Morgan nods slowly. He still has a dazed look on his face.
“What about witches?”
“Yeah, they are real.”
Morgan’s eyes widen, and he gulps down some tea. “The Loch Ness monster?”
My eyebrows rise. “Umm…I don’t think so, But I’ll check with Lello. He is a kelpie from the Scottish Lochs. He will know.”
Morgan’s face pales even more and he looks back down at the table. Poor man. He is taking it well, all things considered. I still remember the shock of discovering the paranormal world was real, and it’s been eighty years for me.
I really don’t want Morgan to fall apart. I especially don’t want him to start throwing garlic and crucifixes and stakes at me. None of that will hurt me, except for my heart. But that is the worst pain of all. Being hated by someone you love.
I take a deep, shuddery breath. Morgan looks dazed and shocked. He doesn’t look like he is about to fly into a murderous rage.
“All the men who were imprisoned in the harem with you…the people you live with…they are all paranormal too?”
“Yes.”
I’m not going over it again, or giving him a list of names and species. Morgan’s poor mind is trying to process, he doesn’t need to be further overwhelmed with additional information. What he needs is time for it all to sink in.
“And that’s why it was never in the news?”
“Yes.”
The sudden sound of the doorbell makes us both jump. Even though I had been dimly aware of the approaching car and then the footsteps.
“That will be my friend Sammy,” I say as I turn towards the front door.
Morgan nods blankly. I’m not sure if he has even heard me. Or if he even registered that I said I was inviting over a human new to the paranormal world.
I open the door and Sammy bounds in. His blue eyes are bright and his blond hair all messy. He all but barges past me and makes a beeline for the kitchen. By the time I’ve caught up with him, he is bent over with his arms wrapped around Morgan, who is still sitting. And now looking even more bewildered than before.
Oh crap. As well as being an overly exuberant ball of energy, Sammy still dresses like a sex worker. I don’t think Morgan is judgemental in any way, shape or form. But having Sammy bounce into your home, in the middle of the night, and drape himself over you, has to be a little disconcerting.
“Welcome to the family!” exclaims Sammy brightly.
I reach out to yank him away from Morgan, but the cheeky little shit steps back of his own accord.
“I’ve heard so much about you!” he gushes.
Morgan looks up at him in surprise. “You have?”
Sammy’s grin is positively malicious. “Oh yes! Ned keeps a framed photo of you by his bed. It is the cutest thing ever!”
Morgan’s dark eyes flick to me. I open my mouth to form some sort of denial, but damn it. My cheeks are burning. I can feel it. My traitorous face is landing me right in it.
The corners of Morgan’s mouth twitch. Then they curl up in a smirk. My heart thuds, a hollow sound in my chest.
Then the sound of a chair dragging across the floor makes me wince. Sammy plonks himself next to Morgan.
“So, finding out the paranormal world is real? Quite the head fuck, isn’t it?”
Oh balls. This was a terrible idea. But it is not as if I know any other humans who have recently discovered the paranormal world and who would be willing to drop everything and come over in the middle of the night.
“Are you going through everything you thought was make believe and wondering which ones are true?” asks Sammy.
“Yes!” agrees Morgan passionately. “I’m down to cartoon characters now!”
