Curse of Christmas: A Collection of Paranormal Holiday Stories

by Thea Atkinson

  “I’m sorry, Gaby.” Settling me to the ground, he withdrew his hand, which was coated completely crimson. His green eyes narrowed at the sight of my blood, before they stared hard at my face. I saw the moment the decision flashed across his face. I knew it was coming, but I still wasn’t prepared for it when Sebastian thrust his wrist into my mouth. My fangs had descended at some point, whether during the fighting or due to the pain inflicted when Krampus stabbed me, I didn’t know. But, Sebastian used them to scrape his wrist, causing a trickle of blood to pour into my mouth. I gasped and sunk my teeth into his skin without thought.

  Feeding on Sebastian wasn't new, but in the past, I had my mental walls securely in place. When it came to feeding on the opposite sex, it could easily become something sexual if you weren't careful. With Sebastian that urge was always stronger thanks to our blood tie.

  He groaned, feeling my teeth puncture his flesh. His eyes were closed, and his muscles tensed. He made no attempt to move, doing everything in his power to hold himself perfectly still. I, on the other hand, was in the land of euphoria. Desire pooled between my thighs, causing me to clench them together in hopes to relieve the ache. My nipples hardened, begging for attention. I released him, panting with desire. Sebastian launched himself backward, sliding a few feet away. I swallowed hard as his gaze locked with mine. Somehow, during the feeding, I had risen to my knees.

  “That was…” he hesitated, seeking the right word.

  “Intense?” I offered. Talking would help ease the sexual tension neither of us was willing to commit to.

  He nodded. “More so than I remember.” It had been years since I needed to feed on him, but time didn’t ease the intensity. If anything, it was stronger. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have attacked the demon.”

  I waved him off staring down at my own blood coating the concrete beneath me. “I was looking for an opening myself.”

  “We can’t give him ten children.” Sebastian stood, his face determined.

  “I know, but we need a plan. He can teleport Sebastian.”

  “But he cannot teleport back to Hell. The Hell gate closest to Manhattan is in Salem. Damien already has a crew guarding it. He has since you locked the kids down. We only need to make Krampus pause long enough for me to grab Lizzy and get her away from him. Midnight on Christmas gives him very little time to give chase. Even if he can follow me when I dissipate, it won’t matter, because at the stroke of twelve he must return. I just have to keep Lizzy out of his grasp until then.”

  “Let’s get back to the tower and let the others know what we learned and devise a plan to get my baby back.”

  Sebastian approached me. The earlier tension forgotten or shoved down where it would no longer be an issue. His arm slid around my hips tugging me close in a familiar embrace. I wrapped my arms around him and let him hug me for a moment. The blood tie relished his nearness and retreated to a low hum, one much more peaceful and not the nagging desire I normally felt from his proximity. “We’ll get her back, Gaby. I promise you.”

  Deep down, I believed him.

  Chapter 8

  Showering, beads of pure bliss rained along my tense muscles, erasing the signs of battle. I wish I could say it was the first time I stood under the warm spray, watching the water turn a pinkish hue as other’s blood washed from me. It wasn’t by a long shot, although it had been awhile.

  The glass door encasing me opened. Plumes of steam rushed to escape. I didn’t mind losing some of the warmth, especially when strong arms wrapped around my belly.

  “The boys?” I asked, not wanting them left alone, especially after learning the demon could teleport in.

  “Sleeping in your parents’ room, surrounded by an ungodly number of vampires, werewolves, and one guardian angel,” he whispered against my neck, his stubble scraping against my skin. It had been a long few days and Grayson had been skipping the use of his razor. Not that I minded. I rather enjoyed a slightly unkept look on him.

  Letting my head fall back, I gave him better access. He seized the opportunity, moving in even closer to pepper my neck and shoulders with kisses. Grayson knew me better than anyone. I was stuck in my head, driving myself crazy. He knew how to get me out, even if just temporarily.

  My muscles began to relax, enjoying the feel of his lips and his hands splayed against my stomach. They moved ever so slightly, slipping across my wet skin.

  Smiling, I turned in his arms and captured his lips. He kissed me back hungrily, his tongue demanding, his teeth nipping hard enough to cause the smallest twinge of pain. His right hand slid over my backside, cupping my ass, while his left grasped my breast and tweaked my nipple. I groaned, arching into him. He knew all my cues. Every gasp, every move, meant something and only Grayson knew exactly how to interpret my body’s language.

  His lips trailed down, tongue tasting my skin. I moaned, feeling the warmth of his mouth as it claimed my nipple before eagerly switching to its partner.

  “Grayson,” I moaned.

  He stood, turned me to face the cool tile, the temperature change a shock to my already hardened and overly sensitive nipples, and grasped my hips. I pressed them back, giving him a better angle, every nerve anticipating his touch. The tip of his erection brushed against my sensitive flesh.

  “God yes!” I cried out as he thrust into me. Making love with Grayson was always an incredible experience. Sometimes he was gentle and slow, and others he could make me scream with his sheer ferocity. Tonight, it was somewhere in the middle and somehow, he knew it was exactly what I needed. I arched back. Finding his mouth, I slipped my tongue past his lips. One of his hands toyed with my nipple, while the other dipped between my thighs to circle my clit.

  The orgasm came out of nowhere. Grayson’s arm tightened around me, holding me up as my knees gave out. He continued his onslaught, drawing out my pleasure, until, with a final grunt, he spilled himself inside me.

  My muscles quivered afterwards, while he did nothing but hold me as I relished the postcoital glow. All too soon, he withdrew and the problems that plagued me rushed back. I couldn’t spend the next two days in bed with him simply to distract myself, and I wouldn’t want to. I needed to get my daughter back, and not only to protect her for another year, but indefinitely.

  “I think I might have a plan,” Grayson stated, as if knowing where my mind was.

  Seeing his devious expression, I wondered if I going to dislike this idea?

  I swiped at the cobwebs tickling my arm. The invisible threads attacking me were doing their best to hinder my attention. The uneven stones beneath my feet would make any standoff more difficult. I’d walked them multiple times since arriving, and was now confident I wouldn’t fall prey to their impediment.

  The Salem Hell Gate wasn’t at all what I had expected. Alters and fire pits perhaps, but what I found was a structurally sound empty room which showed no signs of blood sacrifices, only age and abandonment. Dust and cobwebs covered the archway of the gate. The stone walls were stained black from years of neglect. The air was stale and dirty.

  Grayson and Sebastian flanked me on either side. Both were dressed in casual attire, a facade for Krampus meant to make them seem less threatening but would also allow both men the freedom to move if fighting did commence. In front of us stood ten small children, each between the ages of three and five. Not a single one had tears in their eyes. Rather, each showed expressions of fierce determination.

  Lizzy hadn't popped up on Sebastian's radar in the past forty-eight hours, at least not in the traditional way. He’d been entirely focused on her, seeking any tiny inkling as to where she was. He was getting glimpses but nothing concrete. He saw snippets of Christmas red and fake snow, so at least we knew she wasn’t in Hell. Wherever she was, she wasn’t frightened and until she was, Sebastian couldn’t lock on to her.

  The guards Damien had posted stood at my back in a chain, prepared to prevent Krampus from crossing through the gate. I checked my watch. It was ten ‘til midnight. I wondere
d briefly if Sebastian was wrong about the demon’s teleportation abilities. Just as I considered this, Krampus blinked into existence in front of us with a sack on his back.

  I eyed Sebastian with my peripheral vision. He shook his head. If Lizzy was in there, she wasn’t afraid which made no sense.

  The bag squirmed and whimpered as he set it on the ground beside his feet. Did he have other children in there? The cries were pitiful, yet they barely sounded human.

  Krampus smirked, his filthy gaze raking over the children before me as if they were edible treats. “I didn't think you had it in you, Gabriella. Selfishly, you’d trade ten children for one?”

  “I’m not their mother. Their parents should have protected them more diligently. Now enough talking. Where’s my daughter?” I growled.

  “Well, I'll have to talk to tell you that,” He laughed, enjoying his game.

  “Where is she?” I repeated, forcing myself to stand still even as I clenched my fists.

  “Perhaps she’s here,” he toed the bag, causing another whine to escape.

  Gritting my teeth, I gripped my sword tighter. “She's not.”

  “Ah, so your angel lover is more than he appears. I’ve heard rumors he’s drawn to your blood. Is it true? Is he drawn to hers too, perhaps?” When no one responded, he decided he missed his mark. “No? A guardian angel then. How sad it must be for you, Angel, to fall and rise, but find yourself in a lesser post than you once held.”

  He was grasping at straws, trying to do anything to stir up discord. He was searching for a raw nerve, a crack in our armor, but it was nothing we hadn’t heard before.

  “Enough!” I barked. “My daughter?!”

  “Give me the children and I’ll tell you,” He demanded in a sing song voice, mocking the exchange.

  “Do I look like I was born yesterday? They are my only leverage. Until we have my daughter, you get nothing.”

  “I suppose we are at an impasse then,” He replied gruffly. He reached down to grab the bag lying at his feet, but was met with Sebastian's sword at his throat. The angel moved so quickly; he went from nonthreatening bystander to warrior in an instant. The demon’s mouth turned up in the corners. “Haven’t we already played this game before? It didn’t end well for you last time.”

  “The girl,” Sebastian demanded.

  “The children?” Krampus aimed the question at me.

  “Are yours if you can take them.”

  “I’m no fool, Gabriella Alexander. You play with your words. There is something preventing me from taking these children. Magic, or some other unseen force.”

  I glanced down at the children, as they stared at the demon, sending daggers his way. “There is nothing, but their own sheer will.”

  “Forgive me if I don’t take you at your word.” The demon stood, Sebastian’s blade following him up the whole way. “A deal then. I take the children, and in exchange I return your daughter to you.”

  “Now who’s playing with words. I want all my children safe, Krampus, and for you to never attempt to take any of them, nor any from my line, ever again. In exchange, you can have these children, but I will not, nor will any of mine, assist you to incapacitate them. We will not intervene and help them escape either.”

  “That is a tall order.”

  “So was yours and yet…” I gestured to the ten small children before me.

  “I don’t know. Returning your daughter in exchange for them seems like a fair deal, but to never attempt to steal another daywalker for a mere ten children now seems a far reach. I can always find more children next year, but a daywalking vampire? Now, that is a rare treat indeed.”

  I knew from the moment I met Krampus at the ice rink he would turn this into a game. It wasn’t merely about taking one of my kids, but also about toying with me along the way. He knew my sense of morality would never allow me to sacrifice ten children, and yet he demanded it. Now that I stood here with said children, he was attempting to find another way to play.

  “Yes, but that would mean going an entire year without children. Lizzy is not here. It means with the time…”

  I glanced back at Grayson, who checked his watch. “Five ‘til midnight.”

  “You’d never make it through the gate if you teleport away to grab her, as you’d also have to go through all of us.”

  He beamed showing his too perfect smile. “You seem to have it all figured out, but what's to stop me from teleporting behind you all and simply stepping over the final threshold? This is my territory, after all. Not yours.”

  Sebastian answered, calling his bluff. “We’re standing in a void zone. You came in where you did because it’s as close as you can get. You’ll have to fight your way through.”

  “Clever angel.” Krampus’s grin faded and he sighed out his discontent. “Very well. If you truly want the girl, I require a show of good faith. Send one of the children through the portal, and I’ll tell you where she is. Then, I will wrangle the rest of the children. Once you have her, you will let us pass. Do we have an accord?”

  That had not been part of our plan. I had no interest in sending anyone through the Hell Gate. Krampus only needed the gate to take the children through. He himself would disappear back into Hell once Christmas Day ended. Our original plan had been to occupy him until midnight, but we hadn’t been completely sure he’d bring Lizzy along and it seemed we were right to worry. I needed to know where she was before he vanished.

  “I’ll go.” A little boy, who appeared no older than five, peered up at me. His raven hair hung into his big blue eyes which stared at me showing wisdom beyond his years.

  “That wasn't part of the plan,” I whispered back.

  He raised one shoulder in a slight shrug. “Plans change, Gabriella. You need to get your daughter back.” He glanced at Krampus. “I’ll go willingly.”

  The surprise that sprang across the demon’s face was epic, but he quickly masked it. “Deal.”

  The little boy turned toward the guards who hesitated, uncertain whether they should allow him to pass, but in the end, no one wanted to be the one who stood in his way. Everything within me argued to stop him, to find another way, but we were out of time and options.

  “Wait!” Sebastian called out. I tore my focus from the boy’s slow march into Hell, and turned to the angel whose face was lit up like a child’s on Christmas morning. “I know where she is!”

  My eyes widened, taking a moment to process his words. When they sank in, I twisted toward the demon whose expression was just as shocked. “Deal’s off,” I announced triumphantly. I turned to Sebastian. “Plan B.”

  The angel grabbed Grayson and vanished. The rage and bewilderment on Krampus’s face was priceless. Sebastian wasn’t bound to the same rules as the demon. While he couldn’t dissipate into Hell, the gate didn’t hinder him the way it did the demon, who had stepped over into the void zone without realizing it.

  “Metalto!” I hollered. The spell on the children evaporated, returning them into full grown adults.

  The little boy who stood ready to cross into Hell, was revealed as my father, Damien. He moved between the guards toward the nine other newly returned adults, each poised to occupy Krampus and allow Sebastian and Grayson the time needed to find Lizzy. Half of the group moved behind the demon, in case he attempted to leave the void.

  Krampus glared at me, smoke literally coming out of his ears. “You’ve broken a deal with me?” He hissed. “I tried to play nice, but you want me to behave like a demon? Fine.” The man that was Krampus morphed. His body stretched, growing taller and distorting. His muscles bulged, ripping away his suit as it fell away in tattered strips, revealing a fur clad torso. Horns sprouted from his head, while his legs popped and contorted sickeningly, bending into an animalistic angle. The man was replaced by the beast of legend.

  “Hold your ground!” Damien ordered as several of the vampires began withdrawing from the satanic monster.

  Krampus roared, causing everyone to flinch, but
not a single one fled.

  Letting loose a battle cry of my own, I felt my fangs descend and my eyes change from sapphire blue to honey green as I slipped into my vampire form and lunged for the demon. The others followed me. Krampus was a beast, and not only in appearance. He swiped away vampires two at a time. He swung at me, but I jumped in time, barely managing to avoid his claws, as I flipped over him, stabbing out with my sword as I began my descent. It was a strategic move I had practiced many times over the years, although this was the first real fight, I'd attempted it. My blade contacted his neck, slicing true and causing Krampus to scream in fury. I landed with my back to him, so I didn't see his return attack until it was too late to react. I prepared myself for the blow, and was tossed across the room. I slid along the floor, coming to stop mere inches from crossing through the gate. Any closer, and I would have been spending my holidays in Hell.

  Not giving myself any time to recover, I was back on my feet racing with a vampiric speed toward the demon who was now busy fighting my father. I paused, ready to assist Damien, only to see him away like a wad of crumpled wrapping paper as well.

  The demon smiled, his lips stretching to reveal a mouth of glistening fangs. “It's just us now, Gabriella,” It cooed, the voice distorted by vocal cords not intended for human speech.

  My phone vibrated, alerting me only sixty seconds remained until midnight. Just a little longer.

  We collided. Krampus raked out with his claws, which I met with my sword. I couldn’t get close enough to do any real damage, not without risking injury myself. I could simply hold him off, but then next year we’d be in this same position. I needed to finish this. He had to be so grievously injured that he would hesitate to ever come after my children again.

  Krampus saw the opening I created and didn’t hesitate. His claws embedded in my stomach, but I had already thrown all of my power behind my sword. As his claws dug in, pulling me closer, I swung, making contact, and slicing through one of his horns. He didn’t scream, but stared in open-mouthed shock as the chunk of corneous clattered at his feet. His claws retracted, releasing me. Ignoring my pain, I sliced across his thigh until my sword landed between his legs, stopping just shy of where I assumed his manhood must hide.