Christmas and Curses

by Amanda A. Allen

  Table of Contents

  Christmas & Curses

  Dedication

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Follow Me

  Also By Amanda A. Allen

  Also By Beth Byers

  Copyright

  Christmas & Curses

  Mystic Cove Mysteries

  Book 7

  By Amanda A. Allen

  For Stefanie.

  This murder is for you.

  Chapter 1

  “Santa Claus is a warlock,” Amelie told Ella and Luna firmly.

  She was ten-years-old and maybe pushing a little old to be a believer in Santa, but since their lives were full of actual magic, it wasn’t surprising that they did still believe. Their reasoning behind how it could happen was well-founded.

  The little group of arguers included Scarlett’s daughters Ella and Luna who were 8 and 5, Maeve, Scarlett’s thirteen-year-old sister, and Amelie, Lex’s daughter.

  Scarlett flinched at Amelie’s statement and turned her gaze to her daughters. Ella gasped and Luna snorted before she said scathingly,“Santa is a druid.”

  “The level of power required…” Amelie started.

  Scarlett winced. There was no way this wasn’t going to end in fighting. It already was fighting, but that pedantic tone that referenced the skills of Ella and Luna biology was not going to be let go. Not by Scarlett’s little divas. Scarlett had to admit—if only to herself—she was curious to hear their reasoning.

  “No…no…no…” Ella said. Her eyes were narrowed and her bark-brown hair had flown in a wide circle as she spun to face off with Amelie. “You…”

  “Santa’s a druid,” Luna said over the top of Ella’s stuttering. “Obvy.”

  “Obvy,” Ella repeated, nodding emphatically. “Duh.”

  Scarlett pressed her lips together to hold back the laughter. The girls were standing in the living room next to the oversized Christmas tree which was crowded with presents. Lights twinkled around the windows, stockings were hung over the fireplace and it was crackling with flames. Hot apple cider and wassail were warming on the stove with a table full of cakes and pies for the coming Christmas party. The coffee was hot, the cocoa was ready, the candles were burning.

  Of them all, only Maeve wasn’t a believer in Santa Claus. She carefully said, “Um. Guys…”

  “Rebel,” Amelie snapped at Maeve using the nickname that she had picked up, “Don’t side with them. You’re only half-druid. Be honest.”

  “Well…” Rebel said calmly. “Maybe…”

  “No,” Amelie said, “Obvy, he’s a warlock. Druids aren’t powerful enough.”

  Rebel flinched at Luna and Ella’s united growls of fury and then Luna rose to her full 3 feet, 4 inches tall and snarled, “What warlock do you know who could get reindeer to fly?”

  “It’s a charm,” Amelie said confidently, looking down on the littlest of them all—Luna.

  “Warlocks couldn’t charm reindeer anymore than hobgoblins could,” Ella shot out. “Not even your Daddy.”

  Scarlett flinched for Amelie who wasn’t particularly happy with her abilities and for the shot at Lex. She should probably stop this. They were feisty little things, and she wanted to see if they could work it out without fighting. The girls had been in a great mood most of the day despite the way that Amelie had been snapping at Scarlett.

  Lex’s hand settled on Scarlett’s lower back, as he peeked around her body to watch their daughters and Scarlett’s sister. She could feel the rumble of his laughter where his wrestler’s chest touched her. She glanced at him, grinned, and turned back to watch.

  “We shouldn’t be laughing,” Scarlett whispered.

  Lex kissed her cheek in reply.

  “There’s no way any warlock could get that many reindeer to fly or do whatever Santa wanted. Only a druid could do that. Reindeer aren’t dogs.” Given the way, Luna said dogs you wouldn’t think she adored them. She did but apparently, feelings were set aside for debates.

  “And how does a druid fly?” Amelie countered, she sniffed and glanced at Luna with sheer, blatant derision.

  “Mommy can fly,” Luna said, crossing her arms over her chest and refusing to give an inch.

  Amelie’s scoff was belligerent. She glanced at Rebel as if to ask, ‘Can you believe this?’

  Rebel could, Scarlett thought, if she had learned anything since being adopted.

  “She can,” Luna said, stamping her foot.

  Ella nodded and then said, “Yup.”

  “Look,” Rebel said calmly. “Let’s just all…”

  Amelie’s shriek of fury had the cabinets rumbling and Scarlett eyeing the girl’s magic dampener. She was a hobgoblin whose emotion triggered bouts of disaster. The last thing their Christmas party needed was the cabinets to explode. No doubt splinters of shattered glass would end in every single thing that Scarlett had baked while nothing that Lex contributed would be affected.

  “Girls,” Lex said calmingly stepping into the living room as the doorbell rang to check Amelie. “Let’s stop fighting.”

  Scarlett answered the door while Lex listened to the girls all shout at him at once. Harper, Scarlett’s sister, and Quinton stood on the other side of the door. They peeked past Scarlett and then raised brows.

  “Shut it,” Scarlett said.

  “Ah,” Harper replied. “The sweet sound of the holidays. Brings back my group home days.”

  Quinton’s hand was around Harper’s waist, and there was a look of happiness behind his glasses despite the screaming. While Scarlett watched, he squeezed Harper and said, “Better than the silence of my childhood.”

  “With your grandparents swilling port and chamomile tea?”

  “Port?” He laughed and then said, “Well maybe. Something very British knowing them.”

  “Harper,” Ella shrieked. It wasn’t excitement at seeing her but a demand for her presence.

  Harper winked and said dryly, “I seem to have been called into the fray.”

  Quinton followed Harper—looking happy. Scarlett paused…a trigger of her knowing—that druidic piece of herself whispered, but she couldn’t quite catch it.

  Scarlett’s sister Harper walked into the apartment as Amelie said, “Which do you think Harper? You’re half-druid and half-warlock. You tell them.”

  Harper glanced between the little girls and then at Maeve who was frantically shaking her head. Harper grinned her wicked grin and then asked, “About what?”

  “If Santa is a warlock or a druid!”

  A snort of laughter escaped Quinton, and he fled into the kitchen.

  As the only person in the room who was half and half, Harper was probably the best capable of answering the question and potentially ending the debate. Seeing how Amelie, Luna, and Ella had their arms crossed over their chests and they were shooting daggers at each other, Harper didn’t need to know which believed what.

  “That’s a very hard question…” Harper said.

  “Don’t hedge,” Amelie snarled while Luna squawked, “Tell the truth.”

  When they snapped at Harper, she immediately lost patience and said, “Watch it, brats.” After they looked slightly humbled, Harper answered, “It all comes down to the reindeer.”

  “See!” Luna said, grinning triumphantly—if viciously—at Amelie.

  Amelie gasped as Harper gently finished, “No warlock could get th
at many reindeer to obey, let alone fly.”

  “But how does a druid fly?”

  The amount of sheer contempt coming from Amelie’s voice had Lex clearing his throat. The thing was—Harper wasn’t a gentle, kind auntie. She was the one who taught you how to set things on fire and made the mean kids in your class cry.

  Harper said flatly, “Watch your attitude kid. Or Gram will teach you just what druids can do. Also, my little know-it-all, Scarlett can fly. Stupid brat.”

  Amelie gasped as the overt lie and spun to Scarlett. “You can’t fly.”

  Scarlett simply said, “Not like witches do.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “Amelie,” Lex cut in, “Watch your tone with Scarlett.”

  Scarlett flinched. Amelie had liked Scarlett well enough when Scarlett had been Ella and Luna’s Mommy. Now that Lex and Scarlett were dating Amelie had become more and more belligerent with Scarlett. The kid had just got her dad’s attention full-time, so Scarlett got Amelie’s point. But what an awkward mess.

  “It means,” Scarlett said calmly, “I don’t need a charmed broom.”

  She needed the east wind and a good rush of power, but she could fly. She couldn’t just jump into the air like Peter Pan, but when the elements aligned—flying was amazing. Seeing as how the Oaken druids had traded a serious amount of work in witch’s garden for four charmed brooms for these little girls, they should all be counting their blessings.

  “Scarlett…” Lex said gently as he turned with Amelie and said, “You can’t fly. Druids can’t fly. Everyone knows this.”

  Scarlett’s eyes narrowed at him and Harper winced for Lex and then said, “Ouch.”

  Lex looked at Scarlett as if he were upset, and her eyes flared with anger. How dare he think she’d lie to back up Luna and Ella’s theory?

  “Excuse me,” Scarlett said softly. “Are you accusing us of lying?”

  “Mommy?” Luna turned to her mom and looked up with those wide moss-green eyes. Having won the argument, she had lost all rancor. “Do you think Santa will bring me a baby doll?”

  “I think your auntie Harper might buy you one from the second-hand store. Is it cool if it doesn’t have arms?” Harper asked, but her gaze was fixed on Lex and Scarlett who were faced off with Amelie and Rebel’s full attention on them.

  Luna’s eyes widened in horror as Harper conversationally said, “I’m not sure any of you have been good enough to get Santa to come to our place.”

  “Mommy said I have been good,” Luna said with a bit of a plea in her voice.

  “Scarlett, come on,” Lex said. He’d wrapped his arm around Amelie and added, “You can’t just make up druid abilities.”

  “Oh my stars,” Scarlett moaned, eyes narrowing on Lex before this became a real argument. “Where is Mom? Why isn’t she here yet?”

  “We’re going there,” Harper said. “Didn’t you get Gram’s text? She said that we didn’t have a family house to gather at the apartments all the time. Plus Mom is puking buckets.”

  “Are you kidding me right now?” Scarlett couldn’t help but let out a little shriek of fury.

  No, Scarlett had not gotten that text. Given that she’d made Gram well and truly frustrated recently, Scarlett wasn’t all that surprised Gram hadn’t sent the message to Scarlett. She glanced around the apartment, ignoring Lex and Amelie’s twin gazes on her. The drinks were ready and hot. The cakes didn’t have boxes. The pies…the presents…Scarlett wanted to scream louder and longer.

  Before she could, there was a slam against their front door. Scarlett didn’t even have a moment to react and Lex was pushing her back, glancing at Harper—Harper—and heading towards the front door to challenge whatever had attacked their door.

  What was it about being a couple that suddenly turned Scarlett into barbie doll with fluff for abilities? Scarlett’s eyes narrowed and she felt her friend the east wind in the offing. The east wind was often around during winter and Scarlett had gone walking with her friend just that morning. The window of the living room was cracked open in invitation though she hadn’t truly expected the wind to come in.

  With her rush of fury, though, the wind snaked into the apartment and wrapped around her ankle. The french doors off of her patio slammed open and the east wind gave Scarlett what she needed. She leapt over Lex with her ability and opened the door herself.

  Amelie gasped and Lex choked as Scarlett calmly opened the door. She wasn’t all that worried with the east wind and Lex at her back. Besides this was Mystic Cove—a tiny snow covered hamlet in the quiet state of Maine—what could it be?

  * * * * *

  Her best friend, Gus, fell through the doorway as if someone had left him to die on her welcome mat. Scarlett screamed and dropped to her knees, getting caught halfway down by Lex’s grasp on her arm.

  “Let go,” she said, scowling at him.

  “Scarlett,” Lex shouted, his alarm coloring his tone. “Look at him!”

  “I’d like to,” she said, pulling with the east wind and slipping from Lex’s grasp. She picked up Gus by the shoulders, turning him to her, patting his cheek. His fangs—rarely seen—were fully extended, but what was far more alarming was how he seemed half of himself. He looked like he was curved in on himself. Even with his smaller size, which was terrifying, there was more. He was gray. Not white. Not pale. He was the gray of a marble gravestone. She touched his lips to see if he was breathing, letting her fingers hover on his lips, and she felt the movement of breath against her fingertips.

  He was trying to say something, but she couldn’t make it out. She leaned down to him, curling her body around his head to try to catch him.

  “Gus?”

  “Scarlett,” Lex hissed.

  Her voice was a mere breath, full of shock, but his was weaker. She could not make out what he was saying and that scared her more than she could say.

  “I’ve got you,” she told him. “I’ve got you. It’ll be ok.”

  With the heat of her hand and the sound of her voice, his eyes cracked open and once again, he tried and failed to speak. She brushed his hair back, hearing—but not really understanding—Lex’s shouting. Instead, she could only take in how Gus was shivering, the way he was curling into her body as if he were slowly freezing to death.

  “What do you need?”

  She knew the answer, but she was grateful to hear him get it out.

  “Help. Blood.”

  “Of course.” Obviously. She should already have been moving on that—not waiting around for entirely unnecessary whispers.

  His answer had Lex cursing but Scarlett glanced at Harper who tossed over a pocket knife. A moment later, Harper was shooing the girls upstairs while Scarlett was lifting Gus with the east wind and bringing him to her couch.

  “Is your mom feeding that vampire?” Amelie asked Ella and Luna.

  “Obviously,” Harper said. “Up the stairs, brats.”

  Lex grabbed Scarlett’s arm and said, “You cannot actually intend to let Gus drink your blood?”

  “Nasty huh?” Scarlett tried to sound calm, but she was not. Not at all. She was freaked out.

  Lex didn’t seem to appreciate Scarlett’s reply. She simply cut a shallow wound across her wrist and let the blood drop into Gus’s mouth. He’d have latched on with those fangs, but her strength was increased by her magic, and she held him down, letting blood drop into his mouth until the shivering stopped and the deathly paleness warmed to something less ‘the-dead-have-risen’ look.

  “Scarlett,” Lex said. His voice was tight and furious. He kept glancing up the stairs and back down at Scarlett as if to make sure Amelie couldn’t see what Scarlett was doing. “What are you doing?”

  She wasn’t ashamed. She’d give Gus her blood anytime if it kept him from dying. It was nasty and she didn’t love it, but she had long since accepted that her best friend needed to drink blood to survive.

  “Lex,” Scarlett said, answering his anger, with as much calmness as she could mu
ster, “Gus is my best friend. He’s family.”

  “You’re putting yourself at risk. There’s power in exchanging blood with a vampire.”

  “No power he doesn’t already have, idiot,” Scarlett told Lex gently. “Surely you’d guessed that? And I trust Gus with everything that I am.”

  “How could I guess that?” Lex sounded exasperated. “Gus didn’t get his fangs until after you left Mystic Cove. Even I heard of the late-blooming vampire.”

  “And before that, there were knives,” she said with a sigh. “He was still a vampire when we were kids. He just didn’t have fangs.”

  She rose and crossed to the phone, calling her mom. Before that there had been knives, a very sick vampire best friend, and druidic power. Just as before, she needed help. Gus needed Mom and Gram and possibly several other druids to make a good, solid circle. She could count on her family—and they’d probably be enough for now.

  Chapter 2

  “What happened?” Gram snarled. She glanced around the apartment and then sighed. Scarlett didn’t even need to answer. Gram crossed to Gus, looked down at him, shook her head, and said, “Are we here again? We got you boy.”

  Gram’s boyfriend, Mr. Jueavas, followed Gram inside, carrying a boxful of food. He had once asked to go by Josè and had been refused by both Harper and Scarlett. He was followed by Scarlett’s aunt and three cousins. The apartment was pretty big, but it was feeling distinctly crowded.

  The others crossed to Gus where he had curled onto his side, facing the back of the couch. As each of them took a place in the living room, they touched him. The cousins and Aunt Briët moved the couch Gus was laying on into the center of the living room, taking up positions around it. Soon he’d be surrounded by druids. He grunted just a little as they moved him, but he was mostly out. He seemed to rise to awareness when anyone talked to him directly or touched him and then faded back into the darkness when they focused.

  Lex tapped Scarlett’s arm and jerked his head towards the bedroom. She shook her head, and so he flatly asked, “Is it safe for the girls here?”