Christine Feehan - Dark Celebration 17

«I'll be more than glad to help,» MaryAnn said, her gaze once more straying to the tall, handsome Carpathian who was obviously on guard.

«Excuse me, Colby,» Paul interrupted, «but you promised to introduce me to Gary Jansen. After all, he could be my uncle.»

Colby squeezed Rafael's hand. «I did, didn't I? Let's go talk to him and see what he has to say.» She led her brother over to the table where Gary Jansen sat with Gabrielle Sanders, her brother Jubal and her sister Joie. Joie's lifemate, Traian, rose when she approached, as did the other two men.

Gary stared at Colby, shaking his head. «You look so much like my sister it's amazing. She was older than me by quite a few years and left home when I was about ten. I never saw her again. But I swear, you look just like her.»

Colby sank down in the chair beside him after introducing Paul. She noticed Gabrielle's mother walked away quickly, a small scowl on her face. «I'm sorry, did we upset her?»

«No, I'm afraid she doesn't like anything jaguar, although in all honesty, I don't believe I am,» Gary said. «I never heard that we had jaguar blood. In fact, I never heard of the jaguar race until I became friends with Gregori.»

«Don't worry about Mom,» Gabrielle added. «She'll come around. She just has to get used to all of this.»

The double doors from the dining hall leading to the balcony suddenly swung open, and a short woman dressed as an elf with pointed ears and a wealth of blue-black hair stood in the center of the open doors. «Ladies and gentleman, may I have your attention, please? Many of you may not know this, but I happen to be a magician. Come here to me children. May I have the children here on the balcony? I'm about to show them one of the greatest magicians of all times. He is a well-kept secret.»

All the children, both Carpathian and from the village, pushed forward and the adults crowded behind them. Paul lifted Emma onto his shoulders, and Skyler took Baby Tamara while Josef lifted young Jase up. Travis grabbed Chrissy by the shoulders and held her close, while Ginny held the hands of Sara and Falcon's other two young boys. Josh, feeling quite grown up, had the responsibility of the last girl, young Blythe.

As she spoke, small pulses of colored lights twinkled all around her and snow drifted down without ever touching her. The world around her appeared dazzling and majestic, swirls of fog covering her feet as she danced along the balcony railing with her little elf

boots, her hair swinging around her like a cape, her face a little fey in the silver moonlight. Crystals hung from the eaves and pulsed with the same colors, soft reds and greens and blues and yellows, turning the night into a light show.

A collective gasp went up from the children, and Travis had to grab Emma as she wandered out onto the balcony, staring in awe up at the lights. Savannah turned in a little circle and jumped back down in front of the children. «Oh, dear, I think I've forgotten my wand. I need it to reveal St. Nick to you.» Her voice lowered dramatically and she looked right and left as if confiding only in them. «He always comes in under cover of the cloak of night using storms like this one to keep children from spotting him.» She looked around again. «If only I had my wand.»

«But Savannah,» Chrissy ventured, «it's in your hand.»

«It is?» Savannah managed to look surprised and she raised the glowing wand, swiveling it in a small circle. It rained sparkling pixie dust all over the snow-covered balcony. «Oh, good. It's working. Let's see. Look up to the sky and I'll try to remember how to do this. I've only done it once, you know, but for you, I'll try again.»

Savannah waved the wand in a sweeping gesture as she danced across the railing again. The falling snow drew back like a curtain. A large snowman with coal for eyes and a carrot for a nose whirled around, looking guilty, and raced away over the ground into the village.

«Oh, dear, that's the wrong one. That was Frosty the Snowman. Let me try again,» Savannah said.

The children laughed as Savannah brought back the snow, did another whirling dance and once more sent pixie dust flying as she opened the curtain of snow.

The children-and even most of the adults-gasped again, some of them putting their hands over their mouths, in an effort to stay quiet. Up in the sky, where the stars twinkled and the moon shone, a gleaming sleigh raced across the night, drawn by reindeer. A man with a white beard dressed in a fur-trimmed red suit commanded the deer. In the sleigh was an enormous bag bulging with toys. Bells on the sleigh chimed softly, and the pulsing lights that lit the snow now lit the sky around the reindeer-drawn sleigh, so that one moment Santa's jolly face could be seen clearly, and the next it was softened by a pale pastel strobe.

His eyes appeared to be as black as coal. There was snow in his beard and on the fringed and silver-studded red saddles of the reindeer. The sleigh circled above their heads. A hush fell on the crowd as the deer descended lower and lower in a wide circle to finally settle to earth on the roof above them. No one moved. They could hear the sound of hooves prancing above their heads. Silence. Then heavy boots walking.

Everyone turned their heads to see Santa by the tree, piling presents everywhere. He stopped once to grab a handful of cookies as well as some carrots Sara had her children set out for his reindeer.

Emma was the first to move, wiggling until she was put down to race across the room to Santa Claus. She halted, rocking back on her heels, staring up at him. «Did you bring me a present?»

Santa rummaged in his bag. «I believe I did. Now where did that go? Elf! I need you to help find Emma's present.»

Savannah put her finger to her lips. «Santa Claus thinks I'm a real elf,» she whispered to the children. «I'd better go help him.» She tiptoed through the crowd, her elf hat bobbing, her little green boots making no noise on the floor.

Santa sat down and beckoned to the children forming a line. As little Tamara was placed in his lap, yanking at his beard, Santa sent a smoldering glare to the elf. I'm so getting your father back for this.

Chapter 19

Shea leaned against Jacques, turning away from the crowd gathered to watch Santa distributing the presents to the children in the dining hall. Her fingers gripped Jacques's arm as she breathed her way through the contraction. «You know how we can set aside pain most of the time? This is like the conversion. There's no setting it aside. You just have to go with it. I was hoping, as a Carpathian woman, it would be a little easier.»

A burst of laughter captured her attention and she turned to see Baby Jennifer spitting up on Santa's pristine, white beard. For a moment the coal-black eyes glinted silver, like a wolf, and rested on Mikhail. Just as quickly Santa recovered his jolly state and handed the baby back to Corinne.

Shea smiled up at Jacques. I wouldn't have missed this for the world.

If I were Mikhail, I'd be expecting lightning to strike. «Let's get you to the birthing chamber,» Jacques said aloud, wrapping his arm behind her back to support her. He could feel the pain rippling through her body, growing stronger with each contraction. Stronger– and of longer duration.

Shea brushed her fingertips over his strong face. «Don't look so anxious. Millions of women have done this.»

«But not you, little red hair,» he whispered, leaning down to brush kisses on the top of her silky head. «Not us. You're my world, Shea.»

«We'll be fine. Look.» She indicated the back of the room with her chin.

«Oh, they've done this little show for the children right. Trust Savannah to know how to work a crowd with her magic. Before Gregori claimed her she was a mistress of illusion, working magic shows all over the world, and she certainly hasn't lost any of her skill. She has the crowd in the palm of her hand. Now the children will never believe, for a single