Chapter One
New York City
Joachim stared at the massive Christmas tree, his senses overwhelmed with color, lights, sounds, and unfamiliar yet delicious scents that made his mouth water. As Watcher King, he thought he had experienced everything in life, but here in the Mortal Realm, he admitted he had been so very wrong. There were no words to describe the emotions surging through him.
“It’s pretty, ain’t it?”
He glanced down at the child standing beside him. A surge of irritation filled him at his inattention. He could have been attacked by anything, and he never would have seen it coming. What a leader he was.
Clearing his throat, he stared down at the youngster, wondering how old she might be. Dressed in dirty jeans, she wore a too-large coat with patches all over it. From the dark smudges on her cheeks, he wondered when she last bathed.
“It is quite pretty, little one.” He smiled down at her, liking how the tree lights reflected in her green eyes. “My name is Joachim. What is yours?”
“I’m not supposed to talk to strangers,” she said in a prim tone.
He swallowed the laughter at her know-it-all expression, which reminded him of the two newest residents of Dark World, Johnna and Willow. “Well, I told you my name, so technically, I’m no longer a stranger, am I?”
She narrowed her gaze, studying him. “I guess not. Where are you from?”
“I live in a country very far from here—a realm, actually. I’m the leader.”
She smiled, transforming her features. Even filthy, she was a beautiful little girl. “So, that means you’re a king?”
He nodded. “I am. But you must keep it a secret. I don’t want people to know that, so I can enjoy this gorgeous city without distractions. If people find out, I won’t have a moment’s peace.”
She turned serious. “I understand. So, you’ve seen the tree. Now what? Do you have Christmas trees where you’re from?”
He shook his head. “We have beautiful old trees, but none decorated like this. After seeing this magnificent tree, though, I might have to change that.”
She stared at the tree. “It gives me hope that things will get better.”
He smiled and rested his hand on her head. “It does that for me, too. After the year I’ve had, I need an enormous boost of hope, I’m afraid.”
“Kinging must be hard.”
Chuckling, he pulled away his hand and watched a father carry his small son on his shoulders as they left the ice skating area below where they stood. “Kinging is difficult. I lost someone I care very much about, but took in his daughter, Willow, so it has been bittersweet watching over her and missing him.”
She slid her tiny hand into his. “I’m sorry. I lost my family a few years ago, too, and miss them so much every day. Some days are easier—others not so much.” She loudly exhaled and swiped her threadbare glove, one knitted finger completely missing, over her nose. “I miss my brother and my momma. Never knew my dad, so I guess it’s not all bad. Maybe he’s still alive…”
“There’s always hope, little one. That is the one lesson I learned from everything I went through. No matter how hard things seem or how bleak life appears, we have hope.”
“I’ll remember that. My name is Avery Madison. So, why are you here now, other than looking at the Christmas tree?”
He exhaled and let go of her hand. “I’m looking for someone. She has caused a lot of damage back home, and I need to bring her in to answer for what she did.”
Avery nodded with a knowing expression. “You’re looking for a bad person, aren’t you?”
“I am.”
“Well, you’ve come to the right place then. New York City is filled with bad people.” She shivered. “Some worse than others. The ones I know just steal food and thrown-out clothing to keep warm, so I don’t think they are really bad. Just desperate.”
Her gaze moved around the upper portion of the square where they stood. When she looked behind him, her eyes widened. She grabbed his hand and gave it a hard squeeze. “Do you recall the feeling—the love you have for your friend? You need to fill your heart and mind with it. Do it now and don’t stop ’til I tell you!”
She closed her eyes and a serene expression softened her face. He felt a stirring nearby and followed her advice, letting his love for Zander and now Willow fill his heart. His mind, though, he kept open as a foreboding rushed over him, as if a dark veil covered the colorful tree in front of them.
A black mist passed by them, undulating into the form of a man, then shifting back to an indistinct blob. He watched the apparition drift through the square, as if searching for something or someone. He was certain he had felt that presence before but couldn’t place it. The one thing he did know—it was a demon, which didn’t bode well for the humans frequenting this area.
He shook Avery’s hand. “It’s gone now.”
Her green gaze snapped to his. “You felt it, too? Not many people can. It’s why I look out for the good ones, so they don’t get eaten.”
A bad feeling churned in his gut as he frowned at her words. “Eaten? You’ve seen this happen to humans?”
She nodded. “The first one was a really bad man—a gang leader who killed all the time. The police couldn’t catch him ’cuz he had too many helpers. One night, I was hiding between two buildings and heard a slurping sound.”
Her thin body shuddered at the memory. “It was horrible, but I had to see what was happening. There were several kids like me, and I didn’t want them hurt, so I snuck out and hid behind a dumpster. A large, red—thing—had the man by the top of his head, like you grip a basketball, and was sucking on his neck. I didn’t think vampires were real…”
“You said it was large and red?”
Avery nodded and raised one hand over her head. “She was almost as tall as you are—maybe even taller.”
“Have you seen her since?”
“Uh-huh. She stays in the same neighborhood. It’s not a good place, and most of the people who live there hurt others, steal, or are just plain mean. She eats them—only the bad people, so I can’t be too upset. I’ve even sent her a few meals. At times, she seems to be in so much pain. It’s hard to watch. I can sometimes sense when someone isn’t who they appear to be. I think, maybe, she’s lost, sad even. She isn’t like the normal killers around here.”
He shook his head. “Do you realize how disturbing it is for me to hear you say that? You are a child and should be living in a warm home with a family who loves and cares for you, not in the streets, avoiding killers and demons.” Her eyes widened when she heard the last word, and he was instantly sorry for letting the word slip like that.
“She’s a demon…a real demon?” She leaned back against the brick wall behind her. “A vampire is one thing but demons? Aren’t they wholly evil like the churches preach?”
He squatted in front of her and smiled. “Nothing is ever wholly evil or wholly good. We all have a blend of each in our souls, but it is our choices that make us one or the other. Some of my closest friends are demons. In fact, after the battle I mentioned, the Demon King fought by my side and is one of my best friends. He is a good and honest ruler, and his wife is lovely too, although a bit rambunctious.” He flicked the end of her nose with a finger. “Not unlike you, I imagine.”
He stood and studied her. “Do you think you could find the demon again—but stay out of sight?”
Avery jumped up, her troubled expression morphing into a grin. “You can count on me! Where are you staying?”
“Hmm, haven’t given it much thought. Where would you suggest?”
Tilting her head, she narrowed her gaze. I think you should stay low and out of sight as much as you can, You tend to stand out in a crowd.” She giggled, twisting at her waist, and pointed to a street on the far side of the square. “You will find the perfect place down that way. Go to the church and wait.” On that cryptic statement, she gave him a quick salute and ran into the crowd of people now milling between them and the tree.
Deciding to trust her, Joachim walked around the square and followed the narrow cobblestone street, amazed at the colorful Christmas lights everywhere. They were almost too bright. He was used to the dim torches in his castle, not the humans’ lightbulbs.
He glanced back toward the busy square and the surrounding streets as people hurried from place to place in their haste to buy presents. Although a human construct during the Middle Ages, he couldn’t help but wonder where the spirit of Christmas had gone. A sadness filled him. Buying presents wasn’t what this wondrous season was about.
He continued along the street and stopped in front of an old church. Elegant white lights lit the crosses nestled in niches under the two arched, stained-glass windows flanking the wide front door. His gaze traveled up, taking in the jewel-toned scenes, reminiscent of the Bastille back home. A welcoming presence drew him inside.
Just as he was about to grab the metal handle, the front door opened, and a mother and her two small children walked out, hand in hand. The mother smiled and nodded. “Merry Christmas,” she said before turning down the sidewalk leading toward an old apartment building. He watched until they were inside before stepping into the church and closing the door behind him.
He slowly made his way down the center aisle to the front pew and sat in the middle, his gaze never leaving the beautiful cross draped behind the altar. Letting the soft Christmas music soothe his tired soul, he prayed to the All-Father for a favorable outcome and for his loved ones to be watched over in his absence.
Opening his eyes, he glanced at the elegant tree sitting in the corner of the room, the simple handmade ornaments, each representing a different Christian symbol, hanging on the dark evergreen limbs. He inhaled, the wonderful scent of the forest filling his nostrils. While this tree was small and simple, it was beautiful and more precious to him than the enormous tree in Rockefeller Center.
A movement caught his eye as an elderly woman, maybe in her late seventies or early eighties, walked up to the votive candle station. With one of the long matches, she lit several candles and then closed her eyes in prayer. Placing the matchstick back in its holder, she turned and sat next to him. Several minutes passed as they listened to the soft music slowly fade, and she sighed.
“I love this time of year,” she whispered. “My husband and I would stay up all night putting together toys and finishing projects for Christmas morning. It gave us so much joy to watch our twins see their presents from Santa when they ran into the living room.” She turned, her green eyes filled with tears, and met his with a sad smile. “You remind me of my Luca.”
She raised her hand and brushed a long strand of silvery blond hair from his forehead, tucking it behind one ear. “He had blond hair, too, like his father. My daughter Lucia’s hair is more golden blond, and their eyes were gray-blue. I don’t think I have ever seen silver eyes before.” She let her hand drop back into her lap, her gaze moving to the candle stand. “I come here every Christmas season and light candles for my Renzo and Luca.”
His skin still tingled where her fingers had been. He studied her profile. In her youth, she would have been beautiful. The years had been kind, gifting her with a still youthful, creamy complexion, and her once-light hair had turned silver-gray. “You lit a third candle. If you don’t mind me asking, was it for your daughter?”
She shook her head. “No, although it might as well have been. Lucia has not spoken to me since her father’s death. She was always the headstrong twin and had to do things her own way. My third candle was lit for all those in the world who don’t have anyone but still need love and prayers.”
Joachim smiled. The candle could have been for him. While he had people who cared for him, he had no family of his own, and the only person he considered a brother had been killed by a deranged succubus.
Thoughts of Zander and his daughter, Willow, calmed his rapid heartbeat. While he still felt the loss like a knife in his gut, Willow had helped to ease his grief. She was a miracle but didn’t know it. She was the best of both Watcher and Erinys, but he would have to keep an eye on her powers. While the Erinys pronounced judgments on sinners, the Watchers carried out the punishment, much like a judge and jury. His position would be a lot like the Mortal Realm’s Supreme Court, and as king, all answered to him.
Upon her father’s death, Willow had somehow been granted his powers and kept her inherited Erinys powers from her mother. She was a force to be reckoned with—and deadly.
But this human woman’s generosity and compassion amazed him. “I am sure all who benefit from your prayer are thankful.”
“It’s enough for me to hope.” She turned her steady green gaze on him. “Now, why are you in our simple church? You strike me as someone who would frequent a medieval cathedral. I see you in someplace like the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine in Morningside Heights, not here.”
Once more, this woman’s astuteness amazed him. “I enjoy all churches, and this one called to me as I walked by. The stained glass windows remind me of my cathedral back home—a place I am very fond of.”
She nodded and wrapped her fingers around her necklace charm, rubbing the bottom with her thumb. “My husband’s grandfather commissioned them done. While he may have been a scoundrel and thief, he had just enough compassion left in his hardened heart to help those in the community. I did not condone what my late husband’s family did for a living, but I loved my Renzo with all my heart. He was not like his family and gave to the community every chance he got. He always said it was up to him to help those his family had hurt.”
She dropped her necklace and twisted to face him in the pew. “My name is Gabriella Barzetti. Now, tell me about yourself. Do you live here or are you just visiting?”
Joachim chuckled. “I have only just arrived in this grand city. I was told by my…family…that New York’s Christmas tree was a sight I needed to see. My brethren don’t normally celebrate like the people here.” He glanced at the heavy oak beams adorning the ceiling and smiled. “So, here I am.”
Her thin eyebrows rose. “Alone? You are here alone at this special time of year?” She slapped her coat-covered thighs and stood. “You will stay with me—and I will not take no for an answer, young man.”
He swallowed his laughter. He could not recall ever being called a young man before. It was refreshing. “But you do not know me.”
She narrowed her gaze. “I pride myself on being a very good judge of character. But if it makes you feel better, what is your name?”
“Joachim…Callais,” he said, hoping Willow wouldn’t find out he had used her last name. Not that she would mind. She probably wouldn’t, and since he didn’t have a last name, hers was perfect.
She scowled. “Greek. Leave it to me to bring home a Greek. You realize my very Roman family would have heart failure if they knew.” She giggled. “Serves them right. They were too prideful.” She held out her arm, bent at the elbow.
He smiled and stood, threading his arm through hers. With a single thought, he shortened his height so she wouldn’t hurt her shoulder since he was so much taller than she was. He decided he liked his shorter stature of six feet instead of his normal seven-foot height; he wouldn’t hit as many doorframes in this world.
He helped her step down onto the sidewalk and inhaled the crisp wintery air. “I wish it would snow.”
“While I also love a good white Christmas, please wait until I get these old bones inside my toasty house. There’s nothing better than curling up under my favorite blanket in front of the fireplace with a good book and a mug of hot coffee.”
He raised his brow as she marched down the sidewalk and turned to her right, leading him in a zigzag pattern along several cobblestone streets and away from the busy nightlife. “You do not enjoy hot cocoa? My adopted daughter says it’s what everyone here drinks around Christmastime.”
“Pshaw. Only in the movies. Have you seen all the Christmas movies on television? If you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all. There are a few notable exceptions where the script differs from the others. Few and far between, but they bring back memories of when I was young and courting Renzo. He was Italian, so it was a prerequisite that he was romantic—and he was.”
She stopped in front of a grand Italian townhome. The exterior was finished in cream limestone, a style reminiscent of Italian design, which he admired. The front door section had been built in the shape of an arch, and a shallow balcony with a wide window overlooked the entrance. Centered in the window was a colorful Christmas tree.
“This is home,” Gabriella said with a wistful tone. “My Renzo bought the townhome next to this one and converted it to a single-family home. He promised me a castle, and this is as close as he could get in our price range, which back then wasn’t much.”
Joachim chuckled. “I’ve lived in a castle and, believe me, it isn’t as wonderful as it seems. They are very cold, drafty, and incredibly expensive to keep running.” He studied the home’s beautiful exterior. “Your home is gorgeous, Gabriella. I would choose it over a castle any day.”
She beamed up at him. “Aren’t you a smooth talker, sir, and definitely know your way into a woman’s heart. Now, let’s get inside where it’s warm and we can have a bite to eat, unless you’ve already eaten?”
He shook his head. “I was told to go see the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Plaza first thing. After that, I was free to do what I wanted.”
“While our yearly Christmas tree is a sight to behold, there are a few more things to do first, like a place to stay? I can assure you that sleeping on the street will significantly shorten your life. It is not safe out there at night. Secondly, I would suggest getting a map of your transportation options. While not everyone can afford taxis nowadays—way too expensive—the subway can be a bit dicey at night as well when the druggies and thugs make their appearance.”
“I think I can take care of myself. I am fairly decent in a fight.”
She shuckled and patted his arm. “I am sure you think so, although you seem to carry yourself well. You remind me of what an ancient gladiator would have looked like. I wouldn’t mind having one of those around to keep me safe. Now, let’s go in, shall we?”
He followed her up the front staircase and waited while she unlocked her door. Stepping into the entryway, his gaze rose to the glistening chandelier overhead. He was once more thankful he had reduced his height by a foot. Hitting his head on that sharp monstrosity would have hurt.
His boots glided across the black-and-white checkerboard tiles through the sparsely decorated entryway, which widened into a quaint sitting room. The light gray walls, white trim, and impressive marble fireplace created a cozy atmosphere in the room. The blue-and-white toile sofa and soft blue chairs looked comfortable and well-loved.
“This is where I spend most of my time,” she said, affirming his thought. “If you could light the fire, I will warm up a tasty supper.”
He waited until she was gone, listening for the sounds of dishes coming from wherever the kitchen was. Instead, he heard her singing a Christmas tune, slightly off-key, but with a happy tone. He smiled and waved his hand toward the stack of logs, and a bright blue-tipped flame appeared in the middle, then spread out across the top log.
The hoard of pictures spread across the ornate mantle caught his attention, and he picked up the center frame. He could almost feel the happiness and love from the young couple in the photo.
Standing near the ocean with a sheer cliff rising beside them, the lovers were smiling at each other with their hands clasped between them. Gabriella’s hair had been a rich dark brown, and her husband’s blond hair shone in the sunlight, but it was their love for each other that held him spellbound.
He knew people in love—they surrounded him. But the expression on Gabriella’s and Renzo’s faces was magical.
