by Piper Rayne
“Regina?” I called, not really expecting an answer.
“Sebastian! Is that you? What a brave soul you are, coming back. And, my! How tall!”
She wanted me dead. I knew better than to fall for the friendly act again. Last time, it had been her who led me to the fairy forest too deep to get back. It had been her who left me in that raspberry patch for them to find me and assume I’d only come to steal. And for what? Because I refused to tell her what I knew about a queen who’d lived among the humans since I was ten years old? It wasn’t my business – even now. It wasn’t like I blamed her for wanting out. Besides, it was only legend and I knew better than to believe in lore. I could imagine Regina sending one of her midnight-colored hawks to warn the king or some shit. I held up both hands. “I’m here on a friendly mission. I mean you or the kingdom no harm. I’m here to ask you to turn me into a tiny man on demand again. I need to be able to switch it on and off. For Darian. Please, understand.”
“I never turned you back.”
“I know but when I returned to the human world, I regained my human form. I need you to put a temporary stick on the curse or something. I need to be able to walk among the humans as a tiny man, if that makes sense.”
Regina cackled. Her buttery-teeth poked out from behind her painted black lips. “Oh. Is that it?”
“Yes.”
“And why is that? What human man would want to be small? It makes no sense to me at all. How will you find work or even take care of Darian?”
She had a point. I hadn’t come prepared for that. I couldn’t tell her about the circus and didn’t know how to answer her. I fumbled with my words as she turned toward a large, outdoor shelf lined with bottles in every color of the rainbow.
“I don’t want it. Darian does.”
“Aw. The wayward princess. And what, may I ask, is in this for me?”
“What do you want? What do you need?”
I expected her to ask me about the queen’s location again, but she didn’t. Instead, all she said was, “Simon.”
She said his name both simply and directly. She offered no explanation and I didn’t ask. It wasn’t like I had a problem with putting an end to the torture Darian started. I hadn’t come into the fairy realm as a killer but things had changed and I sure as hell could do it now. For a time, we’d even thought him dead. But destiny had allowed him to live. Burnt and with no wings to speak of, it was rumored that Simon was a shell of a fairy now.
“What about him? You want me to bring him to you?”
“I want him dead.”
Never did I think I’d hear those words from her. Regina had cheered for Simon’s win in the battle for my own destruction. Again, she’d rallied for Darian’s punishments. Something about this was wrong and I could not trust it. Still, I didn’t ask. I could bring him to her providing she did what I asked. Hadn’t Darian burned him? How hadn’t she heard?
“I need, first, for you to make me a tiny man.”
“If you insist. You humans are very complicated. You do realize that the curse wore off because of true love. It’s a powerful thing, it is.”
I laughed. “Tell me about it.”
Two days later, back in the human realm
* * *
The arena had given me the taste for it. The final showdown had sealed it. And by the time I brought Regina Simon’s scorched head, preserved in a jar I found by the stocks’ chambers, I was nearly certain things would work out. While my soon-to-be bride was no damsel in distress the way I’d once thought of her, it felt good to allow her to lead things again. Fuck knew she’d never gotten such respect from her family and I liked to consider myself a feminist. Our time in the circus would be limited, but it’d beat starving. The last time I did that, well, it had landed me in a cage for stealing.
I waited in my tiny man form for Darian to return. It was odd trying to walk among shelves like a man on a tightrope but it would be best to get used to it now. Darian, small of stature for a human but unusually tall for a fairy, would have to handle selling off property and the purchase of our RV. We’d need blocks or even Giant’s help to move it. I’d leave it up to her. The entire thing would be her show now and I found myself oddly excited to find out what adventures she’d bring. It wasn’t every day a man found himself tiny and at the hands of a real-life princess. Like Regina had said, love was indeed a very powerful thing.
Darian
* * *
She didn’t look anything like what I’d expected. Her hair was the color of a rainbow; one color bleeding into another like a magical unicorn. I didn’t know why I’d expected less. She smiled at me from across a large desk that had to have been assembled inside her trailer. I could not imagine fitting it in any other way. The narrow opening that marked the entrance of the show’s madame was just too small. Humans had a way of overdoing things.
“How many years of experience do you have?” she asked.
“I’ve been flying my whole life.” It wasn’t a lie. Granted, I’d left out the part about Peabody and how I was a true fairy. Details like that in the circus, I’d read, were irrelevant.
“Do you come from an act?” Lusus tilted her head and pulled at a stray purple hair.
“You could say that,” I said. “My entire family flies, if that’s what you mean.”
“I see. …Of course, we’ll need to go over to the big tent so I can see you on the wires. The Moons have had quite a few changes. It’s important that you meet the others too.”
I wondered why, other than that Star had run off to marry a ski instructor two troupes back, the act had so many transitions. But circus life wasn’t for everyone.
“How tall are you?” Lusus asked.
I straightened my back and stretched my legs, praying she wouldn’t pull out a measuring stick.
“Four foot, eight-ish. My family’s petite.”
“Hmmm. Do your arms have the reach they need? Our catchers are relatively weak. I hate to admit it. But safety comes first and it’s only fair to warn you. I’m not like other madams. I like to tell it like it is. Money isn’t everything here. Just don’t mention I said that when you meet Lizard Man,” she said, rolling her eyes and explaining that he was her husband and kept an eye on the books.
I liked her honesty. I wanted to laugh. I’d never need to be caught. In an emergency, I’d have my wings. “It won’t be a problem.”
“Okay, then. Let’s go to the tents. The trapeze equipment is just up the path.”
“I don’t think that will be necessary.” I stood, took in a big breath, and reminded myself she’d seen freaks before. With one leap, I flung myself into the air, allowing my wings their full span above her desk.
She stared up, her mouth open in amazement. “Oh. Just when you think you’ve seen it all.” Her smile, bigger than Lily’s when she was torturing Sebastian or me, was contagious.
For kicks, I made two tight aerial loops around her tiny office before descending to the ground. “So you see, catchers aren’t something I’m real worried about. Basically, I have the ability to do the entire show on my own.”
“Well, yes. I see that. I’m…I don’t know what to say, exactly. …Do you come from the monster realm? I don’t understand,” she said, covering her mouth. “No. Don’t answer that. It’s okay to leave your past in the past.”
I’d heard of the monster realm but had never given it much thought. Other than the collaboration Sebastian had done with an interspecies advocate during his life coaching work, I’d never had occasion to ask questions. In truth, I was just glad to be out of fairy world. Praying she wouldn’t ask me about that, I kept my lips pressed in a tight line, only nodding my head and letting her make any assumption she wanted of it.
Finally, she moved her hand from her face and said, “You know, we are looking for a new act. With those wings, you’re too advanced for The Flying Moons.”
I couldn’t help myself. “Wasn’t Star an alien? That’s what the papers said. Did she come from th
at monster world?”
“I see you’ve done your research,” Lusus laughed. “But don’t believe everything you read in the news. Star had talent for sure, but I’ve learned not to ask questions. Where you come from or how your wings work is none of my business. The point is that you are here. Star still comes around from time to time too. I don’t ask anything. I’m nothing like Leslie in that other troupe. A woman has the right to her privacy. If you’d like to join us, I’d love to have you.”
Lusus extended her hand. I didn’t take it. “I come as a package deal. For me to accept, I’ll need you to put my man to work too. He’s truly the reason I’m here.”
“Oh?”
“I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. I can’t promise for sure, but my guess is you’ll find his talent quite peculiar too. And, should he choose not to share it with you, he’s great with his hands and could work as a rigger.”
“That’s fine. We could always use help with the tents. But what is this talent he has?”
“Sebastian is a tiny man. At least, in my chosen form for him. But he may protest. Either way, he’ll need a job. He can fight too – he’s quite the martial artist.”
“Okay, we can find something for him. When would you like to start?”
I wanted to squeal with excitement and tell her I’d be ready to perform by tomorrow’s matinee. But I needed to wait for Sebastian. “Two weeks. We’ll need to sell our things and get an RV.”
“We have two spare trailers you could use for now. And Truly, our resident singing fat lady, is always willing to offer beds in hers for a bit. She could also use some help running the group therapy classes for freaks. The drama around here is endless. We’re here another three weeks so you’d have to start before we packed up. Is that enough time? Do you need more? We could always catch you down the road…”
Sebastian could help with life coaching. And I’ve always wanted to… No. Don’t move down the road. Not without us. The circus is our answer – for now. I shook my head. “Two weeks is all we need. We can manage, but thank you.” I extended my own hand and shook my new boss’s. “Thank you. You won’t regret this.”
“I look forward to it.”
It took the full two weeks for us to fully settle in. With the stage name Morgan Flutterby, chosen by Lusus herself, adjusting to life as the show’s opening act was nothing. It was even easier sliding in with the support group for circus monsters who felt like they didn’t fit in – hell, I was one of them. Things with Sebastian, however, were different. He emerged from the Kingdom of Peabody a small, but also very changed, man. With a newborn confidence born on finally taking care of Simon, he returned to me with a take-charge attitude that I hadn’t expected. Watching him pick at his breakfast of Life cereal and two hard boiled eggs, I wondered if I should ask him more about it. But I also knew, people in the circus were full of secrets and I probably didn’t want to know. Lusus had taught me that and she’d already proven a wonderful example. Whatever had happened that had helped him make peace with our move was probably best left unsaid.
“There’s no way I can finish this,” he said, rolling the egg across his plate. “Stomach’s not exactly very big.”
I laughed. He had a point. It would take time for me to get used to the change. I’d overdone it. I wanted to remind him that he could flip the curse any time but thought better of it. It was smart for him to get used to life this way. I wasn’t sure the freaks could handle, just yet, seeing the change. Jealousy was already brewing and I knew from my time in fairyland just how dangerous that could be.
“At least we can save money on groceries?” I mused.
Sebastian laughed, “You think?”
Today was the day Sebastian would join me in the show. Assigned to the men’s Dirty Dozen troupe, it would be his job to help with the shock acts. From guiding the knife in the Wheel of Death act to serving as a look out for Jonny Ray’s Speed Cycle stunt, Sebastian would do all he could to keep the other performers safe. It suited him. Quick on his feet, he’d be in charge of the thinking. And, of course, it never hurt that he could fit in any compartment.
“Have you talked to Lusus about the menagerie tent?” I asked, wondering if Logan the Giant or Church might have room for him there too. I could imagine my man making a killing next to Whispers, our resident Seal Girl.
“Naw. Too boring. I can do more than stand around.” He had a point. It wasn’t like Sebastian had no talent. “You practicing today?”
There really was no point for me to practice with The Flying Moons or any of the show’s trapeze acts. I had the automatic safety net of my wings. But Sebastian, ever protective, was insistent on it; always reminding me that we were no longer in the forest. I rolled my eyes, smiled, and said, “Yes, dear.”
Moving toward the tiny sink at the back of our new RV, I began to wash dishes and plan out my afternoon matinee costume. For two tiny people, the RV was more cramped than I’d have ever believed and we still weren’t quite organized. It would take time, I reminded myself, wondering how Truly did it. Later this week, we’d get another thick mattress—twin size and big enough for us—where nothing pea nor lint would bother me and I could forget about ever being a fairy princess. Sentimental or not, the last thing I needed was trouble with my wings being sore. I had nothing left to prove to anyone.
Reaching for a scrub brush, I wondered what Lily and Zane would think. I’d managed not only to escape my life as a dormant fairy but to benefit from it too.
I turned back to my boyfriend, still picking at the cereal on a too-big-for-him-now eating tray. “Did you see Lily?”
Sebastian shook his head. “No.”
He knew exactly what I was asking. Yet, he didn’t elaborate. Assuming it was because he remembered, too, how they’d laughed at him and what they’d allowed Simon to do to me, I didn’t push it. We were starting anew and what had happened in the Kingdom of Peabody was no one’s business. People would pay to see a flying lady and oddly sized man with fighting skills and that was all that mattered. Now, outside of fairyland, it was time to chase our happily ever after.
Three months later
* * *
Sebastian
* * *
It was hard to think she’d be surprised. Hell, there was nothing I hadn’t been willing to do. I’d changed my size, given up my life, and even run off to the circus with her. While it wouldn’t be forever, I’d certainly made it clear to Darian that, for her, there was nothing I wasn’t willing to do.
Obviously, I couldn’t ask her father for his daughter’s hand in marriage. So I’d done the next best thing. Paying a visit to Lusus, I’d asked not only for her blessing but for keys to the menagerie and flying stunt tents. I’d propose to her well after the lights went down without the crowds or even clowns. It would be just the two of us and I was positive the girl known to the freaks and paying customers as Morgan Flutterby, the best flying act ever, would say yes. She’d agree to marry me but the proposal would come with conditions. I wasn’t spending my entire life in the circus. We’d give it a year or two but, eventually, I’d return to that forest to get my size back and, later, return to the real world to build my chosen profession as a travelling builder of both people and things. This stop with the Lusus Naturae Circus was merely temporary; I’d insist on it. And, I didn’t think she’d argue. My soon-to-be wife was already complaining about the RV mattresses.
She’d known something was up when I pulled her out of bed at 2 a.m. and told her I needed to show her something. “Are you on crack? It’s the middle of the night,” she’d said, beginning to sound more like the carnies than royalty. Yet, she hadn’t fought me. Instead, she’d thrown on her sneakers and followed me to the big tent…
I flicked on the lights and smiled as the tent flooded with the colors of the show – purple and lime green. While it wasn’t my perfect place, I could see the magic in it and it was hers. I’d watched my wife fly rope to rope before big crowds enough times to understand why she loved it so.
“Why are we here?” Darian asked, rubbing sleep from her eyes.
Panic tumbled its way from my gut to my throat, causing me to pause. Finally, after sucking in a burst of air that tasted of axel grease and stale popcorn, I dropped to one knee. “Darian Morgan Peabody. Will you marry me?” I pulled a fantastical ring from my pocket and held the box toward her.
It wasn’t that I feared she’d say no. I’d listened for years about true love and how she could have wound up with Zane. She’d told me a million times how she wasn’t some helpless damsel and that, should we ever seal the deal, our relationship would be one born on equality. But as she raised her fingers to her lips and involuntarily fluttered above me, I swallowed hard. “Well?”
“Oh, yes! Yes! Please!” she said, her lips turning up as she floated gracefully to the floating concrete stunt floor to join me.
In seconds, my wife-to-be was covering me in kisses and thanking me. And for the first time since Regina’s curse and that awful day in the forest, I felt like a normal, average height man even in the human world. Darian just had that effect on me. She was my everything.
Darian, present moment in the human world
* * *
“The one. The only. The fabulous Morgan Flutterby!”
Cheers erupt from a packed Saturday matinee as I smile up at the crowd. To think it was only last night when Sebastian got down on his knee to propose to me feels surreal. I haven’t been able to stop staring at my ring since he put it on my finger. And now, even my chosen stage name does nothing for me as I fly above the crowd, ignoring jealous glares of other members of The Flying Moons 2.0. For the first time ever, and ironically, I feel like a real princess.