Chapter 26 #2
“Oh no, he… I was told my boyfriend’s family was in the pavilion up here.” I gulp, pointing. “Honestly, I’m a little nervous. I haven’t met anyone except the vampire scamp… er, Magnus. Angel, too. Am I in the right place?”
“That boyfriend wouldn’t happen to be Gil, would it?” the woman asks, a knowing look in her teal eyes. I nod, a moment of uncertainty hanging between us before she throws her arms around my neck.
Oh.
She’s hugging me.
“Well, let me get a look at you, darlin’!’’ Her voice is musical with a thick Southern accent. “Beautiful, oh lovely.” She holds me by the shoulders after our hug, giving me a once-over. “The name’s Rainbow.”
Rainbow. I nod, nerves in my chest. I’m not exactly sure who she is, but she seems to know Gil, so I must be in the right place. “Oh! Um, wow, it’s so nice to meet you, Ms. Rainbow.”
A smile tugs at my lips; the name is certainly on theme. Her scales glint, reflecting every single color in the sunlight. Rainbow’s scales appear almost holographic. I wish my “scales” could shine like that.
“We are all so glad to have you. Angel will be relieved you found your way to us. I can’t believe she lost sight of you.
She’s still out lookin’,” Rainbow continues, shaking her head.
“Come on, let’s find you something to eat, hm?
Has anyone shown you the statues? We snag this spot every year because of the view. ”
Parting a curtain of Spanish moss, she reveals a view of the bubbling spring. Music can be heard on the water, but it’s the statues that catch my attention.
All the sculpted figures appear to be Gillarians.
Their faces are serene, one standing in the cove among the reeds, another beneath the water, with an outstretched hand just above the surface.
The water is so clear I can see the outline of the rest of the statue when the water is still.
They are carved from what looks like marble, their webbed hands filled with flower “offerings” and heads adorned with countless crowns.
“There are four in total, one for each season, you see,” Rainbow explains. “Folks weave their crowns with intention and drop them on the head of the sister they resonate with the most that year. Spring for new life, winter for change—it’s all personal and up for interpretation.”
“And the music?” I ask, trying to piece the background of the festival together.
“It’s all about harmony, isn’t it?” she says with a grin. “And what’s a party without some music? Though it’s grown much more since I was a guppy, but it’s a long-standing tradition.”
A few children—faeries and guppies—swim together, laughing and playing—if I didn’t know any better, some even look like humans.
They splash toward the statues, putting messy flower crowns on top of their heads.
Despite the slight chaos, there’s a calm sort of revelry which pulls at something deep within me.
The only time I’ve ever seen something like this is at a church, but it’s different. Less stuffy and more… well, rooted in nature and joy. And maybe that exists somewhere in my world, but I haven’t personally felt it.
Here though, with sounds dancing through the air, and the beautiful pink flowers blooming across the marsh, there aren’t words to describe it.
The landscape has made a natural pavilion. Gil’s family sit at a combination of tables and chairs on land and large lily pads laid out like picnic blankets on the water.
“It’s beautiful,” I say, wishing I had more words.
From the corner of my eye, I notice the group of elders that Magnus had been worried about—their eyes are keen and set on me.
I don’t know enough about the micro expressions of Gillarians to be able to have a read on their thoughts.
The whispering suggests it’s not great. They seem important; if a king is worried about angering them, what hope do I have?
“Now, let’s finally fill up a plate for you,” Rainbow says with a hum, linking her arm in mine. She stands tall, giving the onlookers a warning glare that would make me stop dead in my tracks.
She guides me to a large buffet table. I’m struck by how strange it is that Gil isn’t here, and I’m just going to make a plate at a family party. If Rainbow senses my hesitation, she doesn’t comment on it, only leads me through the crowd, smiling all the while.
Guppies peer out from beneath some of the lily pads at the edge of the water, dipping back down into the depths the moment I wave.
Sure, they’re shy, that’s normal, but it reminds me that despite how welcoming Rainbow has been, I’m a stranger.
This isn’t my family—it’s Gil’s and I have to make a good impression.
“Are you sure this is okay?” I ask Rainbow quietly. “I can wait for Gil to arrive.”
“Why wouldn’t it be okay?” she says, pivoting on her foot and putting a hand on her hip.
“I don’t want to offend anyone. I mean, I’d really like to make a good impression. He seems really close with everyone—especially his mom and Grampy.”
“Then you’d better let her fix you a plate,” she says, winking her transparent eyelids.
“You’re… you’re… hi!” I greet her, retracing every single word I’ve said to her because surely there was something embarrassing in there. “It’s so nice to meet you!”
“Likewise.” She nods, pulling me in for yet another hug. “You know, Gil always used to tell the most fun stories about the way you two played each summer. Despite it being dangerous for him to keep sneaking up there, I could never forbid it, not with how happy he was coming home each day.”
“I wish I could remember them all,” I admit. When everyone around you tells you’re wrong over and over, things aren’t as clear.
They’re grownups; they must know better.
What would Uncle Orson, Aunt Andrea, or the dozens of therapists say if they could see all of this? Would they apologize for the memories they made fray at the edges?
“Sometimes, it’s easier for humans that way,” she murmurs sadly. “The longer they’re away from the fantastical, the more they’ll tell themselves it’s all a dream.”
“I don’t want to forget any of this,” I say softly, but Rainbow just smiles and puts her hand on my shoulder.
“Then don’t stay away too long.”
By the time we’ve reached the end of the table, my plate is loaded up with what reminds me a lot of Southern food.
There are staples like cornbread and greens, but the shellfish are large and have pretty pastel shells.
Everything is sweet or spiced and filled with butter.
By my second bite, I can’t stop myself from eating more.
“Well, hi there,” a voice calls, and when we whirl around, I’m met with the face of a … human? No.
She’s tall with deep brown skin and purple freckles across her face; the color not only matches her long braids, but also the wings at her back.
I’ve seen faeries around the festival, but up close, it feels even more like I’ve stepped into a fairytale.
This ethereal woman leans forward and gives Rainbow a kiss on the cheek.
“This is my partner, Violet,” Rainbow says, a giggle at the edge of her voice. I wonder if the two of them have only gotten together recently or if for some people that spark never goes away.
I like that as an idea.
“Good to meet you,” Violet says, extending her hand.
“You too!” I say, shaking my head. My gaze drifts to the sparkly details of her wings, and the way the colors change in time with the music. How beautiful.
“Used to spending your time in the mortal realm?” Violet asks with a chuckle.
“Honestly, it’s the best family party I’ve ever been to,” I admit. “Although, part of me is wondering when Nessie might show up.”
I cringe at myself. The Loch Ness monster might be taboo around here or a hoax. Rainbow hands me my plate, brows raised. “Nessa hasn’t come to a party in years. Y’all know each other?”
I seriously can’t tell if she’s teasing me or not.
“Some stories…” I reply because it seems like my safest bet.
“I still haven’t even met her,” Violet grumbles, crossing her arms. “And I’ve been dating Rainbow here for what … two years now?”
“Well, we’ll have to see if we can peer pressure her to come out, hm?” Rainbow says, Either these two are really committing to the bit, or the likelihood I’ll be meeting a legendary monster is higher than I realized.
If this Nessa is anything like them, well, I think I’d be in good, webbed hands.
A rush of movement at knee level distracts me as a flutter of kids practically dance past me with cookies in hand before running back toward the other end of the party. This is the closest any of them have managed to get, but they’ve been understandably curious.
They’re adorable. Covered in shining bright scales, their big eyes are filled with wild curiosity. They look so much like Gil when we first met. I offer a shy wave and hear a chorus of giggles and whispers in high-pitched voices.
Rainbow and Violet continue to walk with me, chatting casually, introducing me to dozens of family members whose names I struggle to catalog.
“So, how did you two meet?” I manage to ask, desperate to make normal conversation.
“Gil,” they both answer, laughing with the same happy, yet exasperated, expression on their faces.
“He set you up?”
“I met him a few times at functions in the Dragonfly Court,” Violet explains. “He had mentioned I’d really hit it off with Rainbow here, and I thought he’d be a good match for my niece.”
“The two of them had other ideas, and somehow, we were the ones on the blind date,” Rainbow says with a chuckle before her gaze falls on mine. “I’d say that worked out for the best for everyone.”
I flush.
Does that mean she approves?
“He really is a sweet boy,” Violet says, shaking her head. “I’m glad he finally found someone. We tried to set him up with everyone we could, but you get to a point where there really aren’t any more fish in the sea.”
“Gil never really clicked with anyone—not until now,” Rainbow says, her lips curving into a smile.
“He’s never had trouble making friends, but that spark you need for a good romance?
” Her hand finds Violet’s, and the two look so content for a moment before she continues, “Seems like he’s found that with you. ”
“Mama, the little ones want to head over to the kid’s stage,” a woman with bright orange scales says, nodding politely at me.
Another one of Gil’s sisters—Goldie, if my memory from his scrapbook serves me well. She has three guppies climbing on her legs, and she shares a tired but warm smile with me.
“Goldie, hun, this is Marina—Gil’s girlfriend,” Rainbow says, nudging me in her daughter’s direction. “Why don’t y’all head to the stage together? We’ll all meet you there.”
“Is that alright?” I ask. I don’t want to impose.
“So long as you can keep up with these rascals,” Goldie says, less like an invitation and more like a challenge.
I do keep up, just barely—they leap into the water and begin to swim with such speed, it takes everything I can to not get left behind. I surface the same time as the guppies and Goldie, gasping at the sight before me.
A piano sits in the middle of the stage. There are water lilies carved onto the legs, and the body is made of what appears to be glass.
My fingers twitch, aching to touch the keys or at least watch, but it’s quiet, apart from the sound of a few disgruntled parents and impatient kids. The sign posted on the piano says there’s supposed to be a performance going on now.
I wonder what happened.
A woman with fairy wings takes the stage, a frown on her face.
The piano gleams in the sunlight.
“Esteemed guests, big and small, I am sorry to announce our talent had to cancel last minute.” She offers an awkward smile as a few people groan.
From the front row, a kid shouts, “No fair!”
“Well, unless someone would like to take their place, our next show will be at—”
Earlier, when I was compelled by the music, there was no choice but to sway. This moment is different. As the woman hopefully gazes out into the crowd, an urge rises in me. Not magic, not this time.
I couldn’t possibly, not in front of all these people, but no one else is volunteering, and the crowd is restless.
What would my mother do?
What would Grams tell me?
What do I want?
My hand shoots into the air before I can stop myself.