Chapter 2
Icleared my throat, trying to sound casual. “Liam, Carnell wants me to check on something over at Mystic Falls. Can you hold down the fort here? I’m sure we won’t have any calls this close to Christmas, but you never know.”
Tegan and Salima chimed in almost immediately. “We’ll stay with Liam and finish up the decorations,” Tegan said, her tone light but her eyes darting to mine, catching the undercurrent I was trying to hide.
Salima nodded, already picking up a strand of tinsel. “Plenty to do here. Don’t worry about us.”
They knew me well enough to understand I wouldn’t leave Liam behind unless I had no other choice. My son might not know the truth about my world, but they did—and they knew I wouldn’t take him anywhere near something like this.
Nishi, Aurora, and Eve exchanged quick glances before they moved to put the ornaments in their hands back in the box. Nishi smirked. “I have a parcel I want to pick up there,” she said, her voice way too nonchalant to be believable.
“Me too,” Eve added, not bothering to elaborate.
Aurora didn’t even bother with an excuse. “I’ll go.”
Liam frowned, clearly picking up on the shift in energy. “I’ll go too,” he said, sitting straighter. “I can help.”
“No,” I said firmly, my tone brooking no argument. “It’s likely nothing.”
His eyes narrowed slightly, and I could almost see him piecing things together. “Then why is Carnell calling you to check it out? And why are they all going?” He gestured to the others.
I blinked, caught off guard by how quickly he’d latched onto that detail. Was our call earlier that loud? I’d have to be more careful. Forcing a calm smile, I said, “It has to do with a bounty I’m working on. Carnell likes to be cautious, that’s all.”
Liam stared at me for a long moment, and for a second, I thought he might push further. But then he sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Fine. I’ll stay in case a call comes in.”
“Thank you,” I said, relief washing over me as I grabbed my coat. “Tegan and Salima will keep you company. If anything comes up, call me.”
He nodded, though the crease between his brows didn’t entirely disappear. I turned to Nishi, Aurora, and Eve, who were already grabbing their coats and looking more than ready to leave.
As we headed out, I couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that Liam’s questions weren’t going to stop there. And the more curious he got, the harder it would be to keep him in the dark.
The car hummed quietly as we drove toward the Christmas Village, snow-dusted trees blurring past the windows. The festive lights strung along the road felt almost mocking, a cheerful contrast to the tension settling in the car like a heavy fog.
Aurora, in the passenger seat, broke the silence first. “So, how exactly are you planning to juggle the holidays, a murder investigation, and keeping Liam blissfully unaware that his mom fights monsters for a living?”
I tightened my grip on the steering wheel, glancing in the rearview mirror at Nishi and Eve sitting in the back. Both were watching me with the kind of curiosity that made me feel like a mouse under a cat’s paw.
“Very carefully,” I muttered, though the sarcasm even felt thin. “Liam’s smart. He’s already asking questions, and I don’t think I can keep deflecting forever.”
Eve leaned forward slightly, resting her arms on the back of Aurora’s seat. “You know he’s going to put two and two together, eventually.”
“I know,” I admitted, my voice low. “But the more he knows, the more danger he’s in. And it’s not just the supernatural world, Luke...”
Aurora winced, her sharp eyes darting to me. “Yeah. That would ruin him.”
“Exactly,” I said, exhaling slowly. “So, I keep lying to him, hoping it buys us some time. That’s the plan.”
Nishi snorted softly. “Solid plan,” she said, her tone laced with dry humor. “Nothing could possibly go wrong with that.”
I glanced in the mirror, but she smirked and went back to adjusting the kris knife clipped to her belt.
Aurora glanced at me sideways. “And your shifter emotions? You’ve got those under control, right?”
The question hung in the air, and for a moment, I didn’t answer. Then I nodded. “Things have been good since Glinda’s death,” I said, my voice unwavering. “Voss has been helping. We train once a week—more if I feel things slipping.”
Eve settled back in her seat, her expression thoughtful. “Good. Because the last thing we need is you losing it in front of Liam. Or in the middle of this investigation.”
“Noted,” I said dryly, though the truth of her words hit harder than I wanted to admit. The last thing I needed was for Liam to see that side of me—the part that wasn’t entirely human.
As the lights of the Christmas Village in Mystic Falls came into view, I straightened in my seat, forcing my mind back to the task at hand. Whatever had happened here, needed solving. And fast.
Because as much as I hated juggling lies and secrets, the alternative—Liam knowing the truth—was far worse.
We pulled into a parking lot on the edge of the Christmas Village, the car crunching over freshly fallen snow.
I killed the engine, and for a moment, the only sound was the faint hum of Christmas music drifting from the speakers mounted on the streetlights.
The village sprawled out before us, a dazzling explosion of holiday cheer that almost made my teeth ache.
Twinkling lights wrapped around every tree, lamppost, and railing, casting a warm glow that softened the edges of the snow-covered ground.
Wreaths adorned with red bows and glittering ornaments hung on every door, and there was enough tinsel draped across the rooftops to strangle a reindeer—or ten.
It was charming in the way only small, overly enthusiastic villages could be, but the cheer felt like a facade.
Something dark had happened here, and no amount of cinnamon-scented baking could cover it up.
The four of us stepped out into the crisp air, our boots crunching against the snow as we made our way down the cobblestone path.
Shops with frosted windows lined the street, their displays practically oozing the holiday spirit.
Plush Santa hats, handcrafted ornaments, and jars of spiced cider filled the shelves, while the warm, inviting aroma of cinnamon and fresh-baked cookies wafted from the bakeries.
I focused ahead, ignoring the cheerful atmosphere as we headed toward the village’s far side.
The hum faded as we approached a cluster of buildings tucked in the shadows, away from the main drag.
The maintenance shed loomed at the edge of the lot, its drab exterior a stark contrast to the rest of the village.
Several police cars were parked out front, their lights flashing muted red and blue against the snow.
Victor was waiting for us near the shed, his tall frame cutting an imposing figure even in the festive surroundings.
His eyes met mine as we approached, and he gave a curt nod.
The presence of the SNPD meant one thing—the mundane authorities had been handled, kept at bay while Victor and his team worked to determine whether something otherworldly was involved.
“Glad you could make it,” he said, his voice low and clipped, a perfect match for the tension in the air.
“Not like I could say no,” I replied, forcing a thin smile. “What are we looking at?”
“Follow me,” Victor said, his tone giving nothing away as he motioned for us to follow him toward the shed.
The others fell into step behind me, their expressions shifting into something more serious.
Whatever waited for us inside, it wasn’t going to be pretty.
And as much as I hated the idea of spending my night investigating a murder in the middle of what looked like a Hallmark movie set, I knew Carnell wouldn’t have sent me if it wasn’t important.
The twinkling lights of the village faded behind us as we stepped toward the darkened shed. For the first time that night, the holiday cheer felt like it belonged to a different world.
The inside of the shed was cold and dimly lit, with a single bulb overhead casting a weak, yellow glow that barely pushed back the shadows.
It was larger than I expected, with shelves lining the walls packed full of soil bags, gardening tools, and neatly stacked boxes labeled with holiday decorations.
The subtle scent of pine and damp earth lingered in the air, though it didn’t do much to mask the tension hanging heavy in the room.
Victor’s gaze flicked over Aurora for a split second before he turned and led us toward the back of the shed.
I caught the look but didn’t comment, filing it away for later as my boots crunched softly against the concrete floor.
We followed him through the narrow aisles, the shelves closing in like walls.
“So,” I said, keeping my voice low, “why’d you call Carnell on this one?”
Victor didn’t break stride. “Because I’m pretty sure a demon is responsible.”
The words hit like a slap of cold water. “Demon?” I repeated, my brows shooting up.
He nodded, his tone grim. “Wait until you see the victim. But first, let me tell you what I walked into.”
We reached the far corner of the shed, and he paused, his eyes scanning the space as if to make sure we were alone. “The guy looked like he died of fear,” he said, his voice low but clear. “Eyes wide, mouth frozen in a scream. And the marks on his body…” He shook his head. “You’ll see.”
The oppression in his voice sent a shiver down my spine. “You think it was a gaki?” I asked, my mind flashing to the demon who’d terrorized Ravenholde not long ago.
“No,” Victor said firmly. “The eyes are white. And based on the estimated time of death, it happened about four hours ago.”
That ruled out the gaki. Whatever we were dealing with, it was something else entirely. He stepped aside, revealing the body lying in the center of the room.