Page 7 of Silent Nights and Vampire Lights

She ignored me, humming along to the soft strains of “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas”. For a moment, I let myself relax—until we crested a hill, and the valley below blinded me.

Lights. So many lights. Every building, every tree, every square inch of the town was drowning in a sea of blinking, glowing chaos.

“What the holy hell is this?”

Holly

Okay, so I hadn’t exactly mentioned the slight detour to the Christmas Village. But come on—it was a huge attraction in Pennsylvania, and I’d been dying to go for years. I’d even planned to visit this season, but life, as always, got in the way. When I mapped out our route while watching Nicholas sleep—or die? Do vampires technically die during the day?—I realized we’d be passing awfully close to the village. It felt like a sign, a little Christmas miracle just for me.

I didn’t believe Nicholas was as much of a Grinch as he claimed to be. Though, as we got closer, and he grouched about my choice of music, his mood made me wonder. It only made me sing louder, belting out “Jingle Bell Rock” like I was auditioning for Broadway. His red-eyed glare was enough to give me pause. Okay, maybe I’d pushed him a bit too far.

“It’s on the way,” I blurted, trying to sound casual. “We’re only a few miles off the highway. Besides, there’s an accident on the main route. We’d be stuck in traffic anyway, sitting ducks for the hitmen. This way is safer. Right? I mean, more witnesses and all…”

Nicholas closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Holly, for my sanity, please stop talking.”

I frowned, my fingers tightening on the steering wheel. “I just wanted to see the display. It’s supposed to be amazing.”

He sighed like I’d asked him to walk barefoot through the snow. “We have somewhere to be, and we’re entirely too close to the men tracking you. Did you think of that?”

“They wouldn’t attack in front of children, would they?” My voice wavered as doubt crept in. God, what if I’d just dragged a literal vampire and a bunch of innocent kids into danger?

I glanced at the dazzling lights up ahead, all warm and glittery, like pure holiday joy in the middle of the night. My chest tightened. “No, you’re right. We should keep going.”

With a sigh, I hit the blinker and started to turn the car around.

“Stop.” Nicholas’s hand landed on mine. “If you really want to see this monstrosity, we can spare an hour. Just an hour.”

Joy exploded inside me like fireworks. “You won’t regret it. It’s fabulous. You might even find gifts for your family.”

He grimaced. “Doubtful.”

I ignored him and followed the line of cars winding toward the parking lot. Minutes later, we were walking through a wonderland of twinkling lights, holiday cheer, and more decorations than I’d ever seen. It was magical. Every worry about who might be chasing me vanished as I soaked in the laughter of kids, the scent of cinnamon and pine, and the festive music spilling from hidden speakers.

Nicholas wandered off while I watched kids giggling with Santa. When he returned, he handed me a cup. “Hot chocolate,” he said, his voice gruff. “They added a peppermint stick to it for flavor.”

I laughed as he glanced at his own cup, peppermint-free. “It’s delicious. Like a cup of Christmas. You didn’t want to try it?”

“Chocolate is a flavor. Why add something else?” He frowned, clearly baffled by the concept.

His confusion made me laugh harder. “Try it,” I said, holding my cup up to his lips. “You might like it, even if you don’t like Christmas.”

“I never said I don’t like Christmas,” he muttered before reluctantly taking a sip.

I raised an eyebrow. “You hate the music, didn’t want to come here, clearly don’t want to go home, and you’re wearing literally nothing festive. You’re a total Grinch. Now, admit it—peppermint makes it better.”

He swallowed, his face begrudging. “It’s… unique.”

“Ha! I’ll take it. But you can’t have mine. You’re stuck with your bland, regular hot chocolate.” I sipped my drink, already scanning the area for what we should explore next. “Thanks for the drink. And for being a good sport. I know this isn’t your thing.”

He nodded stiffly, his sharp gaze scanning the crowd like he was in a security detail. In his black leather jacket and jeans, he stood out against the sea of cheerful holiday sweaters like a shadow in the light.

“I think we’re safe here,” I mumbled. “You can relax.”

He gave me a flat look. “Safe? From what? A rogue reindeer?”

It took me a second to catch the joke, but when I did, I burst out laughing, earning a few curious looks from passersby. “Reindeer only run over grandmas, not vampires. Come on. Let’s see what’s next.”

I looped my arm through his and tugged him toward another path. Before we got far, he froze, head snapping to the side like he’d heard something. Without a word, he strode between Santa’s Post Office and a gingerbread house.

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