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“When the first baby laughed, for the first time, the laugh broke into a thousand pieces, and they all went skipping about. That was the beginning of fairies. And now when every new baby is born, its first laugh becomes a fairy. So there ought to be one fairy for every boy or girl.”
— J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan
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The baby on Ximena Talis’s hip starts to fuss.
“Now, now, mi corazón,” she murmurs with a soft smile. “Settle down.”
As she starts to bounce him gently, her little boy does something he never has before. He laughs. It’s a fresh, joyful sound, one that reminds her of a bubbling brook. It fills the air as he kicks and gurgles, reaching up to grasp at her nose.
And elsewhere, at that same moment, a tiny girl takes her first breath.
She stretches, wings spreading, as she emerges from the petals of a blooming flower. The world awaits her, clear and bright, as does someone else—another winged woman. She stands tall and imposing, hair gray and wispy like a cloud, her eyes like steel.
“Welcome, little one,” she says. Her voice is low, commanding, though she gives no orders.
The girl blinks up at her with round, curious eyes.
“I sense potential in you.” The elder fairy grins, the scar at her lip curling. “Come with me. You shall be my heir. My daughter.”
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Early one evening, at the tender age of ten, Jayce begs his mother to let him play in her garden. She allows him, warning him with a peck on the cheek not to dirty himself up. Begrimed hands, after all, won’t be allowed at the supper table.
And so he wades through the colorful sea of flowers. The hellebores and daffodils are fresh, standing tall like soldiers—the harbingers of spring. His mother taught him plants like them always bloom early, to take advantage of the first rays of sunlight on the earth. As he wanders among them, something catches his eye: a girl.
Except…she’s no taller than his pointer finger, perched atop a hyacinth. And sprouting from her back are…a pair of wings.
A fairy.
Jayce inhales sharply and far too loudly. The girl’s attention snaps to him. Her eyes widen. She gasps and darts away, disappearing into the greenery.
“W-wait, come back!” he squeaks. “Please? I didn’t mean to scare you!”
Silence. Then, slowly, a pair of wary green eyes peeks out at him from between the stems of the hyacinths.
“Please come out,” he begs, gentler. “It’s okay. I won’t hurt you.”
His words seem to put her at ease. The fairy reveals herself, and Jayce takes her in: dress the color of lilacs, bare feet, dark skin and darker hair pulled up in a puff. She has a young, round face like his, accentuated by pointed ears. Her wings beat the air a mile a minute as she hovers in front of him.
“You’re…real,” he breathes. “Fairies, I mean.”
“Of course we are,” she replies. “Haven’t you heard the stories?”
“I didn’t think they were true.”
“Fair enough.” She starts to flit around him like a hummingbird, making him spin in circles to keep up with her. “You know, I really shouldn’t be talking to you.”
“Why not?”
“My mother says humans are dangerous. She’s Queen of the Faeries, so we all must listen to her. But…do you know something?” She stops moving and tilts her head at him, a glint in her clever jade eyes. “I think she’s wrong. After all, you don’t seem so bad.”
Jayce grins, showing off the gap between his teeth. “Thanks! I think you’re cool too.” He pauses. “My name’s Jayce, by the way. What’s yours?”
“Mel.”
“Nice to meet you. Wait…can you do magic?”
She grins. “A little.”
“Can you show me?”
Mel’s smile grows wider and cheekier as she hovers above his head. Golden dust rains down on Jayce from her wings, earning a sneeze from him. A strange sensation comes over him: a light tingling, followed by weightlessness. Then, to his astonishment, his feet leave the ground. He’s…floating. Flying. His eyes go wide as an awed breath escapes him.
“Faerie dust,” Mel explains. “Be careful. It wears off quickly.” She hovers around him as Jayce rises higher. He flaps his arms and legs, looking like he’s swimming as he tries to maneuver himself through the air, and she snickers. “You look silly.”
“Hey! I’ve never flown before!”
That makes her laugh—a light, tinkling sound, like a little bell. He follows suit, their laughter mingling and carrying through the breeze. True to Mel’s word, the dust wears off shortly after, and Jayce is gently returned to the earth. The grass tickles his skin as he sits down and holds out his hand.
“Tell me about your world,” he pleads as Mel lands daintily in his palm.
“Only if you tell me about yours.”
So he does. He tells her about the innovations and high-reaching spires of Piltover, the City of Progress he calls home. The heat of his family’s forge, the smell of his mother’s stew made from vegetables in her garden, his dreams of inventing. Mel listens, fascinated, until the sun begins to set. And then, in return, she tells him about the Faerie Court—a kingdom of magic and endless wonder, hidden from human eyes in a faraway meadow. She explains to Jayce how the fairies control the seasons, dutifully prepping the earth for each one. How they chase each other through lush fields, leaving trails of golden dust in their wake, and craft their own tools from stone and wood.
“Wow,” Jayce whispers. “Could you take me there someday?”
Mel shakes her head. “Not as long as my mother’s around. She hates your kind…you wouldn’t be safe.”
“Oh...”
“Don’t worry. One day, when I’m Queen, humans will be welcome.” She flitters up to land on his nose, and Jayce nearly goes crosseyed trying to look at her. “Then we can play together as much as we like.”
“Really? I’d love that.”
“Jayce!” Ximena calls from the back porch. Mel startles and hops off his nose. “Supper’s ready!”
Jayce’s heart sinks. “Coming!” he shouts before turning back to his new friend. “I have to go. I’m sorry.”
“So do I.” Mel’s wings give a restless twitch. “It gets dangerous for faeries after dark. My mother will be wondering where I am, anyhow.”
“Will I…ever see you again?”
Mel wilts like a flower. “I don’t know.” Her face brightens suddenly—an idea’s struck. She flies closer and leans forward, gently pressing her lips to Jayce’s cheek.
The sensation makes him gasp. Warmth floods through his entire body, radiating from the spot where she kissed him. It’s perhaps the most pleasant feeling he’s ever experienced.
“We’re bonded now, you and I,” Mel explains. “Seek me out when I become Queen. Our connection will show you the way, and my blessing will allow you to enter the realm of the faeries.” Her eyes widen suddenly, realization dawning on her face. “Of course…it was you. That’s why I was drawn here. To your home.”
“What was me? What are you-”
“Jayce!” his mother calls again, and the sound of her footsteps is alarmingly close.
Mel flashes him a bittersweet smile. “Goodbye, Jayce.”
And then she’s gone, specks of golden dust the only proof she was ever there.
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Years pass. Jayce doesn’t see her, but he feels her. Senses her. Knows deep down that she is alive and well. She never leaves his mind, even as he grows into a man. The seed of connection she’d sowed in him keeps him rooted to her, the winged girl he’d give anything to see again.
When the time is right, he hopes it will bring him back to her.
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He senses a shift one day. A sense of loss, followed by a surge of power, and he knows it’s time. He only hopes she hasn’t forgotten him, that she’s missed him the way he’s missed her.
The pilgrimage to the Faerie Court is treacherous. It takes him several weeks to reach the meadow of legend, led not by a map or compass but merely a feeling planted in him long ago. It grows stronger the closer he gets, pulsing within him like a heartbeat. And yet, the meadow is still and empty when he arrives. For a moment, Jayce thinks he’s come to the wrong place.
But then there’s a blinding flash of light, and the new Queen of the Faeries appears in all her splendor. She’s aged, too, and Jayce’s heart races as he once again takes her in. Taller than she was before. Golden sigils etched along her rich dark skin. A gown of white and gold, the fabric rippling as if blown by a wind he can’t feel. Her hair an intricate blend of braids, buns, and loose coils, a crown of golden leaves threaded through the dark strands. Her smile is brighter than the sun itself as their gazes meet. Laying eyes on her now, it’s like he’s seeing her for the first time again.
“Jayce.” The way she says his name sends a tingle up his spine. Her voice is so much deeper, smoother, regal as she is and clear as a bell. “You came.”
“Mel,” he breathes. “It’s been years. I…I thought you might’ve...”
“Forgotten you?” She chuckles. “We are bonded. Your laughter gave me life. All this time, my thoughts have only been of you.”
And suddenly it all makes sense. Her words set his insides on fire, make his heart flutter like the wings of a fairy. He’s only able to stare as she flutters closer, her smile as bittersweet as the day they’d met.
“I’ve missed you so,” she murmurs. “Tell me you’ll stay. Please.”
Her lips connect with his skin in the same spot they had before. The feeling brings Jayce back to that evening in his mother’s garden, when they were both children without a care in the world. Being back with her now, Jayce feels like they still are.
A single tear trickles down his cheek. “I will, Mel,” he whispers. “I will.”