“Sera, it has been four months, how have you not brought up the fact you study magick?” Ken basically yells at me.

I wince at his words and I bring my hands to my face to rub my cheeks in an almost cute manner.

“Ken,” I whine with a pout, “I’m scared… Can’t I just-”

“No, tell him sooner rather than later if you expect to build a trusting relationship… Especially since you two started having ,” He tells me sternly.

I hush him at his last words and flush brightly as we continue our walk down the street towards the coffee shop in town. It’s beginning to chill as the night air surrounds the two of us and when I make out Ravi’s figure standing near the door of the coffee house I smile to myself.

“Don’t go grinning stupidly like that… I’m going to grill him you know,” Ken tells me with a sly smile.

I roll my eyes slightly and skip to Ravi’s side and I am greeted with a tight embrace and a light peck to my cheek. I had convinced Ravi to meet Ken for the first time, explaining to Ravi that he was close friend I had met through Connor, which he did not seem too happy.

“Hi, I’m Ravi,” He says as he extends a hand towards Ken.

Ken smirks and shakes it in return, “Ken.”

“Nice to meet you…” Ravi tells him awkwardly, his hand falling back to his side.

It’s silent for a moment or two until Ravi suggests we take a seat at an outdoor table near the heater while he gets us what we like from inside.

“Are you sure?” I ask.

He nods before leaning to kiss me on the lips. For some reason he presses them against mine a little longer than our regular pecks and suddenly I feel him smirking against my mouth. When he pulls away he takes the time to lean down against my ear.

“I really want you tonight.”

My cheeks soon match the colour of my red hair as Ravi quickly turns to make his way into the coffee house. I sit down with a strange smile on my face and look to Ken who is giving me a disgusted look.

Ever since we had started having , the amount was almost unhuman like; not only was it every night a week, but at least five times a night. It was draining but I couldn’t say no to his heated skin for some reason.

“You guys are like rabbits,” Ken comments.

If possible, my cheeks further redden, “Shut up.”

He nods with a roll of the eyes as he raps his fingers against the edge of the table.

“It’s too bad he can’t see the way your cheeks match your hair right now,” Ken tells me.

My smile evaporates and I sigh melancholically. Did he really have to bring that up now?

“I know… In time, Ken. I’ll tell him in time.”

He nods again, a sincere smile on his face.

“You know I want him to accept it? If he doesn’t… N and I won’t hold back from doing something.”

He is laughing now and I scoff at his comment. Although he is in a cheery manner, I know not to take his words lightly. I try to laugh it off and turning it into a joke.

“I’m sure,” I breathe.

Ken’s eyes lift from my face, “Oh, cookies too. How lovely.”

I can hear Ravi laugh while he places the three cups of coffee on the table. He puts three different cookies with them and urges us to take one each.

“Thanks, I like the oatmeal one,” Ken tells him while biting into the cookie.

I smile to myself when I take the mint chocolate chip cookie from the plate. He knew I liked this strange flavour so he bought it for me every time we came to this particular shop.

Ken and Ravi begin to have a conversation about God knows what as I stare at the cookie in my hand, hoping I wasn’t like this strange flavour to him… If he knew everything about me, would he not want me anymore, just like this strange cookie I held?

“Sera, earth to Sera!”

I break out of my thoughts when I hear Ravi’s voice and I turn my eyes to him.

“What?” I ask with a doe-eyed expression to which Ravi giggles at.

“Ravi’s wondering if you know the answer to his question,” Ken tells me with a strange tone.

“What is it?” I ask Ravi.

“Do you know if there’s some type of convention going on this weekend?”

Ravi has his regular smile as he runs his hands through his dark hair.

“I don’t think so… Why?” I ask with a chuckle.

“He saw someone dressed up in there,” Ken answers with before Ravi begins to explain.

“She had these weird lace wings on her back, but maybe she was just going to a costume party.”

I in my breath as I eye Ken whose eyebrow is quirked in interest.

“Have you seen a lot of people dressed up today? We should find this place and crash the party.”

Ken’s eyes are on Ravi who laughs in response, “Just the past two days, so I figured there must be a convention.”

I laugh nervously before Ravi changes the conversation to something else that I ignore…

My gaze drifts to the coffee shop windows where I take note of a pale, blonde haired girl sitting in a green leather chair.  She had to be the one he was talking about because other than her regular clothing, there was a pair of leaf patterned lace wings sprouting from her back. Unnoticeable to those who do not believe, but for those who do, you immediately pick up on the giant wings that carried a yellow glow around them. My mouth drops open in surprise and I can’t help but wonder if there was more to Ravi than I know about.

***

“Ravi,” I whine as he wraps his arms around my waist to pull me back onto his bed, “It’s ten in the morning, one of us should get up.”

I hear him laugh as he presses his lips against the back of my neck and I giggle in response.

“Just stay a little longer,” He begs.

I smile at his unwillingness to let me go, but there are more pressing matters at hand as of his comments from last night.

“You know that Connor will kill me if I am late to visit her,” I tell him as I pry his fingers from my skin.

He grunts in reply, kissing my neck somewhat roughly before letting me go. He falls back onto his bed while I pull my clothing on. I can feel his eyes on me as I pull my shirt over my head so I in attempt to lighten his saddened mood.

“You can admire the view, but you certainly had enough last night to last you a couple days.”

He laughs, “No, I think you should come back later.”

I scoff and hike my pants around my hips but smile to myself.

“Well, maybe I will.”

I turn to face him and press my lips against his in a quick manner, moving away from him quickly so he can’t pull me back into bed with him… Although, I wouldn’t be one to protest his advances if he was successful.

“I’ll call you later,” I call as I make my way out of his bedroom, my mind suddenly becoming blank.

I hadn’t asked him about seeing things like the woman with wings, nor did I want to at this point… Was there something he wasn’t telling me? Did he not trust me with such information? Well, who am I to judge when I hadn’t said anything about my study of magick.

I make my way to the window of his living room and climb through it to the fire escape landing that was just outside of it. With one last glance over my shoulder to make sure Ravi hadn’t left his room, I recite my levitation incantation and find myself quickly hovering over the railing. After so many years of practise, I was becoming quite quick at this simple spell.

I find my feet hitting the ground after mere seconds and I strut up the alleyway towards Connors shop. The walk from here should only take five minutes so I try to keep my thoughts calm as I wander through the sea of people.

Ken said he would wait to say anything to Connor, but we both agreed that it should be something to discuss with her… Maybe she could see if there was something in his bloodline, but although only meeting Ravi’s parents briefly here and there, there wasn’t any inkling as to them holding any magical qualities from my eyes; the ordinary black, white and grey family.

While in my trance, my shoulder brushes against someone else’s and I glance up to apologize. It’s a young man with dark black hair with a lost look in his eyes. He nods but utters no word to me as he pauses his feet. His face is similar to a cartoon dinosaur and I can’t help but feel bad for him as he stares at me.

“Are you okay?” I ask.

He nods slowly, his eyes still empty.

“Are you sure, sir?” I question once more.

“Hyuk…” he breathes.

“I’m sorry?”

“My name is Hyuk,” he tells me and I smirk at him strangely.

“Okay, nice to meet you Hyuk.”

I begin to wander away from the stranger and as I let my thoughts begin to drift he says something once more.

“Nice hair; it’s similar to an apple.”

My eyes widen slightly before I glance at him from over my shoulder to give him a nod. I eye him for a moment before noticing the pink ribbon tied around his wrist.

“I like the bracelet, it’s similar to cherry blossom,” I tell him with a confident smirk.

He nods again while letting his eyes fall to the ground, “See you around.”

He turns around and leaves me to wonder about both Ravi and this interesting encounter, yet not for long as I take note of the building of Connor’s shop.

When I throw open the door of the shop, Connor is wandering around aimlessly as old Celtic music hums in the background. N, while in his familiar cat form, tail is flicking about as he stalks to counter. I smile at him as Connor’s hand rubs the top of his head.

“Connor?”

“Yes, my dear!” She basically hollers before spinning round to face me.

I smile, “Can we talk for a moment before we start our lesson?”

“Sure.”

I move towards the table covered with a green satin runner and take a seat in one of the chairs, eager to tell her the information from yesterday.

“Uh, I just… I need to talk to you about… Well, about Ravi.”

Her swaying halts and she turns to eye N whose tail stops in surprise. His yellowy eyes glance at me before he quickly transforms into the human version of himself.

“Yesterday… Ken, Ravi and I went for coffee and Ravi noticed something humans shouldn’t, unless they believe or have the blood of something magickal; he saw a fae’s wings…”

Her eyes widen in surprise, “Has he ever mentioned anything fantasy like? Have you had any other inkling?”

I shake my head as I think over our past years together, everything was completely normal… Well other than… My head stops shaking and Connor is taking a seat across from me at this point.

“There’s one thing,” I say meekly, my cheeks reddening at my current train of thought.

“What is it? If you tell me everything I’ll be able to peace it together.”

“He…” I sigh awkwardly as I glance at N, “He… his drive is a little… unhuman like?”

“… What do you mean?”

“Well, what’s normal for new couples or newlyweds?” I ask eagerly.

N is eyeing me with a stern look, obviously not happy with the topic at hand.

“Around three to four times a week?” She replies with.

I gasp lightly at this and her expression hardens.

“How much do you two have?”

My ears begin to burn and I hesitate while the two of them stare at me.

“Six or seven times,” I start off with as my fingers twitch nervously, “a night.”

Connor’s eyes widen, “Please tell me you are using protection?”

My eyes wander to the alchemy textbooks held in a case opposite of us.

“Ken gave me something,” I reassure her with before making eye contact again.

She nods quickly, “Fae are natural, so he might have something in his bloodline that’s more on the animalistic side… N, can you do me a favour?”

His curious eyes flow to her and she nods towards the door.

“Can you have a sniff of him? Tell me what he smells like, if there is anything animal like? Of all, you’ll be able to tell.”

He shakes his head in agreement and smiles at me before turning himself into the familiar black cat we saw daily.

Connor sprouts from her seat while N makes his way to the window. She throws it open and he quickly springs from the counter to the ledge just outside it and soon he is out of sight.

“Now, why don’t we study until N comes back? Better than sitting on those thoughts,” Connor tells me, pulling at my shoulder to gather my attention.

I nod slightly, “Yeah, uh, okay… Connor?”

I get to my feet as she begins to saunter to the stairs.

“Yes, dear?”

“Will this make things easier…? I mean if he is? Do you think he’ll love me afterwards?”

The corners of lift softly as she nods, “I don’t think he couldn’t love you… Now, let us study.”

I nod once more as we make our way up the stairs… The future I was thinking of before, a witch and a human living merrily, are slowly beginning to fade as my mind is consumed with the idea that the man I was in love with was more than I thought he was.