Fablehaven: Journey to the Eternals' Pass (fanfiction) (HIATUS)

12: Dryad's Dance

Cygnus appeared again, intercepting them on their way out and interrupting their short conversation about the verse. "The other dryads want to invite you to a dance." She said smoothly.

Bracken's eyes lit up. "The last time I attended one of those was before I was imprisoned." He mused.

"You never could keep up with us." Cygnus teased. Bracken smiled apologetically. Cygnus continued, "you'd think, with your grace and speed, you'd be an excellent dancer, but unfortunately...'

Bracken laughed sheepishly. "I doubt several decades in a prison will have changed that."

"All that time to practice and you wasted it." Cygnus tossed her head. "It's good to have you back."

"It's good to be back." Bracken replied. Then, to Kendra: "Shall we dance?"

"A dance?" Kendra repeated doubtfully.

"A dryads' dance." Bracken corrected excitedly. "It's unlike anything you'll ever experience."

Kendra wasn't much for dancing, but looking at Cygnus' subtle condescension towards her and Bracken's genuine excitement, she couldn't say no. "By the way," the dryad said to her as they started walking, "can you tone it down?"

"I can't." Kendra said, getting tired of people asking.

Cygnus threw up her hands in frustration."What's the darkest thing you can think of?"

"Um... black?"

Cygnus sighed. "Fine. Close your eyes and focus on that."

Kendra tried, but nothing happened.

Cygnus was getting impatient. "I hate to do this." She said unapologetically. She reached out and touched Kendra on the cheek. Slowly, Cygnus started glowing. It was still manageable, until she began to be so dazzling it hurt and Kendra had to look away. "This is what you look like to other people." Cygnus sniped. Kendra had to shield her eyes while ajusting. It was like looking at the sun. Gradually Cygnus dimmed to a comfortable level. "This is what you need to do."

"Cygnus, you aren't supposed to be using that power." Bracken warned. "Cygnus has a variance on psychometry. Rather than simply read people's inner minds she reflects them." He added for Kendra's benefit.

"Dryads can do that?"

"Most of them are just nature spirits," Bracken acknowledged, "but Cygnus has fairy blood."

Cygnus muttered something Kendra couldn't quite understand. She realised with a jolt that they'd all been conversing in Slivian since they entered the fairy realm and she hadn't even noticed because it all sounded like English to her, until Cygnus used a word English didn't have a word for.

"We've wasted a lot of time." The dryad said coolly, obviously wanting to change the subject. Now that she was aware of it, Kendra could hear the characteristic inflections of Slivian under the English. "Can we go?"

It seemed like a very long walk. The dynamic between the three of them was awkward and most of the journey was spent in silence. Kendra didn't really mind. The air was fresh and cool and the scenery fascinating. They saw fairies and dryads, passing through small, picturesque housing clusters. Kendra was falling in love.

They came to a line of small hills more forested than the rest of the realm that they'd seen. "The dryads' valley is over the other side." Bracken directed. "It's not much more than a slope, really." They began the short ascent through the trees. It was near the top that something felt off. It was suddenly hotter and there was a clamour in the distance.