Page 31 of Accidentally Ever After
“The Harmony,” he said, seeing my expression. “Don’t fight it. Let it flow through you.”
I tried to relax into the sensation, allowing the collective emotions to wash over me without resistance. As I did, the experience shifted from overwhelming to exhilarating—a connection to the gathered fairies that transcended language or cultural barriers.
At some unseen signal, the music reached a crescendo, and King Orion raised his hands toward the night sky. “We call to the stars, our ancient kin,” he intoned, his voice carrying easily over the music. “Join us in celebration of light and life.”
For a moment, nothing happened. Then, one by one, stars began to fall from the sky—not crashing to earth, but gently floating downward like luminous snowflakes. As they descended, they grew in size until each was about the size of a tennis ball, glowing with internal light in various colors.
The gathered fairies raised their hands, and to my astonishment, the falling stars responded, drifting toward outstretched fingers like sentient beings. When the first star reached a fairy’s hand, it didn’t stop but continued directly into their body, passing through skin to merge with the painted patterns, which flared brilliantly at the contact.
“Holy shit,” I breathed, watching the phenomenon with wide eyes.
“Hold out your hand,” Caelen encouraged, already extending his own.
I hesitantly raised my palm, and almost immediately, a star detached from the descending group and drifted toward me. It was smaller than those approaching the fairies, and glowed with a warm golden light that reminded me of sunrise.
“It’s choosing you,” Caelen said, sounding pleased.
The star hovered above my palm for a moment, as if assessing me, then gently lowered until it touched my skin. Instead of the burning sensation I half-expected, there was only a pleasant warmth that spread up my arm and throughout my body. The star seemed to melt into me, its light joining with my painted patterns, which suddenly glowed much more brilliantly.
The sensation was indescribable—a rush of energy, information, and emotion that wasn’t exactly thought but wasn’t purely physical either. I gasped, overwhelmed by the input, my painted skin now shimmering with a golden undertone that hadn’t been there before.
“What… what was that?” I managed, looking to Caelen for explanation.
His own patterns now glowed with deep violet light, presumably from the star that had joined with him. “A fragment of stellar consciousness,” he explained, his voice rich with the shared experience. “For this night, we carry a piece of the cosmos within us.”
Around us, all the gathered fairies were similarly transformed, their painted patterns now glowing with various colors—some blue, some green, some red or purple or gold. The effect was breathtaking, hundreds of glowing beings moving through the gardens like constellations come to life.
“Now,” King Orion announced, “let the Festival of Lights truly begin!”
The music changed, becoming more rhythmic and primal. Fairies began to dance, their movements fluid and hypnotic, painted bodies flowing together in ways that blurred the line between dancing and more intimate activities.
“Is this about to become an orgy?” I whispered to Caelen, only half-joking.
He laughed, the sound musical and freer than usual—affected by the star essence, I realized. “Not precisely. The initial celebration is communal, yes, but most will seek privacy for deeper connections.” His eyes, now ringed with starlight, held mine. “As I intend to do with you.”
The directness of his gaze sent heat through me that had nothing to do with the paint or star essence. “Lead the way,” I invited.
Chapter 8
Caelen took my hand, guiding me through the celebration. As we moved through the crowd, I noticed that while some fairies danced in larger groups, many had indeed paired off, disappearing into the more private areas created by the hanging fabrics and strategic landscaping.
The euphoria from the paint combined with the star essence created an experience unlike anything I’d known—colors were more vivid, sounds more complex, touch almost overwhelmingly intense. When Caelen’s hand brushed against my painted skin, it sent cascades of pleasure through me that made me gasp.
“The effects are stronger on you,” he observed, intrigued. “Perhaps because you are human.”
“Is that good or bad?” I asked, distracted by the way his patterns seemed to shift and flow across his skin.
“Very good,” he assured me, leading me deeper into the gardens, away from the main celebration. “It means your experience will be… enhanced.”
We reached a secluded grotto I’d never seen before—a small clearing surrounded by luminescent flowers and hanging vines that created a natural sanctuary. Inside, cushions and soft fabrics had been arranged on the ground, clearly prepared in advance.
“You planned this,” I accused, though I was far from upset about it.
“I hoped,” he corrected, his wings extending slightly in that way that indicated pleasure and anticipation. “The Festival of Lights is special. I wanted to share it with you properly.”
In the soft glow of the bioluminescent flowers, with our painted skin shimmering with starlight, Caelen looked more otherworldly than ever—and more beautiful. The patterns accentuated the lean muscle of his torso, the elegant lines of his face, the powerful grace of his wings.
“You’re staring,” he observed, a smile playing at his lips.
