I can not say that I was ready for this. Who: Isaiah and Winifred When: early evening and onward Where: north of Scarlet Oak in the woods
With each passing minute, Winifred became even more frantic. The light was nearly gone from the sky, and she had not found the luck she had hoped to. Her phone call to the local tow-truck company had not gone well, and they had not deemed her situation to be as urgent as she did. As much as she had tried to avoid it, here she was out past daylight and it made her paranoid. Sure, it was unlikely that she would get into a car accident now, but someone might run into her. She had her hazard lights on, and sat in the driver’s seat with the doors and windows closed and locked up tight. Her hood was still up, which prevented her from seeing out of the windshield, but she didn’t much like idea of seeing anything out this late at night.
Clutching at her family’s necklace and the talisman that Jacques had gifted her, Winifred murmured quietly, testing the wards on each. The talisman was of great strength, and Winifred was very grateful that he had been kind enough to part with it. It was no wonder it was so strong; Jacques was a very gifted witch. Winifred sighed heavily, her body tired and worn out from the stress and all the emotions that had run rampant earlier. This was what she got for going against logic and getting in her truck when she was too upset to drive or think as clearly. She resisted the urge to cry again; her eyes felt sore from so much misuse earlier. She scanned the sky, watching the last light from the sun as it faded into night.
Turning to look at just what was so bright in a different direction, Winifred beheld a very full, very silver moon.
Isaiah truly enjoyed the full moon. Getting the chance to spend all night in his falcon form, without a care in the world, just giving in to instinct - what wouldn’t he like about that? The weather was better than it had been in the last week and that meant for good flying skies. His father and his younger brother were out tonight too, and he’d be able to recognize them were their paths to cross. Josiah had Elijah sticking with him, and soon Isaiah would join them.
For now, however, he took to the skies, heading out to the edge of town, swooping down low to see the land below him. As a falcon, the lack of light didn’t bother him so much; his eyesight was great as a human and even better as a bird. That was when he spotted the truck, hazard lights flashing, and with Texas plates. Isaiah knew that truck.
Winifred.
There wasn’t much he could do for her, truth be told. It was the one night of the month when he was stuck in his falcon form, nothing else he could do to switch back. Hell, Winifred didn’t even know he was a were, much less what his form was. Still, he landed on the back edge of her truck, talons hooked on the metal.
The red-headed Texan may not have had the best hearing in the world, but she didn’t just hear something hit her truck, she felt it. She ducked instinctively and screamed, covering her head with her arms as she curled herself into a ball in her seat. Not only was it dark out, but it was a full moon and she was stranded in the middle of the woods. She was going to be eaten by a werewolf, and all that would be left of her would be her truck and her cell phone.
Her cell phone! She fished for where it had fallen onto the floor in her sudden movement. She found the number for Isaiah’s phone and called it, peaking up tentatively to look out the back window of the cab of her truck. The call went to his voicemail and Winifred took a deep breath, trying to calm her voice down.
“Isaiah? It’s me, Winifred. Uhm, I hate to bother you, but I have a favor to ask. My truck’s broken down in the woods and the moon’s full and it’s dark outside and I’m really scared and there’s a bird on my tailgate and I don’t know what to do! I tried calling a tow-truck but they wouldn’t come help for free and now I think I should have just walked home. Uhh... If you could come help me, I would owe you big time. Anything you can think of. I guess...just call me back when you get this? Please?” Her words had started out calm but she’d quickly let her fear overtake her composure. Her last pleading word as she hung up the phone was fraught with desperation.
Since nothing had really happened after the big bird had landed on her truck, Winifred peaked further, trying to see just what kind of animal she had on her tailgate. She stared at the animal and watched to see if it would move from its perch. Was it an animal, or was it a person in their were form? It didn’t seem like it was wild, or she’d be able to scare it away. She slid her back window open and made a shooing motion at the animal, to see if it would fly away. If it was wild, it would definitely be put off by her voice. “Hey! Go on, now, you scared me!” Silly to scold a bird, but there it was.
The last thing Isaiah had wanted was to make her scream, and his wings fluttered in response, but he didn’t fly away. And he wasn’t going to go for her head or anything like that - why would he? He just wanted to know what had happened and if she was all right.
Well, that was one way to learn what was going on, being able to hear that voicemail she left for him. Though there was a part of him that was kind of proud of the fact that she was calling him, of all people - even if he wasn’t actually near his phone to answer it. If he was human right now, he wouldn’t have hesitated to get on his motorcycle, ride up here and help her out. Sadly, a falcon couldn’t ride the motorcycle and besides, he was faster this way anyway.
At the very least; he knew her truck had broken down, and that she was stranded. At least she wasn’t alone, even she thought he was some kind of wild bird. He doubted Winifred could understand anything he said as a falcon, unless she was fluent in chirps and squawks. He listened to her speak, tilting his head to the side a little, watching her. Winifred trying to shoo him away, though? If only she knew that the person she’d just called was actually with her, just not in the form she expected him to be.
Isaiah would have chuckled, if he could have. Instead he hopped towards her a few inches, completely unafraid. Would she understand nods of his head if she asked him yes or no questions?
Winifred knew better than to make a bird of prey angry, so she just watched it as it flapped its wings. She tried to keep calm while she studied the animal. It hopped down into her truck bed and closer to her, so it must not be very afraid of her. She talked to her animals at home, so she might as well keep up the tradition. “You’re either very tame, or not a wild animal at all.” Looking up at the moon, she looked back at the falcon and narrowed her eyes.
Shooing and yelling at the bird didn’t do much but make her feel even more silly, so Winifred decided that maybe she wasn’t really in any danger. At least not from this animal. Her gaze darted to the surrounding woods. “I hope you’re the only creature out here at the moment.” Winifred should have remembered that tonight, above all nights, would be the night to stay indoors. She was not in the market for becoming a were, or a snack, or anything else unpleasant.
“If you’re a were, you should flap your wings, or screech or something. If you understand me.” Winifred looked into the all-too-intelligent eyes of the falcon and waited. Maybe it would be able to keep a lookout in case anything else showed up. If it was friendly at all. Winifred hoped that she wasn’t just going crazy, talking to a strange animal.
Winifred didn’t have anything to worry about. Isaiah knew exactly who she was, what was going on, and he’d do whatever he could to help - from this form, because he had to. When she mentioned not being a wild animal, he nodded his head, hoping she’d understand. It was dark, after all, and the full moon cast more than enough light for him to see, but he wasn’t so sure how that would work for Winifred.
At her next question, he looked around. He couldn’t spot anything out of the ordinary - a few squirrels moving through the bush, yes, but no other weres. Isaiah’s sense of smell wasn’t as good as some other weres were, but he’d be able to tell if one was around, and he couldn’t right now. He’d protect her if he had to, but he didn’t think it would come to that.
When she asked him to, he flapped his wings. Yes, he understood her. Yes, he was a were. And yes, he was someone she knew and hopefully trusted. It might not have been the way Isaiah had been planning to tell her what he was, but it was done now, and he wouldn’t take it back. Tomorrow morning, when he could shift and actually talk again, he’d fill her in on the rest of the details. She wasn’t going crazy.
The bright light that the moon was blaring down onto the area was good enough for Winifred’s use, even if the silvery cast of it made things look a little more unreal and ethereal. Almost like she was trapped in a dream. She wasn’t however, and her eyebrows shot up as she watched the bird nod at her. So, it wasn’t wild. Was it someone’s pet that they’d taught it to do that? Winifred dismissed that idea as soon as she had it; it was just ridiculous.
Watching the animal turn its head and look around, Winifred was struck with a strange urge to find it...cute. Well, that was certainly the opposite end of the spectrum, having screamed in terror earlier. Granted, she hadn’t exactly known what had landed on her truck, so maybe she should be given some credit for that. She was already scared enough, and so her emotional fortitude was pretty nonexistent. “You’ll...let me know if you see or hear anything?” She bit her lower lip, wondering again at her negotiations with a falcon.
Winifred could not really say she was extremely surprised; even a trained bird shouldn’t be able to understand her. And it was clear that it wasn’t a familiar either, as it had just confirmed her suspicions that it was in fact a were, out on a mandatory jaunt for the full moon. “You probably would have done it already if you were intending to bite me, so I thank you for not doing so.” Sure, she was still talking to a bird, but she needed to start thinking of them like a person. And she could still be polite. “Are you a man when you aren’t in your animal form?” It didn’t really matter either way, but Winifred thought it’d be the easiest way for the were to answer if she just asked that way. It wasn’t as if it could answer much more than a simple yes or no.
If Isaiah picked up some of the falcon’s habits in his human form - the speed, the better eyesight, and the like - then he supposed it was only fair that the falcon picked up pieces of his human life as well. He was trying to portray the fact that he was human and therefore capable of understanding her, and he was hoping that still came through. When he just let instinct take over, which happened quite a bit when he was flying, it would be a different story. Winifred had nothing to fear from him.
Another nod for her. That was probably the one thing Isaiah could do for her in this form, play lookout. His eyesight pretty much guaranteed that he’d see anything coming before she would, and like hell he’d let anything get near her. A falcon might not be able to take out another bigger were, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t try. After facing down a demon by himself, Isaiah wasn’t scared. And, in truth? Winifred didn’t have much to fear. Not every were was out tonight looking to get someone, and since the Light of May, a good number of the bittens in the world were locked up safe. It was the best course of action for everyone involved.
At the thought of biting her, Isaiah gave a squawk. Oh hell no, he wasn’t that kind of were! Just because he loved his wings and loved the ability to fly did not mean he’d inflict the life of a bitten were on anyone. Not even his enemies, and that was saying a lot, all things considered. In the morning, he was definitely going to have to talk to Winifred about this whole thing, if only so she knew who the bird she’d been talking to was. Her second question earned her another nod. Yes and no questions were definitely the way to go here.
Winifred couldn’t help but dart her eyes around every so often, catching phantom movement in her peripheral vision. The eerie light of the moon certainly wasn’t a help, and it made the shifting light through the trees all the more distracting. A slight breeze came through the opening in her back window and she shivered a little bit. She wasn’t cold so much as she was scared. Even though she had something to distract her, she was still pretty focused on the night that had descended in full force. The sound of the crickets wasn’t really soothing like it normally was, and Winifred shuddered visibly.
The falcon nodded again, and Winifred smiled a little bit. “Thank you. It’s not much for you to be able to see very well, I bet. Do you live near here?” She paused, chewing her lip as she tried to think of something else to say. Her “yes or no” limitation made thinking of interesting things to talk about a little difficult, but she was nothing if not determined. “You’re my first were. Are you the only falcon around here, or are there more of you?” She shrugged a little. “I don’t think I’ll run out of questions, but you might run out of patience first.”
At the falcon’s squawk, Winifred drew back a couple inches, an involuntary gasp catching in her throat. After the initial shock, she took that to mean that the falcon thought that biting was a bad thing, and she calmed down another fraction. “Well, I’m glad we’re agreed. I’m in no hurry to lose what powers I have.” Woops! Well, great, now some random were-falcon knows that you aren’t human. Winifred chafed at her arms, and dropped her gaze. She probably wouldn’t lose her magical abilities, but she wasn’t too sure on that subject. She caught movement and saw the falcon nod at her last question. “So you’re a man.” She shivered a bit. “Are you a good man?” Not that Winifred could actually tell without the aid of magic if this were was lying. And she was not about to offer up any more information than she’d already let slip. She watched the falcon, trying to work out the puzzle of just who it could be.
Seeing her shiver, he couldn’t tell if she was cold or scared or both. Sadly a falcon wasn’t built for cuddling, but that didn’t mean that instinct still wasn’t there for him. She didn’t have to worry about much, he’d find a way to tell her if someone else was coming. This spot was pretty remote, though, and Isaiah knew his eyesight was better than hers. All part of the territory, as it were. He still wished he could just give her a hug and let her know everything is going to be all right.
He nodded. Yes, he lived around here; a falcon usually picked an area as his territory and then stayed close by for most of his life. Granted, he also shared this place with his father, but they were usually pretty good about it. Upon hearing that he was her first were, there was a little bit of pride in that, as well as the desire to make a good impression. Winifred could have done much worse than to end up with an angelic-blooded falcon, that was for damn sure. Her next question earned her another nod. Yes, there was one more were falcon, but where his dad was right now he couldn’t be sure. Josiah had Elijah somewhere tonight; neither one of them would leave the younger were hawk alone.
Isaiah hadn’t expected that strong a reaction to his squawk, though he was more concerned with the revelation of powers. He knew she wasn’t were or vampire, but that left a few options. An elemental, or a witch like his mother? He remembered Winifred’s interest in white magic, and bringing the subject up to his mom, so maybe that was it. Hard to get her to tell him much more than that now when the girl didn’t realize who she was actually talking to. And if she was turned? He didn’t know what would happen to a witch, but he wasn’t sure they’d keep their magic either. Probably not, at least in his mind. He wished he could smile for her to let her know that, yes, he was a good man. At least in his opinion.
This was why Winifred needed a better emergency kit in her truck. It wasn’t cold outside by any means, but a blanket still would have been nice to have. Her knuckles turned white from where she gripped her arms, her anxiety clear on her face. She was safe for now, what with a were-lookout with really great vision, but it still didn’t ease the tension of having to be in the darkness. Could were’s smell fear? She wasn’t sure that scent was the falcon’s forte, but she was sure its senses were better than hers by a long shot.
Winifred watched the falcon intently, her curiosity at war with her anxiousness. Another nod, and she tried to think of what she could ask next. “How long--” No, that wouldn’t work. “Have you lived here a long time?” Winifred hadn’t met many people since she’d been here, but it’d be interesting if she had seen or talked to this person before. It was highly unlikely that she had, but the idea settled into her mind and stayed there. “I wish I knew why you decided to come pay me a visit. Were you just bored?” She wondered allowed. She knew it wasn’t that man she’d ran into at the magic shop. This person didn’t give off a bad vibe at all, and she would have felt it if it was him. She shuddered at the thought, her skin crawling at the mere memory of him.
Winifred tilted her head to the side, waiting for any other sort of yes or no from the falcon. When she didn’t receive any, she shrugged lightly. “You don’t seem bad, and you don’t make my skin crawl like that awful man I met at the mag--” Winifred’s mouth dropped open. Stop doing that! “At the market,” she corrected herself, wincing at the lie. Not only had she mentioned magic, but losing powers, and if she didn’t watch herself, she would just spill everything. But the worst part was the way she still tasted the lie on her tongue like something awful. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t lie. If I knew I could trust you, I could just tell you the truth.” Narrowing her eyes, Winifred asked the million dollar question. “Have we met?”
To be fair, Isaiah didn’t really have an emergency kit on his bike, either. But she had the room to keep one and if he thought he could help keep warm right now, then he would - but falcons weren’t exactly made for cuddling. He didn’t know if this game of 20 questions was helping at all, especially since he could see how white her knuckles were getting, but he hoped it was taking her mind off waiting. At least she wasn’t alone, right? Better than nothing, at least in Isaiah’s mind.
Another nod. She already knew he was a lifer, but seeing as she’d yet to put two and two together and realize it was him, then it made sense why she’d ask again. And no, he shook his head, he wasn’t here because he was bored. He’d stopped to see if she was okay because he’d recognized the truck from the air. The falcon in him did want to keep flying - the moons only came once a month, but he’d make up for it by going for another fly later. He didn’t know what kind of person would make someone’s skin crawl - and the answer came to him a second later. Demon blood. He’d felt it when he’d been near the demon, and it happened with people sometimes, too. An angelic defense built into his system, so did Winifred have angelic blood too? Considering that Isaiah had always known what he was from day one, he wondered if Winifred even knew what she was.
She didn’t have to lie, but he could kind of understand why she was. Isaiah tried to shrug it off, which didn’t really work in his falcon form, since it more or less resulted in him fluttering his wings. She could trust him, but he’d have to do something to prove that, and it was awful hard on the one night when he couldn’t shift between forms. Her last question, though? Oh yes, she knew him, and the enthusiastic nodding he gave her said as much. Come on, Winifred. Can you tell that it’s me?
Grabbing her phone, Winifred unlocked it to check the time. It wasn’t even close to the middle of the night yet, and she was already pretty done with being stranded. Though now at least she had a puzzle to keep her mind occupied. She waited with anticipation for the series of answers she hoped to get from the man in bird form, finding the idea a little bit more natural than before. She was a witch, for crying out loud! If she couldn’t handle being around another supernatural creature, then she should probably quit while she was ahead.
Watching the falcon nod, another piece of the puzzle clicked into place. So he’s lived here a long time, and he lives nearby. Well, honestly that could be any number of people, if she hadn’t met him. “Hmmm...” She twisted her mouth, thinking of anything else relevant that she could ask. When nothing came to mind, she smiled wryly. “Honestly, I’m running out of simple things to ask. I can’t very well ask you where you live and hope to get any sort of response I can understand.” She shrugged lightly. At the shake of his head, Winifred smiled. “Here to rescue a stranded damsel, then?” She laughed at that; it was obvious that while the falcon was at least distracting her from her fear of the night, he wouldn’t be able to help her until he could change back into his human form.
When the falcon ruffled his feathers, Winifred assumed that it meant the same thing as a shrug, since that’s almost exactly what it looked like. Except with wings, of course. “You know, even though you aren’t human, its pretty amazing how well you can still communicate.” She smiled, wondering what it would be like to be forced to change into an animal every month. It didn’t seem so very bad, at least for the born variety of weres. Bitten weres didn’t have it so easy, poor things, and Winifred quickly rethought wondering too much about what it would be like. Be careful what you wish for, and all that. At the moment, not only did the falcon nod, but he nodded like he was happy about it. Winifred’s thoughts raced off after that. It was not that creepy man, nor could it be Jacques, because if he was anything other than a witch, he would have mentioned it. He just seemed the type to be upfront about those things. Winifred had only met three people since she moved, and that left one option. The momentary shock on her face was replaced immediately with a smile and a look of wonder. “Isaiah?”
Even from here, Isaiah could see the time, close to midnight. It wasn’t something he often paid attention to on the full moons, one, because he couldn’t wear a watch, and two, because what did it matter when he was in his falcon form the whole time? He usually slept the afternoon before if he could, so that way he could stay up all night flying, and he’d sleep most of the next day away. Isaiah really did treasure this time, though he could understand why all weres wouldn’t, especially the bittens.
If Isaiah could have laughed, he would have. Yes, he’d rescue the “damsel,” as it were, though it was hard to do so as a bird. And hell, she’d already called him to come out anyway, even if she didn’t quite realize that yet. He just wasn’t in the form she expected him to be, that’s all. She could ask him where he lived, and he could try to take her there, but it was really too far to walk and he certainly wasn’t strong enough in this form to actually carry her there. Maybe, if he could get to her phone, he might be able to type in his parents’ number with his beak or something. He’d never tried it before, but it might work. Maybe. His mother would still be up, she always was during the moons - until all three of the were-birds in their family were back home, safe and sound.
Of course he could still communicate as a falcon - he’d had a bit of practice with that, after all. It was fun sometimes to watch a human’s face as he tried to talk to them like this, because it amused his sisters when they were all younger, anyway. Jocelyn especially, because the idea that her big brothers were birds still hadn’t worn off yet. At least she’d outgrown the “grab everything in sight” stage a long time ago, so he knew his feathers would be safe around her. And then Winifred said his name. Isaiah hopped up and down in confirmation, moving a few more steps closer to her. See? Not so bad, like I said. I’m just sorry I can’t shift to help you out here, but I’ll stay as long as you want me to.
The fear of the night was something that Winifred couldn’t just shake, but after so many hours just huddled here in the dark, talking to a were-falcon, Winifred’s sense of terror was beginning to loose its sharp edge. It hadn’t left, but Winifred was a bit more used to it, almost like she was becoming numb. It was a good thing, it didn’t look like she was going to be getting home anytime soon. “Do you spend your whole night flying, when the moon is full?” She could imagine that would be either the most exhilarating night of the month, or the most tiring. It was probably a little of both.
A slow smile curved Winifred’s lips as the falcon hopped up and down. “I take that as a very emphatic yes.” It was in Winifred’s true nature to be trusting, and she instantly trusted that this were was in fact Isaiah. Relief went through her to mingle with the other emotions currently swirling around in her mind, but it was enough to make her less afraid, even if only fractionally. “I’m so glad it’s you!” Now that she knew who it was, she felt like she should own up to what she was, too, seeing as Isaiah had been brave enough to let her know.
“Well, since we’re being open, I guess you should know that I’m a born witch. My mother was a master white witch, and since birth I’ve been fascinated with trying to master that type of magic as well.” She shrugged lightly, trying to put up a brave, unworried front. It didn’t really make sense for another supernatural to reject her, but she would always be worried about it. “So, we’re both a whole lot more special than we thought. Although I knew there was something about you when we met. I just didn’t know what it was.” And even now that she knew that Isaiah was a were-falcon, she still wasn’t sure that that was exactly it. It was something deeper.
There wasn’t anything else to do on the full moon except fly, at least in Isaiah’s opinion. It was just a matter of where he went, and if his father and his brother were going to join him. Last full moon, with Roxy’s penguin pool party, had been the exception to the rule. He’d promised Roxy he’d stopped by even though he was a falcon and she was a penguin and it wasn’t like they could actually talk to each other. He was always tired come morning, but in his mind, it was also totally worth it.
He came close to the back window, nudging it with his beak. Now that she knew who he was and that she had nothing to be afraid of, Isaiah was trying to find another way to show her that he cared. He couldn’t hold her or give her a hug or actually form the words to tell her it was okay, but he knew them, and he could feel them. Isaiah wasn’t going to leave until he knew she was okay.
Tilting his head to the side a little, if he could have, he would have been grinning. How fitting that the girl he liked (and he did, Isaiah wasn’t really trying to kid himself about it) was also a white witch. His parents would certainly get a kick out of that when he told them, like father, like son. How could he reject her for being a witch when his mother and sisters were the same exact thing? If nothing else, it was something he could actually help her with - well, bring her to his mom so she could help, that was. Isaiah himself didn’t have a lick of talent for it, but he considered it a fair trade for his wings. He’d felt that fledgling connection too, but he didn’t know if it was the magic thing, or something else. Something more.
After a few moments, once she let everything sink in, Winifred felt much better. Now her closest friend here knew nearly everything basic about her, and he didn’t seem to mind. Or, if he did, he was just being polite, but Winifred didn’t think Isaiah would be dishonest like that. In such a short time, he’d made such a huge impression on her, and she was really glad that he was here to keep her company. And despite his inability to do much of anything to truly help, Winifred felt safe amidst the darkness. The night didn’t seem as scary anymore, and the witch visibly relaxed a little bit more.
When Isaiah came close to the glass of the back window, Winifred slid it open as far as it would go, reaching out and pausing a moment with her hand outstretched. With slow, gentle movements, Winifred touched the feathers on the falcon’s chest in the way you might stroke a cat. She used her knuckles instead of her open hand, not wanting any of the oils on her hand to upset his plumage. She smiled, and after a little while she withdrew her hand and shrugged. “I’d never pet a bird before. Your feathers are a lot softer than I would have thought they’d be.”
Winifred missed the smile in the expression, but she did note that aside from looking at her with his head tilted, Isaiah didn’t make a big deal about everything, and that was a relief. For a moment, she even considered telling him about her angelic heritage, but for some reason it didn’t seem to be the right moment. Baby steps, she told herself. She was sure it might come out eventually, but aside from being able to bless things with her blood, she didn’t know what it meant yet. It made her uneasy around certain people, and despite her basic knowledge of supernatural creatures, she still hadn’t put two and two together. Glancing down at her phone’s clock again, she winced. “I bet you’d rather be flying, huh?” It wouldn’t be much longer before the night would eventually make its way into day again. “I think I’ll be okay for now. And hey, knowing that you’re up in the sky might actually make it bearable to get through the night.” And despite her reluctance to be alone in the dark, she didn’t want to be selfish. With a smile to reassure him, Winifred gestured up at the sky. “You’ve made the night lonely being here on the ground for so long and I think its high time you get back up there.” Winifred put a brave face on and kept it there, hoping that she would be able to keep it together once Isaiah was gone. “I’m sure I’ll see you soon, maybe in human form next time?”
Why would Isaiah mind? He knew he couldn’t really talk to her right now, given that he was stuck as a bird, but her magic wasn’t ever going to be something he would freak out about. In truth, he was happier that she didn’t freak out over the idea that he was a were. Considering how Paige had reacted, Isaiah was now prepared for any girl to think the worst of him whenever his secret came up. This might not have been how he would have chosen to tell her, but there wasn’t much he could do about that now.
He turned his head to lean against her hand, rather liking the way she was petting his feathers. He didn’t often let people touch him in his falcon form, and not many people tried - if only because he was a bird of prey and therefore looked dangerous. She could keep petting if she wanted, he didn’t mind. After all, it was one connection they could make right now, and he’d take what he could get.
His angelic heritage, as well as the fact that his mother was also a white witch, was something that would have to wait until another day. He didn’t fear Winifred knowing - if nothing else, Adriana would be able to help her progress with her magic, and he knew his mother wouldn’t mind - there was just no way to tell her right now. She didn’t understand chirps and squawks and there wasn’t anyone to translate for him. Someday, they would get there. This was enough for day. He nodded his head - yes, he’d like to be flying, but he didn’t want to leave her alone, either. If she said she’d be all right, then Isaiah would believe her. With a nudge of his beak, a silent goodbye and a promise to get in touch with her soon, Isaiah took off into the sky again. Winifred might not see him, but he wasn’t going to travel all that far from here tonight. Just to make sure she stayed safe.