Chapter 4 — Christmas Lists and Quiet Fears
Back in Silicon Valley, the La Cour home was a whirlwind of holiday preparation.
Nicholas insisted on a “real Christmas,” which meant:
- Two trees (one elegant, one chaotic for Thor)
- Enough food for an army
- A family dinner where nobody was allowed to check their phones
- And a tradition Grand-mère Catherine called The Candle of Mercy— a candle lit for anyone who needed hope.
Kadira helped Maëlle wrap gifts, but her hands trembled slightly as she folded ribbons.
Mateo noticed.
“You’re thinking about Antioch,” he said quietly.
Kadira looked up. “I keep seeing her—this White Witch. Like she knew me.”
Mateo’s expression softened. “Maybe she did.”
Kadira swallowed. “What if all this… magic stuff… isn’t just about Lavender? What if it’s tied to us too?”
Mateo reached for her hand. “Then we face it together.”
Kadira’s eyes shone. “What if I’m not as strong as everyone thinks?”
Mateo gave a small smile. “Strength isn’t never being afraid. Strength is holding someone’s hand while you’re afraid.”
Across the room, Lavender watched Flint string lights along the staircase.
“You’re quiet,” Flint said.
Lavender hesitated. “I feel like Christmas is a door,” she admitted. “And something is coming through.”
Flint climbed down the ladder and took her face gently in his hands.
“Whatever comes through,” he said, “it’s coming into a house full of people who love you.”
Then Grand-mère Catherine called everyone into the living room.
She held a thick white candle and a match.
“This candle,” she announced, “is not for decoration. It is for mercy. We light it for those who feel lost, cursed, lonely, or forgotten.”
She struck the match. Flame bloomed.
The room warmed instantly, as if the light touched something deeper than air.
Grand-mère Catherine looked around at them all.
“And tonight,” she said, “we leave the door unlocked.”
Maëlle blinked. “Why?”
Grand-mère’s smile held mystery. “Because if a miracle needs a way in, I want it to find us.”
Lavender’s skin prickled. She didn’t know who would come through that door.
But she knew it was coming.
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