I crossed my arms, leaning against the wall as I watched him. “Because they’re not supposed to,” I said simply. “The supernatural world stays hidden for a reason. Mundanes wouldn’t understand it. They’d be terrified—or worse, they’d try to exploit it.”
Liam nodded slowly, his brow furrowing in thought. “And Grandpa Neil? He’s not… like Carnell, right? He’s just a regular human?”
“No,” I said firmly, shaking my head. “Neil’s human. Mundane, through and through. He knows nothing about any of this, and it’s going to stay that way.”
He leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping absently against the table as he processed everything. “It’s a lot,” he admitted. “But I guess it makes sense. You’ve always been a little… different.”
I bit back a smile, watching as he continued to ask questions, his curiosity shifting from skeptical to genuinely interested. He had no idea the potion was working its way through his system, blurring the edges of what he’d seen and what he’d remember.
I waited, my chest tightening with every passing moment. Soon, the memory potion would do its job, and this conversation—this glimpse into the world I’d spent years hiding from him—would fade. But until then, I let him talk, soaking in every word, every question, every piece of him that I knew I was about to lose all over again.
Liam leaned forward in his chair, his eyes locking onto mine with a determination that made my stomach twist. “My grandfather was a demon,” he said, his voice controlled but laced with tension. “How did he die?”
The question hit me like a punch to the chest. I’d told Liam years ago that my father was dead, mostly because itwas easier than explaining the truth. The reality was far more complicated—my father wasn’t dead, but he might as well have been. He was unlikely to ever return to the human world while I was alive.
Before I could open my mouth to answer, Carnell stepped in, his calm, measured tone cutting through the silence. “Your grandfather had to return to the Underworld,” Carnell said, folding his hands in front of him. “Faith was honor-bound to report him as dead. It’s… complicated.”
Liam frowned, turning his gaze to Carnell. “So, you’re older than you look?” he asked, suspicion and curiosity mixing in his tone.
Carnell’s lips twitched into a faint smile. “Yes,” he said simply, inclining his head. “Much older.”
“How much older?” Liam pressed, leaning back slightly, his arms crossed.
Carnell chuckled softly, his gaze steady. “Let’s just say I’m not exactly your grandfather. I’m your great-grandfather… with several ‘greats’ added on.”
Liam blinked, his expression a mix of shock and disbelief. “You’re kidding.”
“No,” Carnell said, his tone still calm, but there was a flicker of amusement in his eyes. “I’ve been around a very long time, Liam.”
I stayed quiet, watching the exchange with a knot in my chest. Liam’s world was already upside down, and now this—another layer of truths and half-truths to process. He looked back at me, his expression searching, as if trying to piece together all the missing parts of the puzzle.
“And you knew?” he asked, his voice softer now.
I nodded, my throat tight. “Yeah, I knew. But I didn’t think you needed to.”
Liam shook his head, a wry smile tugging at his lips. “This just keeps getting weirder.”
Carnell chuckled again, a deep, rich sound that somehow felt grounding in the chaos. “You’re handling it better than most would,” he said, his tone carrying a hint of approval.
Liam gave a small, reluctant laugh, running a hand through his hair. “Yeah, well, I guess I don’t have much choice.”
He was quiet for a moment. “Just tell me one thing. Did Dad know?”
CHAPTER 8
Ileaned against the counter, crossing my arms as I looked at Liam. He was still sitting at the table, his expression a mix of confusion and guarded curiosity. I knew he wanted answers, but I wasn’t sure how much I could give him without making things worse.
“Your dad didn’t know,” I said finally, my voice soft but firm.
Liam blinked, leaning forward slightly. “He didn’t?”
I shook my head. “No. I left the supernatural world behind before I met him. I didn’t want anything to do with it anymore. Not after the way they treated my mother. And me.”
His brows furrowed, his lips pressing into a thin line. “What do you mean?”
I sighed, running a hand through my hair as I tried to find the right words. “The supernatural world isn’t as… inclusive as you might think. They don’t like hybrids. To them, we’re… an anomaly. Something unnatural. My mom was a cougar shifter, but her abilities were latent. When she had a baby withan incubus, it didn’t exactly win her any points with the community.”
Liam’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t interrupt, so I kept going.
