“Not well. He won’t walk with us.”
Cal sighed. “He would have found out, eventually.”
“Not like this,” I snapped, running a hand through my hair. “Not after he saw… that.”
The Moreau Building loomed ahead, its lights shining like a beacon in the dark. I couldn’t shake the knot twisting in my chest as we approached. Liam had just had his worldcracked open, and there was no telling how he’d react once I gave him the full story.
The walk back to my apartment was painfully silent. The only sound was the steady rhythm of our footsteps on the pavement. Liam kept his distance a few paces behind us, his injured arm cradled protectively against his chest. Every time I glanced back, the tension in his jaw and the way his shoulders hunched told me all I needed to know—he wasn’t ready to talk yet.
Drin and Dran, ever watchful, started to step forward as we approached the rear entrance, likely to offer help. But Carnell shook his head quickly, and they immediately fell back. I didn’t miss the frustration flickering across their faces, but they respected his silent command.
When we entered the building, Liam lingered outside the elevator, waiting for the rest of us to step inside first. Even then, he stayed pressed against the far wall, his eyes fixed on the floor. None of us spoke as the elevator hummed upward, the air heavy with unspoken words. We gave him space, not wanting to push him further than he already was.
The doors slid open, and we all stepped out, but Liam waited until we’d cleared the hallway before following. His movements were stiff, his silence cutting deeper than any angry outburst could have. By the time we reached my apartment, the tension was almost unbearable.
“Sit,” I said softly, motioning to the table as I pushed the door open. He hesitated for a moment, his eyes darting to Carnell, then to me, before finally lowering himself into a chair. He kept his distance even at the table, his injured arm still tucked close.
I headed to the fridge, grabbed a juice bottle, and placed it in front of him. “Drink,” I said, trying to keep my voice calm despite the storm of emotions roiling inside me.
He stared at the bottle for a long moment before twistingthe cap off and taking a sip, his movements slow and deliberate. I sat across from him, my hands clasped on the table, waiting for him to speak. But he didn’t.
The magnitude of everything unsaid hung between us like a thick fog. I’d broken his world open, and now I had to figure out how to help him navigate what was left—one step at a time.
Liam leaned back in the chair, his injured arm resting on the table, his eyes locked on me. “Spill it,” he said flatly, his voice more biting than I’d ever heard it. “All of it. No more half-truths. No more dodging. I want to know everything.”
I sighed, running a hand through my hair as I tried to figure out where to start. There wasn’t exactly a manual for explaining the supernatural world to someone who’d grown up blissfully ignorant. “Okay,” I said finally, leaning forward. “But you have to keep an open mind. This isn’t going to sound real, but it is. All of it.”
He didn’t respond. He just crossed his arms and waited. So, I dove in.
“The world is bigger than you know,” I began. “It’s not just humans in the world. There are witches, demons, shifters, vampires, and even a dragon. Some are things you don’t even want to know about. The mundanes… people with no magic, have no idea, and it’s better that way. Safer. For everyone.”
Liam’s eyes narrowed slightly, but he stayed quiet, so I kept going.
“Eve and Salima?” I sighed. “They’re witches. They use magic… real magic. Spells, charms, the works.”
“Tegan,” I continued, “is a relic hunter. That’s kind of like a witch, but with a specific focus. She tracks down powerful magical items and makes sure they don’t fall into the wrong hands.”
Liam’s eyes narrowed, and I wasn’t sure he believed whatI was saying, but he remained quiet. I pulled out my phone and texted Salima before I continued.
“Aurora is a wolf shifter. Shifters are humans who can transform into animals. In her case, a wolf.”
Liam glanced at Carnell, and my great-grandfather gave me a slight nod.
“And Carnell is an incubus demon. He’s not… evil, but he’s not human either. Demons are complicated.”
Carnell’s lips twitched into a smirk, but he didn’t say anything.
“And Cal?” I continued, gesturing vaguely. “He’s a gargoyle. Big, stone, wings, the whole deal.”
Liam’s eyebrows shot up at that, but he didn’t interrupt, so I pushed on.
“My mom,” I said, my voice softening slightly, “is a latent cougar shifter. She is a hybrid. Her mother was human. She carries the gene, but it never fully manifested in her.”
Finally, I leaned back in my chair, crossing my arms as I met Liam’s gaze. “And me? I’m part shifter and part demon—a tri-bred. My shifter genes have been more prominent lately. That’s what you saw earlier. It’s part of who I am.”
Liam stared at me, his jaw tight and eyes blazing with confusion, anger, and something else I couldn’t quite place. The silence stretched, heavy and oppressive, as I waited for him to respond.
“So, you’re telling me,” he said slowly, his voice low and dangerous, “that the world is full of monsters. And you’re one of them.”
