I snorted in laughter that it was Kellan who pointed that out, but I knew he did it for me. He promised to be angry for me, and slowly, I started to look at Damien like a brother. Started to. Those were the operative words. We were a work in progress as well, but I wasn’t ready to leave the sanctuary home when he first made that offer.

“You sure about this?” Kellan asked me now.

I glanced at him from the passenger side in our car. We had just pulled over in front of Damien’s house. Even though we just arrived, I knew Damien was aware we were there. Once Kellan and I fully merged together, Damien and I could block each other, but spending so much time in the sanctuary together, that connection had grown. I opened my end when I decided I wanted to meet the rest of Damien’s family. Damien knew we’d been coming even as we began to pack our stuff for the road trip. I wasn’t surprised when the front door opened a moment later.

Kellan gestured behind me. “He’s coming to the car.”

I turned around. Damien’s smile stretched from ear to ear as he hurried across the yard. He waved with one hand. I saw an elderly woman appear in the doorway behind him. A little girl stood in front, holding a teddy bear.

I was suddenly nervous.

“Don’t be.”

I didn’t look back at Kellan, but I replied, “They might hate me.”

“You’re Damien’s half-sister. They’ll love you.”

“Hey!” Damien was at the door. He motioned for us to get out. “It’s so good to see you guys.” He pulled me in for a hug, and I hugged him back, but I couldn’t stop looking at the people in the doorway. What did they know about me? Had he told them anything?

“It’s so good to see you guys.” Damien stepped back and nodded to Kellan, who’d come around the side of the car. “Kellan.”

Kellan nodded for his greeting.

“Are you guys staying for a while?”

Damien’s gaze fell on me as he asked the question. I knew Kellan wouldn’t answer. It was for me to decide. I shrugged. “Depends on you, I guess.”

“On me?”

“What do they know?” Kellan gestured to me. “What do they know about Shay?”

“They know everything.”

My eyes widened. Kellan didn’t react, but I could sense his surprise as well. I said, “Everything?”

“Well.” Damien laughed a little, one of his hands sliding inside of his pocket. He lifted up a shoulder. “My mom knew about Sachiel, so they’re aware of that more celestial world out there.”

“And demons?”

“They know about them, too.”

Kellan’s eyes narrowed. That wasn’t what he was asking.

I sighed. “Are they going to have a problem with us?”

“Oh!” Understanding dawned now. Damien shook his head. “No. Not at all. They know you’re my half-sister, Shay. They’ve been asking me every day when you’re going to arrive. I told them that you were coming.”

They knew.

Maybe hearing that shouldn’t have rocked my world, but it did. I felt like my stomach opened up and all my guts spilled out.

Kellan started to laugh. “You’ll take on our two demon siblings, cast out two demon parents, square off against my father, and your father, but you’re scared of meeting those humans back there.” He added, “Good humans, too. I can smell the love they have for you already.”

I was terrified.

“Come on.” Damien threw an arm around my shoulder, turning me toward the house. “I only got a few minutes alone with you. They’re going to be coming out here in two minutes, and my grandmother can be loud. She doesn’t hold back anything. I don’t think we should be talking about demons and messengers where my neighbors can hear.” He looked over to the house beside his. “They already suspect too much anyway. My grandma drinks whiskey. A lot. I told you she gets loud, too, right?”

She did.

She liked to drink, cuss, joke, and she liked to love, too. So did Damien’s mother. His father that raised him. His grandfather and his two siblings. They all loved us, Kellan included. We stayed with them until Kellan and I decided to get our own place. Well—Kellan got us a place the next day, but he waited until I brought it up before letting me in on the secret. He didn’t want to pressure me to leave Damien’s family since we just got there, but once we moved out, I couldn’t lie.

It was wonderful.

Damien’s family welcomed Kellan and me into their family. They were more reserved with Kellan, but who could blame them? Dark, mysterious, gorgeous, and powerful. Damien’s grandma was the only one who took to Kellan immediately, making him drink whiskey with her. The two of them formed an instant friendship, along with Kent Ocean. He began to visit on a regular basis and Damien’s grandma thought he was a hoot.

It was an entire year later when I woke up and felt pangs in my chest.

Kellan was already awake. He was propped up on an elbow, looking down at me, and he raised an eyebrow. “Are you ready for today?”

“No.”

He grinned. “You wanted to do this.”

“I was stupid.”

“Be human. That’s what you said.”

I scowled. I knew where he was going with this. He laughed, tugging at my bottom lip until I started laughing with him. I slapped his hand away.

“I was being stupid. I don’t want to go anymore.”