Page 30 of A Silenced Midlife

"Floating?" I echoed, my heart aching for the bewildered kid.

"Yeah, but I really did almost fly," he whispered, barely audible.

Liam's hand shook in mine as I wrapped my fingers around his, pressing the cool surface of the truth stone against his palm. "It's not crazy," I assured him, meeting his tear-filled gaze with a steady one of my own. "You’re not crazy. I promise you're not losing your mind."

Drew leaned forward, elbows on his knees, his deep voice calm and grounded. "Son, you are a nephilim. Do you know what that is?"

"Ha!" The laugh burst from Mrs. Stewart like air from a popped balloon. "Nephilim? That's crazy talk. Nephilim are from mythology, from fiction."

Liam glanced between Drew and his mother. "What's that?"

"Well," she huffed, still holding her son close, "in mythology, it's the offspring of an angel and a human." She shook her head in disbelief. "But come on, you might as well be a vampire as a nephilim."

Olivia let out an uneasy chuckle, glancing sideways at me. "Well..."

Ignoring the tension, I focused on Liam. "Look at this." Concentrating, I summoned a small flame into my hand. It danced on my palm, casting a warm light across our faces.

Olivia whispered to Drew, leaning in close. "Why wasn't Liam pulled to the house when we did the silencing spell?"

"Probably because he's not human," Drew murmured back, watching the flame in my hand. "Only humans were drawn in, and Mrs. Stewart was out of town."

"Listen, I don't know how you got fire in your hand, but my son is human because there's nothing else but human," Mrs. Stewart declared as she raised her hand to dismiss the idea.

Olivia tilted her head, a knowing look in her blue eyes. "I think we need a bigger display." With a casual flick of her wrist, she snapped her fingers. The boxes began to unpack themselves, objects floating, finding their places on shelves and in drawers with precise choreography.

Mrs. Stewart shot to her feet, her head whipping around as she tracked the movement of her belongings settling into their new home. Her mouth hung open. "How in God's green earth did you do that?"

"Magic," Olivia stated simply, standing amidst the newly arranged living room. "The same reason your son has been having all these things happen around him is because he is half angel."

"Who is his father?" Drew asked directly.

The color rose in Mrs. Stewart's cheeks, her gaze dropping to the floor. "I've never hidden this from Liam," she began, her voice softer now. "His father was someone I met at a concert. We had a wild night and Liam was the wonderful product of that night." She hesitated, her discomfort apparent. "Unfortunately, I have no way of contacting him. I hate that for Liam, but I can't hate that it happened because otherwise, I wouldn't have had my son."

Olivia nodded, an understanding glint in her gaze, while I watched mother and son, seeing secrets and revelations settle around them.

"Your father," I said, looking at Liam then back to Mrs. Stewart, "the man from the concert, he has to have been an angel."

"Can you describe him?" Drew asked gently.

"Liam looks a lot like him," Mrs. Stewart replied in a hushed tone as if she were talking about a sacred memory. "His father was darker skinned than Liam, but they have the same eyes and hair. He had a similar build too, strong but slender."

I nodded, taking in the information. The puzzle pieces didn't quite fit yet. Angels weren't my specialty, but I knew someone who would know. "I don't know which angel that could be," I admitted. "But I can ask around. Lucifer will know."

"Lucifer?" Mrs. Stewart's voice pitched higher, her eyes wide with disbelief.

"Long story," I quipped.

"Mrs. Stewart, your son can't continue to let his magic run wild," I told her firmly. "It's not safe for him or others."

"I have no idea how this is happening," Liam muttered, looking down at his hands.

"We know some nephilim who can help you get a handle on it," I assured him. "Just stay home until we get back in touch. We'll get you some help as soon as we can.”

"Is there somewhere he can learn to control it?" Mrs. Stewart asked.

"Actually, yes," I said with a small smile. "We have a school where magical children can learn about their abilities. And they teach math and other typical subjects too."

"Magic and math, huh? Sounds kind of cool," Liam said, a tentative smile breaking through his uncertainty. It was the first real sign of interest since we'd broken the news to him.

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