Chapter 248 - Fairy Magic

"Come with me," the Princess of the fairies said to Delaney, "We will talk."

They walked to the edge of the fairy ring.  Music was already playing and the fairies were dancing but they parted, swirling around Delaney and Nell like a river flows around stones.  The two walked until they were only on the outside of the ring and out of the way of the other fairies.

"Sit," Nell said, gesturing to a stump.

Delaney did as she was told.  She still couldn't tell if Nell was upset with her or not and she didn't want to risk making anything worse.  Tucking her cloak beneath her she sat down and waited for the fairy to speak to her.

Nell studied her closely, hovering an arm's length away from her face.

"Vince doesn't know you're here," she said as she crossed her arms.

"No," Delaney answered even though it was more of a statement than a question, "I snuck out and came here on my own."

The rose-colored fairy shook her head, "He's not going to be happy about this when he finds out."

"I know," Delaney dropped her eyes, "But he wouldn't have come."

"You said you need my help.  What can I do for you?"

"I have something I have to tell you first.  So much has happened."

Delaney told Nell everything.  She told her about not wanting to marry Vincent and then agreeing to their foolish deal.  She explained how they had fallen in love though and now she never wanted to be apart from him.  When she came to the part of her story where she was explaining Anna poisoning her Nell gasped.

"A poison," she whispered, "Of course!  When I saw you last I thought something was different about you but I couldn't tell what it was.  Oh Delaney I'm so sorry.  I wish I could have realized what was happening and warned you!  It's so hard to tell with non-magical things."

"It's alright," Delaney smiled, touched that the fairy cared, "We figured it out in the end and I haven't been taking it anymore."

"Yes," Nell smiled warmly, "I can see it is gone from your body.  You look exactly as you should now.  There's no more shadow over you."

Delaney looked at her in surprise upon hearing those words.

"It's... it's gone?  You can tell the poison is out of my body?"

"I can," the fairy giggled, "You are perfectly healthy now."

Delaney was quiet.  She looked down at her hands in her lap and thought over what she had just heard.  The poison was gone.  It was out of her body.  So now if she wasn't able to get pregnant she wouldn't be able to blame it on the poison stopping them.

"Delaney?  What's wrong?  That's good news!"

"It... it is... Delaney agreed with a trembling voice, "But Nell I still haven't gotten pregnant and now Vincent is going to send me away."

The fairy looked shocked at her words.  Delaney told her about Vincent insisting that they not stay together if he couldn't give her a perfect life.  She explained how she felt that any life with him would be perfect but he wanted her to have everything life had to offer including children.  Delaney also told Nell how her husband felt he couldn't keep up with her and that his body was broken and disfigured.

"What has Vince told you about the dragon poison?"

"What do you mean?"

"He told me last time you visited that you knew his marks were growing and that the pain could get very bad."

"Yes," Delaney nodded but looked confused, "His marks are growing but I don't care about that.  I don't care if they cover his body I will still love him and want to be with him."

"And the pain?"

"I know his pain can sometimes get worse if he's overexerted himself but I've been watching him and I make him rest.  I make him get more sleep and we've found a medicine that helps ease his pain."

"But.... it doesn't go away."

"No," Delaney frowned, "It doesn't go away.  I don't mind it though Nell.  I don't mind that sometimes we have to slow down so he can recover and the pain can go away.  I don't need to rush about doing things.  I'm happy with things as they are as long as we're together."

Now Nell frowned as well and looked away from the other woman.

"I love Vincent very much but sometimes he can be so foolish," the fairy griped, "He tries to manage everything on his own."

Delaney nodded, "Then you see why I came without him?  I wanted to ask you for your help but I knew he would be against it."

Nell sighed.  They were not talking about the same thing but she knew she couldn't tell her friend's wife what she actually meant.  It wasn't her secret to share.  If Vincent didn't want Delaney to know the extent of the damage the poison was causing then she would have to respect that and not tell her either.

"So tell me," she spoke in her almost child-like voice, "You want to ask for my help.  What help do you think I can give you?"

Delaney was taken aback by the question.  She had thought it would be obvious to the fairy what she wanted help with.

"I... I want to ask you to... to help ensure I have a baby."  When Nell's eyebrows raised Delaney hurried to continue.  "I know there is witchs' magic that can ensure I will have a baby but I can't agree to take a life to make that happen.  I was hoping though if witch magic could do it then maybe fairy magic can as well and... and maybe the price wouldn't be so steep."

Nell's face immediately fell, "Oh Delaney... witch magic is completely different from fairy magic.  A witch can accept a life lost in order to create a new life but fairies we... we can't do the same."

Delaney felt her heart catch and could've sworn it stopped beating for a moment.

"But surely... surely there must be something you can do.  Some other way to use your magic to make sure I have a baby."

"I'm sorry but we can't.  We can't create a life.  We can only help one to grow."

"What?" Delaney felt her head spin, "But that can't be.  You have magic.  With everything a fairy can do surely there's something you can do to help me.  You have to help me Nell!  I can't lose my husband."

The rose-colored princess floated up a bit higher and looked all around.  After a moment she shot off into the woods and Delaney got to her feet.  Maybe she was going to get something that would help.  Instead, she was surprised when the fairy came back only holding a pinecone.

"Watch Delaney."

She did as she was told, watching as Nell bent back one of the scales of the pinecone and reach her little arm into the opening.  A moment later she pulled out a tiny seed from inside.

"Do you see this?  This little seed is already a life.  It's simply waiting to grow.  Fairies can't create the seeds but we can do this."

Nell fluttered to the ground and kicked some dirt aside until there was a small hole.  She then carefully dropped the seed down inside it.  She used her little hands to scoop dirt back on top of the seed and then she glanced up to make sure Delaney was watching.

The fairy placed both her hands on the ground above the seed and closed her eyes.  As she did, her pink glow became brighter and brighter.  Delaney watched as suddenly something popped out from between Nell's hands and stretched up towards the sky.

Right before Delaney's eyes, the thing between her hands grew into a sprout and slowly began to grow into a sapling.  It was as if time had sped up but only for the little tree.

When it was a decent height, Nell moved away and the tree immediately stopped its sped-up growing process.

"You see?  We can help a life to grow big and strong but we can't create it.  Technically witches can't either.  They're simply recycling a life that was ended."

Delaney felt her heart plummet with this news.  If the fairies couldn't create life then they couldn't help her.  They couldn't make sure she was pregnant so she could stay with the man she loved.  They couldn't help her at all.  With tears in her eyes, she shook her head.

"I'm very sorry," the fairy princess whispered again, "You know I would be happy to help you and Vincent if I could but... but we can't do anything to make sure you have a baby.  We just don't have that kind of magic.  We can only encourage things to happen."

Delaney dropped her eyes to the ground and felt warm tears slip down her cheeks.  Her last hopes were dashed.  She had truly thought the fairies would be able to fix everything but it turned out there was nothing they could do.  Their magic was more of a push for things that were already there.

Beside them, the music was beginning to wind down and the fairy dancing was slowing.  Nell glanced at her people and then turned back to Delaney.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly, "But we have to go."

"Alright," Delaney whispered, getting to her feet.

"Will you get home safely?"

"I'll be fine," she answered although at that moment she didn't care if she never made it back to Edgewood.

Nell didn't look convinced but she nodded.  The buzzing of the fairies was beginning to grow as they flew faster and faster in their circle.  Their princess moved to join them, paused just before she did, and darted back to Delaney.

"Have good luck," she whispered before kissing Delaney on the forehead.

She flew back and joined the others just in time.  The flash of light came and then there was only silence.  When Delaney opened her eyes the fairies were gone.

She now stood all alone in the middle of the forest.