Fading into time

chapter 9

I awoke to an ungodly yawn and the sound of...bones cracking. Thoroughly alarmed, I turned to the side, only to see said cracker of bones stretching lazily.

"Morning," she chirped and I gingerly unfolded my legs from beneath the extra duvet. Only to dive back under it in record time as the door suddenly flew open.

"So- oh, you're up. Well, hurry up and have breakfast, we're going to the store after to get some snacks. Your cousin's bringing us to Dania tomorrow, remember? We will be staying in the hotel rooms she already booked, and you know your uncle hates the hotel food. And..."

Her voice cut off abruptly and I could almost feel a pair of eyes burning into the duvet. I tried to still my breathing even though my heart was pumping wildly.

"That's the new stray I was talking about. On the fridge," Sophie blurted out and I had to bite down on my tongue to keep from making an indignant remark about me being a stray. Although I guess it was pretty true.

"Oh..." Aunt Adeline said, almost hesitantly, and I vaguely heard soft footsteps shuffling towards me. My breathing quickened and I stifled the gasp that threatened to erupt from within.

"N...no! Uh, she's uh...I mean, he's shy. He's a little scared of strangers and might bite..."

"Oh!" The footsteps retracted back as quickly and quietly as they came. "Doesn't look like he's breathing though. Is it a dog?"

A dog with wings. Apparently.

With a sigh of relief, I regulated my breathing and tried making some wet snuffling noises to make the ploy more believable.

"I'll be down in five, Aunt Adeline. I need to change first, so um..."

"Oh! Silly me!" Aunt Adeline's laughter carried all the way to the door before it was firmly shut.

I ripped the blanket away from my head. Damn, was it suffocating under there.

"So I'm a dog now huh? A stray? With wings." I snorted, grinning up at her.

"Oh shush. Get in the closet before she almost sees you again..."

I swallowed. Damn. I hadn't thought about that...

"...or I could always lock the door?"

I shot her a grateful smile.

It was nice to have friends.

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"Can I ask you something?"

Kygo's gaze swivelled lazily over to me, nodding.

"The history books had a theory that the colour of wings was related to the kind of life a person led. My great-grandmother left a diary behind, and she explained the significance of colours of wings, hence proving that theory. So...do you mind me asking why yours are black? My great-grandmother said that she had never seen someone with fully black wings before."

Then in a softer voice, "Was it because of the experiments?"

A few minutes passed before Kygo spoke, his voice rough and low, masking all emotions within. "Probably. But maybe no. Who knows?"

"Oh," I said lamely, suddenly feeling insensitive and stupid for asking. God, I had to be the klutziest of klutzes.

"What do you think black means?"

I shrugged. "Mysterious? Deep? Depressed? Fear?"

Kygo looked like he was in deep thought. "That's probably what I would think too."