Three Kings for Sarah Read Free Page A

her, ignoring Duncan’s low, almost imperceptible
growls.
    “Kelly,” she answered with a finger in her mouth.
    “Wow! I have just the right gift for you.”
    Xiu stuck his hand into the large sack he carried, which
Duncan had assumed was full of weapons, and brought out a rag doll with curly
blue hair.
    “Her name is Kelly too. I don’t believe that’s a
coincidence,” Xiu told the child.
    The girl’s eyes went from big to enormous, while she eagerly
nodded.
    “Don’t you think this dolly is just for you?”
    The girl nodded, absolutely hypnotized by the lovely doll.
    “Well then, I suppose it’s yours,” said Xiu with a slight
smile.
    Duncan stared, thunderstruck, at the man who seemed to have
usurped the dark warrior’s place.
    The girl nodded again but didn’t move, and the boy gave her
a delicate push.
    “Take it, Kelly!”
    The girl shyly stretched out her tiny arms to take her doll.
She embraced it tightly, smiling with joy.
    “Well, Thomas, I think it’s your turn now,” Gedeon commented
with a wink.
    “You know my name!” the boy cried, obviously amazed.
    “We’re the wise men, remember? We not only know your name
but also how good you’ve been this year,” explained Xiu.
    “And you’ve been really good. Very few people succeed
at being as brave as you’ve been—and you even protected your mother from your
real pain.” Gedeon praised the child, his eyes slightly red, his face suddenly
paler than was normal…even for a vampire.
    Duncan gave the vampire a concerned look. Long ago, Duncan
had discovered Gedeon’s ability to navigate in other people’s memories and to
feel them as if they were happening to him.
    “Let’s see if we brought one of these videogames…” Gedeon
glanced at Xiu.
    The shadow-walker gave a small nod. “Maybe a football game?”
Xiu’s arm disappeared completely inside the huge sac. When he finally took out
a thin plastic pack, he held it under the boy’s nose with a victorious grin.
    “Yeah!” the boy exclaimed, throwing himself at Xiu and
wrapping tiny arms around his neck.
    Xiu stared wide eyed toward Gedeon, as if asking for help.
    Before the men could do anything else, the boy released the
shadow-walker and ran across the hallway, shouting for everyone to hear.
    “Sarah’s wise men are here! Sarah’s wise men are here! And
they’ve brought gifts!”
    The uproar started immediately. From the corner of his eye,
Duncan noticed how his companions stood there as paralyzed as he was, while the
hallway filled with pouncing, running and chattering children of all ages. It
was almost a relief to find out he wasn’t the only one who didn’t know what to
do. Two nurses and some mothers came out, regarding the men with warm smiles.
    A young woman clapped her hands and spoke loudly. “Everybody
to his or her rooms! The three kings are going to visit you in your rooms. If
you don’t wait there, you don’t get presents.”
    In seconds the hallway was empty again, except for Kelly,
Thomas and the lingering echo of delight.
    The girl approached Xiu with a brilliant smile, whispered a
“Thank you!” and, standing on her tiptoes, she raised up enough to give him a
kiss. Next, she neared Gedeon, pulled at his sleeves until he crouched down and
then rewarded him with another peck on his cheek. She repeated the process with
Duncan and Sam. Nobody spoke. When the kids reached their room door, they
turned one last time.
    “Could you save the best present for Sarah?” asked little
Kelly, her tone filled with hope. “She’s so good with us, and she really,
really needs something special.”
    “What present would you like for her?” asked Xiu softly.
    She kept silent for a moment, tapping her little index
finger on her slightly pursed lips.
    “Someone to protect her,” she decided finally, “We’ve got
our moms and dads but she’s so alone…” Suddenly, a bright smile appeared on her
cute face. “She’s going to be thrilled when you go to see her.