Yuletide (Matilda Kavanagh Novels Book 3) by Shauna Granger Read Free Book Online Page A

must’ve answered his question because Cole chuckled before taking a sip of his beer.
    “Yeah,” I said, “I’m familiar.”
    “Well, after the Solstice attack, a lot of supernaturals won’t do business with humans. So any witches that were selling spells or potions to humans just stopped. But you didn’t.”
    “Oh, I hadn’t realized. None of my friends reacted that way,” I said slowly.
    “Mostly it’s the ones who live on the very edge of Havencrest, the ones around a lot of humans,” he said.
    I nodded. Ronnie and I lived almost in the dead center of Havencrest. Any humans who ventured that far into our pocket of the city would be incredibly stupid to try anything like PEACE’s attacks.
    “So yeah, that and the website.”
    “What? What website?” I asked.
    “Your website?” he said as if I’d lost my mind.
    “I don’t have a website.”
    “I guess it’s more of a fan page, but that’s just semantics. You put on there that humans are more than welcome.”
    “I don’t have a website,” I said again, stressing each word.
    Cole just stared at me for a moment, then realization dawned on me. My eyes traveled over the crowd until I spotted my pink little friend. Before we could continue our conversation, trumpet fanfare cut through the music and voices. Cole and I turned to look in the direction the rest of the club had turned, like a swarm of bees answering the call of their queen.
    The doors burst open, and a blur of horns and fur and massive bodies flooded the hall. My body went cold as a dozen or more Krampuses (Krampi?) stomped in, pushing through the crowd and swinging their bundles of birch switches. Their modeled masks were too lifelike, and their onyx eyes glittered menacingly.
    “So fucking creepy, right?” Cole asked, leaning in to be heard.
    “You grew up believing?” I asked, a little surprised.
    “Yep,” he said, his eyes sliding to the closest Krampus, who was swatting a Hansel look-alike. “Thanks for the nightmares, Mom.”
    I laughed, but it was a strangled noise. The closer the costumed revelers got to me, the more I wanted to run out of the club and into the night.
    Joey bounded up to me, her energy alive and singing. “This. Is. Awesome!”
    I nodded slowly, trying to act cool, but the label of my water bottle was shredded in my hand.
    “We should go, though,” she yelled.
    “Why?” I asked though I was more than a little relieved to hear it.
    “Everyone is going to follow them when the Krampus parade leaves, and we’ll never get home.”
    “Great!” I jumped off the stool. “It was so nice to meet you.”
    “Yeah, you too,” Cole said as he stood.
    I was afraid of some awkward moment where he might lean in for a kiss or press for my number, but instead he held out his hand. I blinked for a second before my smile caught up with my thoughts, and I took his hand.
    “Listen, if you ever wanna get a cup of coffee, or exchange spells, give me a call.” He held out a white card with his name, number, email address, and website printed on it.
    “Wow,” I said with a small laugh, “guess I get my choice of mode of contact.”
    Cole just smiled, nodded slightly, and turned to meld back into the crowd.

Chapter 4
    The night air was cold and bracing when we stepped out of the club. When the doors fell closed, I could still hear the noise from inside. The crowd was chanting something, and their feet pounded hard enough that the sidewalk almost vibrated.
    I shook out my short hair, letting the cool air lift it away from my face. Behind my eyelids, I saw a bright flash. When I looked, I found Joey lowering her phone and tapping away at the keys. I couldn’t imagine her phone could actually keep up with her fingers.
    “Speaking of,” I said, catching her attention.
    “Speaking of what?” Joey’s lavender eyes looked violet in the dim light of a street lamp.
    “Website,” I said. “Let’s see it.”
    To her credit, Joey didn’t act as if she didn’t know what