He’d dreamed of a chance to come home for Christmas and get her alone, leading to a passionate declaration. In two years, he hadn’t forgotten a thing. They’d both been swept up in the nobility of serving, when there had been no need. They could serve and still be together. Others had feared for them. That was understandable. But those Others had been wrong. He had never stopped loving her; he had never strayed from her. All he wanted was a chance.
And now the darkness might give it to him.
Because while he didn’t believe it was a vampire matter, he knew that Samantha’s feeling that the whole town was hers to protect meant it was still her responsibility.
They could stand strong together, he thought.
If only she would let that happen....
Chapter 4
When they neared the center of town, Daniel slowed down to a less noticeable pace and August fell into step beside him.
“We can’t exactly walk into your party looking like this,” Daniel said to Samantha. “But my house is nearby, so let’s get over there and dry off.”
“Have you suddenly started carrying a supply of women’s clothing?” Samantha asked him.
“No, but I can get you in front of a fire while you figure out what to do next.”
She nodded, and they hurried down the street toward his house.
Like Samantha’s home, it was old, with low ceilings and exposed beams throughout. Sam had to admit the Rivertons had done a beautiful job, sticking with the old but bringing in the new. There was something that spoke of a long-ago gentility in the parlor: the drapes were heavy damask, and the hand-hewn furniture was covered in shades of royal blue and crimson. But they rushed by the formal parlor and back to the family room, where the double fireplace—which opened to the parlor on the other side—was framed by a mantel that held family pictures going back generations. The furniture was comfortable, soft leather, and a wide-screen TV hung on one wall, while another held a stereo system and shelves of games, DVDs and hundreds of books.
They had barely entered the room when Daniel lifted then extended one hand toward the fireplace.
A blaze immediately rose up.
She stared at him, astonished. Fire starting wasn’t a known vampire talent. In fact, on the whole, vampires weren’t terribly fond of fire. It was the one element that could destroy them.
“Where did you learn that?” she asked him.
“Cool!” August said.
“Not so cool, really,” Daniel told August, then turned to Samantha and grinned at her ruefully. “Sorry—that’s not a vampire talent, as you know. Motion detector. My father met an elf in Stockholm who’s quite the inventor. He came over and set up the house for Dad. Lights, music, fire—you name it, all it takes is the proper wave of the hand.” He shrugged ruefully. “Only problem is, sometimes I’m just walking through and the lights go on and off, the fire pops up and the house turns into a boom box with Frank Sinatra—my dad’s favorite—blaring loud enough to wake the neighborhood.”
“Oh,” Sam murmured. “Well, I guess there’s good and bad to everything.” She took a seat on a little ottoman before the fire and extended her hands, grateful for the warmth.
“I’ll take August upstairs and get the two of us into dry clothing. Why don’t you give your cousin a call? See if she can escape for a minute with some clothes for you? Or I can whirl down the street and pick something up,” he said, smiling. “If I take anything, I’ll pay for it, don’t worry.”
“It’s all right. I’ll give June a call,” she said.
August and Daniel started up the stairs. Sam gave her fingers another minute to thaw, then went looking for a phone, since her cell had drowned even if August hadn’t. She found a landline and quickly dialed June’s cell.
Her cousin answered after the first ring. The minute Sam identified herself, June said worriedly, “Sam, where are you? The party’s already started.”
“I’ll be there soon, but I need your help,” Sam told her.
“My help?” There was a touch of panic in June’s voice. “I was hoping you’d show up soon because I could use your help. The Episcopalian priest, Father Alistair, brought his three-year-old, Tobey, because his wife isn’t feeling well and can’t watch him, but he’s so busy having a heavy philosophical discussion with Rabbi Jenowitz that he’s forgotten about Tobey, who so far has tortured the cat and nearly knocked over the Christmas tree,” June said with dismay. “I did manage to save the Nativity scene.”
“I’m so glad. Listen, is Katie Sue or Rebekah there yet?”
“Um, Katie Sue just came in.”
“Good. Turn the party over to her and bring me something to wear really quickly.”
“Okay, bring it where?”
“I’m at Daniel’s house.”
Sam supposed she shouldn’t have been startled by the silence that followed. Even June—who had been away so much—knew that she and Daniel had been in love, and that he had broken her heart. She could hardly be blamed for wondering what Sam was doing at his house and drawing the obvious conclusion.
“It’s not what you’re thinking,” Sam said hurriedly. “We found the biter, but he wasn’t vicious, just heartbroken. Anyway, I can explain all that later. Right now I just need some clothes.”
“But why?” June lowered her voice. “Daniel didn’t...didn’t...?”
“No! I told you, it’s nothing like that. I’m soaked, that’s all. We had to save the biter from trying to drown himself. Please, June, just hurry up and bring me something to wear.”
“Okay.” June sounded relieved. “Katie Sue can chase Tobey around the Christmas tree and save the cat. She’s a complete emotional wreck, if you ask me. She wants to be on the beach by seven.”
“Dead Horse Beach?” Sam asked dryly.
“Yes. So I’d better hurry or she’ll have my head.”
“Thanks,” Sam told her, then hung up. She wasn’t sure whether to be grateful, relieved or irritated. Who the hell fell in love with a selkie? Especially a selkie Keeper. Too bad no one had objected to Katie Sue’s romance the way they had to Daniel and hers. Seven years! Way too long to miss a lover.
She could barely imagine it. She hadn’t seen Daniel in nearly two years, and...
And seeing him again now only made her want him again. A world of time had gone by and everything had changed, and at the same time nothing had changed.
Because Daniel was still...Daniel.
She heard the knocking at the front door while Daniel and August were still upstairs. Sam hurried over and threw it open, and there was June. She was carrying a big, cheerfully decorated Christmas gift bag.
“It’s your party clothes,” June said. “It seemed like the best way to get it out of the house.”
“Thank you, thank you!” Sam told her. Grateful that the men were still upstairs, she took the bag and hurried back over to the fire, where she stripped down to her underwear.
“You’re going to leave those on? You’ll catch a cold,” June warned her. “I brought dry.”
Sam glanced at her cousin. She wanted to run over and hug her. June was the sweetest soul in the universe. She cared, really cared, about people—and not only those she knew and loved, but everyone. And yet she still seemed nervous to be back here, dealing with her Keeper duties.
Sam didn’t get a chance to answer as she quickly slipped into dry underwear. She realized she’d made a dumb move, changing by the fire instead of behind closed doors. She could hear Daniel and August coming down the stairs.
She swore softly.
What was she doing? Here it was Christmas, and she was swearing. What on earth was wrong with her?
She heard a sharp whistle. August was just ahead of Daniel as they came down the stairs. He was grinning ear to ear as he looked at her.
She looked up and met Daniel’s eyes—and saw the fire that had always burned so fiercely in them when he looked at her.
His mouth curved into a little smile of amusement.
&nbs
p; Sam left her wet clothing by the fire, clutched the bag to her and ran for the kitchen. As she struggled into the soft red sweater June had brought her, she could hear her cousin speaking with Daniel and August.
“So...Daniel. You’re back in town.”
“Yes. For the time being, at least.”
“Ah.”
“I’m afraid my work means traveling,” Daniel said.
“Of course it does,” June said sweetly. Hearing her, Sam smiled. Her cousins were always there for her. As sweet as it sounded, June’s voice had the slightest edge.
“I’m August Avery,” August said.
“How do you do?” June asked.
“Um, we’ve actually met, though I haven’t seen you in a while. You look...very lovely tonight.”
“Thank you,” June told him.
“Like your cousin,” August added. “I guess we Others are pretty lucky here in Salem.”
Thank you, August. You were a jerk and made a wreck out of Christmas Eve, but you seem to have redeemed yourself.
Sam quickly slid into the silky black pants June had brought and hurried back out to the family room. Daniel was wearing a red sweater, too. And black pants. It almost looked as if they had dressed as a couple for the party.
She looked quickly away from Daniel and met August’s gaze. “August, you look dry, warm and ready for a great party.”
His smile wavered for a minute. “I guess.”
“So we’re ready to head back?” June asked anxiously.
“I just need two minutes,” Sam said. She was carrying the socks June had brought, and she checked and found that luckily her boots had almost dried. In seconds she had them on. Not bad. She didn’t even squish when she stood.
“Okay,” she said cheerfully. “Let’s go.”
As Daniel locked the door behind them, he arched a brow at Sam. She shrugged, and he walked ahead with August.
“What’s going on?” June whispered to Sam as they followed. “What’s he doing here?”
“He’s been sent back by the council. They’re worried about the darkness.”
June looked at her hopefully. “You think a vampire is causing it?”
Sam hesitated. June looked so hopeful that she hated to disillusion her.
No, I don’t. I believe it’s some kind of dark magic, she thought. As in witchcraft.
But she couldn’t say that.
“I don’t know, June. Vampires don’t really have that kind of power. The whole council sent Daniel because he’s a troubleshooter and we need a little help, not just because he’s a vampire.”
“And he came to see you because you’re responsible for all of us?” June asked.
Sam set an arm around her shoulder. “We all have to be here for one another, right? And isn’t that kind of the Christmas message? I mean, it doesn’t matter where people come from or what they believe, the message of Christmas is all about peace and forgiveness and loving one another. So there you have it. We all need to be here for each other. Maybe that’s how we’ll disperse this darkness.” June tried to smile, but Sam knew her cousin was worried. “I mean it. We’ll all be here for one another.”
She realized suddenly that they had reached her house, that Daniel and August had stopped and had heard her last words.
“Here for one another,” Daniel repeated, his eyes on hers. They seemed to glow with that unique gold particular to his kind—a gold that couldn’t be read.
“Well, we’re here and I need to get inside,” Sam said. “August, you will have fun, you will celebrate the spirit of the season—and you will find joy.”
“Okay, okay, joy of the season,” he said, though he didn’t sound entirely convinced.
She linked her arm with his and started toward the house.
As she headed up the walk, the plastic Santa began singing again. This time the song was “Baby, It’s Cold Outside.”
“We’d all better stay inside, then, huh?” Daniel said lightly.
Sam refused to turn around.
What the hell was she thinking when she bought that stupid Santa?
As she walked inside, three-year-old Tobey went flying past her, carrying one of the garlands that had been on the tree. Katie Sue was racing right behind him, but she skidded to a stop when she saw the newcomers. Her hair was in slight disarray and she was panting.
“Thank God you’re back!” she told Sam.
Meanwhile Tobey was heading into a part of the house where he had no business. Sam immediately went after him, sweeping him up into her arms. He let out a shriek and fought against her. “Oh, no, young man,” she told him. “You are not going to single-handedly mess up a holiday tradition.”
“Down!” Tobey shouted.
“No,” she said firmly.
With the wriggling child in her arms, she returned to the entryway. Katie Sue was getting into her coat and scarf. “Thanks,” Sam told her.
“I just... I’m sorry, I have to go. Seven years is a long time,” Katie Sue said softly.
Something about her cousin’s face touched Sam deeply. In fact, her insides seemed to be knotting up.
That was love. Nothing interrupted the feeling for Katie Sue. Not time, distance, the cold—or the darkness of winter.
It was love.
It was faith.
“Go, go. Happy, happy Christmas Eve,” Sam told her cousin. “Love you.”
Katie Sue kissed June and then stopped dead. “Daniel! Daniel Riverton. You’re—you’re back in Salem.”
“In the flesh, Katie Sue,” he said. “We’ll catch up later—right now you better hurry,” he said. He was smiling, as well.
He knew about Katie Sue’s situation, of course, Sam thought. He hadn’t been gone that long. Not as long as Katie Sue had been waiting.
Katie Sue turned to look at him with a broad smile. “Of course, we’ll catch up. It’s wonderful that you’re back.”
“He isn’t back,” Sam snapped.
“Of course he is,” Katie Sue said. “Anyway, I’m outta here. Catch you all later. Merry Christmas, August,” she added, and then she was gone.
At that moment Tobey connected a smart punch right against Sam’s jaw.
“Down!” he bellowed.
She controlled her temper—barely. She supposed she should have been paying more attention to him.
“No, Tobey, you’re not getting down right now. And if you hit me or anyone else again, I’ll put you in a really, really long time-out. Do you understand?”
Just then Father Mulroney came over and greeted her with relief. “Oh, thank the Lord. There you are, Sam. I’m afraid that the Wiccans and the Baptists are about to get into it. We have such a wonderfully diverse crowd here, but when they’re discussing the darkness... Well, I begin to fear that one group might accuse the other group of bringing it on and—”
“I’m coming,” Sam said.
She hiked Tobey onto her shoulder and marched into the parlor, then paused. The tree looked beautiful, and for a moment she did nothing but revel in the spirit of the holiday.
“Hey!” she said loudly, drawing everyone’s attention, from those sitting comfortably to those milling around the dining table, visible through the archway, and those who were standing around as they sipped their eggnog and enjoyed the food. “Merry Christmas Eve, everyone, and welcome to my home. What’s going on here? I’m not hearing any Christmas music. Father Mulroney, will you be so kind as to grace my piano with your presence?”
“I’d love to,” he said.
He quickly sat down and began to play. Looking at Tobey in Sam’s arms, he began with “Jingle Bells.”
Sam was pleased when June walked right in and started singing with her beautiful voice. She was quickly joined by others in the room. In a minute Mrs. McClellan, an ardent Baptist, was standing arm in arm with Sally Canfield, priestess for one of the Wiccan covens. After “Jingle Bells,” Father Mulroney looked at Rabbi Solomon and began to play “Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel.”
Lars Anderson, an Elven who had recently arrived from Norway, walked over to the piano and suggested “O Little Town of Bethlehem.”
Tobey’s father came and retrieved him from her arms at last. She stepped back, letting out a soft sigh of relief.
A minute later, June was back by her side. “Shall we bring out more refreshments?”
“Yes, let’s carve the turkey, shall we?” Sam said.
Together, they headed to the kitchen, where she found Daniel already carving the huge turkey that had been roasting all day, layering the tender meat on the waiting serving platters. He was being watched by August and a young Wiccan named Sally Smith, who worked for Mica.
“Thanks for the help,” Sam told Daniel.
“No problem,” he said, continuing to carve.
“I’ll get out this first platter,” June said.
“We’ve got them,” August said, turning to smile at Sally.
“We do— Oh, Mica is running a little late, Sam,” Sally said. “But she’ll be here—she wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
They left, and June stood there for a moment looking from Daniel to Samantha.
“I, uh, feel a song coming on,” she said, and fled.
Sam stared at Daniel across the kitchen table. The smells of baked goods, cinnamon, pine and all things Christmas wafted between them.
Suddenly the kitchen seemed far too small and Daniel far too close, despite the table that sat squarely between them.
“What do you want?” she asked him, and her voice sounded more needy than she would have liked.
But before he could answer, Tobey came barreling into the kitchen and headed straight for a bottle of champagne sitting on a tray surrounded by delicate crystal glasses.
“No!” Sam gasped, diving for Tobey.
“I’ve got him,” Daniel promised.
But Tobey ducked, and they both missed him as he sped by, sliding under the table and banging into the counter.
The champagne and the glasses clinked and rattled as the tray began to fall.
Chapter 5
The Keepers: Christmas in Salem: Do You Fear What I Fear?The Fright Before ChristmasUnholy NightStalking in a Winter Wonderland (Harlequin Nocturne) Page 5