by Rain Oxford
Alyssa first came to Dylan after being pronounced dead in a traffic accident. When she healed on her own, Dylan discovered she wasn’t human in the least.
He closed the door behind him and checked the chart. “Scratches?” He studied the girl on the bed, noting the blood on her torn shirt, the bloody towel on the floor beside her, and the lack of any pain on her face. “Let’s see the damage.” He lifted up the shredded shirt and saw three long scratches that were mostly healed. “What did this?” he asked. The direction of the marks indicated that something with three claws attacked her, but the hand must have been huge.
“I don’t know. It attacked me from the fireplace.”
“Was there a fire going?” he asked. The alternative was to take the obvious holiday-related explanation and he wasn’t ready to go there.
“No. I was hanging the stockings.”
“I’ve already called someone in to investigate,” Hon said.
Dylan clipped the file to the end of Alyssa’s bed. “Someone who knows about the supernatural?”
“Yes.”
“In that case, I don’t see why you brought Alyssa in. She’s perfectly fine. There’s no infection, her vitals are fine, and there’s no sign that she lost too much blood.” Shifters of Skrev healed much faster than humans.
“We want you to do that thing where you check her skeletons. We just want to make sure she wasn’t harmed in her other forms.”
Dylan had learned it was best not to argue with worried parents when reassuring them took something as simple as a touch. He gently touched Alyssa’s arm and let his energy flood her system. Like echolocation, his energy returned with the image of the three skeletons of her shifted forms. Her own magic didn’t even hint at putting up a fight.
“She’s in perfect health.”
“Are you sure?” Alyssa asked worriedly. Dylan honestly wouldn’t recognize her voice if he heard it on the street because the adolescent very rarely spoke. “Maybe I should stay the night in the hospital.”
“Sorry, kiddo. We only take sick patients here. Besides, you don’t want to be here for the holiday, do you?” She shook her head. “Then have a good holiday, stay away from the chimney monster, and don’t scratch,” he said, pulling her arm away when she tried to scrub at her wound. “Maybe I should take a peak in your chimney, though. If it was bats or something, she might need a rabies shot.” Assuming the shifters of Skrev could get rabies.
“Like I said, I already called someone,” Hon said. “He’ll be here when the plane lands tomorrow and if he finds anything, we’ll let you know.”
“You do that. If she feels sick at all, bring her back in immediately. If she has any weird marks, if she feels numb anywhere, if she starts talking in Latin, anything odd at all, bring her in.”
* * *
When Dylan got home, Mordon was the only one there. “The boys are spending the night at Stacy’s, Divina said her work was taking longer than she had expected, and Edward is busy with something on Duran.”
“I thought we were going to have a family night,” Dylan said, a little disappointed. He tried to keep in mind that they two more days left until Christmas. “Why are the boys spending the night over there? I thought Stacy would want some time off what with the mountain in her belly.”
“I think the boys are getting their gang together tomorrow to solve a mystery. Something’s been extra-odd around here.”
“Such as?”
“Mostly thefts. A lot of toys have gone missing. Taylor thinks some weirdo can’t afford presents for his children and has been stealing toys, but I couldn’t find a scent. Xul is watching the boys from a distance to make sure they don’t get into trouble. Get some sleep.”
“I think that’s a good idea. I have the early shift tomorrow.” He did soon find himself enjoying a few quiet hours of reading without the boys yelling about something or his wife… Well, he probably would have been having more fun if she was there.
* * *
The fact that Dylan was on a flat rock in the middle of the ocean on a bright day with no visible sun told him he was in the presence of one of his wife’s brothers. None of his real dreams were so farfetched. “I’m not giving you my son,” he told the unseen god. This was the preferred visual of Azenoth; Divina’s most temperamental brother.
After Azenoth’s third Guardian betrayed him, the god requested for Samhail to be his next Guardian. Although Hail was born to be the Guardian of Lore, Vretial wanted Hail as his Guardian instead. Dylan didn’t want Hail to be the Guardian for Avoli or Vretial, but he would let Hail choose his own path when the time came to it. Dylan refused to let his son even consider being Azenoth’s Guardian.
“I know that. You already told me,” Azenoth said. His words were more in Dylan’s head than out loud.
That was one of the reasons for Dylan’s refusal. Azenoth wasn’t the greediest of Divina’s brothers, but he was the one Dylan trusted the least. He distrusted the god’s motives in particular. Whereas Vretial would fight, manipulate, and bribe for Hail, Azenoth didn’t really care who his Guardian was. Avoli relied on Dylan’s wariness of Vretial, which was actually a good strategy.
“I decided to find an appropriate replacement for Rasik instead of making one, but I need someone to train him. I want Kiro to do it.”
“And why are you telling me this instead of asking his god?”
“He listens to you over Erono.”
The god had a good point. “I’ll ask him if he’s willing the next time I see him.”
“Good. You should know that some dark force is coming your way.”
“When isn’t there?” It didn’t escape his notice that Azenoth was showing appreciation for his help by giving him a warning. This was quite a change from the god he knew. “What kind of dark force?”
* * *
“Don’t touch your presents!”
The six-year-old boy moped. His mother was in the kitchen, but she kept watch over the breakfast bar. Lesley didn’t know why he had to wait to play with his presents. He played with his Legos in front of the tree. The Christmas music was too quiet, so he turned the knob on the radio.
The phone rang and his mother yelled at him to turn the radio down. He didn’t, so she stepped outside through the kitchen door. As soon as she did, Lesley turned to the tree to play with his presents. He knew he could open one and reclose it before his mother got back, but he didn’t know which one to open first.
A soft sound startled him and he looked around, only to jump back when something under the tree rattled. “Hello?” he called after a minute. Two reflective eyes stared back at him from between two presents.
But it couldn’t be anything bad, right? It was under a Christmas tree and it was small.
“I’m not going to hurt you,” Lesley said. “Come out.” Another present rattled before a Golden Retriever puppy jumped out with an excited bark. “Puppy!” Lesley screamed at the top of his lungs.
The back door opened, his mother yelled, “Lesley, be quiet! I’m on the phone,” and she then shut it.
Lesley held out his hands for the puppy, which ran to him with its tail wagging enthusiastically. He hugged the puppy, knowing this was going to be the best Christmas ever. Then the puppy grabbed his shirt sleeve in its mouth and started pulling Lesley towards the tree as if playing tug-a-war.
“No, puppy, come to my room!”
The puppy jerked its head, causing the boy to fall forward, and began dragging him. When Lesley tried to reach for the couch, the puppy growled. It pulled him to a small gift box.
“Wait, puppy! What’s wrong?”
The puppy let go of his arm, took his pant leg, and pulled him easily into the box, which contorted to accommodate Lesley’s struggles.
“Stop, puppy! I can’t fit!”
When the boy was waist-deep in the box, the puppy wiggled out and went around Lesley to push him in the rest of the way. Lesley tried to struggle, so the puppy nipped impatiently at his fingers and nose. Finally, t
he boy was all the way in the box and the puppy hopped in happily after him. The lid magically closed behind them.
Chapter 2
December 23, Wednesday
Hail woke with a shout, startling Ron out of his sleep. Ron usually experienced Hail’s visions to make it easier, but that was not the case this time. “What did you see?” Ron asked, hugging his brother. They were sleeping over at Drake’s house. Fortunately, their friend could sleep through anything.
“It was dark and cold. I could feel so many scared kids. They were terrified. I felt like they were dying, but they weren’t injured. They were afraid because something is going to eat them.”
“When?”
“Christmas.”
“It was a dream,” Ron said, relaxing a little. “You were just having a nightmare because of all those scary stories Dad tells us. Like that dream you had of the toe bats. Nothing is going to happen on Christmas. It’s just a day like any other.”
* * *
Dylan woke suddenly, despite the peacefulness of the house, and saw that it was only a few minutes before his alarm would go off. He got up, showered, and dressed for work, aware the entire time that it was too quiet. It felt like he had forgotten something very important, but he chalked it up to being off his usual morning routine. Divina wasn’t trying to tempt him back into bed, the boys weren’t teasing each other, and Mordon wasn’t…
Huh… Mordon is actually the only quiet one in my family.
Dylan went to the kitchen and found the dragon eating cereal at the table, dressed in his officer’s uniform. Mordon had been almost scrawny when they first met, but that was before the dragon’s physical traits kicked in. He was now an inch shorter than Dylan and much heavier built. Of the two of them, Mordon was the fighter and Dylan was the strategist. Although Dylan’s magic was superior by far, he preferred to use it for defense and healing while Mordon used his dragon skills and weapons training to defeat their enemy. Fortunately, Dylan could usually manipulate the enemy before it came to a fight.
“I thought you had the day off.”
“I got called in. Three kids at the north end of town ran away. They didn’t get far; the highway was closed off last night due to snow.”
“Are you sure they ran away?”
“That’s why I’m checking it out today.” He nudged the box of Cheerios in a gesture of sharing.
“Shouldn’t there be leftovers? Ron cooks enough every day to feed the town for a week.”
“Have you seen how much Hail eats?”
“Yes, his metabolism has gone a bit wonky. I asked Nano about it a few weeks ago and he says it’s normal for the smaller, stronger people of Dios, like Nila, to have a hyper metabolism in their teens.”
“You mean I have to listen to him crashing around the kitchen and yelling across the house for Ron to cook something at three in the morning for the next eight years?”
“No. Apparently, natives of Dios normally have a growth spurt in their early teens— either they get stronger or bigger. I’m hoping for stronger, because I’ve seen how big those people can get. Anyway, I have to get to work.”
“Eat first. You didn’t have dinner yesterday.”
Actually, he hadn’t eaten anything at all the previous day. “I’m fine.”
“When we first met, you couldn’t go an hour without whining about food.” He pointed to the counter by the sink, where there was a buttered bagel on a napkin and a to-go cup of coffee. “I’ll tell the boys you said to have a good day.”
Dylan was going to be off Thursday and Friday for Christmas and then on call through New Year’s. It wasn’t a particularly reliable vacation, but the town didn’t have many doctors.
As he drove to the hospital, he noticed there was no traffic and most of the stores were closed. Although it was very early, the diners were always open by this time and there was usually a flock of joggers making their way down the main street and around the park.
Nurse Manning was at her station as usual when he arrived, but her smile was strained. “What’s wrong?” Dylan asked.
“I don’t know; I just feel like something is coming.”
* * *
“So, where’s your stash?” Ron asked, peeking over the mattress of the top bunk while standing on the bottom mattress. When Hail tried to tickle the back of Ron’s knees, he kicked his older brother and earned a satisfying grunt.
“I haven’t looked for my presents, booger,” Drake said. He was about to turn ten, whereas Ron had just turned ten. Although Drake’s light brown hair had grown back after he recovered from cancer, he was still too skinny. Being half fae, he had the power to make people obey whatever he said, but it didn’t work on Ron and it only rarely worked on Hail.
“Liar. Christmas is so important that we should get presents every day of the month.”
“It’s not about presents. It’s about being with your family.”
“But we’re with our family all the time. What good does that do? Now Halloween… that I understood. We got to be monsters and demand candy.”
“And when are you going to come down from your sugar high?”
“When he runs out of candy,” Hail said. “Everyone kept dumping more and more candy in his bag, so we had to go home and empty it four times.”
“Why are you complaining? I share.” Ron didn’t actually like sweets that much. The only reason he didn’t just give Hail all of his candy was because Hail would eat it all at once and be out. Plus, he was out of Jolly Crunch candies and he needed something to train his father’s demon with. Xul was a pretty good bodyguard, but the Ancient needed to learn who was in charge.
“So you guys already know what presents you’re getting?” Drake asked.
Ron looked at Hail, wondering if he should lie to spare his brother’s feelings.
“No, Mom and Dad have concealment spells on them,” Hail said. Hail had visions and could see the future, so their parents had to come up with new ways to hide the presents. One year, Hail could only see coal, which was because that was their fake presents which they got first.
Ron and Hail still had strong reservations about Christmas, since their parents told them that Santa was a giant who stole children who were bad and made them build toys for good kids. However, they soon learned that that wasn’t true. Their dad was a prankster, but Ron didn’t mind at all.
He was always learning.
“Hey, Mordon gave us money to get you and the others presents for Christmas. Let’s go to the store and you can pick out what you want. We can call the others to go, too.”
“We’re not supposed to know what our presents are,” Drake argued. “It’s supposed to be a surprise.”
Ron rolled his eyes. “Do you really want us picking out your present? Hail would get you shoes.”
“Okay, you’re right. I’ll call the others while you get ready. It takes you longer than it takes Mom to get ready in the morning.”
* * *
Devon arrived in the tiny town surrounded by mountains and forests a little past three in the afternoon. True to the picturesque town’s name, the mountains surrounding it were all covered in snow. As the plane flew in and he saw the town through the window, he felt a strange anxiety, as if his instincts were warning him that something very bad was going to happen.
Something very bad that he couldn’t prevent.
It was such a small town that there were less than a dozen people on the plane. In fact, he only saw one road in or out of the place. It felt a little like a trap. The plane landed and he walked through the gate tunnel into a converted warehouse. To his surprise, Hon was waiting for him.
Hon was easily recognizable; he still looked to be in his twenties. He was about six-two with an athletic build, natural tan, brown hair, and gold eyes. Devon had always known something was off about the foreigner, but his instincts told him Hon was a decent man, so he hadn’t questioned his client. Devon recognized the predatory beast in Hon’s eyes. Every instinct screamed that Hon was a sh
ifter, but not just any shifter. This time, there was something unnervingly familiar about him.
“Hello, Devon,” he said with a thick accent, which Devon couldn’t identify.
“Hi. You haven’t aged a day.”
“Genetics are good to my kind. Shall we go?” He paused as he caught Devon’s scent. “I see why you were not surprised when I told you what I was. You’re a wizard?”
Devon shushed him instinctively and glanced around.
Hon shrugged. “Up until a few months ago, everyone was very secretive about it, but now it’s out; everyone here is either a paranormal, related to one, or married to one.”
Devon grabbed his bag as it came out on the conveyer belt and they headed for the exit. “How does the council feel about that?”
“Council?”
“The wizard council. They don’t know about this place?”
“We are pretty secluded. When we get newcomers, it is a big deal. Our last new residents were a small family with two hellion kids. They brought a war with them, but it turned out all right for us. The boys’ father is a very powerful wizard who works as a doctor. You should see his wife. Nobody knows much about her, but she’s gorgeous.”
“I’m here for work, not eye candy,” Devon said. “Especially not married eye candy.” Especially not while Astrid is trapped in Dothra.
Hon shrugged again and pulled a fob out of his pocket. Outside, it was a clear, sunny day in the low fifties with melting snow still clinging to the shadows of the trees. One such tree was in the middle of the small parking lot. “Welcome to White Hills,” Hon’s said.
Yeah, nothing ominous about that.
A white sedan chirped a greeting.
* * *
“The store is closed due to a family emergency,” Luca read. Luca, Logan, Drake, Taper, and Tatum were all together with Ron and Hail. They were also all standing outside the large all-in-one store, shivering and confused.