Thank you for following so far! Finally...some Fabian development ;) The picture is what inspired me for this next chapter of him and Lumina's "balcony scene". I especially love how grumpy she appears. It's exactly how I imagine her in my head! Voteee! Larissa x

Darkness in summer seemed to descend in slow motion, as if the sun's nature had become as lazy and long as the days. By the time we returned to our rooms, the true night had arrived, and the sky had become charcoal dusted with white stars. I marvelled from my balcony at the trails of constellations, because from where I had lived in the dusty city below, they had been mostly obscured.

It was almost easy to forget that I was on a floating island; there was only a gentle breeze on my nightdress, and birds were chattering through the dark. Ahead of me, the Sapphire district became lit by lantern-light, orange glows from pretty cobbled houses and along the pebbled streets. I couldn't make out anybody in the streets, but I could hear music, and the air smelt alive.

My back ached again, and I bent over the balcony, trying to stretch it.

Since returning to my rooms, the pain along my shoulder blades had grown.

I heard a noise to my right, and Fabian was stood on the balcony further away. He waved jovially, and I gaped.

'You're that close?' I called to him.

He leant on the balcony, his chin resting on his hand. 'Try not to sound too keen,' he said, 'but the old relationship did warrant some midnight jaunts—'

I blushed angrily.

'That's not fair,' I protested. 'I don't remember.'

'Would you rather remember?' Fabian's expression was curious and teasing, but his eyes betrayed a look of deeply sorrow.

I shook my head.

'Neither would I,' he sighed, staring out into the distance. His eyes were lit by the moonlight above, and at that moment, he seemed incredibly lonely. I looked away, conscious that he'd been waiting eighteen years for Lumina to come home— and she hadn't. Not really.

I must be a disappointment.

My back flared once, more, and I flinched perceptibly; Fabian's eyes slid back towards me.

'Are you okay?' he asked, puzzled. His attire was horribly distracting; he wore what looked like a sleek black night robe, and it hung nicely— a little too nicely— around his body.

'Yeah, it's just...my back.' I said, waving his concern away, and trying to distract myself from the pain with something other than ogling my ex-fiancé. 

'Your back?' Fabian frowned as he watched me grip the balcony. Swiftly, the air around him moved, and Fabian rose into the air, drifting through the gap on the wind. My mouth fell open.

'Midnight jaunts,' I said weakly, laughing. His feet touched down on the balcony railings, and he squatted down to look at my face.

'You're pale,' he remarked, 'and sweating.'

'...thanks,' I scowled at him.

'No I meant that you look ill...'

I was beginning to double over; straightening just seemed to worsen the pain that was spreading all along my back. Fabian hopped onto the floor, before sweeping my nimbly from my feet, using the wind to guide me into his arms.

'Stop!' I said, embarrassed, trying to wiggle away. He ignored my protests, and I was forced against his chest. His heart was beating steadily, and he had a familiar smell of home.

It smelt delicious.

My cheeks tinged pink, and I looked stubbornly away. Then I gasped; Fabian had stepped back onto the balcony railings, and I could feel the wind rushing around my ears.

'You're not going to fly are you?' I cried.

Fabian grinned down at me. 'You used to love this.'

'This isn't romantic! This is kidnapping!'

He laughed again, and stepped off the balcony.

I think he deliberately let us drop for a second; I shrieked and threw my arms closely around his neck. Then the adrenaline buzz disappeared, and we were flying upwards, and I became conscious that my face was next to his, and his hands were steadying my back.

And he looked as unprepared as I was; no longer confident, but staring at me in bewilderment.

I cleared my throat, feeling like I'd gone overboard by throwing my arms around him. I leaned away, looking out at the drop far below.

'This is fun,' I admitted. 'I can see so far. It's so beautiful.'

'Yeah,' I heard him agree.

I looked back at him, and he was already looking back at me.

I jumped, shy.

Then I gasped as my back burnt, the skin searing hot. Fabian felt it through my nightgown, and he cursed.

We floated back to his balcony, and he carried me through his room swiftly, placing me somewhere soft. I noticed the blankets and realised that I had to be on his bed.

'Healing powers are rare,' he told me softly, 'but I think the servants have an anti-inflammatory tonic. It might help with your pain. I'll be back shortly.'

I nodded distractedly. What was wrong with me?

Fabian was already leaving the room, and I heard the door click shut. Sitting up immediately, I examined Fabian's room to distract myself from the strange, gnawing back pain I was experiencing. Besides— a part of me demanded to know who Fabian was, more than I'd like to admit. Someone who I had once been in love with had to have a great personality.

Fabian was a scholar. His room was piled with books and pages. The bed I sat on was in the corner, a mess of blue sheets and pillows. The centre of the room was empty, but around the corners had decorations of bookshelves and, strangely, wind chimes. An image of Fabian playing wind chimes using his power made me smile.

Close to the window that led to the balcony, a large desk was littered with unkempt books, candles and inkwells. I pulled myself gingerly towards them, taking a seat on his cushy leather chair and glancing at what was on the desk.

He took a lot of notes; his writing was impeccable, and slanted to the left. I squinted at the letters, noticing how they were all aligned perfectly. Next I picked up some of the books on the desk, flicking through them. They looked like notebooks, again, filled with lines of writing, and occasionally numbers that appeared to be dates.

The pain in my back was increasing, and I wiped sweat from my brow as I focused harder on the desk in front of me. I could barely concentrate; pain was easily distracting.

Something floated out from inside the pages; an old, white note written in a girlish writing, and signed with a flourish at the bottom. He obviously cherished it. The way the page was worn, it seemed like it had been read one thousand times or more.

I lit one of the remaining candles with a stray match on the table. All of the books seemed like the first; notes upon notes, with the occasional novel. I noticed he stored the novels on the bookshelves, with lacy gold writing on their bindings. There was therefore some organisation in the chaos.

An angry hiss came from the doorway.

'What are you doing?' Fabian snapped, snatching one of the notepads from underneath my gaze. 'That's private! That's really rude!'

I looked at my knees, a red flush creeping up my neck. The notes were private, I realised dully, but he doesn't know...

'You're not supposed to read people's diaries!' he cried. I could feel his glare.

'I didn't read them,' I whispered.

'I don't believe you!'

'I didn't, really, I promise—'

'I actually felt sorry for you— but you're snooping in my things—'

Fabian grabbed my wrist that held the note in, pulling it hard.

'I can't read!' I shouted shrilly. Fabian stopped mid-sentence, mouth open.

The silence swallowed us both, and only the candle moved, flickering and casting shadows. I stood up, ignoring the twinges in my back as I did.

'I can't read,' I repeated, 'because we weren't taught. I didn't know it was a diary. Even if I did, I don't know what it says.'        

'I'm sorry,' Fabian said, releasing my wrist, 'I thought...they're old diaries. They're embarrassing...'

'I would be angry too,' I said quietly, sitting back on the bed again. 'This is your private space, but I was looking through it. I feel foolish.'

'Don't,' Fabian sighed, and he sat next to me. 'I overreacted. I was trying to impress you, too, and I've messed up already.'

I looked at him sharply, shaking my head.

'You didn't,' I assured him, but then there was a knock at the door, and a servant bowed himself inside.

'I brought the tonic,' he said, and he brought it to me. 'Here you go, miss. Mind, it's hot.'

I breathed in the steam; it smelt very herbal, and it was comforting. After the servant had gone, Fabian sat with me as I drank slowly, waiting for the drink to cool. It was slightly bitter, but I could taste that someone had sweetened the drink with honey.

'So you like books?' I said conversationally. The room had been quiet for a few minutes.

'Yes...eventually,' Fabian said. 'Actually, it was you who introduced me to most of these books. They were yours. I thought you were mad; you'd suddenly get engrossed in a book and would barely speak to me for days. Sometimes, it infuriated me. We argued over it occasionally. But...after you'd gone...I took to reading the books you'd left. It was like you were still there, and I could feel you alive in some of the characters that I read. Sometimes I saw myself in a character, and other times they made me realise that things could be much worse. People thought I'd become reclusive, but I'd just discovered the power of words.'

I swallowed down a gulp of tea.

'You really loved me, didn't you,' I said quietly.

And Fabian smiled a humourless smile.

'Yes,' he admitted, 'I did.'

The pain in my back lurched again, descending down my spine. But for some reason, I couldn't rid the strange twisting in my gut, and that distracted me.

My next swig of tea was overly premature, and far too hot, and I felt it right down into the pit of my stomach.

'I could teach you to read,' Fabian offered, and I nearly spat out the tea I was drinking in fright.

'You want to teach me?'

'They're your books. It's a nice irony that the books you'd loved and passed onto me, I came to love, and then for you to come to love them again...'

'Like a circle,' I offered, 'like the two of us are going round in a circle.'

I paused, realising the incriminating sentence I'd just said.

'I didn't mean that we both— I know that was the past,' I said hurriedly.

'I know,' Fabian said. 'The offer's still there.'

I didn't reply to Fabian's offer straight away, because a thunderous jolt raged through my spine, and I felt my body lurch. My fingers splayed, and the mug of tea fell from my hands and shattered on the floor.

I clenched my teeth so that I didn't scream. My hands unconsciously grabbed Fabian's arms and were squeezing intently. I was waiting for the pain to subside.

But the pain got worse, and spots began to dance across my eyes, and I prayed that I would pass out before I endured any longer. But I didn't pass out; I could hear Fabian calling me from far away, but my head was lolling onto his shoulder as my back roared in another flare of pain.

This time, I felt something rip; my muscles screamed, and bones crunched.

Fabian swore; his voice was foggy in my ears. I threw my head into his chest, so all I could see was blackness, waiting for the pain to go away, and knowing tears were streaking from my eyes. I was shaking all over, and Fabian's heartbeat was hammering in my ears, a hundred miles per hour. I felt sick, and very hot, and there was the unbearable shaking—

I felt someone grab hold of my body and lie me down. Fabian.

'Breathe, Lumina! Breathe!'

I panted, hyperventilating.

'Slowly— breathe!'

Big deep breaths. Stop panicking. Panic makes it worse...

'I can't— I can't breathe—' I huffed, because, to my dismay, the world was no longer fading away but returning, the pain with it.

I could feel something trickling down my spine; warm and hot.

Fabian was stroking my hair, desperately trying to soothe me as another tearing pain gripped my shoulders. I threw my head back and clawed in agony. It felt like my bones were moving.

I heard Fabian shout.

'Lumina— you're growing wings!'

I think I may have passed out at hearing that. I tried to turn my head to see over my shoulder, but I could just see Fabian's hands and bed sheet, covered in dark red liquid.

I screamed.

Blood. So much blood.

'I can't see!' I cried, feeling my face wet with tears and Fabian frantically wiping them away.

'It will be over soon,' he said gently, 'it's the human spell going away. You're coming back, Lumina.'

No, no she's not, I tried to say, shaking my head and crying all the more. Again growing pains shot through my back, and I could feel something stretch this time; muscles popping and twisting to accommodate new bone and wing muscle.

I felt my nightdress rip, and I dimly covered my bare body; then I was being wrapped in something, warming my torso.

But as I thought the worst was surely over, my wings began to unfurl; and the pain that was brought on washed over my body like an electric shock; I didn't know where I was, or what was happening, I could just feel myself on fire. I heard Fabian yell, and I realised that I had wrapped myself around him like a snake, squeezing him tightly. The pain ebbed away, but I didn't move from where I lay on him, listening to his erratic heartbeat and feeling numb all over aside from the easing stabbing pains.

'Fabian?' I whispered, barely able to talk. My throat was hoarse.

'You alive?' he replied. He sounded as exhausted as I was.

'...yeah.' I said.

We lay there unmoving. I knew his night robe was covered in my tears, snot and blood. But the pain that was still lingering on my tender back ordered me not to leave.

'Not going to lie...' Fabian said with a pause, '...that was something I'd gladly never see again.'

I wheezed, trying to laugh. 'Not the midnight jaunt you had in mind.'

Fabian was still breathing hard as he replied. 'Looking at the state of us, you might think otherwise.'

'If so, you were the worst partner imaginable— that was just sheer pain.'

I felt his abdominal muscles tighten as he laughed.

'I don't think you should move yet,' he advised. 'I can see your back; the skin has torn open, and it looks horrific.'

'...thanks.'

'No problem.'

'...what colour are my wings?' I murmured, intrigued.

'Dear lord, I can't believe I forgot about that,' Fabian said, 'you've got wings, Lumina. They're tiny, and there's only a few feathers beginning to grow. But I think...I think they're black.'

I paused.

'Black?' I repeated, aghast. 'I thought I was supposed to have silver wings?'

I stared up at Fabian, who squinted down towards me looking confused.

'You certainly used to,' he said. 'You must have been reborn with a new power; nurture must have a role, too.'

'A new power?' I said, feeling my eyelids flicker. 'But black is for Disabler, right? That's like...bad magic.'

Fabian rolled his eyes. 'No it's not. It just means that you have a negative effect on someone else's magic.'

'Great. Even the old me had better powers than I do now.'

'Hush,' Fabian said gently. 'You've said yourself that you're different people.'

For some reason, it stung when Fabian said it.

My eyes felt heavy. My back was finally numb enough to not feel the pain. Fabian and I both fell into an exhausted sleep.

---

We awoke to afternoon light trailing through the window, and a scream. Dimly, I noticed the snotty tears trail when I opened my eyes, and the ruined black silk of Fabian's gown. I pulled my head up, feeling like I had the worst hangover in the world, and my back feeling like it had been sawed in two. I noticed Fabian waking up, his eyes unfocused and confused.

Our limbs were entangled. I still held his hand, and our palms were sweaty. Fabian's heartbeat was rapidly quickening as I noticed that I was wrapped in a blanket, and my body was covered in red, flaking blood. It was disgustingly macabre. I had grown wings.

But the person that had just come in had only seen the two of us, and Scarlett's voice rang shrilly in the air.

'Oh. My. God, you've been reunited for a day— give yourselves a chance!'

Author's Note: Hooray! At last! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. And thank you for all the support so far, you guys are great! Please keep voting and commenting, every time you do it makes my day! 

And feel free to add me/PM me/etc!

Dedication goes to BrianaMagic3  for her support, GO CHECK OUT HER WORK!

Larissa

xxx