Vulnerable: Book 1 of the Magic Mutations Series | ✓

3: Fairy Tales

My writing project was far from my mind when I exited the meeting an hour later. Instead, I was wondering about him... Had he left straight away after me? Had he stayed and finished his reading? Where did he go when he left here?

Lost in my thoughts, I meandered out the front door of the library and onto the footpath, heading in the direction of the bus station.

The air this late afternoon was warmer than previous ones, hinting at the hotter days to come.

Pulling my headphones from my pocket, ready to drown out the noises on the double decker, I became somewhat distracted untangling the cord that I barely noticed the world around me.

Until a familiar, musical voice called out, "Olivia."

My head whipped up immediately, looking around before locking on the source of the sound.

And there he was up ahead, leaning against the brick wall, smiling at me.

A grin spread across my face, and I quickened my pace—trying to make sure he wasn't waiting, but desperate to not look too eager. Stopping when only a few steps from him, I asked hopefully, "Did you wait for me?"

"You have to finish telling me about those fairies," he replied, matter-of-factly, though I somehow felt as though he had sidestepped my question.

I felt at odds within me.

On the one hand, butterflies threatened to fly around my stomach at the idea that he was finding reasons to see me outside of our usual environment.

On the other hand, a sinking feeling brought that joy to a halt as I questioned whether the information I had to give him was all he cared for... if he had it, would he still want to see me.

But I quickly shook those hopeless desires from my mind, trying to not let the dark spiral of self-doubt take my thoughts hostage.

"Okay," I breathed. "Um... do you want to go to the park? Or back into the library?"

He shook his head. "I was thinking I could buy you dinner? I know it's a little early..."

I couldn't stop the giddiness from rising up within me as a smile spread across my face. "I'd like that," I said, quick to begin following him as he took steps down the path towards the street lined with shop fronts.

"How was the meeting?" he asked after a few moments of tension-filled silence.

I decided, in that moment, he was probably feeling just as awkward as me to be out of our normal environment we shared together. "Yeah, pretty good. Our task over the next week is to start putting our research together to build a world."

"What type of world are you building?" he continued to fill the dead air.

"I'm not a high-fantasy type of person. So probably paranormal."

"Have you thought about how you will... explain the myths in your story?"

Glancing at him, I was wary. "It's my idea, okay?"

He nodded. "Promise I won't steal it. I'm not much of a writer myself."

"What do you do then?"

Grinning, he shook his head. "I asked you first."

A sigh escaped me, but I reluctantly responded to his question. "Mutations. They're all mutations of human DNA. For example, Vampires' super speed, strength, and vision is part of their mutation that gets better the stronger the line. The blood drinking contains a nutrient they need. Witches are again a mutation. A small connection to all realms where they can bend the laws of physics, making things afar suddenly alight with fire, or remove gravity from an object so that it can levitate." I shrugged. "I just need to figure out the backstories as to why. I want all creatures to exist, like your friend's story. Not copying, I swear. But they're all mutations whereby the magic or facets of their being get stronger when bred with other mutations."