by Rain Oxford
The twins were thin, blond, and brown-eyed, with way too thin clothes on. The weather never seemed to bother them, but that was due to their parents being from Malta and their power being entwined with nature. Taper could see, hear, and smell through the senses of animals, so he was great at spying on people. When Tatum touched an object, she could see the other people who had touched it, the thoughts they had, or conversations that happened around it.
Luca, whose father was Italian and mother was American, was smartly dressed with very dark brown hair and light blue/gray eyes. He was a vouxeng, which was something like a psychic vampire. He could absorb and influence people’s energies. He could even kill someone.
Logan, a half-fae with strong skills in illusionary art, was tall with brown hair and hazel eyes. Although he dressed to blend in and everything he did was an attempt to go unnoticed, his parents were rich and the other kids at their school knew it. A lot of students teased him or sucked up to him. None of them knew that Logan rarely ever saw his parents and was in constant fear of being forgotten by them all together. After learning his story, Ron became very considerate of Logan.
“It’s December, though. Where is everyone supposed to buy their Christmas toys?” Ron asked, just slightly too elegant to start whining yet. He would wait to see if any of his crew had another plan. Truthfully, he couldn’t be mad at the owners because he understood that a family emergency meant everyone in the family dropped everything and pulled together.
At least that was what it meant to him.
“There’s another store,” Logan said. “I got all my presents there because there were too many lines here. The prices are better there. Come on.”
They started down the street in the direction they came from. “We should have taken the Charger.”
“I’m not driving on these roads,” Luca said.
“Wait, did you say you bought all your presents? You got to pick them all out?”
“Yeah. My parents send me a check every Christmas, along with a letter. This time, they forgot the letter and added an extra zero to the check.” Ron knew Logan would have preferred the letter.
A few minutes later, they arrived at a small toy store that had an old-fashioned rocking horse and a collection of dolls in the window. “Sylvester’s Toys?” Ron remarked. “Not very original.” It was, however, open, so they entered. The store was cramped, dim, and a bit murky. A switch was flipped and dozens of spotlights, floor lamps, and strings of Christmas lights lit up the place. Every inch of every shelf and most of the floor was cluttered with toys.
“Good morning, children!” an older man said, scaring the kids as he appeared behind them. “Welcome, welcome.” He shut the door. “What can I help you with?”
“Are you Sylvester?” Hail asked.
“I’m his brother. Sylvester is out buying groceries at the moment, but he should be back soon. Did you need to speak to him?”
“No, we’re just looking for Christmas presents for each other.”
“Well, by all means, look around. Everything is fairly priced, hand-made, and comes with its own decorated gift box. I do ask that you be quick, though. It looks like the weather’s gonna turn foul this evening and you don’t want to be caught in it.”
Tatum picked up a doll, groaned as if in pain, and set it back down.
“What’s wrong?” Taper asked.
“So many kids have touched this, but someone was very, very greedy. It was just unexpected. And its skin color is too pale. Dolls should be happy. This one is sad.”
“Heavens! Where are your shoes, young lady?” the old man asked.
They all looked down to see that the twins were both barefoot again. They looked just as surprised as the man. Ron rolled his eyes. “Not again.”
They all split up to find presents for each other. Ron picked the creepiest doll for Tatum, knowing it would fit in with her collection, and asked her if it had any bad vibes. “No, it’s very happy.” Hail and Ron picked out a train building-model for Luca, a paint set for Logan, a metal train for Drake, and a remote-controlled car for Taper.
By the time they made it home, the sky was dark with angry clouds and they were all freezing. Ron and Hail were the last to get home, since they wanted to make sure their friends were safe. Once in their room, Ron stripped and took a shower. He wanted a bath, but he didn’t want to take forever because he knew Hail would want one as well. When he returned to their room with a fluffy, warm towel he laughed at the wet pile on the ground. Hail went to take his shower and Ron decided to dig their jackets out of the mound before they ended up in the laundry. Shaking Hail’s jacket to get rid of the water, he heard a soft thump and looked down.
There was a tiny red box, only about an inch wide, long, and deep. He picked it up, realizing it was covered in tape. It must be from the toy shop. It must have stuck to Hail’s jacket when he brushed up against it. He set it on Hail’s desk since it was too late and too cold to return it. They could take it back in the morning.
* * *
It was a slow day at work for Dylan, which was the best kind of day, but was also unusual since there were still people putting up Christmas decorations. Then again, news reports were saying the weather was going to turn sour, so Dylan hoped people were just being wise and not doing anything reckless.
When Dylan arrived home, Edward and the boys were playing cards at the kitchen table and Mordon was reading on the couch. He grabbed a mug of coffee and enjoyed the scent of highly seasoned meat. “What’s for dinner?” he asked.
“Pot roast, veggies, and potatoes,” Ron answered. “Mom is getting more veggies.”
Hail made a goofy face.
Dylan loved the hustle and bustle of a house full of his family. He always felt at home with them whether they were here or on Duran. “So what did you two get up to?”
The boys glanced at each other and shrugged. “We went spent our allowances on presents for you all. Did anything interesting happen at work?”
“Not today. Yesterday, my last patient was attacked by a chimney monster, though.”
Ron rolled his eyes, but Hail looked concerned.
“Are you talking about Alyssa Cofer,” Mordon asked. Dylan nodded. “Hon Cofer hired someone to come down and check things out. He’s a private investigator, which Taylor told me was like a freelance cop. Hon’s daughter was apparently attacked by something in the chimney, and she wasn’t the only one. Everyone on their block reported attacks over the last few days from the attic, chimney, or closet.”
“Okay, that’s pretty weird.”
* * *
“I don’t see anything weird,” Devon said, shining his penlight over every inch of brick inside the chimney. After his client was pulled over by the town sheriff for going the speed limit on slightly slick roads, Devon was ready to be done with the case and the town.
He sat up, maneuvering himself carefully so he didn’t hit his head on the brick of the fireplace. Malla handed him a mug of coffee, which he thanked her for. The weather was nothing compared to some of the hard winters he had experienced, but his instincts were keeping him on edge.
Since Alyssa was completely healed from her ordeal and whatever had been in the chimney was gone, Devon didn’t think he was going to learn anything else for the night. “I’m going to find a motel and come back in the morning. There is a motel here, right?”
“Yep. Down on Fourth Street. I can drive you there, but the sheriff might arrest me for having two people in my car at a time or for a turn light flashing half a second faster than the state average. Do you think there’s a real case here then, or just some animal?”
“I’m definitely concerned with the claw marks, because an animal with claws that far apart should be too big to fit in the chimney. I’m really hoping it’s just some huge, mutated, fearless raccoon.”
“Really? That’s the best case scenario?” Malla asked. “Can you help us?”
“Yeah. Whatever it turns out to be, I can probably help you. I’ll b
e back in the morning.”
“I really appreciate it,” Hon said. Just as they reached the door, a hard knock came. Hon answered the door. “Debbie? What happened?”
A middle-aged, ginger-haired woman stood crying in the doorway with a cut on her forehead and a sleeping four-year-old in her arms. “I need to use your phone. The cell towers are down.”
Devon checked his cell phone to see that she was correct; he had no service. Hon took her arm and pulled her in, then shut the door behind her. “Of course you can use it, but tell us what happened. Do you need me to drive you to the hospital?”
“No, I’m not… it doesn’t hurt.” Malla, who had grabbed a first aid kit when she saw Debbie, guided her to the couch and started cleaning the cut. “A few days ago, Evan ran to my room crying that something tried to crawl out of his closet to get to him. I told the sheriff, but he just said Evan was dreaming because he couldn’t get a scent.”
“A scent?” Devon asked.
“The sheriff is a dragon,” Hon explained. “Debbie, this is Devon Sanders, a wizard. Devon, this is Debbie Nevada, a vampire.” Sure enough, her cut was healed by the time Malla had finished washing it.
“Nice to meet you,” she said automatically. “Tonight, Evan wouldn’t go to bed, so I checked his closet to reassure him. Something attacked me.”
“Your son sleeps at night?” Devon asked. Hon and Debbie stared at him. “Sorry, I know a lot of vampires, but I guess I don’t know everything about them.”
“My husband and Evan are human. I adopted Evan when he was two.” She laid him down on the couch as soon as Malla got up. “Which is good because you can’t thrall vampire children.” She had made him sleep so he wouldn’t be afraid.
“How many others have been attacked?” Devon asked when Debbie went to make a call.
Hon shook his head. “We should go down to the police department tomorrow and ask. One problem with this town is that you don’t have a lot of options. The sheriff pretty much elected himself and appointed his pack members as his officers, and they enforce the law as they see fit. They’re not crooks, but they’re dragons, so they had different values.”
“Hon,” Debbie called softly, returning to the living room, “The phone lines are down, too.”
* * *
Sarah Parris woke to a gentle hand on her shoulder. She opened her eyes and smiled up at her husband. “Put him in his crib and come to bed,” Erik said. She nodded and stood carefully, trying desperately not to jostle her newborn. Jamie was only a week old and Sarah hated to put him down. He was so damned tiny. She laid him gently in the crib, caressed his cheek, and let Erik pull her away.
“We should move the crib into our room until he can sleep through the night.”
Erik ignored her and patted their German Shepard’s head. “See, Frankie will keep watch.” He shut the glass French doors, locking the dog in with the baby. Frankie dutifully settled down next to the crib.
After a quick shower, Sarah joined her husband in bed. When she tried to reach for her book, Erik caught her hand and started kissing her neck. “Not a chance,” she said, laughing.
“You just lay there then and don’t mind me. Read your book while I---” he was cut off as Frankie started barking. Sarah jumped up to go to him, but Erik pulled her back onto the bed. “It’s nothing. He’s barking at the leaves hitting the window.”
Sarah hesitated; Frankie always barked when the wind caused the tree limbs to brush against the window.
“Shut up, Frankie!” Erik yelled.
The dog didn’t stop barking, though. After a few seconds, they heard glass breaking over the baby monitor. Sarah bound from the bed, but Erik got tangled in the sheets and hit the floor. Sarah screamed when she pulled against the handle and the door wouldn’t open.
“Move,” Erik growled, his words nearly unintelligible. Sarah backed away when Erik started to shift into his grizzly bear form. The sheets shredded as the man’s body grew massive. He slammed his half human, half bear fist into the door and broke it to pieces before he was even steady enough to stand. Sarah ran down the hallway and threw open the doors of the nursery. Dodging glass and toys, she made it to the crib and picked up the crying baby.
Sarah cried with relief. “He’s fine,” she said as her husband entered the room on all fours. He was enormous, but she knew she never had to worry about him hurting her.
Erik, not satisfied, sniffed at the broken glass. Only then did Sarah realize the glass was from the door. She flipped on the lamp next to the crib and emitted a strangled, terrified, desperate gasp. The dog was dead at her feet and soaked with blood.
Chapter 3
December 24, Thursday
Mordon woke to the boys arguing loudly in the kitchen. Of all the ways to be awoken. He didn’t finish the thought. He dreamt of Sydney all night, every night. He wanted it to end so badly, yet he couldn’t bear the thought. I wasn’t with her long enough to miss her this badly.
Your soul knew her better than you think. The response in his head was from the ancient dragon, Rojan, and he couldn’t have been happier to hear it.
You’re back!
I never left.
The dragon’s life mate, Arazel, was killed right before he gave his life to save Mordon. Mordon’s mother died in childbirth from an illness. The last thing she did was a spell to give Mordon what power she could in order to save him. It wouldn’t have worked on its own, but when mixed with very strong dragon’s blood, it bonded them so that they could both live.
What they were not prepared for was Arazel being reborn as an Earth dragon named Sydney. As soon as Mordon met her, he felt the same bond as Rojan had. Unfortunately, they were torn apart once again by a powerful, ancient demon.
I tried to sleep through the mourning period, but I have come to realize that is impossible, and more importantly, that you are suffering just as much.
I have all your memories of Arazel.
And I have already suffered the loss, whereas you have not, so I should be helping you through this. Now, I believe the first step in getting through this is quieting those children.
“I’m not telling them!” Ron yelled. “Why do I always have to give the bad news?!”
Mordon entered the kitchen wearing only his jeans and hoping Ron wasn’t in too foul a mood to cook breakfast. He really was the only one in the pack who could cook.
“Because they never get upset with you and you can make cookies,” Hail said.
“What’s going on?” Mordon asked.
“All the presents we got yesterday disappeared,” Hail said.
“Huh?”
“We bought everyone presents yesterday.” Hail spoke exaggeratingly slow and simple. “They all came with decorative boxes. All the presents and boxes disappeared.”
“But there are protective wards in your room. Nobody could have broken into your room, and if someone wanted to, it wouldn’t be for toys.”
“They were in the living room,” Ron said as he set a plate piled high with pancakes in the center of the table. He smacked Hail’s hand when Hail tried to grab them. “Those are Dad’s. Yours are still in the pan.”
“But Dad never eats that much.”
“He will if I cry, and he hasn’t been eating enough.”
Rojan laughed, but neither he nor Mordon were going to interfere. They both agreed that Dylan was letting work get in the way of his health. Ron set a plate with toast, eggs, and bacon in front of Mordon, who put it together in a breakfast sandwich.
As he ate, he checked his phone and thought it was odd that he didn’t have a message from Taylor. He usually had a “come in” or “you’re not needed today” message, but there was nothing. He pushed the fourth button and waited for it to say it was calling Taylor. He hated his phone even more when it said, “no service.” “These things never make any sense. What does this mean?” he asked, showing it to Ron and Hail.
They both shrugged. “You know Earth as much as we do,” Ron said.
“You were born on Earth,” Mordon reminded Hail.
“Yes, but Vivian said I couldn’t have a phone until I was two and I wasn’t around then,” Hail said sarcastically. “Oh, and Granddad went back to Duran for another case.”
I also sense that Divina is away, Rojan said.
At least Dylan will be allowed out of bed today. The young Guardian always planned big for the days he had off and ended up spending most of them alone with his wife. How they only had two kids no one would ever know.
Dylan entered then with boxers and a white t-shirt. “Morning, family minus the wife and father.”
“Morning, Dad minus the suit and tie,” Hail said.
“Daddy, something happened to all our gifts and Hail refuses to be the one to tell our friends,” Ron said.
“They never get angry with you and you can make cookies, so you should be the one to tell them,” Dylan said.
When Ron set a plate of bacon and mug of coffee in front of Dylan and pushed the pancakes to within reach, he paused and waited for his father to look at him so he could pout properly. Dylan adjusted himself in his seat, folded his arms on the table, and gave Ron an even greater pout. It only took a couple of seconds before Ron took a step back and covered his eyes.
“Stop that! That’s not fair!” Ron whined.
“Life’s not fair, angel. But, I’ll tell you what. You tell your friends. I will tell Mordon and your mother.”
“And Edward?” the ten-year-old asked tentatively.
Dylan scoffed. “Not a bleedin’ chance. What happened to them anyway? Nobody could have broken in and we don’t have a fireplace for the chimney monster to get in. Was a window open or anything?”
“No.”
“Huh. I hope the chimney monster didn’t find another way to get in, like a closet or something.”
Mordon sighed. “First of all, I told you yesterday there were reports of attacks from closets and attics as well as chimneys. Second, we’re not calling it the chimney monster.”