Liam Takes Manhattan (Elder Races #9.5)

“No,” he said. He gulped coffee and stood up. “I just did some quick searches on Yelp and a reference librarian helped me compile a list of shelters. Then I checked addresses, and West River was close enough that I could stop by from time to time to see how things are going.”


“Well, hurry up,” she told him. “We leave in forty-five minutes. And we have to get you a haircut sometime today. You’re starting to look like a sulky rock star.”

“Well, I am a rock star,” he said, deadpan.

She laughed. “That you are.”

Galvanized into action, he showered in record time and dressed in jeans, lumberjack-style boots and a navy blue, ribbed pullover sweater. When he strode into the kitchen Pia had another cup of coffee waiting for him, along with a huge sandwich. He leaned back against the counter, took a large bite and said around his mouthful, “Where’s Dad?”

“Working.” A shadow fell over Pia’s face.

He paused with the sandwich halfway to his mouth. “Is it stuff about Con?”

“Probably,” she said. The shadow passed, and she smiled at him. “He said if he can get away for an hour, he would join us in a bit. Not to look at the animals, of course. The poor things would be terrified of him.”

“I won’t go look at them either,” he muttered, as he finished his breakfast in record time. “They’ll be terrified of me too.”

Pia dumped his dishes into the sink. “You never know, they might have some puppies and kittens that you can visit with. Let’s go.”

He grabbed his leather jacket, she slipped into her coat, and together, they went downstairs where Pia’s guard and friend Eva waited with a warm car. Pia climbed into the front passenger seat while Liam took the backseat. He watched the snowy city streets scroll past while the two women chatted.

Hopefully soon, someone from Glenhaven would read his application and get in touch with him. The college had three terms a year, and the next term started directly after New Year’s. His stomach knotted with equal parts fear and excitement.

I might be leaving home in a few weeks, he thought. That is, if Glenhaven has any room for new students. What if there’s a waitlist? What if I can’t get in for a year?

It was the first time he had considered the possibility, and the thought was unwelcome. He knew he was privileged and lucky in so many ways. For the most part, things happened the way he needed them to, and if for some reason they didn’t, his parents moved heaven and earth to make sure they did.

But Liam Giovanni didn’t have that kind of support. He couldn’t, not and still keep his identity a secret.

He blurted out, “What if I don’t get in?”

Pia and Eva fell silent for a moment. Eva asked, “Get in where?”

“I’ll fill you in on everything later,” Pia told her. Twisting in her seat to look at him, Pia said, “Honey, all any admissions counselor has to do is see how you can run fire up and down your hands and arms, while not getting burned. Believe me, they’ll let you in. They’ll probably try to shove a scholarship at you too, no matter what your father says.”

His panic subsided a bit. He muttered, “I sure hope so.”

“Try not to worry.” Pia reached back to pat his knee. “Everything is going to be okay.”

Her reassurance helped, but only a little. Because what if it wasn’t? Sometimes things weren’t okay. People died, and bad things happened.

A shiver ran down his spine, but he slid into silence again, crossing his arms and hunching in his seat as much as his seat belt would let him as he stared out the window.

West River Animal Shelter was located in a rundown industrial area in the southeast section of Midtown West, just north of the Lincoln Tunnel and close to the Hudson River. There wasn’t a parking lot, so as Eva looked for a place to park, Pia turned around to Liam again.

“If you’re going to college as Liam Giovanni, we have to start working now to keep your identity a secret. We can’t tell anybody at the shelter about you.” Pia’s gaze was serious as she searched his expression. “We can’t explain that my magical son wanted us to buy the organization. As far as most of the world knows, you’re still a baby.”

“Yeah, I get it,” he said. “I’m cool with that.”

“And besides, I don’t even know if you can buy a nonprofit. We’ll probably have to make a large enough donation so that we can get a seat on the board and change policy from there.”

“I’m cool with that too,” he said. “I just want to change it so that it has a no-kill policy.”

“Well, one way or another, we’ll get that done.” She smiled at him. “And in the meantime, you need to be one of my guards for this trip. Okay?”

He shrugged. “Sure.”

Finally, Eva located a spot and backed into it, and Liam opened his door to step out on the snow-packed street. He followed Pia and Eva into the utilitarian-looking building, while he noted how Eva’s restless dark gaze never seemed to stop roaming.