A Human’s Guide to Surviving Magical Mishaps

I should get up to greet Lucy, but she's always been comfortable in this house and honestly there is nothing I can do to stop her from obsessing over the two fae in the house so I might as well just let her get it out of her system. I hear the front door creak open.

"Well hello there. You must be Kat's newest houseguest.” She greets him cheerfully, and not nearly as awkwardly as she greeted Ashton. I guess there's something to be said for having a bit of warning. "I'm Lucy, what's your name?" She asks.

"I- My name is Finvara.” He answers with a slight hesitation. Ashton raises an eyebrow at the pause. Is Fin acting weird? What is Lucy doing? I get to my feet and peer around the doorframe. Lucy is still standing in the doorway and she's half dressed for the wedding. She's in a gorgeous floor length terracotta dress with some impressive nude heels. Her curls are as tame as I've ever seen them and she's clutching a tiny purse. She doesn't have any makeup done though, probably because it's all here.

"Hey Luce, you coming inside?" I call out. She shrugs.

"Sure, as soon as the fabulous fae statue blocking your door decides to move." She answers This jolts Fin into action.

"My apology. I did not know that Kat was expecting a guest and you are only the second human I have met." He apologises smoothly, no sign of his earlier awkwardness. He also steps out of the way and gestures for Lucy to pass him. She comes to join us in the kitchen and I realise her stunning dress has another feature that I totally missed. It's almost entirely backless. Wow. She drops down into the seat across from me with Ashton on her right that Fin was previously sitting in He moves to take the remaining seat to my right.

"Hi Ashton. You know you went viral online? Don't worry no one can actually tell what you really look like, but it was so cool. You looked kind of different though." She tilts her head to the side and narrows her eyes.

"You look normal again now though. Well as normal as a stupidly hot fae can look. What about you? Do you actually look like that or is it some kind of magic?" Lucy turns on Fin. Ashton is sitting a little stunned and seems to be working through the phrase 'stupidly hot' and trying to determine if he should be offended or not. Fin hasn't had an explanation for our use of the words 'cool' and 'hot' but he seems to just ignore any confusion and carries on as if he does understand it.

"I am also wearing a glamour Miss, in an attempt to look more human.” He explains. Lucy's eyes light up.

"Oooh, can I see?" She pleads.novelbin

"That would not be appropriate miss." He answers softly. Lucy pouts in disappointment and I hide a smile. Ashton was willing to drop his glamour for me almost right away. But Fin seems like more of a rule follower.

"Aww. But I wanted to see if you have wings." She complains. Ashton jolts in surprise. The only sign of surprise from Fin is a raised eyebrow. I'm not surprised by her statement. Lucy has wanted to meet a fae with wings ever since she realised it was actually possible.

"How do you know I have wings?" Fin asks politely.

"You have them? Awesome! I didn't know for sure, but I hoped. What's it like to fly? Can you feel your wings all the time? It is like having extra limbs or something?" She starts throwing out questions. I consider intervening but Fin doesn't seem even remotely bothered by them. He patiently answers each one to the best of his ability while Lucy looks on, completely awestruck by him. Her fangirl obsession with Ashton is a thing of the past now that she's been presented with a fae who has actual wings.

I watch and listen to Lucy interrogate Fin for another fifteen minutes before I interrupt.

"Luce, don't you need to get ready for your cousin's wedding? You don't want to be late.” I remind her. She glances at her phone and immediately jumps out of her seat.

"Oh you're right! I'm going to use your room, I won't be long. Don't have too much fun without me!" She winks at Fin and dashes out of the room, leaving her clutch and phone behind.

"Your friend is very enthusiastic." Ashton observes diplomatically and I laugh.

"She's nosy as hell. But she always means well and you'll never find someone more loyal.” I answer with a grin. I look to see if Fin looks relieved to have a break from her but he seems to be deep in thought.

“Well, since apparently you've somehow manipulated my dad into liking you I guess you get to stay here. So we should go shopping at some point to get you some stuff. Something better to sleep on for starters, plus clothes and toiletries and stuff.” I tell Fin. Ashton looks excited at the prospect of shopping and exploring. Fin raises an eyebrow at me.

"I did not manipulate your father. We merely spoke and came to an understanding." He explains. "And what kind of understanding might that be?" Ashton asks curiously, probably wondering if he could replicate it and get my dad to hate him less.

"I understand that he is uncomfortable with his daughter being left alone with strange men. He understands that I will ensure that nothing untoward takes place." He answers. I frown.

"You told my dad you would prevent me from hooking up with anyone?" I question, a little incredulous.

"I am unsure what you are saying exactly, but I believe I understand your implication. I simply told him I would prevent anything inappropriate from occurring. Although he did not stop to determine what I consider appropriate so it is of little importance." He seems smug. Fin isn't smiling and he is just as calm as before, but somehow he seems totally smug.

"What is that supposed to mean? What do YOU believe is appropriate?" I ask suspiciously.

"As an adult, I believe it is appropriate that you make your own decisions. I should only consider your interactions inappropriate if you were unwilling." He concludes and I can't help but laugh. So basically he promised dad that he would let me do whatever I want. Awesome. Now I see what Ashton meant when he said that some fae are better at manipulating words than others. Fin is so sneaky! I'm going to have to be careful of him.

"I made similar assurances to her father that I would ensure his daughter's safety and that I would not behave inappropriately. He did not believe me or trust me." Ashton seems offended and I grin.

"To be fair, you were half dressed and you kissed my hand which really isn't something that people do here. Plus you convinced me to work for you which he wasn't happy about. Fin didn't do any of those things. I guess dad's decided to give him the benefit of the doubt." I point out.

Ashton is still sulking a few minutes later when Lucy returns.

"All dressed and ready?" I ask. She nods, her curls bouncing around her head.

"Yep. What do you think?" Holding her arms out, she spins in place to show off her dress. All of a sudden her heel catches on her dress and she is toppling over heading face first to the floor. In a flash, Ashton is on his feet and catching her. He must have used a bit of his magic to get there quickly because his markings are all glowing dimly and I can't see any other way he could make it there so fast. He helps Lucy sit. She looks a little shell shocked but otherwise okay. Except....... “Luce your skirt....." I point out. She glances down to see there is a large tear in the hem of her skirt which her heel is still caught in.

"No! My dress is ruined!" She looks devastated and there is nothing I can do.