Start | Chapter Seventeen Part One | Index | Chapter Seventeen Part Three

Liam certainly seemed cool with being woken in the middle of the night. He turned up on Tanya’s doorstep less than an hour after she called, a slim, dark haired young man in black jeans and a white shirt. There seemed to be nothing rag tag about him at all.

He grinned at Tanya as she led him into the sitting room. “This is quite a convocation and I don’t think most of these people are in the Order. Would you like to introduce us and explain what’s going on.”

“Remember you promised not to freak?” she asked.

“When have I ever freaked, Tanya? I am not Rhiane,” He said blandly as he settled into a seat. “But if you’re trying to make me curious then you’ve succeeded. I am really curious now. What on earth is going on?”

Tanya retook her own seat and began to explain the whole situation from the start with occasional interruptions and clarifications from Meredith. When they finished he sat thoughtfully for a while. Then he looked up at Tanya and shook her his head. His eyes were glittering with amusement.

“I knew you were hiding something, Tan, but being a werewolf is an awful big thing to hide.” He turned to look at Sarah. “And you, you’re a raving lunatic, girl.” He looked at Meredith. “What about you Merry? I’m sure you’re hiding something as well.”

She put her head on one side and gave a mysterious smile. “Not quite as big as being a werewolf, but I am not sure how people would react. I’m a dhampir.”

“You have a vampire parent!” Tanya exclaimed. “I thought that was just a myth.”

“No,” she said wryly. “It’s no myth. It’s also why have this odd ability to recognise vampires and werewolves on sight and where my psychic powers come from. Unfortunately for me the shock of nearly being killed when those werewolves attacked me made me transform slightly and I’d trigger certain security tests as a vampire now. That’s why I was desperate to move.”

“It’s not common but it does happen,” Michael said.

“You were lying about not knowing Ian was a vampire weren’t you?” Tanya said.

Meredith nodded sadly. “He was a good kid really, but he’d started going really wonky recently. He seemed to be coming around to the idea that he shouldn’t be a hypocrite then woosh. Up in flames.” She frowned briefly. “There’s almost a pattern of that with the kids recently. I think something is up.”

“We’ll look into it later,” Liam said. His eyes were gleaming excitedly – probably at the thought of a mystery. “I do know a few people who might be able to help you with this raid to rescue Anna. Let me think about it and place a few calls. Which leaves the final question.” He turned to look at David. “That I can’t help you with yet. It certainly sounds like he’s going to be something that would come under my jurisdiction but telepathy, clairvoyance and precognition are par for the course for most of those. We’ll have to wait and see what else materialises as he emerges – there’s no known way to tell until he does.” He rubbed his hands together in an anticipatory fashion. “Who knows he might turn out to be something interesting and unique like the ghost eater.”

“But hopefully not as creepy. That guy creeps me out,” Tanya said. “Why do you put up with him?”

“He is not that bad,” Liam said. “At least he has ethics and a code of honour. Makes him tolerable. Anyway we don’t know how to kill him so we rather have to, and he is occasionally useful.” He paused. “And he is so very interesting!”

“That’s one word for it,” Meredith said. “But I’d go with creepy like Tan.”

“I don’t want to be creepy,” David said and Liam chuckled.

“I doubt you are. We’ll just have to wait and see what comes in when you change. But nineteen is a little late for an emergence and if your grandmother was Leannaun and your father was a werewolf it’s distinctly likely you’re something unusual. When supernatural bloodlines mix very odd stuff sometimes happens and it usually comes in a bit later than with plain changes.

He almost bounced in his seat. “Eee! It’s a while since I had the chance to study an emergence. You don’t mind if I stick around and make notes on it do you?” He fished around in his bag and brought out a wad of paper which he thrust at David. “Would you fill this in as well? I have a theory that pre-emergence interests and personality influence the end results and I’m trying to collect data on it.”

David stared at the guy for a moment then looked back at Tanya. “You didn’t mention that this guy is a total supernatural critter geek. I swear he is bouncy about being in the same room as so many different supernatural creatures.” He did take the wad of paper though and start to leaf through it.

Tanya chuckled. “Yes, I had noticed that. I told you he was cool.” She turned her attention to Liam. “But easily distracted apparently. You’ve got some calls to make remember. There’s a life to save.”

“Yes, yes I know.” He pulled a phone from his bag and thumbed through the numbers.

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