Chapter 76 - Faries

Delaney felt the steady heat of Vincent's hand in hers and that was the only thing convincing her they weren't in some kind of dream.

The dots of light pulled them forward into the clearing, passing through the ring of glowing lights swirling in a circle around the edge of the clearing. Standing in the center of the ring, the lights that had been pulling on her skirt flew back to join their brethren.

Vincent's breaths were still coming quickly as his eyes flashed around them, looking for a threat. He was so tense Delaney thought he might snap like a band. One hand hovered over the dagger on his thigh.

Looking out at the lights, Delaney had no idea what type of threat he could even look for. How could one fight a flash of light?

A rosy pink light broke away from the ring then and floated towards them. Delaney moved slowly closer to Vincent until her shoulder brushed against his arm. The pink light came up until it was even with his face, reflected in his eyes.

Suddenly it buzzed forward and nudged itself up against his less scarred cheek before darting backward again. Delaney looked at it in surprise when it made a little popping noise and was no longer just a dot of pink light, but a beautiful, tiny, young girl glowing rosy pink with a teasing smile on her face.

"Now Vince why do you have your hand on your blade? Do you intend to cause us harm?"

"Nell," Vincent exhaled quickly, visibly releasing the tension from his body, "It's you! I was... I was worried you wouldn't recognize me and maybe... maybe try to get rid of me while keeping her."

A tinkling sound came from the glowing girl as she laughed, "Of course we recognize you silly. Just because you've grown into a man doesn't mean we can't still recognize the wild boy who used to sneak out to play with us."

Vincent looked down in embarrassment, "But... but my scars... I know fairies don't like ugly things near them and especially not in the rings."

Delaney was relieved to see the little face turn sad, "We did see you've been badly injured. A dragon's venom is it?"

Vincent nodded without meeting her eyes. "There was a war," he said quietly, "More dragons than I've ever seen. I... I took on a giant old male."

"Well you know we don't like killing but we understand you're a soldier and have to protect your people. We forgive you so you can stay in the ring with us."

He looked up surprised as all around them there were little pops as the balls of light began to transform into tiny, glowing fairies.

"But Nell," he looked at her in confusion as thunder rumbled in the sky above them, "The scars... I'm a beast to behold. Why would the fairies want me in the ring?"

The pink fairy floated forward and gave him a tiny kiss on the tip of his nose, "calm," she whispered, and Delaney was astounded to see her husband's shoulders ease and the worry wash from his face.

"Vince we've known you for many years and even when you were a child, your lovely spirit shined through to us. Your skin may be marred but your spirit is still good and lovely."

A smile started to pull at Vincent's lips as he looked at the tiny girl.

"Now," she continued, "Don't be rude. Introduce me to Delaney!"

Vincent jumped and turned to look at Delaney quickly as if he'd completely forgotten she was there.

"I'm so sorry," he apologized to both of them, "Nell, this is my wife, Lady Delaney Adair. Delaney, this is the fairy princess Nell."

The rose-colored girl now floated until she was in front of Delaney, and gave a courtesy that the human woman quickly returned, still in shock by what was happening.

"H-How did you know my name?" she asked the little fairy.

The tinkling sound came again as the girl laughed, "Vincent has talked about you at length. He told us you were a beauty with chestnut hair and eyes like an ocean."

Delaney looked at her husband who was looking down, blushing deep red. She giggled and squeezed his hand.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Princess Nell. I've dreamed of meeting a fairy all my life."

"Oh just call me Nell," the girl beamed, "And now you get to meet about a hundred of us!"

Delaney looked around her and saw there were at least one hundred floating fairies of all different colors in a ring around them, watching. She blushed and realized she was somewhat of a spectacle with her husband.

"The moon is almost at its peak," Nell clapped her hands together happily, "You'll both dance with us won't you?"

Delaney looked at Vincent and saw him swallow, the muscles in his jaw moving, giving away his returning worry. She moved to him and took his face gently in her hands, the muscles moving beneath them as he clenched his jaw.

His eyes were flying from one fairy to another behind her, not looking at his wife at all until she said his name. Panicked green eyes looked down and met hers.

"It'll be alright," she whispered, "Dance with me. Like we used to."

"I don't think I can," he whispered, "I'll just embarrass myself and you. Their dancing is beautiful and perfect and..."

Delaney leaned up and kissed him, cutting off his words. She kissed him deeply until she felt him relax against her and around them, strange, beautiful music began to play.

"Dance with me," she whispered as the fairies began to fill the space around them. A voice began to sing in a haunting tone, a language she couldn't understand. Instruments were being played somewhere although Delaney couldn't see them, a pipe and some stringed instruments and all kinds of other things she didn't recognize.

What made its way into her soul though was the eerie, almost seductive voices singing, more and more joining in.

"If we start dancing they may not let us stop Delaney," Vincent whispered to her, but it was too late. She spun away from him, in step with the fairies around her somehow even though she'd never heard the songs they played.

Delaney's hair came out of its braid as if by magic, tumbling loosely over her shoulders like the hair of the beautiful female fairies around her. She watched Vincent with her eyes alight, unable to contain her excitement.

It wasn't long before her happiness began to work its way into Vincent and soon he was smiling too. When the fairies moved forward, Delaney with them, she reached out and took his hand, pulling him into the dance with her.

They moved together amongst the sea of glowing fairies, the most beautiful music playing all around them. In a dance nothing like Delaney had ever seen, the fairy magic kept her moving in perfect step, her tall, lean husband moving with them as well, at last joining her in being happy.

One song moved into another and Delaney kept moving. She felt a moment of panic upon realizing she actually couldn't stop herself but then she calmed. She didn't want to stop dancing yet anyway.

Dancing with Vincent now, Delaney remembered all their dances when they were younger before the war. She remembered how they'd been admired by everyone for their beauty and grace. 

It didn't matter to her now, she realized suddenly, whether anyone was watching them or not. She was happy here with Vincent.

With more thunder, it wasn't long before the skies broke open, letting a light rain fall down on them. The fairies squealed and cheered in excitement and Delaney laughed.

Vincent came to a stop in the middle of the clearing and pulled his wife to him, holding her close and kissing her deeply as the fairies danced and sang around them. Delaney felt relief at being able to stop at last. Her knees went weak from the passionate kiss from her husband.

When they came apart, she smiled up at him, drenched from the rain as he was. He chuckled as he looked down at her happy face. He stepped back from her then, holding one of her hands lightly in his as they joined back in the dancing.

As the rain increased, so did the speed of their music and their dancing. Delaney spun around Vincent, and wondered if it was the fairies making the rain fall harder or the rain making them speed up their dancing.

Her dress spun as she did, the skirt making a wide circle around her making she and Vincent laugh. The male fairies stepped to one side of the clearing with Vincent as the women stepped to the opposite side before spinning towards them, being caught in their arms at the last moment.

They were dancing so quickly now Delaney was breathing hard and she knew she must be tired but the magic thick around them was leaving her mind in a sort of drunkenness.

The back of her mind held worry that if she was tired, Vincent would likely be in pain. But as she spun towards him again she saw only an excited, mischievous smirk on his lips and light in his eyes.

At last, the dancing hit the climax, the pairs moving so quickly they were like a whirling wind as the rain dumped down on them. A final loud note was hit and they all dropped into bows or curtsies.

Delaney looked up at Vincent and found both their chests rising and falling rapidly but smiles on their faces. When they righted, the fairies around them broke into cheers as the rain eased up.

Suddenly, popping began, and all around them, the fairies began changing back into their little balls of glowing light. Delaney looked all around until she noticed the rosy pink Nell floating towards them with a big smile on her face.

"You both were wonderful," she flew up and gave each of them a quick kiss on their cheeks. Delaney felt a strange warmth wash over her and the pain and exhaustion in her legs eased.

"You have to come back soon," the fairy princess went on, "On a night when we don't have a full moon. I want to hear all about everything that's happened since last we met Vince."

He laughed as he worked to catch his breath, "Alright Nell. Soon, I promise."

"Good," she beamed, "Be safe both of you!"

With those last words, there was a pop and only a ball of pink light was left in front of them. Delaney and Vincent held still as the balls of light began swirling around them, faster and faster, until there came a hissing noise and a flash of light so bright they closed their eyes against it.

When the couple looked again, they were alone in the empty clearing, standing in the middle of a ring of toadstools. The fairies were gone as if they'd never been.