The Twilight Before Christmas (stories)

by Christine Feehan

  "Get her out of there!" Jonas shouted, catching the collective fear that ran through the Drake family. He gripped Kate's arm hard, shaking her. "Matt, pull her back to us!"

  "Kate," her sisters cried out, "leave him, leave him there."

  "Hannah!" Jonas cried the name desperately. "The wind, Hannah, bring in the wind."

  Kate stared at the terrible figure coming straight at her, fury in its every line. The eyes glowed red through the dark fog; the face was made of bones, not flesh. The mouth gaped open in a silent scream. She was trapped there in the world of shadows, real, yet not, unable to find her way back. The worst of it was, she caught sight of a second insubstantial figure coming at her from the left.

  "Kate." Matt whispered her name, lifted her into his arms. Her body was an empty shell, her mind caught somewhere else. "Kate, darling, go with the other one, he'll lead you out." Elle's soft voice pushed everything else away.

  The dark demon was almost upon her. Kate felt a hand on her arm. She looked down and saw Jackson's fingers circling her wrist like a vise. She didn't have time to go voluntarily; he yanked her out of the shadows, back into the light. She heard a roar of rage, shuddered when she felt bones brush against her skin. Matt was real and solid, and she gripped him hard, needing to feel grounded. She felt physically ill, her stomach a churning knot. She closed eyes, sliding into a dead faint.

  The wind swept in from the sea, a strong tempest of retaliation. Hannah's fear added to the strength of the storm. Rain burst down on them. The dark fog swirled and fought, not wanting to give ground. For a brief moment there was a confrontation between the entity and the Drake sisters, sticks and debris flying in the wind. The three men could hear the desperate cries of seagulls. And then it was over, the fog retreating to the sea, leaving behind silence and the rushing wind and rain. Matt stood there on the sidewalk, Kate, safe in his arms, staring in shock at the mess left behind.

  Clouds overhead obscured the sun, the day overcast and gloomy. Christmas lights twinkled on and off where they hung over the buildings in rows of vivid colors, a terrible contrast to the scene left behind in the town square. Feathers were everywhere and in the pristine white snow by the manger there was a bright red pool of blood.

  Chapter

  9

  A star burns hot in the dead of the night,

  As the bell tolls it's now midnight

  "Never again. Never again." Matt shoved both hands through his hair and glared at the Drake sisters. "I swear, Kate, you are never doing that again." He paced restlessly back and forth across the living room floor.

  Sarah, Kate's older sister, rested her head against her fiance's knee, and watched Matt in silence. Abbey sat on the couch, Joley's head resting in her lap. Joley lay stretched out, her eyes closed, appearing to be asleep in spite of his tirade. Hannah lay on the couch closest to the window, lines of exhaustion visible on her young face.

  "It doesn't do any good to get upset," Jonas said. "They do whatever they want to do without a thought for the consequences."

  Sarah sighed loudly. "Don't start, Jonas. That's not true, and you know it. If you were the one trying to get rid of this thing, you wouldn't worry about your own safety, and you know it. You'd just do whatever had to be done."

  "That's different, Sarah," Jonas snarled back. "Dammit anyway. Look at Hannah. She can't even move. I think she needs a doctor. Where the hell is Libby when we need her?"

  "Are you ever going to stop swearing at us?" Sarah asked. She rubbed her face against Damon's knee. "Hannah needs rest and maybe some tea."

  "I'll make tea," Damon offered. "I think all of you could use it."

  "Damon, you are a darling," Sarah said. "The kettle's boiling."

  Matt glanced into the kitchen, and, sure enough, the kettle was steaming. He knew very well it hadn't even been turned on minutes earlier.

  Damon leaned down to brush a kiss across Sarah's temple before making his way into the kitchen. "This feels like old times," he called out, reaching for the tea kept for just such occasions.

  "We could use a little more festive atmosphere," Abigail decided. She stared at the row of candles on the mantel until they spluttered to life, flames leaping and flickering for a moment, then taking hold. At once the aroma of cinnamon and spice scented the air.

  "Good idea," Sarah agreed and focused on the CD player. Instantly Joley's voice filled the room with a popular Christmas carol.

  "Not that one," Joley protested. "Something else."

  "Are you all insane?" Jonas demanded. "Kate could have been killed. Are we going to pretend it didn't happen and have a little Christmas get-together?"

  "Jonas, it does no good yelling at them. What do you want them to do?" Damon returned, carrying a tray with several cups of tea on it. He distributed them among the Drake sisters.

  "And you were the one asking me, no, telling me to get out there and stop the fog," Kate pointed out.

  Jonas muttered something ugly under his breath and reached down for Hannah's limp wrist to take her pulse. As he did a breeze swirled around the room, and his hat sailed from the chair where he'd placed it and landed in the middle of the room. Jonas straightened and glared down at Hannah, who didn't stir.

  "Jonas, we didn't know the entity was going to try to hurt Kate," Abbey pointed out. "We have to know what his motivation is."

  Sarah shoved a heavy book across the floor. "Trying to read this thing without Elle is impossible. She's the only one that can read the language our ancestors used. The writing is in that strange hieroglyphic language we were all supposed to study back when we were teens. Mom told us to learn it, but we kept putting it off, wondering why we needed to delve that far back into the past. With the little bit we know, it's impossible to find a single entry in all of this."

  Matt stopped pacing, coming to a halt beside Kate, his hand resting on the nape of her neck. "Elle's on the way home, isn't she? It shouldn't be long. How come she learned the language when the rest of you only know a little?"

  Abbey blew on her tea. "She learned it in order to teach the next generation, just as our mother did."

  "Speaking of Elle, how did she connect with you, Jackson? How did she know you were able to go into the shadows and bring Kate out?" Sarah asked.

  There was a sudden silence, and all eyes turned to regard the man sitting in absolute stillness just to the side of the window. His cool dark eyes moved over their faces, a brooding perusal. "I don't know what you're talking about. I don't even know Elle."

  Abbey sat up straighter. "That's not the truth, Jackson."

  Jonas sucked in his breath sharply. "Don't, Abbey!" His warning came a heartbeat too late. She'd already said it, her voice pitched perfectly to turn people inside out, to reach into their darkest depths and pull the truth from them.

  Jackson stood up slowly, his eyes hard steel. He walked across the floor without a single sound. Joley sat up and blinked at him. Matt moved in on one side of Abbey, Jonas on the other. Ignoring the two men, Jackson bent down until he was eye level with Abbey. "You don't ever want to ask me for the truth, Abbey. Not about me and not about Elle." He hadn't raised his voice, but Abbey shivered. Joley put her arm around her sister.

  "I'll be outside," Jackson said.

  "He's never met Elle," Sarah said, after the door closed behind the deputy. "Jonas, he hasn't, has he?"

  Jonas shook his head. "Not to my knowledge. And he's never mentioned her. They both had the same nightmare, but so did half the kids in Sea Haven."

  "He scares me," Abbey said. "I don't want Elle near him. She's so tiny and fragile and so sweet. And he's... "

  "My friend," Jonas said. "He saved my life twice, Abbey."

  "And mine too," Matt added. "You shouldn't have done that."

  Abbey looked down. "I know. I don't know why I did. It's just that he's so frightening, and the thought that Elle was out there in the shadow world too... "

  "But she wasn't," Kate interrupted. "She wasn't there. I heard her voice, but she wasn't i
n the world, she was in my head." Her voice trailed off in sudden speculation. The sisters exchanged a long look. "Jonas, is Jackson telepathic?"

  "How the hell would I know?" Jonas asked.

  "Well, because you are. Sort of." The sisters looked at one another again and burst out laughing. Their bright laughter dispelled the air of gloom in the room.

  Jonas made a face at Matt. "See what I have to put up with?" He stomped across the room to reach down and retrieve his hat. Before his fingers could close around the rim, the flames on the candles flared from a sudden gust of wind, and the hat leaped away from him to land dangerously close to the fireplace. Jonas straightened slowly, his hands on his hips, glancing suspiciously around the room at the Drake sisters. They all wore innocent expressions. "You are not going to get me to believe that the wind is in the house without a little help."

  Unexpectedly the logs in the fireplace burst into flame. Jonas took a step toward his hat. It went up on the rim and rolled a few inches toward the burning logs. "My hat had better not go into that fire," Jonas warned.

  "Really, Jonas." Joley didn't open her eyes. "You're becoming paranoid. Hannah's already asleep."

  He continued to study their faces and finally crossed to the couch where Hannah lay asleep, looking almost a child. "I'm taking the baby doll to bed. It's the only safe thing to do." He simply lifted her in one quick movement and, before anyone could protest, started out of the room.

  "The tower," Sarah called after him.

  "What a surprise there. I can see Hannah as the princess in her tower," Jonas called back.

  The sisters looked at one another and burst out laughing. Matt shook his head. "You all are downright scary."

  Joley leaned her head back and grinned at him. "I'd like to know what's going on with my sister and you all alone up in that house of yours. I was going to help Hannah whip up a little love potion and stick it in your drink the next time I saw you, but they tell me you've been playing fast and loose with her already."

  Kate turned a particularly fetching shade of crimson. "Joley Drake, that will certainly be the last we hear on that subject."

  Joley didn't look impressed with the stern tone. "In case anyone is interested, I took a good look at Kate's neck, and she has a particularly impressive love bite."

  Kate clapped her hand over her neck and shook her head. "I most certainly do not. Drink your tea."

  "What's even more impressive," Joley continued, "is that Matt seems to be sporting one of his own."

  A collective gasp went up. "We want to see, Matt," Abigail pleaded.

  "Only if I get to make a wish on the snowglobe," he bargained.

  There was instant silence. Sarah sat up straighter. "Matt," she paused and glanced at Kate. "Wishing on our snowglobe is not like making a silly, frivolous wish. It's very serious business. You have to know what you want and really mean it. You have to have weighed your decision very carefully."

  "I can assure you I have. If you want to see the love bite, you can produce the snowglobe." Matt folded his arms across his chest.

  "Matt," Kate cautioned, "if you're thinking about wishing for anything we already discussed--don't. It wouldn't work."

  Joley lifted her head off the back of the couch and eyed them both. "This sounds very interesting. Does anyone else want Christmas snacks to go with the tea, because I really could go for those little decorated sugar cookies." She waggled her fingers in the direction of the kitchen. "Tell us more, Matt. The snowglobe is right over there by the fireplace. Please do step on Jonas's hat. It always livens things up when he does his sheriff he-man routine." She turned her head to glance at the stairs. "He's been up there a long time. You don't suppose he's taking advantage while Hannah is asleep, do you?"

  Sarah nudged Joley with her foot. "You're terrible, Joley."

  Matt skirted around Jonas's hat and reached for the snowglobe. It felt solid in his hands. He glanced at Kate. She shook her head, looking fearful. The globe warmed in his hands. He stared at the scene, the snowflakes whirling around the house until they all blended together to become fog. The lights on the tree sprang to life.

  "You activated it," Sarah said. "That's nearly impossible."

  "Not unless he's... "

  "Joley!" Kate interrupted her sister sharply. "Matt, really, it isn't something to play with."

  "I've never been more serious. Tell me what to do." He looked at Sarah.

  She glanced at Kate, then shrugged. "It's relatively easy, Matt, but be sure. You look into the fog and picture what you want most in the world and wish for it. If you meet the criteria, the globe will grant your wish."

  "And it works?"

  "According to tradition. Family is allowed one wish a year, no more. And you can't wish for harm to anyone."

  "That's why we don't allow Jonas access to it," Joley said.

  Matt inhaled the fragrance of the candles and fresh-baked cookies wafting from the kitchen. He didn't question who made the cookies. He wasn't even surprised by the fact that there were cookies. He stared into the fog inside the snowglobe and conjured up the exact image of Kate. With everything in him, body, soul, heart, and mind, he made his wish. The fog was still for a moment, then swirled faster, dissipating until the globe was once more clear and the lights on the tree dimmed. He placed the globe back on the shelf carefully and grinned at Kate.

  "Let's hope you know what you're doing," Joley said.

  Suddenly in a much better mood, Matt flashed her a smile. "At the risk of sounding like an adoring fan, I love your collection of blues. You have the perfect voice for blues." He grinned at her. "Or Christmas music."

  Joley winced. "I just sent that to my family for fun."

  "It's beautiful," Abbey said. "Are you having fun on your tour?"

  Joley frowned. "Yes, it's tiring, and there are always the freaks out there, but there's nothing quite like the energy of forty thousand people at a concert."

  "What freaks?" Jonas demanded, walking back into the room. "Hannah didn't even wake up, not even when I called her Barbie doll. Are you certain she's okay, Sarah?"

  Sarah paused for a moment, seeking inside herself, reaching out to her sister. "She's exhausted, Jonas, and needs sleep. We'll have to find a way to get some food into her soon."

  Jonas rolled his eyes. "We can't have Miss Anorexic gaining an ounce. She's probably worried the camera won't love her, and she won't be able to parade around half-naked on the cover of a magazine for the entire world to see."

  Kate tossed her napkin at Jonas. "Go away, you're annoying me. We have to have clear heads to decide how to handle this, and you just stir everyone up."

  Jonas shrugged, in no way perturbed. "I have to go back to work anyway. But I want to hear about these freaks of yours, Joley. You haven't been getting any nut-cases stalking you, have you?"

  Joley took a sip of tea and looked up at Jonas. "I don't know. I hired a couple of bodyguards, bouncers really, just to protect the stage. Each concert hall has a security force, of course, but I thought if these two traveled with us, we'd have a little extra protection. Stalkers come with the territory, you know that. The more famous you get, the more crazies you attract."

  Matt sat down beside Kate. "Do writers have that kind of problem?"

  Before Kate had a chance to deny it, Jonas answered. "Of course they do. Anyone in the public eye does, Matt. Writers, musicians, politicians, and--" he glanced toward the stairs--"supermodels."

  Joley laughed. "You worry so much, Jonas, you ought to go into law enforcement. It's right up your alley."

  "Ha-ha, very funny. I'll call you later to see if anything new has happened." Jonas glanced out the window. "I never thought I'd dread nightfall."

  Matthew looked out the window to the pounding sea. "Is Elle expected tonight?"

  "She said around midnight. She's flying into San Francisco and renting a car to drive here. I offered to pick her up," Abbey said, "but she didn't want any of us on the road with the fog. She promised she'd check the wea
ther station before she came into Sea Haven."

  Jonas scooped up his hat. "I'll keep an eye out for her. You all rest and stay out of trouble." He left, banging the door behind him.

  At Sarah's urging, Damon nodded toward the kitchen and Matt obliged.

  Abbey waited until the men were out of the room. "I didn't mean to challenge Jackson like that." She pressed her hand to her mouth, her eyes enormous. "That's twice now. And the house should have protected me. How could that happen in our home?"

  "You were relaxed," Sarah said. "You let your guard down."

  Abbey shook her head. "I haven't let my guard down since I caused such a problem during the committee meeting. Poor Inez called me this afternoon and told me no one realized it was me, but Sylvia knew."

  "She went to school with us," Joley pointed out.

  Hannah walked back into the room. Tall and blond and beautiful, she looked so fragile she could have been made of porcelain. "Don't worry about Sylvia. I'm certain she's very sorry she hit Abbey."

  Joley held out her arms. "Come here, baby, sit by me. You look done in. You were very bad teasing poor Jonas that way and making him think you were sleeping." Joley kissed Hannah. "You really should be in bed."

  "I couldn't sleep," Hannah admitted. "I needed to be with all of you."

  Joley stroked back her hair. "You didn't do anything awful to Sylvia, did you?"

  Hannah's eyes widened in a semblance of innocence. "You all think I'm so bent on revenge all the time."

  Sarah paused in the doorway to the kitchen. "That's not an answer, you bloodthirsty little witch. Exactly what did you do to Sylvia?"

  Hannah leaned against Joley. "I'm glad you're home. You don't give me that stern face like Sarah does."

  "Hannah Drake, what did you do to Sylvia?"

  Hannah shrugged. "I heard from a reliable source... "

  "Inez at the grocery store," Abbey supplied.

  "Well, she's reliable," Hannah pointed out. "I heard Sylvia developed a bright red rash on the left side of her face. It appears to be in the shape of a hand. I couldn't help but think it was fitting."