knitting to eat lunch and then to take a short walk through the nearby woods. She was looking for a suitable Christmas tree, no chopping required. It took half an hour of looking, but she thought she saw a likely candidate. It was a seven-foot fir tree with nice thick branches. It was green, bushy and the epitome of the season. Alive. She trudged back to her cabin, triumphant in her discovery. Her lips twitched as she noted the brand new door made out of blue hardwood now in place on her cabin. He worked fast. She sacrificed a few more hours to knitting, and then had a quick snack before heading to bed. It was so easy to turn in early in the mountains. The air was crisp and just thin enough to make her tired easily. 17
She dreamed again. This time when she woke in the dreamscape, she looked first for her companion and second at her clothing. Holly should have reversed the order. In place of the princess garb of the night before with its fantastic crinolines, this night she was wearing a silken toga and some heavy jewellery. The jewellery weighed more than her gown and there was a light breeze blowing through Kevik's mind tonight. She wondered how much premeditation he had given this. "Good evening, Holly. You look wonderful." She could see in his eyes exactly how wonderful she looked and was amazed that her gown didn't catch on fire. His clothing still consisted of a set of leather pants, but she didn't see anything wrong with that either. "Kevik, thank you for the door, and the statuette." He wasn't hiding from her anymore, he came close, closer and then he was looking down at her five foot five from his seven foot height and smiling. "You are most welcome. I would like to greet you with a kiss, may I?" He kept his hands at his sides and his stance relaxed, seducing by keeping control. What a novel thought. "Yes, but last time it shocked me into waking." "I will take that chance." He once again reached out, the span of his hands covering her upper arms and lifted her up to face him. His blue skin gleamed in the moonlight that was once again covering them, the silver of his hair falling over his left eye. She wanted to reach up and brush it away, but her arms were pinned. 18
The cinnamon and vanilla was back, and just like the previous night, the closer she got to him, the stronger the scent got until she was heady with the smell and their lips were still inches from each other. The kiss scorched her to her toes, which were dangling a foot and a half off the ground. Holly bent her hands up and cupped his jaw as his lips traced hers, easing his tongue into her mouth with delicacy. The kiss wasn't taking, it was tasting, teasing and engaging for all of her senses. His skin felt smooth and warm, his scent was intoxicating and his mouth felt like heaven. Each brush of his lips, each tease of his tongue seduced until she was drunk on him. Delirious, from one single kiss. Her mind must be playing tricks on her because no man could be this attractive to her. Wait, he wasn't a man, he was a dragon. Right, she had to cling to that. But first, one more kiss. Dangling from his hands had a certain appeal, but she needed some kind of advantage, so she wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled tight. This caused his hands to loosen and she flung her arms around his neck. Now she had advantage. Pulling herself up, she kissed his stunned face, cheekbones and jaw line. Finally, she repeated his technique on his own mouth, teasing and inviting him to take part in the kiss. When his hand cupped her head to hold her, she knew she had him. Their kiss turned from a delicate exploration to a claiming, a marking of territory. She would never be sure of who was marking whom. When they both parted, panting, she smiled at him, her lips swollen and eyes shining. "That is quite the greeting. 19
Remind me not to invite you to shake hands. It might be dangerous." Holding onto a laughing dragon was difficult at the best of times, but while her hormones were rioting, it was an exercise in dexterity. When she tightened her thighs around him and looped both arms around his neck to plaster their torsos together, he stilled. His hands rubbed up and down her spine as she clung to him, a soft humming noise started coming from his throat. Holly lifted her head slightly from his shoulder, "What are you doing?" "Enjoying your scent. You smell of strawberries and lemon." He nuzzled her neck and she shivered. "I think you may want to get back on your own feet before I try to find out how you taste." She drew her head back in surprise and looked at him, face to face. He grinned, showing fang, and that was all it took. She dropped her legs and then slithered against him to the ground. She ignored her gown riding up and simply tugged it straight once she was on her feet. The silk flowed to her feet in a river and the wind blew it up to expose her thighs. "Stop that." "Stop what?" "This is your dreamscape, you control the weather and that includes the wind. I want to keep what you have given me on my body, thank you." "But what if I don't? I would love to see you clad in nothing but moonlight." He stepped forward and that was all she needed. 20
Holly woke up. [Back to Table of Contents]
Chapter Four The fire in the fireplace crackled with good cheer. It mocked the grimness of her mood. Holly had stirred up the fire and added a log to it so that she would have time to watch and figure out what to do. Kevik was great, but was he only in her dreams? On the other hand, was his physical form the dragon that she had seen on her way to the cabin? She was confused. He was really the lover of her dreams, if the five minutes of foreplay was any indication. She really didn't have good standards, her record of accomplishment with men was mercifully short. She was nervous about everything, including her inability to read Kevik. Holly had never run into anyone that didn't put all of their emotions out where she could read them. It was nice, but a little disconcerting. She was not sure where she stood with her phantom dragon. A light knock at her new door snapped her out of her reverie. Dawn was creeping through the windows and she blinked in surprise. The log was completely burned down and only glowing embers warmed her. She walked over to the door and opened it. On her stoop was a small fabric wrapped bundle, all gold and black. She picked it up, and idly noted that it wasn't even cold. It had been delivered recently. When she pulled at the ribbon, a puddle of jewels spilled into her lap. It was the necklace and bracelets that she had been wearing in the dreamscape. They 22
were beautiful, sparkling blue and silver just like Kevik. When she touched them, she felt warmth coming from the stones. Eager to put on the pretties, she fastened them onto her wrists and neck, then ran to look at herself in the mirror. Do you like them? "They are very pretty, thank you." Holly didn't add that she loved them and that the colours were her favourites. I am glad. Would you care to meet me in person? "Sure. When?" After you have a shower and are dressed for some time in the cold. I am afraid that I am not well insulated. The smile in his voice was obvious. Smiling with anticipation, Holly did as he asked. When she tried to take them off to shower the catches on the jewellery stuck slightly so she wore them into the water. When she examined it after the shower, it seemed to be fine. She made a note to ask him if water would hurt the stones. A quick blow dry of her hair and she was almost ready to meet him. Oops. She needed clothing. Her eagerness to meet Kevik in his dragon form was a little embarrassing, but at least she was the only one to witness it. She picked out matching lingerie, jeans and a bright sweater. Her socks were decorated with festive stripes and had brightly coloured individual toes. They took some getting into, but she loved them. They had been a gift from Valentine. Boots, gloves and a parka completed her ensemble so she headed out the door to meet her dragon. He was nowhere to 23
be seen. She walked thirty yards from her house and looked around. Still no Kevik. Holly tried reaching out with her mind, but nothing registered. Finally she just yelled, "Kevik. Get your big blue butt out here." Apparently, those were magic words because a blue and silver swirled dragon rose from the forest silhouetted against the mountains and came toward her. He settled daintily in the clearing near her cabin, between her and her home, neatly cutting off escape routes with his head and tail. She spent a few seconds spitting out snow and blinking her lashes clear. "So, you were just waiting for an invitation. Great." I was unsure as to my welcome. The saurian head tilted at her and his enormous black eye blinked at her slowly. "You are very pretty, as I am sure you know." She walked from nose to tail, examining every inch of him. He really was lovely. The blue and silver swirled across him in a mesmerizing pattern. It almost seemed to move over his skin, well small scales really, if you could call four-inch panels small. His tail came to a flared point and she petted it affectionately, he flicked it back at her and she almost fell over. "A little more gently please. You aren't quite to my scale." Sorry. He moved his tail away from her and she let it go. Would you care to take a small flight? "Where would we go?" Holly moved toward his head and he angled his jaw so he could watch her. 24
I know a place. Just step up on my claw and I will lift you to my shoulder. You can settle on my neck and grab the spikes for balance. His eye was entreating and she couldn't say no. She followed his instructions and, after having to turn around when she was facing the wrong way, she was ready to travel. "Okay. I am ready. Where are we going?" He shifted position and got ready to launch himself, his muscles tensing under her thighs. We are going to visit SahnTah's Workshop. Hold on. He pushed them away from the earth with a tremendous shove from his hindquarters and a solid flap of his wings. He kept up the hard scooping motion of his wings while Holly clung to the spikes on his neck for dear life. As they moved forward, she heard a shout below. There in the snow was her Lios courtier. Kevik roared as they passed over him, leaving him standing in the snow with his hands on his hips. Holly chuckled and clung tighter to the body beneath her. Dealing with that elf would just have to wait, she had a dragon to ride. Over the mountains and straight north they flew. With every wing beat, they moved faster. Holly's eyes couldn't take the wind velocity so she closed them and buried her face against his hide. With her hood up and her face down, his body put out more than enough warmth to keep her nice and toasty, but the ridge of his spines ignited another certain heat. Astride him as she was, the join of her thighs was completely plastered against him. Every move of his wings rubbed her the right way, and she was positive he knew it. 25
Holly was sighing into his hide and waiting for her orgasm to hit her. It was inevitable. She had a feeling that Kevik was courting the rougher air on their journey just to give her a better ride. The instant it struck, he began to weave through the air, making her shimmy and shudder with every drop and rise. After she had calmed and stopped gasping, he straightened his flight path and they were soon at their destination. The giant snowflake-landing pad was her first clue. He circled once and then came in for a landing. She hung on tightly as his forequarters rose up for the impact. When he dropped to all fours and folded his wings, she took the hint. He wanted her off. His front claw lifted to assist her and she wrestled her numb leg over his neck and then slid down to land in his palm. He held her up to him and sniffed her seriously. She was just concentrating on getting the feeling back in her ass, dragon riding was not conducive to circulation, but the thought of riding Kevik caused her bloodstream to riot. Blushing furiously, she moved away from his sniffing nose and landed butt first on the large snowflake. By the time she had made it onto her feet, she was no longer the only biped in the vicinity. There was an elf standing to her left, his hair was snow white and hanging to his waist, but his bright blue eyes captured her and held her attention. "Hello. What brings you to my workshop?" Holly had just opened her mouth to speak when a very masculine tone sounded from behind her. "A dragon, you jackass." 26
"Oh, Kevik. I didn't see you there." The twinkling blue eyes released her and she looked over to her ride. Kevik was now in the shape of her dreams, the half-man, half-dragon she was used to. "How have you been?" "Fine." Kevik moved forward and put his arm around Holly. "This is Holly Baker, she is my match and we have come for a visit." "Please, I forget my manners, I have so few guests." He led the way to a hill of snow and simply walked through it. It was an illusion. "Follow me." "So you really do look like that? Wow. How have you remained single this long?" she murmured to him as they followed Sahn-Tah. The walls were made of sparkling ice, each wall carved in intricate designs that Holly recognized as wards. Magic guarded this place. Duh. He kept his arm around her and his warm grip was solid as he steered her around in the ice tunnel. "I have never desired meaningless relationships with women. It is something that Sahn-Tah and I disagree on. He was cursed to this position when his flagrant womanizing was discovered." Hearing and feeling his voice was completely different to listening to the bass rumble on the dream plane. Gooseflesh broke out on her hands and arms. He was really hot and keeping her hands off him was becoming difficult. When they entered the great room filled with elves, toys and wrapping materials, she had to stop a squeal, and not just because Kevik had grabbed her ass. [Back to Table of Contents] 27
Chapter Five "What the heck was that for?" All of her air had been let out in surprise, so Holly hissed her question. "Just reminding you who you have come here with, and I have wanted to do that since I saw you in that toga." His grin was enough to melt her outrage. It was one half little boy and one half very big boy. As she stood staring at her dragon, Sahn-Tah showed up again. "Are you getting slow in your old age, Kevik? Why is it taking you so long?" He drew up short as he took in their close proximity and the dragon's arm around Holly's shoulders. "Damn. You have finally done it. She is a little skinny for my taste, but you may find her entertaining." It was the last word he spoke for quite some time as he was knocked out by Kevik's fist. Holly was shocked. Kevik had just punched out Santa Claus. She was so going onto the naughty list for this one. "Kevik, stand away from the unconscious Santa Claus, please." He moved back to her and gave her a light hug. He really did smell like cinnamon and vanilla. She breathed deeply only to realize that he was doing the same. "Stop doing that." "You first. I have waited eons for a woman who smelled like you, I am going to enjoy it as long as I can." "Would you two get a room?" Sahn-Tah was sitting up again, his expression rueful as he watched them. His white 28
hair and bright blue eyes sparkled in the light reflected by the ice. "Come on. Let's get a drink." Without further ado, they trooped into a large sitting room off the gallery that housed the workers and toys. Holly smirked, there was tea for her and ale for the men, not that she minded. She didn't like to drink alcohol, it loosened the tenuous control that she had over her mind. As she prepped her cup and took up a seat on the couch, she was unsurprised to have Kevik pull a stool up on her left. With his wings, he could not sit on a normal couch, but he seemed loath to part from her by even the width of the room. It was either that, or he didn't trust Sahn-Tah. Come to think of it, Holly didn't trust the white-haired elf either. He was cuddling up to her on her right as if he was her new boyfriend. "So, Holly. How long have you been with Kevik here?" "Physically or mentally?" "Either, both." "None of your business, you white-haired fairy." "At least I blend in when I go amongst humans, you big blue freak." They kept going back and forth with the insults for at least five minutes. Apparently it was a long standing friendship that she was sitting in. Finally she had enough. "Knock it off you two! Kevik, yes, you are big and blue, but I still want to jump you anyway, Santa ... get your hand off my ass." She punctuated this demand and then elbowed him in the jaw. He was out for the count. 29
"Well done, Holly. I am surprised at your outpouring of violence." "It is usually short lived. But yeah, I do have a temper." She didn't add that her temper usually flared in response to someone else's emotions. This time she had been driven by the almost absentminded lust that Sahn-Tah had aimed at her. It had been more of a habit for him than fraught with meaning, a slightly seductive afterthought. How flattering. "So why are we here, Kevik?" Holly stretched and shoved the unconscious elf off her arm. "I thought the trip would be fun, and you would get to meet the oldest elf in the world today. What do you think of him?" Kevik crossed his arms and looked over at his friend who was only now beginning to stir from the last blow. "He is a jerk, but so are most of the elves. Well, with a few exceptions. They have nothing in their minds but the pursuit of pleasure and personal importance. It gets tiring fighting against that all the time. "So you don't like him?" "What? You mean romantically? Hell no." She stood up and Santa slumped over, then started to raise himself. "When did you two become friends?" "Around a thousand years ago or so, I replaced him at Christmas for a few years in the eighteenth century." She jerked her head toward the door so that they could walk and talk without Sahn-Tah getting in the way. Kevik took her hint and followed her out the door. He offered her his arm and they began a stroll around the gallery overlooking the workshop. 30
"Seriously, Kevik, why did you bring me here? It can't be for the ambiance, or the company. So what was it?" The elves who were working on the toys and wrapping looked up at the couple, then glanced away. "This was my home away from home for many years. The place that I lived when I first came through from Underhill, and the place I am called to return to. My true home is here, under the ice." His fingers covered hers where they rested on his arm. "Any woman that is my true mate will understand if I am called to the ice." Holly thought about it. It was the same way that she was called to the mountains. She didn't know why, but she had to be there. "I understand." And she truly did. He patted her hand, "I knew you would. Would you like to see the list room?" "The nice and naughty list? Sure." He led her slowly around the gallery, pointing out design rooms, product development and the Christmas Seamstress department. "What do they make there?" "All the naughty lingerie that women and men open on Christmas morning. The stuff most men dream of but are too shy to purchase for their women, or men." She tried to peek in the door, but he pulled her away before she could see more than elves sewing what seemed to be moonlight onto strands of chiffon ribbon. "Aw, come on. That is interesting stuff." "Yes, but if you set foot in there, they will ask you to model, and then the touching will start." He sighed heavily. "You don't want me to have to punch them all out, do you?" 31
"I suppose not. But it did look like fun." A speculative gleam grew in his eyes as he looked carefully at her. "I think we may be able to arrange a private design day for you." "That would be lovely." Holly got the inkling that she would be a model for Kevik's personal designs, but given his taste in the dreamscape, she wasn't too worried. "Here we are." Two giant doors opened up in front of them and inside was a football field worth of files. She walked into the enormous room and stepped to the most recent files. The current year's date was on the outside of the cabinet, the files were arranged by time zone and finally by name. Kevik was very interested in her name and dug out Holly Baker, cabin in the woods. "It says that for this Christmas you wished for either love or to be alone forever." He was shaken by what he read. "Yeah, you should see the previous years, I wanted to be struck dumb, to live life in a coma, to never be near people again. Stuff like that." Holly held herself with her arms and rubbed at the chill that had come over her. "When she was fifteen, she wanted to die. Don't deny it, I have the letter right here." Sahn-Tah had recovered and was leaning in the doorway. The telltale parchment with kittens on it waved gently in his fingers. "Why deny it? After all, I could feel everything that everyone around me was feeling, I couldn't handle it. I almost went insane. My family lived in a large city and I could feel my own emotions buckling under the pressure. I was a child 32
and it was too much for me." The shock on Kevik's face surprised her. "You considered killing yourself?" "No. you didn't listen to what Sahn-Tah said, he said I wished to die. Not that I was going to do it myself." She shook her head at him. Then looked over at the elf. "You just had to show him that." "He needed to know. You can call me Sahn by the way. You have a lovely way of striking the unwary." The elf shook his snow-white hair, "And, Kevik, show her your tail. You can't balance properly without it." "You have a tail? In this form?" The dragon now was looking embarrassed, his skin flushed a deep navy. "Yes, he does. It is vanity that keeps him from using it, even though he is more comfortable with it." "Fine, Sahn. But you owe me for this." Kevik shuddered and then a long prehensile tail was lashing the air behind him. "I will get you a new pair of trousers." Sahn was smirking. "I have a question for you, Sahn. Why are you here, specifically what did you do to be sentenced here?" Sahn looked shocked for a moment, then walked forward until he was almost touching Holly. "I seduced human women, hundreds of them, just for the sport. I destroyed marriages when the women became obsessed with elf-touch and lives were lost. That alone the councils could have forgiven, but I fathered dozens of children. Those children were left to live lives in peasant villages, turned into whores, were killed at birth because of my pursuit of personal pleasure." 33
"I have been bound to this duty, this task, because these children will have something that the children I fathered didn't. One wish. One hope per year. Even if they don't believe in me, I know who they are. All of them. I see them in my mind, and hold them in my heart. Not by choice, but by sentence." Wow. "That must be lonely." Holly felt Kevik behind her, putting his arms around her. "It can be, but the elves that the councils send here for minor infractions keep me company." "Cold comfort. Can you ever have a life mate?" "If a woman would know what I am at first sight, seeing through my glamour, perhaps. But as yet I have not met such a woman." He laughed. "And I have no idea if such a woman would want me." "Are you blind? You are fricken Santa Claus!" [Back to Table of Contents]
Chapter Six Her comment caused a small bubble of laughter, and now she saw through the perfunctory lust that she noticed before. Sahn was testing her to see if she was worthy of his friend. It was almost enough to make her regret hitting him. Almost. They returned to the sitting room in silence, each of them lost to their own thoughts. A more substantial lunch had been prepared by one of the worker elves who left with a nod as they sat comfortably. Kevik took his position on the stool again. "Have they all been sent here from Underhill? Or were they here before the move?" "There is a gate under the ice, in Kevik's private quarters. They are here for some basic offences such as insulting an elf of higher rank, or one of the ruling houses." "Really? They can be sent here for insults? Wow. They won't like Silverwood then. They are trying to abolish the castes there. The first few volunteers that came through worked together to start the town, and from that camaraderie has grown an attitude of equality." "Really? Even trolls?" "Even trolls. They are doing a lot of the roadwork and home building. They are really good with bridges, too." His snort of laughter startled them both. He really wasn't used to lightening up in the conversational arena. She had been completely serious, but he had taken the troll comment as a joke. The fact that he still had a sense of humour after 35
all those centuries was heartening, it gave her hope for all her friends who were now wed to elves. On impulse Holly reached out to take Kevik's hand, his startled smiled warmed her more than she had imagined it would. Kevik broke the silence that had fallen over their gathering. "Holly, would you like to see the ice caverns? They are quite lovely this time of year." Sahn laughed. "You are just trying to take her away to be alone. The ice caverns are always lovely." "Quiet, you." She sent Sahn a harsh look and stood up when Kevik did, then she turned to her beau. "Yes, I would love to see the ice caverns." "This way, my love." Before she had time to take umbrage at his term, he was steering her gently down the hall and through the crystal of the snowflake hallways. "Why did you call me that?" It was meant to be a question, but it came out as a hiss. "My love?" Her terse nod was her answer. "Because whether you realize it or not, you are my love. We have been destined to be together since the stars were born. I will stay with you or near you, until the day that I die, and that is a long time away." His eyes glowed as he spoke. Holly shivered in reaction. It was a very serious face that she was looking at. She had to look away. "How far is it?" "A few minutes more. It will be worth the walk." They continued in complete silence, but when she sidestepped to 36
get out of the way of an oncoming elf, he took the opportunity to put his arm around her and keep it there. She didn't complain, it felt too good for her peace of mind. With her body tingling to alertness from his simple touch, she almost didn't notice that they were descending. Almost. The arm around her tightened as she pitched forward slightly. "Oops. That could have been bad." "Indeed. I want you off your feet, but not with a broken limb." His chuckle was rich. It took her a few seconds before she caught on to what he was referring to and then she blushed until she was sure the walls would melt. Holly didn't choose to answer his comment. Discretion was the better choice for her and her dignity. The ice walls widened suddenly, but they were still going deeper into the snowflake complex. They crossed an enormous antechamber and there were two large doors carved of what seemed to be blue marble. The doors swung open at their approach. "Welcome to my home." The pride in his voice was unmistakable, and well deserved. The rooms were fantastic. If she thought that the previous room was large, the conglomeration that she saw before her let her know that she had had no basis for comparison. The vaults that opened before her showed her a collection of silks, gems, gold and silver. Statues were everywhere, portraits were hung on every available surface. It was his horde. "How long have you been collecting this?" "Since I came here from Underhill. Centuries I suppose." 37
That brought up another question for her, "Why did you come here?" "Ah. My purpose was twofold. The first was to find you, I knew you would come to me eventually. The second was to guard this portal." He extended his arm to his right and a gateway shimmered to life on a far wall. "Neat trick. Does it open when you aren't here?" "No. I guard the portal, and when I travel to Silverwood, a new guardian will be appointed." As he spoke, she watched a figure take shape in the portal. It was an elf with hair the colour of blood and eyes to match. His pale skin was chalky in comparison. "Guardian, I am Galmor. I have been sentenced to labour here for a term of no less than fifty years." Kevik drew himself up and assumed a regal posture. "I will take you to Sahn-Tah Kelas. This is a busy time of year for him, I hope you are ready to work." He turned and flared his wings to hide Holly from Galmor. "I will return in under twenty minutes, but as I let him through I must do my duty." "I understand." Holly held still as he came close, closer and then surrounded her with his arms and wings as he gave her a kiss that let her know in no uncertain terms that she was his. She felt the points of his teeth on her lips and tasted her own blood, but no uncomfortable lust crossed their embrace. Only the wonderful and natural rush of her body against his. A clearing throat made Kevik whirl to confront the elf who had disturbed them, teeth bared and wings batting at the air. He was quite scary, especially with his tail lashing. But it was 38
his stepping between them that kept her from pounding on Galmor herself. "To the hall, criminal, and keep your eyes off my lady." His voice was harsher than she had ever heard it as he herded his new charge out the door and down the hallway. The portal winked out the instant he was twenty feet away. And then she started to hear them. All over the snowflake complex she heard elves. Their lusts, disgust at having to do such menial tasks and their attraction for other members on their crews. Three of them actually enjoyed their jobs and looked forward to the remaining years of their sentences. And two were counting down to their release dates in the next few months. So it was Kevik's presence that kept the other minds at bay. She may just have found her perfect man. Er, dragon. Hmm. What to do while he was gone? She looked around at her surroundings and got the inkling of a plan, if only she had the nerve to pull it off. **** Kevik returned from his duty, looking forward to seeing his woman and his horde together. He hoped that she hadn't been too bored in his absence. What he saw when the doors swung open stopped him dead in his tracks. Standing in the centre of the open door, he stared as his mate stood dressed in nothing but a gossamer piece of silk. He swallowed hard. A transparent piece of silk wrapping around her hips and across her breasts to fall free behind her. The only other thing she wore was his jewellery, the scales 39
that he had drawn from his own body as a teenager in the hope of one day finding his mate. He swallowed again. He had imagined her this way for centuries. Waiting for the time when he would see her in the flesh. Her flesh was on display and he wanted it. With all the blood leaving his brain, her welcoming smile and her hands held out to draw him to her were lures he could not ignore. **** Finding the silk had been hard for her, stripping off in the chilled atmosphere had been an act of sudden motion and wrapping her body had been self defence. The silk had gone around her hips twice and over her shoulder once. Holly had just finished when she heard the doors groan and shift to open. They had closed earlier as Kevik had escorted the elf off. "I was going to tear your clothing off, Kevik, but you are only wearing pants." She sashayed forward and held her hands out to him, trying to bring him close to end her vulnerability. "You can take anything off me at any time." He closed the distance and took her hands in his. He turned her hands over and kissed each of her palms in turn, then placed them flat on his chest. "I am honoured by your offer." The doors behind him swung closed and locked. The noise was deafening to her nervous ears. He waved his right hand and a small doorway opened in the wall just large enough to accommodate his transformed state. He stepped forward and 40
she stepped back, dancing through that opening and into his private chamber. CDs, DVDs and their players lined the walls. This was how he had learned modern customs. An enormous bed over twelve feet by twelve feet squatted in the centre of the room. This was his true sanctuary, where he came to just relax and be himself, and this is where they were now still backstepping right up to the bed. Words would not come to her as she let her mind be lost in those swirling silver eyes. What a way to go. [Back to Table of Contents]
Chapter Seven A kiss that could have thawed the complex burned between them. Holly gripped his head tightly, winding her fingers in his hair to hold him tight. Her embarrassment at her ridiculous attire faded rapidly as her body filled with another kind of heat. Her body bunched the fabric between them as she climbed him, using her grip on his hair as leverage. He grunted in reaction to the tugging, but helped her by supporting her buttocks with his large and dexterous hands. With his support she was now free to arch against him, the silk across her breasts was dropped to her waist and now her nipples were free to rub against the hard and smooth wall of his chest. Mmm, that felt good. I certainly thought so. Do it again? His voice sounded in her mind, but she could feel his smile on her lips where they were connected to his. She jumped in surprise, but did as he requested. This time she shivered hard as she rubbed against him, an answering dampness was forming on the silk where it was pinned between them. Instead of cowering in embarrassment, she took a deep breath and worked her hips against the shaft still trapped in his pants. She set up an arching rhythm that had her shaking on the edge of release in only a few minutes. It took her that long to realize that Kevik was standing completely still with his eyes closed as she worked her body against his. 42
Holly could not fight her self-consciousness this time and froze, eyes wide, half naked and supported by his hands. Why did you stop? His eyes opened to look at her. Gold flames rippled through them. I lost my nerve when I realized that you were just standing, watching and feeling me. I am sorry, but I was having a very nice time and didn't want to startle you out of what you were doing. He shifted her weight and she heard the coverlet get folded back. It was with some amazement that she figured out that he had used his tail to manipulate the fabric. Perhaps I should take the lead? He didn't give her a chance to reply before standing her on the bedding and unwinding the fabric that still covered her from waist to ankle. Well, it had been covering her. Now she was quite naked, but not cold. The lust in his eyes warmed her in a way that outer coverings could never do. Beautiful. More lovely than I could have imagined in a thousand dreams. Pleasure and pride filled her at his thoughts, her chin lifted, shoulders went back and her stomach tightened in anticipation of his touch. He didn't keep her waiting long. He trailed his fingers over her forehead, across her cheeks and down her jaw line to her throat. Inch by inch he caressed her, her position on the bed gave the effect of her being on a pedestal. No part of her body was left untouched except for the soft folds of her sex, he saved those for last. He flipped her onto 43
her hands and knees for that exploration. Holly was blushing to her roots, but he couldn't see it. He didn't explore her with his hands, but he tasted her with the tongue that had kept her own entertained in their spine-melting kiss. Wet heat flared inside her, prompting more moisture as he lapped and lapped at her sex with mindnumbing attention. Her elbows shook as she tried to keep her torso on level with her hips, but she had to give up and lean her head on the bed. This had the effect of spreading her knees more and Kevik took full advantage of her opening to him. His tongue was dancing across her clit, swirling and flicking, then moving into her channel to lap and suck with fervent action. Her orgasm hit her like a freight train, knocking the breath out of her and sending her flat to the bed. Soft kisses crept up her spine, across her shoulders and the back of her neck. When she could move again, she groaned loudly. The deep snicker near her ear was full of masculine smugness. It was well deserved. Holly smiled into the sheets. She had never had a lover who had gone down on her before. It had been quite a revelation. Wow didn't even begin to cover it. Something prodded her backside, and she knew that it was the cock that had escaped her viewing in the ambient light of the room. His erection was leaving a wet trail along her hip and buttock. Out of reflex, she opened her thighs to accommodate him. He took the invitation instantly, settling his chest against her back and his hips between her thighs, but scooping a 44
hand under her to support her as he raised her to her knees again. His erection thrust against her opening once, twice, and then their combined lubrication let him inside her. He was big. Really big, but it was not too uncomfortable for her, merely tight. He slowly moved into her all the way and then kept still. Well his cock was still, his hands were running over her body, cupping her breasts, massaging her belly and rubbing her back. She relaxed under his ministrations and then he began to thrust. When her arms buckled again a band around her belly supported her. A quick look at her abdomen identified her support as his tail, very handy. With the extra leverage she was able to rock back against him with each slide of his cock, slamming into him with ferocity as he picked up the speed of his thrusts. Holly climaxed twice more while rocking with him, and at the moment when she was sure that he was about to come, he pulled her so that she and he were upright on their knees and he was still moving deeply inside her. In this position she could lean up to kiss him, and he reciprocated. As the pounding of his hips grew jerkier, he broke their kiss and buried his lips between her neck and shoulder. When his orgasm hit him, he bit her, hard. His teeth hung in her flesh as his body jerked and shuddered while he groaned his release. He moved his fingers to her clit and a rapid circling motion had her joining him in moments, distracting her from the pain.
He released her neck and licked at the wound, presumably closing it. She didn't care, in seconds she was asleep in his arms. It had been a tiring day. [Back to Table of Contents]
Chapter Eight Waking from a sex dream, after sex, in an ice cave inhabited by elves, Santa and dragons could be a little offputting for most women, but Holly was not most women. Holly turned within the arms that held her and looked Kevik in the eye. "Did you know that when you are near other people's minds don't overwhelm me? It is as if I am a normal woman again." "You are a woman who has never been normal. Your mind, your spirit, your soul has always been exceptional." "You didn't answer the comment about you and my talents. Why do they cease to hammer at me with their thoughts when you are near?" He rubbed at his nose, and at that moment she knew that she was in love with him. She knew next to nothing about him, but his soul called to hers in every way. Tears formed in her eyes. Love finally, had come to her. "Each and every woman at Silverwood has their perfect match. It took Valentine to realize it. So she sent a message to Underhill, mistakenly believing that is where I was living at the time. So they sent for me. I went to Underhill, and then I went to the portal to Silverwood. Unfortunately, the portal will only let you through in your natural form, for me that is the dragon who carried you here." The images in her mind were his, she could see the portals surrounded by elves, the glowing light and the riotous colours of the gateway itself. "What happened?" 47
"I got stuck." He shook his head and buried his face in a pillow for a moment. "The portal was not made for one such as I, and it collapsed behind me, trapping several creatures who were coming through behind me. They recovered, but it was not pleasant for them waiting for the portal to open." He accompanied his words with more images, a magical field of the wounded laid out with help trying to assist. "Two of your sisters helped me with some of the finer points of modern life. Carolyn and Tara are very formidable." Holly smiled in remembrance, "Yeah, they are. Even at camp those two were a force to be reckoned with. Tara has two fellas, doesn't she?" "Yes. But only one in her bed at a time." He shook his head at a memory. "She will beat anyone who says otherwise. With a broom. From a distance." "I always envied her that talent. She can defend herself at a distance. I get more vulnerable the closer someone gets." Now she wanted to bury her face in a pillow, but hers was missing. She looked around. They were both on the edge of the enormous bed, with him cuddled tightly against her. "How much of the bed do you usually use?" "I normally sleep in the centre, but I wanted to be near you, very near." Kevik kissed the tip of her nose. The look in his eyes was giving every indication of a second intimate round when a pounding on the door diverted his attention. "Kevik, you are needed on the phone." It was Sahn-Tah's voice. Holly almost laughed, who else would dare to interrupt a mating dragon? 48
Splendidly nude and completely furious, Kevik strode to the door. He wrenched it open with a snarl. "You have to be wishing for a violent death." "Occasionally, but this time you have a call from Silverwood." Sahn looked around the dragon to the woman who was watching them with a soft smile on her lips. Well, he watched her until Kevik opened his wings to cut off the view. Sahn snickered and handed a cordless phone to his irritated friend. "Yes? What is it, Artemis?" Kevik leaned on the doorframe with one hand extended. His posture was still relaxed so Holly wasn't worried about the subject of the conversation. It went on for several minutes when he finally said, "I am with her right now. Tell them not to worry." A few more moments and he said his goodbyes and hungup with a, "We will be there soon." Sahn caught the phone as it was tossed to him and laughed as Kevik backed up and closed the door. When he turned to her, Holly noted with a small laugh that his erection was undiminished. "So Sahn had to stare at that the whole time you were on the phone? That is too funny." "Funny? You think my attraction to you is funny?" He swept his wings wide again and this time took flight. Watching him fly was magnificent. He had grace and strength with a sensitivity to his environment that he had used to good effect during her seduction. She watched him for a long time, until the rhythmic beat of his wings had her in a kind of a trance. It was at that moment he struck. He dropped down from the thirty-foot 49
ceiling with a suddenness that had her fixed to the spot. She felt like a mouse in the sight of an eagle as he descended rapidly, pinning her to the bed with his hands and knees on either side of her. Her hands were raised above her head and then he turned his attention to her breasts, neck and any other area he could reach. She didn't know how her body could switch from the terror of prey to the violence of lust, but somehow it managed. He shifted to hold both of her wrists with one hand and the other started to tease her between her thighs. As sensations rioted in her body, she tried to throw him off, but he held fast. Holly squirmed against him pushing upward with her hips, but that only let him slip a few fingers inside her. That froze her in place and stole her breath. As he started to move his hand in a slow exploration, she could only lay there as he touched, tasted and stroked her from every intimate angle that he could. His thumb rubbed at her clit while his mouth suckled at her nipple and she shook in silence while her body came apart under his ministrations. Apparently he followed a ladies-first policy because the instant her body started to revel in her orgasm, he placed his cock at her opening and thrust inside again and again. When she stopped, he inched into her, keeping her gaze locked with his own and she stared helplessly at him as he rocked against her. As he started with slow thrusts and then moved into a pounding pace, she bit her lips to keep herself silent. When her next orgasm rushed upon her, she screamed into the room, sending an echo up through the vaulted ceiling. 50
The bite came as less of a surprise this time and his teeth didn't even hurt. It was more of a pressure holding her in place as her body tried to buck him off and out, or tried to get closer to him and hold him inside her, she couldn't decide. He didn't collapse on her after his orgasm. More like over her. He held his weight off her with bent forearms and outflung wings. She imagined his tail was also participating as he caught his breath. When he finally rolled to his right side, she turned to face him. "That was very disconcerting. I felt like a rodent in a field." His breathing had slowed until it was its normal imperceptible rise and fall of his chest. "That was the idea. I wanted to see if you would try to run, or if you would wait to see what was going on. You stayed." "I was in shock." "And then your shock turned to arousal and then the flame of lust hit you. It was all very quick." Holly pondered that. It really had been a quick recovery for her. She hadn't been afraid for an instant of Kevik, just curious as to what he was up to. She would eventually be ready for more experimental sexual activities, but for now, straight vanilla with some light munching on her was just fine with her. What was a little neck biting between lovers? The term necking had to come from somewhere. [Back to Table of Contents]
Chapter Nine "So was the call about me?" She had to ask, he was in such a relaxed mood. With a deep kiss that left her breathless and tasting cinnamon and vanilla, he answered her. The call had indeed been about Holly, but the reasons for it were a little bizarre. Artemis had called to ask if he had her in his custody because the Lios that had been trying to break her door down had gotten really angry and burned down her cabin. The Official Lios Council had been suitable appalled and had taken the matter into their own hands. As soon as Holly and Kevik were gone, he would be sent through to the Snowflake palace for seven centuries of work. In general, Holly's home was gone. Her safe place and her hideaway was nothing but charred remains. "I want to see it." Tears wouldn't come. She was cold from the centre outward. It was beyond anything she could have imagined. Kevik gauged her mood swiftly. "Get dressed and we will go." He lifted her out of the bed and set her down near the door of his room. Kevik opened the room to make sure that Sahn had not decided to hang around and, after the coast was clear, led the way out. Holly felt decidedly sore and sticky as she got dressed, but now was not the time to fuss over the cleanliness of sex. She had to see her home. 52
As she got dressed, Kevik got ready. He used the large halls to expand his form into his perfect draconic shape. When she was ready, so was he. He extended his clawed foot to her and she used it as a step, wincing at the cold wet feel against her nether regions as she sat astride his neck. As soon as she was settled, he started to move, walking through the ice halls designed to house his body. When he reached a pinwheel of hallways, he stopped and slowly sat on his haunches, launching a blast of fire straight through the centre of the snowflake. Seconds later, they were airborne. The flight was purposeful this time, not sightseeing, but she turned slightly to watch the hole in the snowflake repair itself in seconds as the dragon flew to her burned out home. He was travelling for speed so she kept her head to his hide and closed her eyes. If she fell asleep he would know and wouldn't let her fall, she was sure of it. She was just drifting off when they reached her home, well what was left of it. A team from Silverwood already salvaged what they could. "What was left to save?" She had no hope that there was anything left. Only the foundation stones were still intact, and the blue door. No other piece of wood or furniture was spiking out more than two feet high. Her kitchen was completely lost, even the metal slumped and melted. "Let's go, Kevik. There is nothing left." She didn't want to look anymore. Didn't want to be there. Wanted to be anywhere else that wasn't proof her safety resided in her home. 53
He didn't say anything, merely lifted from the hover he had been in and climbed for altitude. Her tears froze to her face as they crossed the mountains. The world was blanketed in an even white and the beauty shook her out of her mood slightly. We are going to Silverwood. They have accommodations ready for us. Of course they did. Artemis was always prepared, had been even when Holly had been a shy teenager. She could feel the pulse of Silverwood getting closer. It was much stronger than it had been when she was younger. It must be all the Sisters who were living there now. She knew that some of the girls were really powerful, and that power translated into anywhere that they chose to live. Neat lines of housing were arranged around a central wheel. It was a snowflake pattern again. Apparently the elves liked the flakes for some reason. The houses were all neat, tidy and of vastly differing styles. Our home is this way. He glided to a large rocky hill with an enormous mansion built into the side. There was also a landing area right out front and this is where Kevik landed. She was numb, all of her emotions were rioting. With one flare of an elf's temper, she had lost her home, her feeling of safety and her barricade against the world. She may as well be emotionally naked in a porcupine convention. She slid from his neck the instant that he touched down and marched through the light dusting of snow to her new home. Yeah right. It was simply all that was left for her. A 54
charity offering by a supernatural assembly. Beautiful, but not as beautiful as something of her own. The walk was swept clean and pillars flanked the enormous doors, which opened without her touch. A blast of warm air had her mother's voice echoing in her head, I am not heating the whole neighbourhood! And then she was inside, a transformed Kevik at her back. Tears were still tracking absently from her eyes. She didn't even notice them until Kevik turned her to face him and kissed them off her cheeks. "The restoration team did what they could, your surviving possessions are all here." Her voice broke when she asked, "Where?" His face reflected his sympathy. Without speaking, he scooped her into his arms and carried her through the palatial home. She snuggled against his bare chest and simply lived in the moment. For the moment she was warm, had a place to live and had someone to live with. She tried to lose her despair over her cabin and possessions, but it was going to take some doing. Kevik opened a door for them and brought her inside. Her heart stopped. Her clothing, furniture and keepsakes were laid out neatly on shelves. She squirmed to be let down and squealed with delight as she took in the totality of her stuff. Even the figurine that Kevik had crafted for her was there and intact. "How did they do it? The place was totalled." She picked up the statue and looked at it for signs of fire or soot. "Several of the artisans who have come through the Silverwood portal are able to fabricate items from a small 55
surviving sample. This is the same talent that makes them good workers for Sahn-Tah. Whatever they see they can reproduce. Even if they don't understand what it does." He smiled at her and reached over to her pile of lingerie. A delicate bra of satin and roses hung from one of his dark blue fingertips. "This, apparently gave them no end of trouble." "Yeah, I guess underwire was not around the last time they walked the human world." She snorted and then hugged herself with happiness. Her stuff. She had all of her stuff. Even her half-completed knitting was there. Kevik simply stood there, nude and smiling. He was sharing her joy somehow. "How do you do that?" "Do what?" "Tap into my feelings like that. You seem to know what I am thinking and feeling at all times." He rubbed his finger along his nose. "Ah that. You are very expressive and I have learned to read you. Also, I can tap into your thoughts when needed." "Yes, but how? I mean, I can only tap into other people's emotions, and never when you are around." "Do you need to touch my emotions to know what I am thinking, or does it come to you naturally?" "Naturally, I suppose. I can even read your expression as a giant lizard. It is a little odd, even for me." She was reflecting on this when a sudden wave of fatigue washed over her. She was still wearing her gloves and full winter gear, but suddenly she wanted nothing more than to sleep. "This way, Holly." He took her hand in his and gently led her from what was a well-appointed storage room over to the 56
master bedroom. The bed matched the one in the snowflake lair and she had to ask, "Do you buy these beds on sale or something?" "No. They are custom made to my specifications. Just like my tennis rackets." He smiled at her giggle and then caught her as she slumped over in exhaustion. His smile was the last thing she remembered. [Back to Table of Contents]
Chapter Ten Resting in an enormous bed with a dragon wedged up against her side was the best way to wake up. The only thing that would make it better would be ... "Is that breakfast?" She was starving. There was a strange, uh, man in her room, and it wasn't the one holding her. The light green critter setting up the tray for her seemed to be some kind of goblin. "Hello?" The emotions that she got from him were cheer and gratitude. The fact that she could feel his emotions with Kevik was so close indicated to her that something had changed inside her. "Good morning, Miss." He smiled, it was scary. Two rows of teeth and a mouth that could swallow her head whole. "I am Tim. Your servant." "Uh, I don't have a servant." "You do now, Miss. Because of the dragon's duties, it is necessary for you to have someone with you at all times. And this is a very big house, Miss." Holly blinked at him as he brought her breakfast closer to her. He wasn't very ugly, just a little strange. "Thank you, Tim." He settled it on her as she squirmed free of the stillsleeping Kevik. "How is it that you haven't woken Kevik?" "I am a ghost, Miss. I have been trapped inside a tree for the last six hundred years. It was the rebirth of Silverwood that provided me enough energy to leave the tree. When they told me that you needed a house servant, I volunteered." "But how is it that you haven't woken the dragon?" 58
"I am speaking in your head only, Miss. And that is how you answer me as well." He smiled that creepy smile again, "As for why he didn't wake at the smell of the food, well, you must have tired him out." The blush was still with her long after Tim had left and she used a piece of bacon to tease Kevik awake. He started to eat it before he had even opened his eyes. "I could get used to this. Where did you get it?" "Did you know that we have a house ghost who is also a goblin?" She gave in to his birdlike open mouth and dropped another piece of bacon past his fangs. "No. But I knew that Artemis was looking for someone to help keep the house up. I need a certain amount of space or I go a little mad." "Mad irritated, or mad insane?" "Both. I tend to rip open roofs and smash down forests. It is why they built this house onto the back of the hill that overlooks the portal to Silverwood. To stop my claustrophobia." "So you are now the guardian of both portals?" "Until they can wake my cousin and get him to take over at Sahn-Tah's ice palace, which could take a few years. I will have to commute for a while. But not if you are expecting a child." "Whoa, wait on that. I have no plans to get pregnant any time soon." "Hmm. I wish you had told me that earlier. You are already carrying." He scooped her out of the bed and carried her to stand before the mirror along one wall. "You see this blue 59
tracery around your neck? That is a sign that you are pregnant with a dragon's child. When I bit you, a venom was injected into you to make your Ph balance more of a match to mine. The second bite was for impregnation hormones." "You were going to tell me about this, when precisely?" "Right about now. Now that I have you in my clutches." He wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on top of her head. Holly relaxed into his embrace and smiled. It didn't seem as scary as the thought of children had always been before. She had never been able to picture the man in her life and now she knew why, he wasn't a man at all. But the dragon felt just right. She examined the blue traces under her skin and was amazed at the patterns and detail of the venom. It was certainly artistic. The dragons had probably gotten together thousands of years ago and discussed the best design to keep women from beating them to death after they found out they were pregnant. "Hey, this reminds me. I can't seem to get the necklace or bracelets off and was wondering if you could help me out here." "I think not. They are designed to lock on the neck of my perfect mate. When you had to wear them in the shower, I knew you were definitely the one for me." "So I am stuck wearing them? I can't ever take them off? Well, bugger." She seemed to be accepting of everything this morning. It was a mood that she wanted to revel in. "They are pretty though." 60
"I am glad that you think so, the scales won't grow back." He rubbed his chin back and forth on her hair. "Which scales?" "The ones from around my groin. Each dragon is told how to build their mating jewellery when they are children. We make the choice as adults to pull the small scales off and create the jewellery. Then the jewels are held until you meet your mate." "Which was me. And here we are." She snuggled back against him and smiled at him in the mirror as his erection prodded her less than lightly in the back. "Indeed. Now that you are slightly more relaxed and fortified, would you care to join me back in the bed?" "Thank you for the formal invitation, I think that it is a lovely idea." She slid down, out of his arms, laid a small kiss on his cock in passing and then scampered over to the centre of the bed. He was looking at her, bemused, so she asked, "Are you sure that there is a baby starting off in here?" Holly put her hands flat on her belly. There was no sign, no change and no proof that there was a child within her. "I am positive." He strode toward her with definite purpose, his erection dripping in anticipation of burying itself within her. Kinda scary actually. She remained on her knees in the centre of the bed until, with a flap of his wings, he joined her there. For long minutes they simply stared at each other before reaching for their mate for a long and drawn out kiss.
Which led to long and drawn out lovemaking, and long and drawn out post-coital cuddling all witnessed by their new house ghost, Tim. **** Tim looked on and smiled at the couple he was now serving. They were truly in love and had enough power when they came together to jack the portal wide open and create a permanent opening between the human world and Underhill. Tim smiled as he walked through the house, tidying as he went. Holly would be a wonderful mistress and Kevik was a good match for her. She was the most unjudgemental spirit of Judgement he had ever seen and he could hardly wait until the sisters were united for their one great day when they repaid Underhill for its personnel. Tim's humble self included. It was going to be something to see. Two worlds reunited for a moment in a ball of light so bright it would blind you, or something like that. No one really knew what would happen. But, he did know that the dragon and his mate would need food again soon, so he had better get to work. [Back to Table of Contents]
About the Author Viola Grace was born in Manitoba, Canada where she still resides today. She really likes it there. Her hobbies have included cross-stitch, needlepoint, quilting, costuming, cake decorating, baking, cooking, metalwork, beading, sculpting, painting, doll making, henna tattoos, chain maille, and a few others that have been forgotten. Her writing actively pursues the Happily Ever After that so rarely occurs in nature. A brilliant mind, with a twisted sense of humor. Viola can be reached at this email: [email protected] Viola's website is located at: www.violagrace.com
The Holding
Holding Wonder
Holding Action
Holly-Day
Holly Lane
Holly Blues
Who's Holding the Baby
No Holding Back
Holding the Zero
Keep Holding On
Holding the Cards
Healing Holly
Holding the Dream
JUDE DEVERAUX Holly Copyright © 2003 by Deveraux, Inc. ISBN: 0-7434-7896-7 Prologue "Are you sure you wanta do this, D...
HOLLY An Ellora's Cave Publication, June 2005 Ellora's Cave Publishing, Inc. 1337 Commerce Drive, #13 Stow, OH 44224 IS...
Holding Pattern by Steven Popkes Steven Popkes's previous contributions to our pages include "Tom Kelley's Ghost" and "T...
Color-- -1- -2- -3- -4- -5- -6- -7- -8- -9- Text Size-- 10-- 11-- 12-- 13-- 14-- 15-- 16-- 17-- 18-- 19-- 20-- 21-- 22-...
Report "Holding Holly"


text:
Sam Butera & The Witnesses
Canciones populares Ver todo
Banana Split For My Baby (Remastered)
Louis Prima, Keely Smith & Sam Butera & The Witnesses
St. Louis Blues (Remastered) [feat. Sam Butera and The Witnesses]
Louis Prima feat. Sam Butera & The Witnesses
Twist All Night (Remastered)
Louis Prima & Sam Butera & The Witnesses
You're Just In Love (Remastered)
That Old Black Magic (Live At The Casbar Theatre, Las Vegas/1958/1991 Remaster)
Sing, Sing, Sing (With A Swing) (Remastered)
I've Got The World On A String (Remastered)
When You're Smiling/The Sheik Of Araby (Remastered) [feat. Keely Smith & Sam Butera and The Witnesses]
Louis Prima feat. Keely Smith & Sam Butera & The Witnesses
Álbumes populares Ver todo
Capitol Collectors Series
Titanium Hits
Las Vegas Prima Style (feat. Sam Butera…

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
New Ulm dairy manages manure to protect the environment
A small dairy near New Ulm is doing more than just providing top quality milk. John Schroeder and his son, Jason, are managing manure and milkhouse waste to better protect the natural environment, including the Minnesota River nearby. They combined their own money with government loans and grants, amassing $91,000 to install a waste storage basin, stormwater control structures, and open lot improvements.
John and Jason represent the fifth and sixth generations on the family farm, where they milk 60 registered Holsteins, raise breeding bulls, and farm 325 acres just outside of Courtland, north of Highway 14 between New Ulm and Mankato.
Like many things, much has changed over the years. In earlier times, milkhouse waste and manure-contaminated water from open lots was sometimes allowed to run off, possibly entering tile lines or ditches. Full of nutrients, the runoff could contribute to excessive algae growth, a major cause of water pollution. Manure had to scraped and hauled daily from the barns, and stockpiled until it could be applied to cropland as fertilizer.
"We knew that we needed a new manure management plan, but it was such a large cost, we wondered how we were going to do it," John says. Assistance came from a U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service grant covering 50 percent of the cost, and a low-interest state loan. "No way would we have been able to do this project without cost-share," John says. The process took nearly two years with meetings and paperwork. "We jumped through all the hoops," John says. "You have to be patient. I'd like to see it streamlined."
Jason, who lives with his young family in a house just north of the home place, looks to the future. "We need to be more efficient in growing more food, and also protecting the environment," he says. "Farmers have to be proactive in what they're doing for the environment. We need to follow setbacks for spreading manure, and use practices like conservation tillage to minimize soil erosion." Their efforts have been recognized in earning the 2008 Conservation Farm Family of the Year award from Nicollet County, and a quality award from AMPI in New Ulm, where their milk goes for processing into butter and cheese.
Although it took time, money and hard work, the Schroeders say they're generally pleased with the results. Manure is pumped from the barn into the storage basin. Stormwater runoff from the open lot is captured in the basin instead of running off into drain tiles and ditches. The open cattle pen remains dry, improving herd health and comfort. Twice each year manure is pumped from the basin and applied to cropland as valuable fertilizer, following appropriate rates and setbacks.
They are on track to complete all remaining improvements under the Open Lot Agreement, a provision in the state's feedlot rule that offers flexibility for small farms in meeting environmental protection requirements. The Schroeders also have signed up for a voluntary environmental improvement program through the Minnesota Milk Producers Association. Improving wildlife habitat is all that remains to become designated as a five-star dairy in the Environmental Quality Assurance program.
For more information, visit the the MPCA feedlot program page.


text:
"Elvis: MGM Movie Legends Collection," "Frank Sinatra: Legends Collection
Monday July 23rd 2007
Two of Hollywood's greatest crossover artists get boxed-set treatment. A four-disc set has four of Elvis Presley's 1960s music romps: the boxing tale "Kid Galahad," the prince-and-the-pauper story "Clambake," the Florida comedy "Follow That Dream" and the riverboat romance "Frankie and Johnny." Five of Sinatra's films are gathered from the 1950s and '60s, anchored by John Frankenheimer's disturbing assassination thriller "The Manchurian Candidate."
Also in the set: "Guys and Dolls," the musical pairing Sinatra and Marlon Brando as fast-living gamblers; "A Hole in the Head," with Sinatra and Edward G. Robinson in a family comedy directed by Frank Capra; "Kings Go Forth," starring Sinatra, Tony Curtis and Natalie Wood in a Second World War love-triangle drama; and "The Pride and the Passion," teaming Cary Grant and Sophia Loren with Sinatra in a Napoleonic-era epic. (MGM)


text:
10 Photos That Aren't In History Books But Really Should Be
in History, List
by Fickle Staff April 2, 2018, 12:47 pm 210 Views
PinterestGoogle
1. Footprint on the moon — 1969
On July 20 1969, Neil Armstrong became the most famed astronaut in the world by being the first to step foot on the moon. Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and the other astronauts aboard Apollo 11 spent the next few hours collecting samples before returning to earth.
2. Hubble Ultra Deep Field — 2003
The Hubble Telescope gave us the furthest look into deep space ever. The images on the slides allowed researchers to see galaxies that they never knew existed.
3. The Last Public Execution By Guillotine — 1939
Eugen Wiedmann, a career criminal charged with conspiracy, murder, robbery, and kidnapping, was the last person to be publicly executed in France.
4. Nagasaki, 20 Minutes Later — 1945
It was followed by the attack on Nagasaki on 9 August 1945. The estimated total death toll for the second attack is around 75,000. Hiroshima – 1 A picture of the Hiroshima blast taken from around 10 km away 30 minutes after detonation
5. The Sun Setting On Mars — 2005
Although this looks like a photo of a sunset from Earth. It was actually taken by the Mars Rover Spirit from the surface of Mars.
6. The Fifth Solvay Conference — 1927
The Solvay Conference is a conference held for the biggest names in physics and other scientific disciplines. This photo features some of the biggest scientific names in history including Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, Erwin Schrodinger and Niels Bohr.
7. Tiananmen Square Protests — 1989
The most popular photo of the Tiananmen Square protests shows the man on the left standing in front of a long line of tanks. This photo shows gained popularity because it shows a different perspective on the same incident.
8. The Burning Monk — 1963
This photo is known as one of the most controversial in history. Monk Quang Doc was protesting against the South Vietnam government, who were persecuting Buddhists. He drove up to the Cambodian Embassy, sat in the middle of the road as another monk covered him in gasoline and set him on fire.
9. Glimpsing the Versailles Signing — 1919
The Treaty of Versailles was a peace treaty that helped end World War I. Military personnel anxiously awaited the signing because the terms were passive aggressive at best.
10. Tenzing Norgay on Everest's Summit — 1953
Tenzing Norgay and his friend Edmund Hillary are the first known individuals to reach the summit of Mount Everest
Written by Fickle Staff
Top 10 Best Bollywood Actresses 2020 [Updated]
by Kshitij January 20, 2019, 8:22 pm
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by Fickle Staff June 12, 2019, 7:54 am
32 Funnest Demon Slayer Memes To Laugh & Share With
by Fickle Staff October 18, 2019, 1:52 pm
32 Best WikiHow Memes To Laught At
40 Funniest Quality Naruto Memes That Will Make You Laugh
by Fickle Staff June 15, 2019, 12:21 am
81 Funny memes to keep you laughing for 30 minutes for sure
by Fickle Staff August 7, 2019, 7:10 am
Presenting 21 Adorable SNAPCHATS That Will Make You Say "AWWWW"
42 Brain Trick Amazing Photos [Look Twice]
20+ Most Creative & Clever Advertisement So Far 2018
21 Shocking Facts About North Korea
23 Cartoon logic That Are Totally Absurd
28 Hilarious When Memes For Every Funny Situation
Here is The Epic Conclusion Of "Woman Yelling At A Cat" Meme
33 Hilarious One-Punch Man Memes To Share With Every Fan
39 Funniest Server Memes To Share With Every Server
http://pushmepushme.com/r?token=7d7a84f8ce9e485f09ef4ca592d8f269b197caa9&placement_type=push_preland_link


text:
class RakudoStar < Formula
  desc "Rakudo compiler and commonly used packages"
  homepage "https://rakudo.org/"
  url "https://github.com/rakudo/star/releases/download/2022.07/rakudo-star-2022.07.tar.gz"
  sha256 "f2c9819cb37ce82e278c4da5a2512cd9a333cac55c21874cf2f388bd9d888537"
  license "Artistic-2.0"

  bottle do
    sha256 arm64_monterey: "c5c7589ad46acbb86c7423230a19a34680d9d89301b8a9955d2a31381e048203"
    sha256 arm64_big_sur:  "b859246558c204289f96102525415db6c2af6f38164bf5171c9cebce9b742029"
    sha256 monterey:       "007f997e227f2e6e6d650860a51d0caf278fa22c8f1fbf013b286f78b113c122"
    sha256 big_sur:        "35b4078ff31ea851fbf22de0a7d5c999abaad8f7418e8647a5efa36e2a91282e"
    sha256 catalina:       "895ed52824e3f7654e011b87352c1473779e899713f59599d53564389d38f555"
    sha256 x86_64_linux:   "64e8b85ddf8bc4d20bede59a75f490b3ddd0d19f5e80ea1f68217e6db8844481"
  end

  depends_on "bash" => :build
  depends_on "gmp"
  depends_on "icu4c"
  depends_on "openssl@3"
  depends_on "pcre"
  depends_on "readline"
  uses_from_macos "libffi", since: :catalina

  conflicts_with "moarvm", "nqp", because: "rakudo-star currently ships with moarvm and nqp included"
  conflicts_with "parrot"
  conflicts_with "rakudo"

  def install
    if MacOS.version < :catalina
      libffi = Formula["libffi"]
      ENV.remove "CPPFLAGS", "-I#{libffi.include}"
      ENV.prepend "CPPFLAGS", "-I#{libffi.lib}/libffi-#{libffi.version}/include"
    end

    ENV.deparallelize # An intermittent race condition causes random build failures.

    # make install runs tests that can hang on sierra
    # set this variable to skip those tests
    ENV["NO_NETWORK_TESTING"] = "1"

    # openssl module's brew --prefix openssl probe fails so
    # set value here
    openssl_prefix = Formula["openssl@3"].opt_prefix
    ENV["OPENSSL_PREFIX"] = openssl_prefix.to_s

    system "bin/rstar", "install", "-p", prefix.to_s

    #  Installed scripts are now in share/perl/{site|vendor}/bin, so we need to symlink it too.
    bin.install_symlink (share/"perl6/vendor/bin").children
    bin.install_symlink (share/"perl6/site/bin").children

    # Move the man pages out of the top level into share.
    # Not all backends seem to generate man pages at this point (moar does not, parrot does),
    # so we need to check if the directory exists first.
    share.install prefix/"man" if (prefix/"man").directory?
  end

  test do
    out = shell_output("#{bin}/raku -e 'loop (my $i = 0; $i < 10; $i++) { print $i }'")
    assert_equal "0123456789", out
  end
end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Sir Tipene O'Regan is the retired Assistant Vice-Chancellor Māori of the University of Canterbury and former long-serving Chairman of the Ngāi Tahu Māori Trust Board. He remains as Adjunct Professor in the Ngāi Tahu Research Centre at the University of Canterbury and as a Fellow of the University of Auckland where he chairs Ngā Pae o Te Maramatanga, the Centre for Māori Research Excellence. He holds a D.Litt (Hons) from the University of Canterbury, a D.Comm (Hons) from Lincoln University and a D.Comm (Hons) from Victoria University of Wellington. He is a Distinguished Fellow of the Institute of Directors and recently retired from a 28 year term as a member of the New Zealand Geographic Board.
Sir Tipene led the Ngāi Tahu Claims process before the Waitangi Tribunal from 1986, culminating in a notable settlement with the Crown in 1998. He was the architect of the Treaty Fisheries Settlements in 1989 and 1992 and became the founding Chairman of Te Ohu Kai Moana, the Māori Fisheries Trust. He has been chairman and director of a wide range of entities in both the public and private sectors and has held major board appointments in both the heritage and environment sectors. Sir Tipene currently chairs Te Pae Korako and Te Pae Kaihika for Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu.
These two bodies lead the tribe's work in developing the Ngāi Tahu archive, GIS cultural mapping and authentication of traditional history. His personal scholarly interest is largely in traditional history and ethnology of Ngāi Tahu and Te Waipounamu. In more recent years Sir Tipene has become a widely recognised participant in the debate on the shape and character of the Māori economy and the modernising of iwi governance models. He was made a Knight Bachelor in 1994.


3 ways of M.A.T. Game Client Updates Please always pay attention to the latest news on M.A.T. official website (konzol.info) for the latest information. For a closer look at the Manual Patch process, please watch the video above. Downloading Patch. Go to konzol.info, and click on the download. CiB Net Station as the publisher of [Loong Online] & [M.A.T.], has form a also will give away [Loong Online] & [M.A.T.] DVD games client during the recruitment .
HOTLINE: + |. EMAIL: [email protected] |. SERVER MAINTENANCE: EVERY TUESDAY AM - PM. CiB Net Station is hereby to inform all beloved M.A.T. supporters, on this Some players failed to update their game client to the latest version, and the following.


New research has found that proper maternal folate levels during pregnancy may protect children from a future risk of obesity, especially those born to obese mothers.
The research was carried out at John Hopkins University in the US and lends further weight to the importance of folate during pregnancy.
Folate is an essential B vitamin which is regularly supplemented in pregnant women to reduce the risk of neural tube defects in the unborn baby.
The researchers analysed health records from more than 1,500 mother-child pairs in the Boston Birth Cohort, a predominately low-income, minority population with a high prevalence of maternal and child obesity.
To guage a mother's folate level during pregnancy, the researchers measured folate from stored plasma samples that were collected two to three days after delivery.
The study team found a wide range of maternal folate levels, but observed an "L-shaped" relationship between maternal folate levels and child obesity. In other words, the lowest levels of folate correlated with the highest risk of child obesity.
Obese mothers in the study tended to have lower folate levels than normal weight mothers. However, when the researchers examined obese mothers only, they found that children of obese mothers with adequate folate levels (at least 20 nm/L) had a 43 percent lower risk of obesity compared to children of obese mothers with lower folate (less than 20 nm/L).
The children in the latter group had higher body mass index-for-age z-scores (BMI-z) — a measure of body fat in children.
According to the authors, establishing an "optimal" rather than "minimal" folate concentration may be beneficial for women planning a pregnancy, especially obese women.
"Folate is well-known for preventing brain and spinal cord defects in a developing fetus, but its effects on metabolic disorders, such as diabetes and obesity, is less understood," says Dr Cuilin Zhang, a senior investigator and a study co-author.
In New Zealand, the Ministry of Health advises women to take folic acid supplementation (an 800 microgram tablet per day) at least one month before becoming pregnant through until 12 weeks pregnant in order to reduce the risk of neural tube defects in the unborn baby. View their advice here.


text:
Political Science - Comparative Politics
Political Science - Race and Politics
The Quality of Divided Democracies
Minority Inclusion, Exclusion, and Representation in the New Europe
Licia Cianetti
New Comparative Politics
The Quality of Divided Democracies contemplates how democracy works, or fails to work, in ethnoculturally divided societies. It advances a new theoretical approach to assessing quality of democracy in divided societies, and puts it into practice with the focused comparison of two divided democracies—Estonia and Latvia. The book uses rich comparative data to tackle the vital questions of what determines a democracy's level of inclusiveness and the ways in which minorities can gain access to the policy-making process. It uncovers a "presence–polarization dilemma" for minorities' inclusion in the democratic process, which has implications for academic debates on minority representation and ethnic politics, as well as practical implications for international and national institutions' promotion of minority rights.
"This is an innovative and well-conceptualized study about the question of what constitutes democracy in ethnically divided societies. Licia Cianetti addresses this question through a thoroughly researched and well-written comparative account about the way different forms of minority mobilization and representation have shaped minority access to policymaking in Estonia and Latvia. This book is a must-read for scholars and policymakers interested in the challenges of democratic governance in multiethnic societies in Europe and elsewhere."
—Zsuzsa Csergo, Queen's University, Canada
"The Quality of Divided Democracies speaks to an important question facing modern Europe, namely how minorities and minority interests are included in policy-making. The empirical work is thorough, impressive, and comprehensive, and I came away impressed with the case studies. The author has tremendous expertise on Latvia and Estonia."
—Seth Jolly, Syracuse University
"An extremely interesting read that has both theoretical sophistication and excellent empirical evidence. . . . Challenges the relatively new field of inclusion/integration studies to reconsider the strength of its categories and presents new analytical tools in their stead."
—Jonathan Laurence, Boston College
Licia Cianetti is a Research Fellow at the Royal Holloway University of London.
"Comprises meticulously constructed case studies that use the sharp conceptual tool of the presence-polarization dilemma that she has developed. The substantial case detail will be appreciated by area studies-oriented readers. The book's contribution, however, is not limited to Baltic studies. The nuanced treatment of the dynamics of majority-minority politics should be of far broader interest. The Quality of Divided Democracies is deserving of a wide readership."
--Perspectives on Politics
"Cianetti's 'presence-polarization dilemma' closely examines the fundamental question of political representation in modern democracies, and The Quality of Divided Democracies has undoubtedly contributed to the broader debate on implications of different forms of representation. The key argument in the volume can be easily seen as an addition to ethnic minority representation literature, as in for example power-sharing and centripetalism discussions."
--Nationalism and Ethnic Politics
The European Union and the Rise of Regionalist Parties
Gender Quotas and Democratic Participation
How the Workers Became Muslims
The Taiwan Voter
4 charts, 4 tables.
EPUB: Adobe Digital Editions e-book (DRM Protected)
quality of democracy; ethnic minorities; divided societies; ethnic politics; democracy; Central Europe; Eastern Europe; Russian-speakers; minority representation; ethnic polarization; Baltics; Estonia; Latvia; minority; representation


Our team begins with market leading innovative insight that dives into food to go and packaging trends that could shape the future of the travel market dining experience. We strengthen this by researching flavours and cuisines across the world, all which is then fed into our Innovation and Development Teams who turn ideas into reality to create memorable experiences for your passengers and consumers.
Our creative studio team are specialists in Brand & Packaging Design, Marketing & Insights and Food Design and Manufacture across the travel industry. Our team will work with you to develop strong, innovative brands and packaging that are aligned with your brand identity and as industry experts we take into account the needs of both crew and catering as well as cost constraints in everything we develop.
Our Technical team are food safety and manufacturing focussed and work tirelessly to ensure all of our products are compliant with all applicable laws and regulations. Our sole objective is to ensure that all products we make for our clients are to of the highest consistent quality and technical compliance.
Our award-winning team of culinary excellence are recognised as one of the best in the food-to-go market. The team can develop a broad range of product concepts which can be tailored to suit all cuisines, dietary and budgetary requirements. The specialist team also have the in-depth knowledge needed to get your chosen products into manufacture across our network of sites spanning the UK, Central Europe, Asia & Middle East and North America.
Our Global Logistics network can deliver your products around the world for you. We are fully compliant with all Airline Food Security Legislation which means you can trust us to ensure the secure delivery of your products.