Heather Graham - The Keepers - Christmas in Salem

No, I don’t. I believe it’s some kind of dark magic, she thought. As in witchcraft.

But she couldn’t say that.

“I don’t know, June. Vampires don’t really have that kind of power. The whole council sent Daniel because he’s a troubleshooter and we need a little help, not just because he’s a vampire.”

“And he came to see you because you’re responsible for all of us?” June asked.

Sam set an arm around her shoulder. “We all have to be here for one another, right? And isn’t that kind of the Christmas message? I mean, it doesn’t matter where people come from or what they believe, the message of Christmas is all about peace and forgiveness and loving one another. So there you have it. We all need to be here for each other. Maybe that’s how we’ll disperse this darkness.” June tried to smile, but Sam knew her cousin was worried. “I mean it. We’ll all be here for one another.”

She realized suddenly that they had reached her house, that Daniel and August had stopped and had heard her last words.

“Here for one another,” Daniel repeated, his eyes on hers. They seemed to glow with that unique gold particular to his kind—a gold that couldn’t be read.

“Well, we’re here and I need to get inside,” Sam said. “August, you will have fun, you will celebrate the spirit of the season—and you will find joy.”

“Okay, okay, joy of the season,” he said, though he didn’t sound entirely convinced.

She linked her arm with his and started toward the house.

As she headed up the walk, the plastic Santa began singing again. This time the song was “Baby, It’s Cold Outside.”

“We’d all better stay inside, then, huh?” Daniel said lightly.

Sam refused to turn around.

What the hell was she thinking when she bought that stupid Santa?

As she walked inside, three-year-old Tobey went flying past her, carrying one of the garlands that had been on the tree. Katie Sue was racing right behind him, but she skidded to a stop when she saw the newcomers. Her hair was in slight disarray and she was panting.

“Thank God you’re back!” she told Sam.

Meanwhile Tobey was heading into a part of the house where he had no business. Sam immediately went after him, sweeping him up into her arms. He let out a shriek and fought against her. “Oh, no, young man,” she told him. “You are not going to single-handedly mess up a holiday tradition.”

“Down!” Tobey shouted.

“No,” she said firmly.

With the wriggling child in her arms, she returned to the entryway. Katie Sue was getting into her coat and scarf. “Thanks,” Sam told her.

“I just … I’m sorry, I have to go. Seven years is a long time,” Katie Sue said softly.

Something about her cousin’s face touched Sam deeply. In fact, her insides seemed to be knotting up.

That was love. Nothing interrupted the feeling for Katie Sue. Not time, distance, the cold—or the darkness of winter.

It was love.

It was faith.

“Go, go. Happy, happy Christmas Eve,” Sam told her cousin. “Love you.”

Katie Sue kissed June and then stopped dead. “Daniel! Daniel Riverton. You’re—you’re back in Salem.”

“In the flesh, Katie Sue,” he said. “We’ll catch up later—right now you better hurry,” he said. He was smiling, as well.

He knew about Katie Sue’s situation, of course, Sam thought. He hadn’t been gone that long. Not as long as Katie Sue had been waiting.

Katie Sue turned to look at him with a broad smile. “Of course, we’ll catch up. It’s wonderful that you’re back.”

“He isn’t back,” Sam snapped.

“Of course he is,” Katie Sue said. “Anyway, I’m outta here. Catch you all later. Merry Christmas, August,” she added, and then she was gone.

At that moment Tobey connected a smart punch right against Sam’s jaw.

“Down!” he bellowed.

She controlled her temper—barely. She supposed she should have been paying more attention to him.

“No, Tobey, you’re not getting down right now. And if you hit me or anyone else again, I’ll put you in a really, really long time-out. Do you understand?”

Just then Father Mulroney came over and greeted her with relief. “Oh, thank the Lord. There you are, Sam. I’m afraid that the Wiccans and the Baptists are about to get into it. We have such a wonderfully diverse crowd here, but when they’re discussing the darkness … Well, I begin to fear that one group might accuse the other group of bringing it on and—”

“I’m coming,” Sam said.

She hiked Tobey onto her shoulder and marched into the parlor, then paused. The tree looked beautiful, and for a moment she did nothing but revel in the spirit of the holiday.

“Hey!” she said loudly, drawing everyone’s attention, from those sitting comfortably to those milling around the dining table, visible through the archway, and those who were standing around as they sipped their eggnog and enjoyed the food. “Merry Christmas Eve, everyone, and welcome to my home. What’s going on here? I’m not hearing any Christmas music. Father Mulroney, will you be so kind as to grace my piano with your presence?”

“I’d love to,” he said.

He quickly sat down and began to play. Looking at Tobey in Sam’s arms, he began with “Jingle Bells.”

Sam was pleased when June walked right in and started singing with her beautiful voice. She was quickly joined by others in the room. In a minute Mrs. McClellan, an ardent Baptist, was standing arm in arm with Sally Canfield, priestess for one of the Wiccan covens. After “Jingle Bells,” Father Mulroney looked at Rabbi Solomon and began to play “Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel.”

Lars Anderson, an Elven who had recently arrived from Norway, walked over to the piano and suggested “O Little Town of Bethlehem.”

Tobey’s father came and retrieved him from her arms at last. She stepped back, letting out a soft sigh of relief.

A minute later, June was back by her side. “Shall we bring out more refreshments?”

“Yes, let’s carve the turkey, shall we?” Sam said.

Together, they headed to the kitchen, where she found Daniel already carving the huge turkey that had been roasting all day, layering the tender meat on the waiting serving platters. He was being watched by August and a young Wiccan named Sally Smith, who worked for Mica.

“Thanks for the help,” Sam told Daniel.

“No problem,” he said, continuing to carve.

“I’ll get out this first platter,” June said.

“We’ve got them,” August said, turning to smile at Sally.

“We do—Oh, Mica is running a little late, Sam,” Sally said. “But she’ll be here—she wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

They left, and June stood there for a moment looking from Daniel to Samantha.

“I, uh, feel a song coming on,” she said, and fled.

Sam stared at Daniel across the kitchen table. The smells of baked goods, cinnamon, pine and all things Christmas wafted between them.

Suddenly the kitchen seemed far too small and Daniel far too close, despite the table that sat squarely between them.

“What do you want?” she asked him, and her voice sounded more needy than she would have liked.

But before he could answer, Tobey came barreling into the kitchen and headed straight for a bottle of champagne sitting on a tray surrounded by delicate crystal glasses.

“No!” Sam gasped, diving for Tobey.

“I’ve got him,” Daniel promised.

But Tobey ducked, and they both missed him as he sped by, sliding under the table and banging into the counter.

The champagne and the glasses clinked and rattled as the tray began to fall.