Page 124 of Scars Like Wings

“You can ask me whatever you want, Byrdie.” Gods, I loved hearing my name in her golden voice. It sent shivers through me. “But no, she wasn’t a witch. She did use magic in a way. She… it’s not easy to explain.”

I raised my eyebrows. “Is it not easy to explain or something that you just can’t tell me right now because it isn’t safe?”

“I mean, yes? A little bit of Column A and B?”

I smiled. “I understand.”

“I honestly don’t know how you can. I don’t even know if I understand myself right now.” Quinn chuckled.

“Well, that makes two of us. I don’t understand myself a lot these days.”

Quinn’s brows furrowed. “What do you mean?”

I clutched my mom’s pendant, calling on it to give me strength to not lose my resolve. Here was my chance to lay it out there. Quinn hadn’t offered me the whole truth, but she had given mesomething, and I trusted her reasoning behind not giving me the whole thing. Maybe I was naive and so interested that I was missing a red flag or two, but my gut was telling me to keep going and Mom had told me to follow it.

So, here goes.

“So, you remember when the girls and I were doing that research into my back scars that you saw as a tattoo? Well, something found me that day. It was my family’s grimoire as I would later find out.”

“A grimoire? Aren’t those like a book of witchy recipes or something?”

“Yeah, they can be. But they aren’t specific to witches. They can be for any supernatural creature apparently.”

“Any supernatural creature—? So that means?—?”

“I’ve never said it out loud before, so it does count for the game, I guess. But uh, I’m… not… human,” I admitted, vocalizing what had been echoing in my brain for weeks now becoming louder and louder. “I don’t know what I am, but I’m not human.”

Quinn’s eyes widened, and her jaw dropped. Honestly, I felt the same way, even if I had been considering it for months. “Byrd?—”

“Honestly, I should have guessed it years ago. It shouldn’t be as much of a world-changing concept. Humans are only ever involved in the supernatural world if they have been attacked or they are one and don’t know it yet. But I have been surrounded by supernaturals my whole life. My aunt and uncle are shifters. My mom was a teacher at a supernatural middle school. My dad was a cop on a supernatural police force. My best friends in school were all supernaturals growing up, and even now, my closest friends are a mermaid and a witch. Normal humans don’t live the life I do. How could I be so stupid to think that they do? How did I not suspect anything sooner? Why didn’t I question anything?—?”

“Byrdie, baby. Take a breath.Respire hondo, mi Tesoro.You are spiraling. Can you breathe with me?” Quinn interrupted my spiral in the way that only she could. She took a deep breath, and I followed her. I inhaled, shakily, and exhaled, doing that enough times for the tears and my quivering voice to go away.

“Good. Now, none of this is your fault, okay? You are not at fault for any of this. You couldn’t have foreseen this. You are right about humans and supernaturals, sure, but you are notwrong for thinking you were an exception. It saved you from the anxiety of the unknown. That isn’t a bad thing. It isn’t a bad thing either that you are a supernatural and don’t know what sort yet. That’s okay. We can figure it out. We don’t have all the answers, but we can figure out most of them together. Okay? Don’t carry this burden alone like this.”

I nodded, afraid that if I opened my mouth, my anxious word vomit would spill out all over again. I sniffled, not realizing that I was on the brink of tears.

“You want to know something?” When I nodded again, she said, “If it helps, I’m not quite so human, either.”

“What?” I said, incredulously.

“Yeah, I’m kind of a supernatural, too, but it’s… complicated. It’s inthatzone.”

“That’s okay.” I sniffled again, using my hoodie sleeve to wipe away my tears. “Complicated seems like it’s the default state of my life these days.”

Quinn smiled. “You are the least complicated thing, sweetness. Being with you is easy. I can finally be what I want and who I want around you. I can be happy. So, don’t worry about anything else. We got this. Together.”

“You have no idea how happy that makes me.”

“Gods, when is the next time we get to see each other? I miss you so much. I just want to hold you and never let you go.”

I smiled hard enough to make my cheeks start to hurt. “You have no idea how much I feel the same. We might be able to see each other soon! Simone’s family owns an island that we usually go visit for a week right before Thanksgiving to say goodbye to Summer. We relax and throw a Friendsgiving feast made by the amazing chefs on the island, since none of us can cook. The weather is always perfect. I’m sure Simone would love it if you and the cousins came!”

“Oh, if Simone is planning things, I’m sure she’s already invited Cole, who’s cleared our schedules to ensure we can all go. Simone could ask Cole to move the Sun, and I’m sure he would ask how far to the left or right.”

I laughed. “He’s obsessed with her. I’ve never seen a man down bad like that before. It’s sweet how he caters to her. That’s how all men should be to their girls.”

“I agree wholeheartedly. Cole clearly loves Simone, and it’s cute. I don’t think anything could come between those two.”

---