Chapter 7
“Liam, calm down!” I said, holding my hands up, palms out, trying to stop the rising panic in his voice. My chest was still heaving, and the adrenaline from the confrontation with Krampus was making it hard to focus.
“Are you kidding me?” Liam stepped back, his eyes wide, his gaze darting from my face to my hands. “You have claws, Mom. Claws!”
I glanced down, realizing too late that my shifter side had bled through during the chaos. My fingers were tipped with sharp, curved claws, my skin still carrying the faint shimmer of transformation. Damn it.
“It’s okay,” I said quickly, my voice calm but firm. “I’m part shifter.”
He stared at me like I’d just grown a second head. “What does that even mean? What are you—?” His voice cracked, and I could see the shock and fear behind his confusion.
I took a slow breath, forcing my claws to retract as I stepped toward him. “Liam,” I said softly, “I promise I’ll explain everything. Just… not here. Let’s go back to the apartment, and we’ll talk.”
His jaw tightened, his hands curling into fists at his sides. “Fine,” he said finally, his voice clipped. “Go ahead. I’ll catch up.”
I hesitated, searching his face for any sign that he might bolt, but he held his ground, his expression stormy. I nodded, knowing I couldn’t push him now without making it worse. “We’ll tell you everything, I swear.”
As Carnell and I turned and started toward the building, I let out a slow breath, feeling the tension in my shoulders ease slightly. Carnell’s voice broke the silence beside me, dry and laced with sarcasm. “Well, that could have gone better.”
I shot him a look as we walked toward the Moreau Building, with Liam trailing behind. “Thanks for the commentary, Grandaddy.”
Carnell smirked faintly, his hands tucked into his pockets. “I’m just saying, the claws probably weren’t the best introduction to the supernatural world.”
“Yeah, you think?” I muttered, my voice tight with frustration. “He’s going to freak out when I tell him everything. And then there’s the whole Luke thing…”
Cal emerged from an alley. He was fully human, but had lost his shirt when he shifted to his gargoyle form. “I lost him. That demon is far faster than he looks.” He glanced back at Liam. “How is he taking it?”
“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 world cracked 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 twisting the 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 what I 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.”
The words hit like a slap, but I kept my expression neutral. “I’m telling you, the world is full of things you don’t understand,” I said quietly. “And I’m one of the people who keep it from falling apart.”
He didn’t respond, just stared at me, his knuckles white as he gripped his damaged arm. I had no idea what he was thinking, but one thing was clear—his world had just been turned upside down, and there was no going back.
I glanced down and saw the blood dripping steadily from Liam’s arm, forming small, dark pools on the floor. My stomach twisted, but I kept my voice calm. “Liam, you’re bleeding. I’ve already texted Salima to come over. She and Eve are on their way.”
He didn’t say anything. He just stared at me with that same haunted look he’d been wearing since this whole mess started. I couldn’t tell if he even noticed the blood or if the shock of everything else had completely numbed him.
“And,” I added, my voice dropping lower as I forced myself to say the words, “I asked Eve to bring one of her special potions.”
The air in the room shifted immediately, heavy with tension.
Salima’s healing potion would help his arm, but the memory potion—that was the choice weighing on me, the one I knew would get pushback as soon as the words left my mouth.
Both Cal and Carnell snapped their gazes to me, their reactions instant and severe.
Cal’s stony expression tightened, his jaw clenching with a slight twitch. Carnell, on the other hand, didn’t bother hiding his disapproval. His sharp, knowing gaze bore into me, practically shouting what he thought of my decision without him having to say a word.
I avoided their looks, focusing instead on Liam, who hadn’t moved from his seat. He looked tired, overwhelmed, and so much younger than his years. He was bleeding, physically and emotionally, and I couldn’t let this world crush him. Not again.
“This is my call,” I said firmly, though I didn’t turn to face Carnell or Cal.
Carnell made a soft sound—half sigh, half growl—but said nothing. Cal shifted slightly as he exchanged a glance with Carnell. Their disagreement was written all over their faces, but I didn’t care. This was my son, my choice.