Betrayed by a lover, Jamie rents an isolated cabin on Lake Huron, wanting only to be left alone. Instead, he is pulled from his solitary existence as an artist and tumbles headlong into the legend of Saint Nicolas.<br><br>As a young man, Nicolas accidentally killed a man intent on murdering three children, only to have the man's malicious spirit rise up against him. Fleeing through the centuries from the Krampus, the evil troll-like creature that dogs his steps, Nico finds refuge with the young artist who takes him into his home and bed. But Jamie has questions. Who is Nicolas, and why does the Krampus want to destroy him?<br><br>When the Krampus begins to torment and torture anyone Nico comes in contact with to punish him, Jamie's life is put in danger. And Jamie isn't sure whether he can help Nico defeat his nemesis or if he's merely a pawn in the Krampus's game.

Nicolas

With a glance at the snowshoes and poles hanging from their hook farther down the porch, he nodded, stifling a sigh as he went back inside the snug cabin. His gaze darted to Nico sleeping on his couch, and just for an instant, anger flashed through him. All he’d wanted was peace, time to finish his painting and to heal. His friends respected that. William, his best friend since high school, called sometimes to see how he was doing, and even that only happened on the rare occasion his phone picked up a signal. Shame washed through him. Of course Nico hadn’t meant to be swept into his dock. Thank God he had been, before the current took him out into the center of the lake, where exposure would surely have killed him.


Chapter 6