Christmas Moon by J.R. Rain Read Free Book Online Page A

but his body language suggested he thought so, too. He said, “Well, it is kind of fun not knowing what’s in this thing. I mean, it could be anything, right? But I suppose it’s time to find out once and for all?”
    He made a move for the safe again, but he didn’t get very far, mostly because I grabbed his wrist. He shivered at my cold touch.
    I said, “This isn’t right.”
    “ A deal’s a deal, Ms. Moon. Besides, I have no other way of repaying you.”
    I thought about that, then looked around. “Not true. You have enough junk to stock a dozen houses. There’s got to be something in here that I want.”
    “ What are you saying, Ms. Moon?”
    “ I’m saying, let me pick something out of your junk, and the safe is yours. Keep it in your family. Pass it along to your son.”
    He processed that information, and I saw the relief ripple through him and his shining aura. “Are you sure?”
    “ As sure as I’ve ever been.”
    “ But aren’t you a little bit curious what’s in the safe?”
    “ More than you know,” and as I said those words, I briefly closed my eyes, and expanded my consciousness throughout the room, and as I did so, two things made me gasp.
    The first was the contents of the safe, which I saw clearly. The second was what I saw resting inside a wooden box deep under a pile of newspapers.
    Charlie was watching me curiously. “Are you okay?”
    “ Er, yes,” I said, then patted him on the shoulder. “I would suggest you find a much better place for your safe.”
    “ I will.”
    “ A very safe place.”
    “ You think the contents are valuable?”
    I thought of the two old spirits, Charlie’s father and grandfather. I thought of Charlie’s own son and the unique bond that kept the generations connected. The safe. I also saw in my mind’s eye the tightly rolled vellum document that might just be the rarest of all American documents, a document signed by our founding fathers, centuries ago. A document thought to be lost…until now.
    Then again, I could be wrong.
    Next, I moved through the piles of junk and headed to the far corner of the room. There, I began moving aside old newspapers and magazines, until I finally uncovered an ornately carved box.
    I picked it up carefully, my hands trembling.
    Slowly, I opened the lid…
    Unbelievable.
    Inside was another golden medallion. This time, the three roses were cut from brilliant amethysts.
    Charlie was looking over my shoulder. “Oh, that. I got it at an estate sale a while back. In Fullerton. Get this, some old guy was murdered by some nut with a crossbow. Anyway, it’s gold, I think. Probably worth a lot. I’ve been keeping it for a rainy day.” He paused. “Truth be known, it kind of gives me the creeps. You can have it if you want.”
    I closed the lid and held out my hand. “Merry Christmas.”
    But Charlie had other designs on me. He wrapped me in a huge, smothering hug. “Merry Christmas, Ms. Moon!”

Chapter Fifteen

    With the box sitting safely on the seat next to me, I had just pulled out of Charlie’s mobile home park when my cell rang. It was Fang.
    “ Merry Christmas,” I said.
    “ That sounds odd coming from a vampire,” said Fang.
    “ Why, because I’m a creature of the night?”
    “ Something like that.”
    “ I’ll remind you that Santa does his best work at night.”
    “ Santa isn’t real.”
    “ I thought the same about vampires,” I said. “And someone recently told me that if people believe in something hard enough and long enough, it becomes true.”
    Fang laughed. “Enough about Santa Claus. I’ve got news. Your watcher friend is likely a fallen angel.”
    “ He’s no demon, Fang.”
    “ Have you ever met a demon, Moon Dance?”
    “ I don’t know,” I said, recalling meeting Kingsley in my hotel room when he had fully transformed into a werewolf. The thing living inside him was as close to a demon as I’ve ever met. “I just know he’s not evil.”
    “ At least not yet.”
    “ What,