Keeper of The Lost Cities: Book 9: Showdown

Chapter 9 - Keefe's POV

People stand around the kitchen counter, drinking eggnog (that thing is SO. GOOD!) and hot chocolate (EVEN BETTER!), chatting, while others sit in the living room, some on sofas, some on the floor, playing team charades, the Disney Edition. Liam has his friends and family over for a Christmas Eve/Christmas party, and when he told me how many people were coming, I interrogated him on every person, what they like, their tastes, then ran back to Harrods, burned through one more luster, came back, wrapped everything, and then hid it in my closet. Now, half the presents sitting by the tree are ones I'm giving (I'm generous. Don't judge).

"Ooh, I know this one! What is it, that dragon from Mulan," a red-headed woman with blue eyes calls out? She introduced herself as Liam's sister, Millie. She snaps her fingers. "Mushu! Yes, that's it." High fives go around when the person charading confirms it and steps down.

"Tristan, your turn, buddy," Dr. Daniels calls out. He's on the other team, with Liam and a couple of other guys. I put my hot chocolate on a table and act out a scene from Frozen. I keep repeating it over and over again until Liam calls out.

"Mate, we don't know, your team is too good."

Millie and I share a smile, and then I sign the words. Elsa. From Frozen.

The other team facepalms, and some how dumb do you have to bes go around while the people talking around the kitchen slowly drizzle into the living room. Millie pulls a little girl who looks like her into her lap, and Liam and Dr. Daniels stand up.

"It's presents time!" Everyone cheers and finds a spot to sit on the couches and chairs, while some of us stand up to go and get our gifts from underneath the tree. I decided to give Liam and Dr. Daniels their gifts after everyone leaves, and since Liam and I got a little something for everyone, I had a little game planned. I nudged Liam to remind him.

"Ok, folks, listen up." He waits for everyone's attention, then continues. "We have a scavenger hunt planned!" Everyone cheers again. "The rules are: No looking in closets or drawers, no messing things up, nothing will be in bathrooms, don't bump or shove, and once you have found your gift - yes, it will have your name on it - you can't help others look for theirs." He looks around as everyone nods. "Good, then let's hop, skip, and jump to it!" Everyone jumps up and starts to look around, and Liam and Dr. Daniels bust out some holiday music from the stereo. I pour myself another cup of hot chocolate when a little girl screams/declares "I'M STUCK!" It's the little girl Millie was holding in her lap just a little bit before. Dr. Daniels shakes his head and goes to help the little girl.

Liam and I drink out hot chocolate in silence, then he drops a bomb.

"So... Keefe Sencen, huh?" he takes another sip, like it's every day that you get this kind of news. My mouth drops open and I try to deny it when he grabs my hand and feels my pulse. Sometimes I wish I wasn't an Empath. "No use denying it, buddy, I'm not dumb. And I know you can speak."

I shake my head and pull my arm away. Then I whisper. "How?"

Somehow Liam understands what I'm asking. He looks away. "The Neverseen weren't the only ones who tried to recruit humans." he looks at me. "Dr. Wright was my uncle."

Another person I know, who my mother has caused grief to. "I'm sorry."

Liam continues his story hurriedly, like he needs to get this out. "When your mother reached out to him, the Black Swan already came to ask us to join them. At first, we were reluctant, because we didn't want to be part of or do anything illegal. I've heard about rebel groups," he looked at me. "And even though there is that saying, what is it, something like doing bad things for a good reason? I don't know. We didn't want any part of it. The strange thing was, the Black Swan reached out to me and my father, but the Neverseen reached out to my Uncle and his sister, my mother. I don't know if it was a coincidence. I'm sure some of us can argue that coincidences don't exist."