Master Odysson led me to Seretha’s backyard and stopped there. When I walked out, he closed the door and looked at me. “Keroshan… I warned you from day one, did I not?” He asked.

      I hesitated.

      “I told you that you have to be careful when handling humans.” He frowned. “Aathiray is a small, young and weak human girl! You know that!”

      “I know.” I said. “And I apologized. I was jumping to conclusions! I know I shouldn’t have done what I had done.”

      Master Odysson shook his head. “It’s a little too late to be saying sorry.” He looked at me, angrily. “Had I not taught you how to control yourself?”

      I didn’t respond.

      “And had I not taught you how wrong it is to hit the girl you love?”

      “I didn’t hit her.”

      “Exactly, you did something much worse.” He snapped.

      I bit my lip.

      Master Odysson sighed. “Keroshan, this is your first and last warning. If you ever do anything like this again, I will have you punished. And I will make sure it hurts.”

      I nodded.

      “Now, I don’t seem to understand what’s going on with Serpethion. Explain that to me.”

      “Aathiray is trying to tell me that Serpethion wants to kill me.” I said.

      “And do you believe that?”

      “No.”

      “Why not?” He asked.

      “Serpethion is one of my best friends!” I said. “That’s like saying that Chirpy wants to kill me!”

      “But she said she heard the conversation with her own ears.”

      “Mina could have been fooling around…” I knew it sounded unbelievable to think that a Raakshyan Pixie would dare to mess around but it was more believable then thinking that Serpethion wanted to kill me.

      Master Odysson nodded. “I see.” He thought for a moment. “Then what’s going on with Jacob?”

      “He’s a Raakshyan.”

      “I know that… but how? Did you talk to Professor Wentworth?”

      I nodded. “The Professor said that it’s impossible. He doesn’t believe it. No matter how many times I told him that it’s true, he said that he won’t believe it. There is no way that a normal human could just randomly turn into a Raakshyan.”

      “I agree with him…” Master Odysson said. “Which is why I don’t think Jacob changed randomly… did you hear about the missing jewel?”

      I nodded. “Does that have anything to do with this?”

      “To be honest with you, I wouldn’t know.” He said. “What I do know is that I did see Serpethion talking with Jacob and Cecile.”

      I was shocked by that. “When?” I asked right away.

      “Yesterday. It was near the fountain, behind some trees. I pretended I didn’t see them, I think they didn’t see me either.”

      I didn’t know what to say. “What were they saying?”

      “I didn’t stop to listen. I didn’t think there was a problem, so I left. Now I regret it. I should have listened.”

      “But… do you think…”

      “Do I think that Serpethion wants to kill you? I know him well enough to know that he makes big, stupid mistakes because he lets the wrong emotions take over, but I don’t know if he wants to kill you.” He paused. “However, I know that Aathiray wouldn’t lie. I think you know that too.”

      “I know but…” I shook my head. “Impossible. I can’t believe—”

      “And I also know that you let the wrong emotions guide you as well. Keroshan, all I am saying is that you need to be more careful. If Serpethion wants to hurt you, then you must be the one who attacks first.”

      “But he’s my best friend!”

      “Everyone makes mistakes and you and I both know that Serpethion seems to always make big mistakes.”

      I could feel my heated blood rising to my head.

      “Relax, Keroshan.” Master Odysson said. “Why don’t you talk to Serpethion? Ask him what the problem is.”

      I nodded. “Yes… I’ll talk to him.” I said, though I still didn’t believe it.

      Master Odysson patted my back.

      I looked at him. “Can you tell me more about Dravion?”

      Master Odysson looked up at the sky. It was almost six and the sky was already darkening. “Dravion was a good man. He was very strong and he cared about his friends very much…”

      “Was?” I asked.

      “Well, he just disappeared one day and no matter where we looked, we never found him.”

      “Do you know why he disappeared?”

      Master Odysson thought for a moment. “Well, none of us really know.”

      “But I still don’t understand why he would he want to kill me…”

      “That, son, is why I am sure Diyo was lying. There is no possible way that Dravion, if he was alive, would want to hurt you.”

      I scratched my head, frustrated.

      “Keroshan, if I were you, I wouldn’t worry much about Dravion. I am assuming that he was brought into this just to confuse you.” He placed his hand on my shoulder. “What I want you to do now is to make sure that Aathiray has forgiven you and find out if Serpethion truly has something to do with this. Do I make myself clear?”

      I nodded. “Yes, sir.”

      “Good. Now, go and take Aathy home. I think Seretha is done making sure that her bruise isn’t infected or anything.”

      I nodded again and turned towards the house.

      When I walked in, I saw Aathiray standing at the front door already. When she saw me, she looked away. “Aathavan called. He said to hurry up and come home. Aunty Seretha said to wait for you though.”

      “Oh, okay.” I said. I hastily put on my shoes and followed Aathiray out of the house. After saying our goodbyes, we walked down the street together, quietly.

      It didn’t take me too long to get annoyed by the silence and when I did, I decided to break it. “I’m sorry.” I said.

      She sighed but remained silent for just a moment. “It’s alright.” She finally said.

      “You forgive me?” I asked, slightly shocked.

      She turned her head and looked at me. “Yes. I do.”

      I smiled. “Really?”

      She nodded. “I guess I realized that I was overreacting. It’s not like you wanted to kill me or anything.”

      I bent down and kissed her cheek. “Thank you.” I said. “And I swear to you that I will never do anything to hurt you like that ever again.”

      She smiled. “I know you won’t.”                              

      After another silence, I looked down at her and noticed that she seemed troubled. She looked as if she were debating on whether she should ask me something or not. “Is there something you would like to ask?”

      She hesitated. “Do you promise you won’t get mad if I ask you something?”

      “I promise.” I said, willingly. It was the least I could do for her; after all, I did hurt her.

      She took a deep breath. “Is it really true that your mother was pregnant with you before she married your father?”

      I sighed and put my hands in my uncomfortable jean pockets. I still haven’t gotten used to wearing jeans. Silk was always much more comfortable.

      “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.” She said.

      I shook my head. “I want to tell you.” I said. “And yes. It’s true. Remember how I told you that my mother’s father didn’t approve?”

      I waited for her to nod and when she did, I continued.

      “Well, they decided that they didn’t care. They were in love and that’s all that mattered to them. So they decided to make a family, I guess, even if people didn’t approve.”

      “Who told you?” She asked.

      “I guess I always knew. I was born five months after my parents got married, so I figured it out on my own. But Master Odysson confirmed it. Master Odysson told me almost everything I know about my family and I’m grateful to him for that.”

      She nodded.

      “Are you disgusted?” I asked.

      She shook her head right away. “No, of course not!” She said. “To be honest with you, I find that… cute.”

      I snorted. “Really?”

      She nodded.

      “It’s too bad he cheated on my mother and left her to die.”

      Aathiray sighed and looked at me. “I know I don’t know your parents as well as you do but… from the things I do know, other than the fact that he left her of course, it seems like they were really in love.”

      I nodded. “They were. I thought that too. Actually, if he hadn’t betrayed my mother, I honestly would have never seen any couple love each other as much as they loved each other.”

      “What about us?” She asked.

      I looked at her and saw her smile mischievously. I couldn’t help but laugh.

      She stabbed me with her elbow when I didn’t stop laughing, which made me laugh more. “You are funny.” I said.

      “I know.” She grinned.

      I smiled when she took my hand in hers. “Are we going to your house right now?”

      “Yeah… is there somewhere else you want to go?”

      I shrugged. “Is there somewhere else you would like to go?”

      She raised her eyebrow at me.

      I chuckled. “Really, would you like to go anywhere?”

      “Keroshan, there are a lot of places that I’d like to go to. But Aathavan told me to come home.” She frowned.

      I smiled. “Okay, then let’s take you home.”

      Aathy sighed. “You’re supposed to say, ‘screw that, let’s be rebels and go somewhere else’ and then pick me up and take me to Egypt.”

      I laughed. “Okay fine, screw that, let’s be rebels and go somewhere else.” I then picked her up as she screamed and started laughing.

      “Are you going to take me to Egypt?” She asked.

      “Yes, I am.” I said, cradling her in my arms. “We’re going to have to cross an ocean so you might get wet, are you okay with that?” I asked as I started to walk forward with her still in my arms.

      She laughed as she wrapped her arms around my neck. “Wait, wait! Let me say bye to my family! They’ll get worried!”

      “I thought you said you wanted us to be rebels?”

      “So? Just ‘cause I’m a rebel doesn’t mean I can’t say bye to my family!”

      “But your parents won’t let you come with me, will they?”

      She thought for a moment. “Hmm, you’re right.”

      “So? What shall we do?” I asked.

      She thought for a moment and then pressed her forehead against mine. “Fine, let’s run away together.” She whispered, in an extremely flirtatious voice.

      “Hmm. I like the sound of that.” I said in an equally flirtatious voice. “I’ve actually been ready for that since day one… but are you sure you are?”

      She surprised me by giggling and I smiled when she kissed my lips.

      I gently put her down and pulled her close to me. Master Odysson was right. She was so small, so fragile. I could hear her heart race and I could feel her pulse under her thin, soft and warm skin.

      Could it actually be possible for us to be madly in love with each other?

      I loved her, I knew that.

      But could we actually be more in love then my parents were?

      I then thought of the fact that my father had left my mother.

      Yes. I thought. We could definitely be more in love then my parents were. I, for one, would never betray her. I would never leave her to die.

      She tightened her hug and I heard her heart start to calm down.

      Mine did as well.                                                       

      For some reason, even though she was so weak and so fragile, I felt safe with her. I felt like there was nothing to worry about.

      Who cares about Dravion or Serpethion or Jacob or Diyo or the jewel thief or anyone else?

      I deepened the kiss and let myself relax, let myself fall more in love with her.

      There was no boy in this world or my own, who loved a girl as much as I loved Aathy.

      I was sure of it.