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Sydney spent the day unpacking boxes and keeping herself too busy to think. She had her pop music station on. Singing along helped. It kept her mind occupied and stopped it from going down too many rabbit holes.

As soon as she emptied a box, she took it to the garage and broke it down, ready to go out for recycling.

She stopped to eat a late lunch and let Mackie out for a bit, then went right back to work. There was a lot to do, and for once, she was grateful for the workload.

Box after box disappeared while the stack of flattened cardboard in her garage grew. On a subconscious level, she knew that if she ended up deciding to move, she was going to need those boxes, but she couldn’t just sit around, doing nothing.

If she had to repack, so be it. She’d hire a company and let them handle it while she shopped for a new home in the city.

She felt like she had to keep herself busy until it was safe. Which meant until Adam left for work. Then there was no chance of running into him. She’d probably sit in the backyard with Mackie then.

She wasn’t up to taking him for a walk. That felt way too vulnerable.

And if she kept busy, and Adam came over to talk, she hoped he’d hear her music and take that as a sign she was occupied. If not, it would be no lie to open the door and tell him as much.

But it had to be close to the time he’d be leaving, and he still hadn’t come over. Not since he’d dropped the bread off earlier, which remained out on the porch.

It was a waste of food, but she couldn’t bring herself to take it in. Doing that would feel like she was saying everything was all right. And it wasn’t.

She couldn’t just go back to how things were.

With a sigh, she inspected the boxes that remained. She only had a few more left to go, and most of them were books. Autobiographies, because she found people’s stories immensely interesting, plus a whole lot of thrillers, spy novels, romances, and mysteries.

She needed bookcases, though, and she didn’t have any. Her apartment in the city had had built-ins. For now, she stacked the books on the floor in small piles, lining them up as neatly as she could.

She finished the last stack and put her hands on her lower back, arching into a stretch that felt really good. She’d gotten a lot done today. Might all be for naught, but it was what she’d needed to do.

Mackie was snoozing on the couch. She smiled at him as she straightened. “Lazybones.”

Suddenly, his head came up, and he looked toward the door. She hadn’t heard a car, but then, her music was pretty loud. She turned it down and went to look just as her doorbell rang.

She stopped a few feet away. Was it Adam? Or a delivery? She stood there, wavering on what to do.

Then whoever it was knocked. “Sydney? You in there? It’s me, Birdie.”

Sydney exhaled and opened the door. “Hi, Birdie. How did you know where I lived?”

“I got your address off the police report. I hope you don’t mind.” She pushed the loaf of bread in its bag into Sydney’s hands. “Someone left you some bread. Nice neighbors. No one leaves me bread. Although I did get someone’s paper by mistake once.”

“Um, yeah. Thanks.” So much for that. She stepped out of the way. “Come on in.”

Birdie’s eyes widened. “Your place is really chic. Not that I expected anything else. I love the white couch. I’ve thought about getting one, but I know I’d spill red wine on it the first chance I had. Oh! Is that your puppy?”

Mackie was standing up on the couch, wagging his tail down low and cowering in a sort of submissive posturing, his whole body going back and forth in some strange little dance.

“That’s Mackie. I’ve never seen him do that before, though. Mackie, what’s gotten into you?”

Birdie stuck her hand out to let him sniff it. “He’s a good boy, isn’t he? Yes, he is. And he knows Aunt Birdie’s a friend, doesn’t he?”

Mackie gave Birdie’s hand a lick, then lay down and rolled over, showing off his tummy. Birdie sat beside him and rubbed. “What a sweetheart. I’m available to dog-sit, by the way. If you ever need that.”

“That’s really kind of you. I’ll keep it in mind.” Sydney took the bread into the kitchen. “Do you want a cup of coffee or tea? A diet soda?”

“Don’t go to any trouble.”

“It’s no trouble. I have a Keurig. Anything you want.”

“Well, a cup of decaf would be lovely.”

“You got it.” Sydney had no idea what had prompted the visit, but it was nice to have company in the house. It was a better distraction than unpacking. She made Birdie’s coffee, then got a bottle of water for herself.

She took the drinks out to the living room. Mackie had gone back to sleep, partially draped over Birdie’s leg.

Sydney shook her head as she handed Birdie the coffee. “Do you want me to move him?”

“Don’t you dare.” Birdie smiled as she took the coffee. “I think he’s precious.”

“Thanks.” Sydney sat. “So what brings you by?”

Birdie sipped her coffee before answering. “Two things, really. One, I just wanted to let you know that Veronika is still in custody and will remain there until she makes bail, but even then, a P.O.’s been issued on your behalf.”

“A P.O.?”

“A protective order. What most people call a restraining order.”

“Oh, right. That’s great, thank you.”

Birdie’s gaze grew soft with sympathy. “How are you doing? I’m sure the whole thing was a real shock to the system, being kidnapped and all.”

It was the and all part that bothered Sydney the most, but she wasn’t going to talk about that in front of Birdie. No reason for her to get upset. Or think Sydney had lost her mind. “It was, but I’m dealing with it.”

Birdie nodded in understanding, took another sip of coffee, then set the cup down on the table. “Listen, I can only imagine what it’s like to suddenly find out the world is so much … larger than you ever realized, but I’m here if you want to talk.”

Sydney went still, her thoughts brought to a halt by Birdie’s words. “What do you mean, larger?”

“Well, you know. Finding out that there are people out there with certain gifts and abilities that?—”

“Gifts and abilities?” Sydney stared at her. “You think what I saw were gifts and abilities ?”

“Yes. Granted, Veronika used her gifts in a way utterly abhorrent to most witches I know, but?—”

“How many witches do you know?” Sydney stared at her, the bottle of water she was holding forgotten.

“Um, a lot, I guess.”

Sydney was losing it. She could not actually be having this conversation.

As if witches were just a dime a dozen and commonplace.

What madness was this? Had she hit her head at some point and didn’t realize it?

Maybe she needed to go to the hospital after all, just to see if something truly was wrong with her.

“Okay, you’re freaking out. I get it. This is a lot of new, weird information. But once you get used to it?—”

“Get used to it?” She stuck her hand toward Adam’s house. “How do I get used to the idea that my neighbor turns into a—a— gargoyle .” Just saying the word felt wrong. Like she was admitting what she’d seen. And admitting it somehow felt like acceptance.

She left her bottle of water on the seat and got up, walking back toward the kitchen. “And if he’s a gargoyle, does that mean all the other gargoyles can turn into people, too? Are they walking around in this town like everyone else? Have I already met some of them? I mean, this is crazy.”

“Yes, they all have human forms. Yes, they’re walking around the town like everyone else. I have no idea if you’ve met them, but no, it’s not crazy. It’s just different than what you’re used to.”

Sydney stopped, forcing herself to take a breath and get control of what she was feeling.

Not easy. She spoke softly, trying to be calm, as she stared at the back door.

“I don’t know if I can do this, Birdie. I don’t know if I can be friends with him.

Or anyone like that. I don’t feel like I can trust them. ”

“Why’s that?”

“Because…” She thought hard, really forcing herself to come to terms with the reason. “Because it scares me.”

“Adam scares you?”

Sydney turned to face Birdie again. She nodded. “Yeah, he does. Just saying that makes me feel bad, but it’s the truth.”

“Because he can become this other thing.”

She nodded. “Yeah. It’s so unknown.”

“Do you think he would hurt you?”

“Adam? No. But that creature he becomes?” She sniffed, tears threatening.

She was not going to cry about this. That was just dumb.

“I don’t know anything about that creature.

It’s huge and scary and…” She shook her head, more to get the image out than anything else.

She didn’t want to keep seeing what he’d looked like.

“That creature probably saved your life.”

Sydney hugged her arms around herself. “You don’t know that.”

“No, I don’t. Veronika might have only meant to hurt you, not kill you. In that case, he saved you from serious injury. But he still saved you.”

“I passed out and woke up in a safe place. I don’t know how I got there.”

“Adam, in his gargoyle form, picked you up and flew you there. You and Sugarbelle. Do you think a creature that intended you harm would have saved his dog, too?”

With a sigh, Sydney sat back down. She took the cap off her water and drank deeply. When she was done, she tightened the cap and set the bottle aside. “I have no idea. I just don’t think I can ever look at him the same way again.”

“That’s understandable. But that doesn’t mean your friendship has to end.”

“I think … I think it does.”

Birdie was quiet a moment. “Then you won’t want to be friends with me, either.”

Sydney looked at her. “Why? Because I can’t be friends with him?”

“No, because I’m not exactly human.”

Sydney gasped as an icy finger of fear tickled her spine. “Are you going to turn into a gargoyle, too? Or are you a witch?”

“Neither.” Birdie looked almost bored. “I’m a werewolf.”

Sydney’s mouth came open but only so she could get more air. She had no words. Then she found some. “Are you making fun?”

“No, I’d never do that.”

“You’re serious.”

“I am. Hard to believe, right? But you saw how Mackie responded to me. He knows.”

“That can’t be.”

“Honey, I wouldn’t lie to you. What you need right now is truth.

None of us are going to hurt you. We want the same things you do.

To be left alone to live our lives. As a matter of fact, a lot of supernaturals helped you last night.

Starting with Adam, obviously, but then there were the other deputies involved.

The one who drove you home, she’s a valkyrie, and of course, my nephew, the sheriff, he’s a werewolf, too, and?—”

“What?” Sydney blinked. “Are you saying this town is full of … your kind?”

Birdie nodded. “Yes. That’s the whole point of Nocturne Falls. It’s a place where supernaturals can live their lives in peace and safety, in harmony with all others. Isn’t that what you came here for?”

“Yes, but I had no idea the kind of town I was moving to. Obviously.”

Birdie shrugged. “Maybe there’s a reason you were drawn here. A reason you don’t know about or understand.”

Sydney narrowed her eyes. “Like what?”

Birdie stroked Mackie’s back like this was an ordinary conversation she had every day. “Like maybe you’ve got some supernatural in you, too.”