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Nico skimmed the top of the lake with his fellow Hypno Hazel. Her wings were the color of cinnamon and were swirled with as many different colors as there were precious jewels. Their wings beat quickly in time with one another, and as they flew, the lake below them began to freeze and delicate patterns of curlicues could be seen forming on top of the ice. They split apart at the edge of the lake and Nico began his next task before dawn fully arrived in the mortal realm.
The Hypno started low to the ground and flew in a wide circle. As he continued to fly, he tightened his circle until he was spinning in place. Nico made a motion with his hands as if he was winding spider-web silk around his wrists and then shot up into the air and threw his hands over his head.
A dusting of frost floated down around him. Nico allowed himself a small smile. The glistening substance covered everything in his sight.
He floated slowly back to the ground and called up a large mushroom with a red cap and white spots to settle upon. (Mortals strongly associate fairies with these mushrooms, and for good reason. They’re the only kind that may only fruit with the help of a fairy.)
Nico’s chosen, Will, flitted toward him and joined him atop his perch. He stifled a yawn and absentmindedly swung his feet in what Nico assumed was an attempt to wake himself up. (Nico also thought it was one of Will’s endearing habits.) The Healer was wrapped in a warm tunic made from nettle fibers and matching leggings, while Nico was wearing his customary raccoon fur tunic and leggings. The yellow swirls in Will’s wings caught the early rays of the sun’s light.
Will posed a question as he gazed out at the Hypnos going about their work.
“I thought since you were a Euthaniasist, that you helped creatures die?”
Nico traced his hand along the mushroom cap, shrouding it in frost.
“You Persephes don’t know much about the Slumbering, do you?”
“Only that you all undo everything we do in the Awakening,” Will stated.
Nico rolled his eyes.
So the question was one born out of ignorance not impudence, he thought to himself, unsurprised.
Aloud, he said, “To answer your question, I do help creatures die, but there are other things, smaller, gentler things, to do at the beginning of the Slumbering. We’ve only been out here for one moon.”
It was customary for the Hypnos to be out during the Slumbering for three moons. Two Healers accompanied them in case of any accidents. Since Will had been awarded the ceremonial Awakening crown during the last Awakening, he was picked to join the Hypnos on their journey. Nico refused to consider what his chosen would think about him after the last moon. You see, the last moon was usually the most taxing on the accompanying Healers as that was when Death overtook Sleep.
Nico’s eye caught Clovis, a newly arrived Hypno, attempting to get a squirrel to hibernate. The squirrel was refusing to reenter its nest. This squirrel’s method of refusal was carried out by throwing acorns at the helpless fairy.
Nico snorted as an acorn made its mark. “This is rather entertaining.”
Will followed Nico’s line of sight to the struggling Hypno. His eyes widened in shock. “Nico! Go help him!”
Will all but shoved Nico off of the mushroom, their prior conversation forgotten. Nico grumbled at being forced from his resting place, but he flitted over to Clovis nonetheless. With his guidance, Clovis was able to coax the squirrel back into its nest. The older Hypno stood watch while Clovis cast a sleeping charm over the animal.
Hades called the fairies back to the ring. (This “ring” of mushrooms is what mortals might equate to a “camp.”) He stood in the center with Morpheus, both clad in the tunics stitched together from the darkest helleborus petals. Hades’s wings were dark as the night sky, although they appeared almost oily in appearance. The sheen swirled like a disease captured in a bottled itching to be set free. Morpheus’s wings, however, shimmered in and out of existence. One beat, and they appeared to be dark blue and flecked with silver, and the next beat, they were gone, only to reappear as iridescent green.
“It is time to spread out.” Nico noticed Will edging toward him out of the corner of his eye. “Nico--“ Hades looked directly at him “—you are to take a group inland. Hazel, your group will continue down here, but venture farther into the mortals’ area.”
The fairies broke apart and quickly gathered their respective things. As soon as everybody was ready, Nico’s group took off.
They had made it to the wooded hills, and Nico was making sure everyone knew there tasks, when he was interrupted by something no fairy every wanted to hear—the shrill cry of a hungry bird.
“Hawk!”
A Bellon, one of the protector fairies, drew her porcupine-quill spear. “Scatter!” she yelled and took to the air.
The rest of the fairies needed no prompting. Nico took Will’s hand and pulled him into the hollow knot of a pine tree. Neither of them dared to breathe as they listened to the beat of feathered wings fly past. Nico tentatively poked his head out of their hiding place. Nothing was there.
He stepped out onto the branch as the Bellon called out, “All clear!”
Nico turned around to look at his chosen. He was still standing inside of the tree.
“You can come out now, Will. That is, of course, unless you want to stay there for the rest of the Slumbering?”
With his wings betraying his fright, Will stepped cautiously out onto the branch. This was the third bird scare they’d had so far during their attachment, and Nico was sure Will had been through many others, but he always seemed shaken up after them (even more so than the typical fairy). It was as if the creature had attacked him personally, not just flown by. Nico had tried to ask him about it after the second time, but Will had all but stopped beating his wings.
Nico sighed and held out his arms. Will accepted the gestured and wrapped his arms around Nico. The Hypno pressed their foreheads together.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that,” whispered Nico.
Will stayed silent. The only thing that let Nico know he was even still awake was the slow beating of his bright wings.
Nico was on the verge of talking when Will spoke up. His voice was tremulous. “I’ve had to treat more than one fairy who’d been attacked by a predator. Most don’t—“ his voice caught “—most don’t make it.”
Nico rubbed the spot below his chosen’s wings. “You can’t save everyone,” he murmured.
“I know,” he responded quietly. “But every time I see a fairy die, I feel as if a part of me has gone with them.”
They stood there for who knew how long before Will backed out of their embrace. He took a steadying breath and tried for a smile. “Well. Should you get back to it?”
An idea sparked to life in Nico’s mind. “Indeed. Fly with me?”
Will consented to follow Nico up through the forest. Fairies were flitting around, busily going about their duties. Nico was called out to a couple of times for assistance which he took in stride (“The sleep spell isn’t working!” “Of course not, you imp, you freeze wood frogs, not put them to sleep.” “Oh.”). After all was said and done, they reached their destination past when the sun was at its peak.
A tall plunging waterfall was the centerpiece of the clearing that Nico had been leading Will to. A large collection pool beneath it swelled with waves which distorted the reflection of the surrounding trees.
Will looked on it in awe. (There were only a few waterfalls in the fairy realm and none of them came close to the height of this one in the mortal realm.) He flew to the water’s edge marveling up at the powerful feature before him. He turned to face Nico. “Does anyone else know of this place?”
“Only one.”
Will seemed content with this answer and continued to stare at the falls.
Nico turned to look over his left shoulder and gently ran his hand along the top of his wing. His voice was nearly undetectable as he recited a spell in the Old Language. This spell in particular had been passed down from Hypnos to Hypnos and was one Nico had made good use of during his previous Slumberings. After he’d finished with his left wing, he repeated his movements and the spell for his right wing.
Will’s brows were furrowed. Despite Nico’s low murmurings, he’d still heard the spell. “What did you just do to your wings?”
Nico cracked a grin. “It will protect my wings from the spray. Now, do keep your wits about you, and don’t fly close to the water. I would hate to have to explain to Apollo what happened to his best Healer.”
With no explanation as to why, Nico took off toward the waterfall. He quickly flew to the top of it and looked down at Will, a bright speck that was still hovering at the edge of the collection pool.
Good, thought Nico. If he’d tried to fly above the water, the spray would have soaked his wings for sure.
Nico took a deep breath to steady his breathing. His wings beat once . . . twice . . . and then stopped. Nico tilted himself forward and allowed himself to go into a free fall.
He twisted his body around and spiraled through the air with his arms outstretched. As he neared the bottom of the waterfall, he hugged his knees to his chest and spun himself to be head-up, and vigorously began beating his wings again. He worked his way back up the waterfall, circling around it, his hands moving in fluid motions as if pulling apart and smoothing out dandelion fluff. The Hypno’s gestures were methodical, though they came to him with barely a thought.
Nico made it back to the top of the waterfall, but instead of free-falling, this time he fluttered back down to his Chosen. Will had moved to hover above the center of the collection pool as there was no more reason to be concerned about spray.
“Well?” he asked, his voice revealing an uncharacteristic strain of worry. Perhaps I’d gone too far? Does he already resent the cold? Oh my asphodels, did I give him a wing attack?
Nico’s worries were quelled, however, when he saw the look of wonder on Will’s face.
“It’s gorgeous!” Will flew closer to the now-frozen waterfall to examine it. “It’s like . . . like a crystal veil. Who taught you to do this?”
Nico ran his hand along the ice. “No one, actually. I figured it out on my own.”
“Well, it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen—besides you.”
Nico shook his head at Will’s flattery.
How in all of the realms did I get so lucky to have you as my chosen?
He was about to place his hand on Will’s cheek when a shadow passed overhead. Nico and Will both looked up.
A hawk was circling above them.
It suddenly dawned on Nico that they were hovering over a body of water—there was no way that wouldn’t attract unwanted attention from predators.
“Will,” Nico breathed.
“Yes?” Will didn’t take his eyes off of the bird.
“There’s a small alcove behind the waterfall. We should be safe there.”
“Lead the way.”
Nico grabbed Will’s hand and started to fly. The hawk took notice of their movements and dived down in a twisted imitation of what Nico had done earlier.
Thankfully, they were able to make it to the alcove behind the waterfall. The hawk crashed into the frozen waterfall in a futile attempt to follow them. The horrible sound of ice breaking met their ears. A section of the waterfall broke off and fell into the pool below. Nico pulled Will as far into the alcove as possible. Miraculously, they only ended up with wet feet and not wet wings.
Will and Nico stood there listening for the tell-tale sound of feathered-wing beats.
Nothing.
Will refused to let go of Nico’s arms. The Hypno was about to suggest that they get back to the ring when the hawk reappeared!
The bird forced its talons into the alcove, trying to grasp at them.
No, no, no!
Nico shoved Will behind him and spread out his own wings. Maybe if it couldn’t see Will’s glow it would leave them alone.
At any rate, if that nightmarish bird does manage to get me, Nico thought desperately, at least Will will be safe.
A shout rang out from outside followed by a call in Bird.
The hawk let out a bone-rattling shriek and moved away from the alcove’s entrance. Nico lifted his head and looked over his shoulder. The drama playing out was an amazing one to behold.
Nico tugged Will to his feet and noted with a pang of guilt that the sunshine yellow in his wings had turned completely white.
“Will, look.”
A Bellon fairy with a long dark braid was standing on the back of the hawk. Her porcupine-quill spear was pressed against the bird’s neck. She fearlessly bent over and plucked one of the bird’s tail feathers. The bird shrieked again, seemingly deciding that this meal was not worth it. The fairy jumped off the bird and gracefully descended down to the edge of the pool.
Nico glanced back at Will—straw, that’s a bit better—before they joined the Bellon.
She waited patiently at the water’s edge, her trophy feathered secured to her belt. She did, however, keep a firm hold on her spear. The fairy nodded at Nico but spoke instead to Will. “You’re needed back at the ring. Some imp of a Hypno got an acorn thrown at his face by a squirrel.”
Nico caught her subtle eye roll as she headed back into the forest.
She’d made it halfway to the trees when she stopped and turned around. She gestured to the waterfall. “It looks better every Slumbering, Nico. Even with part of it missing.”
“Thanks, Reyna.”
She nodded and continued on her way back to the ring.
Will’s eyes were like those of a doe’s. “Reyna? She the fiercest of all the Bellon.”
“Yes, but she was also my first friend.” Nico watched as she flew off, the burgundy and gold of her wings casting a jewel-like glow on the surrounding forest. “She found me out here alone my first Slumbering. Apparently she’d followed me from the ring—didn’t trust me to make it back on my own, I suppose. I ended up telling her about the . . .”
Oh, I haven’t told Will about the fairy.
“About what?”
Nico cleared his throat. “I saw a fairy fade soon after I arrived.”
“It’s not a pleasant thing to watch, is it?” Will asked softly.
Nico nodded sadly. “Reyna knew the fairy. We commiserated.”
“Were you worried when we met?” Will questioned.
Nico understood the question without having to ask for clarification. “Yes. I had less than two years left before I was to fade.”
Will pulled him into an embrace. Nico noted that his wings had returned to their normal sunshine yellow.
Good.
“You don’t have to worry now.”
Nico smiled. “I know.”
Nico would have been happy to stay like that throughout the rest of the day, but Will pulled back to place a hand on Nico’s cheek. “Let’s fly. Clovis clearly needs some mentorship.”
Nico snorted. “Maybe I’ll talk to Hades and Morpheus about moving him to mushrooms until next Slumbering. It’s hard to mess that up.”
Will laughed.
They began to fly back to the ring, when Nico spoke up. “Will?”
“Yes?”
“I’m glad you got stuck in that tree.”
Will’s smile was bright enough to have lit up the grand ballroom in the Oak back in the Glade. “Me too.”