Adelpha glanced suspiciously across the table, spread with a feast of prime rib which she had barely nibbled and fine red wine which she had not touched at all. Alexander stared back at her with a knowing smile that she found most unnerving. He wasn't even pretending not to be up to something and she knew it. What was more, he knew she knew it and was having great fun at her expense.

This exclusive club in a Gold Coast tower was the most recent in a string of outings that Alexander had treated her to that night. So far, he'd taken his gargoyle form to glide with her through the Loop, then used his powers to commandeer a horse-drawn carriage, so he might give her a customized tour at ground level. Next was a private gondola on the Ferris Wheel at Navy Pier, followed by a cone of hot, cinnamon-sugar coated nuts on a tree perched high above a particularly treacherous turn in the famous downtown ice-skating ribbon. Adelpha had enjoyed this activity the most. The sweet aroma of the almonds as they watched dozens of humans spin out and crash as they came down the hill and rounded the turn had kept them both entertained for some time. But at last, Alexander declared that it was getting cold, and it was time for their dinner reservation.

She had to admit that the evening had been a pleasant one, though she was plagued by curiosity as to why Alexander really wanted her there. She knew she would have to play his game though, if she hoped to get any information out of the crafty halfling.

"What now?" she asked with a sigh as his unearthly eyes seemed to devour her.

"Let's dance!" he replied, not wishing to beat about the bush.

"Ha!" she replied with a snicker, "You can't be serious!"

"I am serious!" he replied with a hint of defensiveness, "Why can't we dance? It's a legitimate expression of joy and affection and a proper request on an evening out."

Adelpha laughed outright at this claim. She gestured toward the dance floor, which was crowded with human bodies, all hunched, extended, swaying and thrusting with various degrees of skill to the beat.

"And you expect me to express myself like these intoxicated and passion-inflamed humans?" she asked, eyeing a middle-aged woman who appeared to be wearing her teenage daughter's dress as she drunkenly thrust her body against an unsuspecting young man.

Alexander smiled as he sipped his wine, reclining in his chair.

"No, I expect you to express yourself however you see fit!"

He laughed again at her reaction to this invitation, and he set his glass on the table and stood to extend his arm to her.

"Come, dance with me!" he asked again, "Please? You won't be disappointed! I'll make it worth your time!"

This piqued her interest and with one last suspicious look, she took his arm and allowed him to draw her to the dance floor. It was a strange, somewhat eerie feeling as he led her past the crowd of human faces. They noticed her, but not really. A few glanced at them curiously as they twirled past, while some met her gaze and smiled. It was as if a man with a dinner date that featured sueded wings caped at her shoulders, a ridge of horns crowning her head, and a long tail that swayed gracefully with the music was the most natural thing any of them had ever seen. One woman even touched her shoulder, leaning in to raise her voice over the loud music.

"I just love your dress!" she exclaimed in a friendly tone.

Adelpha glanced down at the buckskin bodice she always wore and the loin cloth that was bound with a heavy belt at her waist, just to make sure they were still there. They were.

"Thank you," Adelpha replied, as it was the only thing that seemed proper to say.

"You've outdone yourself with this deception, my friend," she told him as the club music changed to something softer and more melodic.

"What deception?" he protested with feigned innocence.

"Don't you gaslight me, you silly boy!" she replied, "I know you don't expect me to believe that a club full of humans just suddenly see me as not-a-monster, all on their own accord!"

Alexander's face fell slightly as he pondered this question. He rocked her gently across the floor until the music swelled and then suddenly, he twirled her around so she could face the enchanted crowd, all laughing, dancing, and completely unperturbed by the confused gargoyle that stood in their vicinity.

Alexander held her at her shoulders, and they stood still as the colorful beings danced around them, dazzled by the spinning lights on the DJs stand.

"Tonight, by magic," he said softly in her ear, for the music seemed to have faded for the moment as well, "But someday it will be real! Someday, my precious friend! They will see you, and all your kind, as I see you, with no magic at all! And you'll be here to see it for yourself!"

Of course she wanted to protest this foolishly naive vision. It couldn't be! Truely, it shouldn't be! For so many reasons! But his words were so hopeful and his strong hand so protective on her shoulders that all her arguments seemed to melt away before she could give them voice. She wondered if he had enchanted her as well.

Gradually, the music crescendoed back to an obnoxious blare and she felt herself free to move again. She turned toward Alexander and wordlessly placed a claw on his shoulder as she had observed many of the female humans do while dancing. The young fairy gave her a warm smile, and took her other claw in his hand and they danced together until the end of the set.

Once the band had finished, Alexander meant to return to the food-laden table, but Adelpha suggested they go outside for a moment. The club they were patronizing had an adjacent roof top patio where smokers could take a break and gawkers could enjoy an impressive view of the city. There were heat lamps on full blast, but given the frigid night, no other diners were partaking of this luxury. Nevertheless, Alexander accompanied her there and they settled themselves on a bench.

"Well?" Adelpha urged in a teasing tone.

"Well, what?" Alexander replied, genuinely confused at her mischievous stare.

"I danced with you, didn't I? And you said you'd make it worth my while! What do I get?"

Alexander laughed out loud at this.

"What do you want?" he asked.

"A straight answer," she replied sternly, and Alexander cringed in disgust.

"What? That's no fun at all!" he complained.

"I want to know what you know," she persisted, "About the future. About my fate."

Alexander shook his head.

"I told you already, Adelpha. The future is not yet written. We make our own futures."

"Ah! But where's my personal fairy mystic who was just extolling all manner of futuristic fantasy not fifteen minutes ago?" she replied snidely.

Alexander's eyes narrowed.

"That was not fairy mysticism," he informed her, "That was good, old-fashioned, mortal optimism."

"You've been conversing with this…mentor, for some time now," she continued to prod, "Surely he's shown you something!"

"All manner of possibilities."

Adelpha's gaze dropped.

"All manner of possibilities?" she asked softly.

"Of course!"

For a moment, Adelpha seemed conflicted, as if she was suddenly afraid to press further.

"Now, now my dear friend!" Alexander consoled her, "Surely you aren't afraid?! Didn't I promise that I would always protect you?"

She smiled a bit, though her eyes showed a hint of bittersweetness.

"I am not afraid of myself coming to harm, Alexander," she assured him, "What reason will I have to fear death, when my mate, my children, and my clan have all gone on without me? The Weird Sisters' spell which keeps me alive… it cannot really last forever… can it?"

Alexander shrugged, still not comprehending what was bothering her.

"I see no reason why it shouldn't!"

"But I can't bear to be the last again!" she replied with a sudden surge of anxiety, "Don't you understand what it would do to me? To live without them! With no hope and nothing to strive for! It would break me! I'd be lost again, as I was before!"

Gently, Alexander drew her close to him.

"You will not be lost!" he assured her sternly, "I will never allow that to happen."

Adelpha looked away from him, toward the eastern horizon, which was still cloaked in blackness. Alexander sighed and moved himself to her other side and back into her line of sight.

"What I have seen is your story extends beyond the clan you know. Far, far beyond. It must be that way, Adelpha! It was always meant to be! But you will never be alone. I will always be with you. I chose you!"

She gave him a troubled look.

"What did you choose me for, Alexander?"

"To always be my friend, of course!" he replied, "You know that! But you have to have a little more faith in me!"

Adelpha sighed.

"I have always seemed to come up short in faith," she told him, but Alexander seemed unconcerned.

"Never mind that. I'll just have to stretch a bit further to reach you, won't I," he reassured her.

Just then, a sound like a far-off gong came from his pocket.

"Another vigil of midnight Adoration is it?" Adelpha asked with a disapproving chuckle.

"It's not Adoration," he corrected her defensively, "I've told you a million times! I'm non-practicing Orthodox, not non-practicing Catholic!"

"A distinction without a difference," she replied with a dismissive wave of her claw, "And non-practicing? You might have fooled me! If you spent any more time there, they might make you a priest!"

Alexander snickered at the absurdity of this suggestion.

"Would you like to come with me?" he invited, and she replied with a scandalized snort.

"I think not! I was told long ago, in no uncertain terms, that my kind are not included within their Creator's 'plan of salvation'."

"No?" Alexander asked, "Well, who's to say that that's the only plan? Perhaps there's another salvation for the likes of you and me? At any rate, I will escort you back to the apartment just as soon as I pay our tab."

"Let me go back alone!" she asked with a sudden hint of urgency that caused Alexander to raise a brow in suspicion, "It's been a long time since I was free to glide alone. I wish to stretch my wings a bit more. Besides, your mentor is waiting! You mustn't be late for catechesis!"

"Very well," he replied, rolling his eyes as he reached to kiss her hair, "I will see you in the morning, before I go into work. Thank you for a lovely evening!"

Adelpha watched him stroll back into the dining room, then turned her attention to the night sky again. It had been a lovely evening, in truth. She had greatly missed her old friend the past few years he had been away studying and it had been good to spend time with him again. She didn't even mind the trick he played by enchanting all the humans around them to not see her as a gargoyle. But she still sensed he was deflecting when it came to the real reason he had brought her to Chicago, and it filled her with anxiety. Trust, she thought to herself, was far easier said than done.

As she pondered these things, she heard the door open behind her and an inebriated couple emerged, laughing as they stationed themselves under the heat lamp to light a cigarette. Realizing that Alexander's enchantment might very well have left with him, she quickly spread her wings and took to the sky. She circled above that rooftop, alighting on the sculpture of a bronze eagle that protruded from a balcony on a nearby tower. From there, she could still see the rooftop club below and she looked down on it, pondering on what Alexander had said to her.

Truely, she loved the boy. It was an exercise in futility for her to pretend otherwise. Though it seemed impossible for her to define her bond to him by any known parameters. From the first moment she had encountered him, she had been compelled to trust him, despite his human form and her wretchedly suspicious nature. She was never unaware that the boy's blossoming magical power could very well be the main force that bound this seemingly unnatural friendship, but she couldn't bring herself to care. He had been good to her. His naive confidence had brought her hope in her darkest hours, and his innocent joy had brought her relief in her pain. His growing into a man had never changed this as she had often feared it would. He was not a man, at least not to her. He was a being with a nature that seemed to come from another world, but one the world she lived in desperately needed. Still, she had a persistent and foreboding sense that her young master was keeping something important from her and she didn't like it one bit.

Still lost in her thoughts, Adelpha stretched her wings dramatically to harness the breeze for which the city was named. It was bitter cold and smelled of humanity, but she reckoned she ought to relish the freedom it offered while she still had the chance. She moved to leap into a swelling current when a low, mechanical voice sounded behind her.

"Good evening, Sister! How well you look! Why, one might think you were in love!"