When we returned to the orphanage, again Riddle took my hand but this time leading me upstairs and out of earshot of all the other children, who watched us go with hidden curiosity. We rushed up a flight of stairs and onto the second floor where he turned quickly to the first door along a line of others down a long corridor; it was eerily quiet.
He ushered me in first before entering the room himself and closing the door quietly behind him. His room looked exactly like mine; one bed and one wardrobe.
"I believe we owe each other an explanation"
His soft smooth voice made me jump and turn quickly to face him, "but first I should thank you for helping me back at the markets, you really didn't need to risk your life for mine"
"You're welcome" he replied awkwardly.
Once again we were both forced into another silence, something we were very much used to. After a while such silence in another's company becomes tedious and I felt it right to break it by explaining what I am.
"Close the curtains on the window" my voice rang with a hint of authority.
He blinked, frowning at my tone but did what I asked without asking why and darkness quickly consumed the room; Carefully I removed my jumper and in the dark my skin began to glow. I heard a breath close by and Riddle came toward my light.
"How is it I didn't notice that before?" he examined my skin.
"Because I cover my skin so that it won't be noticed" I explained; he looked amazed and I knew he wanted to know how and why.
"My blood is gold so I glow" I whispered explaining to him the puzzle that was me.
"What else have you successfully hidden from me?" he asked looking up into my face curiously but also rather shocked.
A smile crept across my face as I knew he didn't like not knowing anything about me as it showed his lack of control.
Quietly I showed him what I truly was; from beneath a layer of skin on my back I unfolded my enormous wings; large like a butterflies but clear with little golden veins running through them.
"you're a…" he mused for a second, his eyes wandering over my ears which were slightly pointed then back at my wings, "a fairy?"
I nodded smiling "as you can see I am slightly different to those out of story books"
His eyes were unfocused as he stared and he reached out to touch my wing and upon noticing this I took a huge jump back "the oil on your hands could render my wings useless"
"What can you do?" he asked ignoring my last comment giving an innocent look like he never attempted to touch my wings.
"Many things" I smiled tauntingly but I continued "I can bring people back from the dead, heal the injured, make plants grow, control any human using my eyes and run extremely fast when I want to"
"And?" asked riddle, eyes wide.
"I can live forever" my reply came in a whisper.
His pupils dilated and there was an unconcealed excitement in his face; he took my hands staring at them in utter silence. My body twitched uncomfortably.
"Well what are you?" I asked so that he would let go.
"What I am seems so pathetic compared to you" he whispered releasing my hands "but I must tell"
Patiently I waited and he stood himself tall and proud "I'm a wizard"
To me, he didn't look like a wizard but then again he was different and he could hurt people…but I figured he could do more.
"What else can you do other than hurt people?" I asked observing him closely.
His speech came out quickly and his hollow cheeks were flushed, "I can make animals do what I want without training them and I can make things move without touching them; we are both different"
"That we are" I agreed, seriously disturbed by what I thought I saw lingering behind his eyes.
"How I would kill to live forever!" he exclaimed staring at me; eyes full of admiration.
"How I wouldn't" I snapped quickly, bursting his happy bubble quickly. The silence that followed could have been cut with a knife and his look was of utter shock.
"Why wouldn't you want to?" He whispered eyeing me.
"Because I watch everyone around me die" I replied honestly.
"They die because they are weak" he laughed evilly.
"You shouldn't speak like that!" I grabbed hold of him shaking the laughter away "you too will die someday"
"We will see" he growled prying my hands off his collar and moving away his eyes narrow slits.
While he commenced glaring at me I wondered why a human boy at his age would want to live forever. At his age I would have expected him to want a new bike or a home. Then again I must keep reminding myself that he was different.
After a while he turned away and threw open the limp curtains then sat upon his bed in silence still staring at me. His looks were getting me irritated, "what?"
"How old are you?"
"Same age as you" I lied quickly.
A grin appeared on his face "how old are you really?"
"That you will never know" I stated matter-of-factly.
"One day you will tell me" he giggled "when we are older"
"Will I just?" I questioned raising an eyebrow skeptically.
He removed himself from the bed and came extremely close; his nose inches from mine and my breathing grew faster.
"Of course you will, I have a way with people, they spill all their secrets to me"
"Because you intimidate them" I muttered smartly.
"No…but I did you" he winked smugly and drew away sitting back upon his bed. Irritation crept up my throat again and I placed a smug smile on my face also, "your weakness is simple; you're human and prone to human error"
His smile disappeared but not for long, "well now that's unfair, you know my weakness but I don't know yours" he pointed out arrogantly.
Damn him for being smart.
With a heavy sigh I give an explanation "I can't step foot into a cemetery"
He frowned looking confused "why?"
"Well I think it has something to do with my gift of being able to bring people back from the dead; something which I rarely do. But I think that when people die they are meant to stay dead and the only place they can really stay in peace is in a cemetery. I guess I disrupt that peace so I am not allowed entrance; a certain force holds me back. The dirt within which a human body is buried is probably the only thing that could kill me" I explained the best way I could even if it didn't make much sense.
He eyed me up and down suddenly not liking the imperfection to his perfect idea, "that is a great weakness; one we will have to fix"
"It can't be fixed" I stated simply "that's the way it's been for millennia"
"Haven't you ever heard the saying never say never?" he asked cockily.
"And haven't you ever been told to leave things alone?" I asked matching him word for word.
He laughed loudly like my words were his idea of a joke "why would I do that? It is more fun to exploit people so that I can gain control and know all their little secrets instead of being in the dark"
I shook my head in disagreement before smiling "curiosity killed the cat"
"Indeed it did, but satisfaction brought it back" Riddle replied grinning from ear to ear.
No reply came to me at that point because what could I say? He bested me. How irritating it is to be out-witted by a human boy!