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“It’s perfect!” Miles cried.
“Tal, I see you’re living up to your promise to keep us all supplied,” I laughed.
Professor Warren had gifted Verla wooden salt and pepper shakers he’d carved himself. They even had images of cats etched along the sides.
Miles had obviously struggled with coming up with an idea, because he’d gifted Warren an origami apple. He shot a nervous glance at Chloe, and it was clear she’d taught him how to make it.
Mandy and I were the only ones left, and the spinning candy cane landed on her first. She opened her present to find several sheets of paper. She flipped through the pages and furrowed her brow. “What are these?”
“They’re incantations I wrote to aid with sleep,” Lucas told her. “They should help you focus your powers to walk through others’ dreams.”
“Oh!” Mandy said brightly. “That’s so thoughtful of you.”
Everyone else had gone, which meant my present was from Mandy. I opened my present to find a jar filled with a gritty brown substance.
“It’s a cinnamon sugar hand scrub,” Mandy said before I could ask what it was. “It’s made with brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and coconut oil. It’s a natural way to exfoliate and hydrate your hands!”
I opened the jar and inhaled the sweet scent. “That’s so creative. I love it, Mandy.”
We all exchanged hugs as we thanked each other for the gifts. While we were cleaning up the wrapping paper, the timer on the stove went off. Everyone worked together to finish up dinner and set the table.
We gathered in the dining room and feasted on ham, mashed potatoes, and stuffing. Canned green beans we’d preserved from Grammy’s garden over the summer were passed around the table, along with pear slices and apple cider we’d made from the trees outside. Grant had made enchiladas, because that’s what his mom always made at Christmas time, and Miles said it wouldn’t be the holidays without it.
Grant started telling stories about his Christmases as a kid, and soon, everyone was chiming in and laughing about their holiday memories.
As our plates cleared, Lucas stood. “I’ll get dessert.”
“I’ll help,” Miles offered.
The two left the room, while the rest of us continued laughing and telling stories.
“My family caroled every year at Yule,” Talia said. “The neighbors next door got sick of how often we came over, so they put a No Caroling sign on their door. My siblings and I would stand at the end of their lawn and sing at the top of our lungs.”
“Rawr!” Miles called as he jumped into the room. He was wearing a terrifying goblin-like mask with curved horns coming out of the top. He’d draped a fuzzy white blanket around his shoulders like a cape—or was it meant to be fur?
Chloe shot out of her chair and screamed playfully. “It’s Krampus! Everybody run!”
I’d heard of this tradition before, but I hadn’t yet experienced it. Krampus was a monster of lore, known to emerge from the depths of hell in early December each year. Krampus would beat naughty children with sticks or toss them in his sack and take them back to hell. The monster hadn’t appeared in our world since ancient times, but members of the coven still dressed up as him and chased people around in a tradition known as the Krampus Run. It was another way to ward off the fae and disperse the ghosts of winter.
We all leapt from our chairs and raced for the entrance to the room. Miles growled and hissed to block our exit, but then he caught sight of Chloe and went straight for her. She ran around the table, and he chased after her, until he’d cornered her on the other side of the room. He caught her, then nuzzled his face in her neck like he was going to eat her. We all slipped around him and ran out of the room.
Lucas was there in the hallway waiting for us in a second Krampus mask. “Run, little children!” he cried in a mystical voice.
“Don’t eat me, Krampus! I’ve been a good boy!” Grant shouted as he took off down the hall. Talia followed him, and they ran into the library. Verla and Warren ducked into the den, their laughter echoing behind them.
Lucas grabbed Onyx and Mandy, but they both struggled away from him and made a break for the stairs. I was the last one out of the dining room, and Lucas jumped in front of me to block my path to the living room.
“You have nowhere to go, you naughty girl!” Lucas teased.
I got a thrill in my stomach. “Then I guess you’re going to have to catch me.”
I whirled down the hall, and Lucas gave chase. He caught me around the middle, and my heart lifted. I lifted my feet off the ground, putting all my weight on him. He wasn’t expecting that, so I fell out of his grasp, then ducked under his arm to run to the other side of the house. He pursued me, and I skidded to a halt in the living room when he jumped over the couch and landed right in front of me.
“No, Krampus, no!” I teased playfully.
Lucas grabbed me, and we fell onto the couch together. He pulled me on top of him and pretended to eat my neck. I laughed as the mask tickled me. I tore the mask off and tossed it aside, taking a deep breath like it was hard to breathe under the mask. Then his lips touched my neck, and he started kissing me. My lips met his, and we began making out.
I snickered. “I’ve been a very naughty girl this year.”
