Chapter 4 – Farrah
I’ve lost count with the number of times I’ve typed out a text to Locheran then immediately deleted it, so I didn’t accidentally hit send.
It’s been about two months since I drunkenly kissed him.
I’ve been in hiding, too embarrassed to see him.
I haven’t seen Evangeline either. After finding out about Ethan, I had texted her saying I needed to go back Upstate for a family thing and that I’d be gone for a few days.
She watched Potato for me, which made me feel even worse for lying to her.
I couldn’t tell her that my brother was one of the hunters killed. Xander and his gargoyle soldiers are the ones who responded after finding out the sphinx was kidnapped. One of them no doubt dealt the deadly blow.
Evangeline also knew Ethan when we were kids, but it’s been years since she’d seen him—at least twenty.
She would have insisted on coming with me to his funeral, but she’s mated to a gargoyle king now.
Her magic is awakening, and my father and older brother would have immediately sensed her supernatural side.
They would have killed her or kidnapped her to get to Xander.
I’ve kept this secret my entire life, and I’m exhausted. I’m tired of hiding behind a fake surname so no one would find out I come from a family of monster hunters. I’ve always gone by Farrah Lorraine—my mother’s maiden name—instead of Farrah O’Hern.
But telling Evangeline I’ve been lying to her this whole time?
I’ll do it eventually. Soon. I hope. I just have to find the courage. I have to prepare myself for the chance that I could lose her.
I’m cuddling with Potato on the couch, binge watching a medical drama on TV, when there’s a knock at the door.
Fuck yeah. My pizza is here.
But instead of a delivery person holding a pepperoni pie on the other side of the threshold, it’s my bestie… and the gargoyle king.
“Oh! Hi.” I glance down and frown at my stained pajama top and hole-littered sweatpants. “I… wasn’t expecting anyone.”
I open the door all the way and step back for them to come inside.
“Your hair!” Evangeline says and scoops me into her arms.
The hug is nearly suffocating, but I melt into my best friend’s embrace.
When she lets me go, I take a strand between my fingers and twirl it, smiling. My cheeks burn because I forgot to tell her I was going blonde.
“It was time for a change,” I say.
“I love it,” Evangeline says, taking the piece out of my grasp and giving it a twirl of her own.
“Yes,” Xander adds. “It’s very nice.”
I clear my throat, not sure how to respond to a compliment from a gargoyle king. “Please, come in. Let me just freshen up. Potato will keep you company.”
My attention-loving cat in all his tuxedo glory appears with a loud meow, walking right over to the gargoyle.
Xander does that adorable baby speak one does when greeting a cat.
Evangeline’s cat, Birdie, has been living with her mom in the suburbs for the past year. Her mom needed companionship, and while she said it was a difficult decision to make, she knew it was the right one. Though Evangeline told me she still visits Birdie two to three times a week.
When I return to the living room after putting on a tank and jeans, Evangeline sits on the couch with Xander next to her.
Potato is lying upside down on his meaty thighs—he appears human right now, and he’s just as massive and full of muscles as his monster form.
Xander’s human form doesn’t flicker as much as Locheran’s, but I’ve seen enough to know that Xander’s skin is a lighter shade of purple, and his hair is dark blue, almost appearing black.
“Do either of you want something to drink? I have water, coffee, wine… vodka.”
“We’re good,” Evangeline says. “Actually, we’re here to talk to you about something.”
Thankfully I’m in the kitchen, my back to them, because I’m confident the color has drained from my face.
Do they know? Did they somehow find out about my family?
“No need to be nervous,” Xander says, amused.
Right.
Supernatural hearing.
My fast heartbeat gives me away.
Wait.
Why’d he say that? He’s supposed to appear human right now with human hearing.
Evangeline hisses his name, followed by a whack.
“I just mean, I noticed your posture changed,” he adds, slightly flustered.
Evangeline huffs.
Okay. They’re acting weird.
“Oh, um, yeah,” I say, grabbing a glass of wine for myself and returning to the living room. “It’s just anytime someone says, ‘we need to talk’, it’s never good news.”
Xander shifts slightly, causing his human form to flicker. I stifle a giggle because he takes up nearly half of my blue couch.
I sit in the matching recliner perpendicular to my bestie and her mate and set my wine on the glass coffee table. The TV show is still playing so I push pause on the remote.
“The place is really coming together,” Evangeline says and swallows hard.
She’s nervous too.
“Thank you,” I say and scan the space.
It’s open concept with only a marble top peninsula separating the kitchen from the living room.
The appliances haven’t been updated in decades, but they all work fine.
I also have a washer and dryer combo, which is considered a hot commodity in New York City.
The living room is big enough to fit my couch, recliner, two side tables, and a desk in the corner with one floor to ceiling bookcase.
The TV hangs on the brick wall across from the couch.
The bedroom fits a queen bed, and the closet space is decent. It’s small but perfect for just me. I got an amazing deal, thanks to Evangeline, and Xander, who said he knows the landlord. Which is great since my teaching position’s salary wouldn’t cover the market value rent for this place.
“So, what did you want to talk to me about?”
“Monsters,” Evangeline blurts out.
Xander clears his throat. “She means—”
“Monsters,” Evangeline repeats, cutting off her husband again. “They’re real. I’m married to one.”
I blink at my best friend then blink some more. “Okayyyy.”
So this is why they’re acting weird.
I need to act stunned. I’m not supposed to know that monsters exist.
“Xander, show her,” Evangeline says, nudging the gargoyle king’s leg.
He sighs and sets Potato on the ground. My cat runs off toward the bedroom as if anticipating what’s about to happen. Xander stands, then locks eyes with me. “Please don’t freak out.”
It’s all he says before dropping his human form.
I curse and jump out of my seat, stepping back.
The glitches that gave me glimpses of these monsters did nothing to prepare me.
And while I’ve always known of the existence of monsters…
while I trained to fight them… I never did.
I never came face to face with any supernatural being.
At least, nothing more mystical than a vampire.
My brain is having a hard time comprehending that this is real.
When I’m around Xander and Locheran, which has only been a handful of times, they’re masked as humans. My brain knows they’re monsters, but my eyes tell me they’re not. When I jumped into Locheran’s arms after the wedding reception, they were human arms. When I kissed him, his lips were human.
Now there’s a seven-foot-tall gargoyle king standing in my living room with his black horns, lavender skin, dark blue hair, wings, and a long tail.
This is surreal.
“I won’t hurt you,” Xander says, holding up his hands.
“Say something, Fare,” Evangeline pleads.
She hasn’t used the childhood nickname in years, and it snaps me out of my fascinated stare.
“I um… I…” Say something! “Holy shit.”
I stand there in shock because monsters don’t typically reveal themselves to humans. Why now? Is it because I’m Evangeline’s best friend?
“Why don’t you come over here and let us explain everything,” Xander says, his voice cool and calming.
I slowly move to the couch, holding on to this scared act.
I’m not scared. I'm fascinated.
Growing up, Evangeline and I used to read fantasy books about magical lands and monsters. We’d make up scenarios where we were rescued by strange creatures and fall in love with them. Maybe that’s why she’s buying my not-screaming-my-head-off-freaking-out reaction.
I sit down while Evangeline and Xander stand in front of me as if they’re on a stage, telling me about how they met on a strange dating app that magically showed up on their phones.
And while I already knew Evangeline’s mother was a witch, I didn't know that the reason she’s no longer in the psychiatric hospital is because they broke her out last year.
They did it so she could help Xander save Evangeline’s life after her ex, Branden, stabbed her in the heart.
I was shocked when Evangeline explained that Xander killed Branden, but I’m also relieved because that man was an abusive piece of shit.
Branden was under a witch’s spell that allowed him to be controlled by Xander’s brother, who was trying to steal control over New York City from the gargoyle king.
While I knew Evangeline had newly emerged magical abilities, I didn’t know what kind of magical abilities they were.
She explained that she can calm someone with just her touch—a power that emerged when she met Xander, who is her fated mate.
Hunters knew fated mates amongst monsters existed, but my family could never uncover the details of how it all worked.
Evangeline also showed me the mark her mother gave her—one she’s kept hidden from me since getting it. It’s a symbol on her palm that resembles a daisy with a burst of light behind it that apparently holds the power of the sun, which she used on Xander’s brother to permanently turn him to stone.
Xander explained that as gargoyle king, he’s tasked with keeping New York City, and the humans who reside here, safe from evil. Everything from soul-eating demons and rogue angels to otherworldly creatures who slip through the cracks between dimensions.
Xander said he’s also tethered to New York City—a rule for royals, so the city and humans they protect are never left vulnerable to evil entities. Which explains why Evangeline and Xander weren’t able to travel for their honeymoon.
They went on to tell me about all the monsters that exist in the world. Most I’ve always known about, but a few I didn’t, like a dragon who’s believed to be the only one living on the East Coast.
And when I asked, ‘Why now? Why tell me about monsters now?’ They said it’s because there’s a plan in the works to unveil the supernatural world to humans and they need human allies.
I’m honored they chose me.
They trust me, but they shouldn’t. Because I’m hiding a secret. I should tell them who I am, who my family is. But I can’t. I need more information.
How much do they know about the hunters in the city? How close are they to catching them? If I tell them, would they kill me? Would they lock me up and force me to give them intel? Intel that I don’t have?
I’m conflicted because I want to help. I want to protect my best friend and her mate. But would it mean losing the only blood relatives I have left?
I have to decide if I’m done saving a space in my heart for a family who cast me aside when I refused to be a part of their hateful mission.