By the time the sun set we’d already left the village. Erys bought some provisions and supplies, but other than that we really don’t have much. Maybe enough gold to pay for two more weeks or so of food after what we have runs out.

We strayed off the main road a bit and I managed to make us a makeshift hut with the help of the trees. We’ve been living like this for a few weeks now, and we’re almost to the port town of Lycens. I told Erys that I wanted to learn more about where I came from and who my parents were, and he told me that he knew someone who might be able to help me in Lycens. I guess that’s how we ended up here.

I watch the sun as it reflects off the surface of the ocean, casting dappled light on the rocks below me. Erys appears behind me, and I hear him sigh.

“You’ll have to cover up your wings again,” he whines, stroking a glossy black feather. “So soft,” he says happily, smiling to himself. Catching me by surprise, he tackles me from behind in a big bear hug and buries his face in my wing. “It’s so cold here!” he pouts, wrapping his cloak even tighter around his shoulders. “How are you not freezing?”

Laughing, I shove him off, ruffling his hair absentmindedly. “You forget I literally lived in the sky. This is hot for me.”

“Oh, yeah,” he says after a moment. He plops himself down in the sand next to me, gazing out at the water. “Have you thought about what you’re gunna ask about when we get there?”

“Hmm.”

He grabs wet sand and starts making towers out of the drops that fall from his hand. “What does that mean?”

“I dunno. I’ll probably ask about my parents. I don’t really know their first names but I know my last name."

He eyes go wide in mock surprise. “You have a last name?” he asks, gasping dramatically.

I elbow him in the side, and he falls sideways into the ground laughing.

“It’s weird to say it in this language, but I think it would translate to Akshaykeerti. It means Eternal Flame.”

“Woah…” he whispers with fascination from his place in the sand. “That’s such a cool name! I hate mine. It’s just a reminder of who my family is. Honestly, it’s something I’d rather forget. That’s why I decided to help you! Well, part of the reason, anyway. It was why I was so willing to leave those woods. It’s my family’s territory, after all. Not the willow, though. The willow has been unclaimed territory since as long as I can remember…”

I grin at him as he continues rambling, lost in his own head and a thoughtful smile on his face. We may have only known each other for a few weeks, but I feel like I’ve known him my whole life. Maybe it’s because neither of us have ever gotten the chance to bond with anyone before. Him surrounded by vampires and me in the orphanage. I’ve always had to be mature and look out for myself, but around him I find myself acting like the little kid I never got to be. He’s the same way. It’s like he’s a completely different person from the dark brooding figure he was when I met him. When it’s just the two of us, it’s like years’ worth of tension in his shoulders lifts and he becomes this care-free little boy.

“Oh! I just had an awesome idea!”

“Whatcha got?” I ask, leaning back on my hands.

He crawls over to me, inspecting my demon wing. “So, you know how you can change your body, right? Could you, like turn into a dragon or something?”

I laugh. “No, unfortunately it doesn’t work that way. It would be pretty cool, though, wouldn’t it?”

He falls back onto the sand with his arms out to either side and water laps at his fingertips. “Damn. I would’ve loved to see you as a dragon.”

I smirk. “Maybe…” I trail off, closing my eyes and focusing hard on my face. When I look at Erys again, his smile grows twice as large.

“Holy shit! That looks awesome!”

I peek at my reflection in the water. White dragon horns rest on top of my head and small scales dot my temples. I open my mouth and run my tongue along the sharp points of my canine teeth.

“How do you deal with this every day?” I ask, working my jaw.

He gives me a toothy grin, displaying his fangs. “Those are way bigger than mine. But I guess since I was born with ‘em I’m just used to it? Also, new question—if you can change your features why can’t you just get rid of your wings?”

“Wings are a physical representation of someone’s soul. Their essence, I guess you could call it. It’s not possible for us to mask that. It’s never been seen as a problem because most angels are excruciatingly prideful beings and their wings are their prized possession.”

“Huh. So, what do your wings represent?”

“Honestly, I have no idea what they mean. There have been hybrids before, but they were either sent down to live with the demons or put do death. The angels have no records of… this. Usually you can tell what kind of person you are by the color of your wings. Social standing, too. Aristocrats have gold-tipped wings, and they’re usually really vibrant. Those who fall lower is society tend to have duller wings. The current Celestial Advisor’s wings look like they’re made of bright yellow crystal. As for the opalescence of my wings, there have been maybe five cases since the beginning of our race. One of them was the original Celestial Advisor, but it’s not genetic, before you get any crazy ideas about me being royalty or something.”

“So. What about your parents do you know?”

I sigh. “Nothing, really. Only the frustratingly watered down details I got from the angels. My mom was a demon, and my other parent was an angel. That’s what they told me at the orphanage, anyway, so who knows how much of that is true. Mom was some higher-level demon who came to Brecht and met an angel whom she fell in love with. Long story short, they had me and then… they both mysteriously disappeared. I assume they were killed, but… I have no proof. There’s virtually no record of there existence and the orphanage wouldn’t give me names, so…”

“Well, if it makes you feel any better, my parents are, like, the epitome of the word asshole. Fucking purebloods. I wouldn’t be surprised if they were related by blood somewhere down the line. They look down on everyone. I wasn’t allowed to have friends growing up because they were so focused on blood that they didn’t want me even looking at a vampire that wasn’t a pureblood. And when it comes to hunting, they only eat from ‘rare delicacies’ whatever the fuck that means.” He’s angry now, the tips of his ears turning pink and his irises narrowing to slits. “Elves, sometimes. Or aristocratic vampires. They won’t even touch a human.”

I lean over and kiss his forehead lightly, and he sighs.

“Sorry, I get carried away when I bring up my parents.”

“It’s fine,” I say, lying back on the sand again. “I don’t really care. You’re amazing and nothing like your parents, and I’m so glad I met you.”

He sets his head on my chest and closes his eyes, smiling. “Thanks, Jana. I’m really glad I met you, too.” He laces our fingers together and we both drift off to sleep as stars begin to fill the darkening sky.