Krampus: The Three Sisters (The Krampus Chronicles Book 1) (33 page)

“Yes sir, it seems whoever brought this family Bible to America had something important to hide in it.” Charles chuckled to himself.

Maggie flipped to the beginning of the book where there were pages for recording family names and dates. She had only scanned the pages for a few moments before one scribbled line caught her attention under the column marked
Getrouwd.

Jan and Grace Loockerman, Oktober 15, 1608

“Getrouwd must mean married,” Maggie whispered, but she wasn’t heard over Anne’s booming voice coming from the stair hall.

“Charles!”

“Oh, dear,” Charles said, scrambling over to the door. “I must be going, Miss Margaret. You can place the key in the book. If you need help getting it back on the shelf, come find me. It is awfully heavy and I wouldn’t want you to struggle.” Charles then disappeared out of the room.

Maggie stared down at the family Bible. She reached into her pocket and pulled out both the key and Grace’s wheel. With some hesitation, Maggie rested the two objects inside the pages. She carefully closed the cover and buckled the belt across its front. Then with immense difficulty, Maggie hoisted the Bible back onto its rightful shelf.

As she finished the rather trying task, Maggie caught a glimpse out the library window and spotted Henry on the road feeding Dunder from a bucket. After an additional minute, Henry climbed into the carriage and looked back at Chelsea Manor. Although he didn’t see Maggie staring out the window, the sight of his face offered Maggie some comfort.

She knew it wouldn’t be the last time she would see Henry. And as Maggie glanced at the hollow book that had traveled all the way from Belgium―no doubt secretly carrying the Sister Wheels―for some reason, Maggie sensed that she and Henry were actually destined to meet again.

After all, the descendants of the Van Cortlandts always had a curious way of reuniting.

s Maggie safely tucked the book back onto the shelf, she didn’t notice the large figure perched on the sycamore tree just outside the windows near the west porch. If she had, not only would she have recognized the illustration from the ancient book in the Boeken Kamer and the creature Catharine and Henry encountered at Van Cortlandt Manor, but Maggie also would have finally identified the mysterious beast from her dreams.

For unbeknownst to Maggie, the creature who had pushed St. Nicholas off the rooftop was in fact the monstrous Krampus. But Krampus was not simply a dream. He was real.

And he had found Chelsea Manor.

Krampus knew that Maggie and Henry had the wheels. But he couldn’t go after the girl.

Not yet.

There were too many people around. She was too protected.

Krampus looked at the boy from the orchard as he stood on the road feeding his horse.

Poughkeepsie
.

That’s where Krampus would have to go.

He watched as Henry climbed into his carriage and rode down the street.

Poughkeepsie
.

Krampus darted up the sycamore and then leapt to a branch on a separate tree. And then another. And another.

Wherever Henry Livingston planned to go, Krampus would follow until the Sister Wheels were his once more.

Born in Minnesota, raised in North Dakota, and attended college in South Dakota;
Sonia Halbach
is fairly acquainted with the Upper Midwest. So naturally, a week after graduating from Augustana College, she hightailed it east to try New York City on for size. And it turned out to be pretty big. But with a passion for history, Halbach soon became infatuated with New York City’s rich collection of stories.

So when Halbach’s not trying new flavors of bubble tea, civilizing her cats, or conjuring up schemes to get locked inside The Morgan Library & Museum for a Night, she can be found researching forgotten stories on the island of many hills, which inspired her to write The Krampus Chronicles.

More information can be found at
www.soniahalbach.com

Photo Credit: Joseph McShea
https://instagram.com/josephmcs

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