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A winding stone path, a clearing hugging the cliffside, a trek through naturally stomped down branches just wide enough for a passing person or deer.
Cleo sighed, pulling yet another twig from her hair, checking the piece of paper they'd scribbled the directions down onto to make sure she wasn't walking aimlessly.
Soon they saw what she'd set out for, a circle of mushrooms lit by an unnatural seeming skylight through the thick treeline.
Placing a necklace on the log in the centre - gold, not silver, just like she'd read - Cleo sat beside it and waited, hoping they hadn't been lied to.
It wasn't more than a few moments before a faint giggle landed on her ears, looking up to see glowing green eyes and wild red curls paired with a mischievous smile levitating off the ground before her.
“Thank you for the gift.” The creature cooed, and Cleo felt her cheeks burn. “What do I call you?”
“What do I get for telling you my name?” Cleo asked, breathless. They'd really done it, she'd called out to the fae.
And the fae had answered. In person.
The creature chuckled and hovered close, breath tickling lips and wild hair brushing against the human's cheeks. “Anything you want.”
Cleo's mind blanked, only one thing possibly on their mind for something she could want from the fae before her. She leaned in and kissed her.
The floating girl seemed pleasantly surprised, smiling against her lips before pulling away to show off a smile with far too sharp teeth. “I like you already.” She cooed, hand brushing against the side of Cleo's face.
“Tell me your name.” Cleo bargained once the thrill of the kiss had worn off enough for them to think properly.
The fae's eyes widened, and Cleo knew she'd been right: Knowing the name of a fae would give a human power over them, just like a fae knowing a human's.
She smirked, green eyes seeming to sparkle with intrigue. “You're clever, aren't you? What would you give to know my name? As it stands, it seems you're the one gaining more from this interaction so far.” She said, floating around Cleo as she spoke before hovering above her upside-down at eye level.
Cleo held her stare, reaching back into their pocket to produce another necklace. Less valuable in quality, but from the way the fae's eyes glimmered at the sight of it, she figured it would make a good bargaining chip regardless.
“Alright, I'll bite.” The fae agreed, swiping the necklace quickly to hold alongside the other in her hand. “For now, you can call me Gem. I'll tell you my real name later, if you're lucky.”
Cleo nodded stiffly. She supposed some sort of deal was better than none at all. “Cl-” She hesitated. “Chloe.” She said instead.
Gem's eyes twinkled, smirk spreading across her face. “I see we're both bluffing. That certainly makes things interesting, don't you think?” She giggled. “Now, what can I do for you? You called for me for a reason, didn't you? Or did you just want to see if it was possible?”
Cleo gulped at the fae woman idly twirling a strand of Cleo's hair around her finger and cleared their throat. “I want a fresh start. I thought maybe your…fae…powers…could help.”
Gem blinked, then smiled even wider. “Sure they can!” She mused. “Why don't you come with me? You can have a fresh start among my people.” She suggested, and Cleo's eyes went wide at the idea.
“Me? In- In your world?” They stammered.
Gem nodded. “Why not? Plenty of us bring home humans, you're all so cute.” She chuckled, and Cleo wasn't sure then how to feel about the implications that fae viewed humans with the same fondness of stray dogs. “What do you say?” Gem continued, holding out the same hand the necklaces dangled from with her palm open.
It was a decision. Cleo could retract her gifts and reject the offer, or take her hand, and accept.
Cleo's hand moved forward at a snail's pace before clasping against Gem's. “Okay.” They said quietly.
Gem beamed, feet touching the ground for the first time since appearing as the mushrooms surrounding them seemed to glow before Cleo's eyes were forced shut by a flash of light.
She blinked into new surroundings, decidedly inhuman surroundings at that. Magical looking plants and pointy-eared people walking and floating around wearing gaudy outfits - or, in some cases, none at all - all while Gem stood with a calm smile at her side, hands still clasped.
“Come, let me show you to your new home.” Gem said, giving a gentle tug as Cleo noticed her feet once again lift from the ground to hover.
“New home?” Cleo repeated, but began taking slow steps to follow along.
“I said you'd be coming with me, didn't I?” Gem smiled, and Cleo felt her cheeks tinting red as they shuffled her feet to follow.
Everything looked so ethereal, bits of sunlight peeking from between impossibly tall trees casting golden glows all around the quartz buildings around them, fae and - as Gem had said - humans walking and floating by as they passed in their own conversations.
It all looked oddly…peaceful.
Cleo might like it here, after all.
“Chloe?” Gem said, and it took Cleo a moment to realise she was talking to them to glance over, meeting her cheeky smirk. “We're here.”
Cleo peeked around the fae in front of her to a large wooden gate with ornate carvings in a language she couldn't begin to comprehend. She blinked, then looked back to Gem still hovering before them.
“Did I not tell you that you'd be staying in the palace?” Gem tilted her head like a dog.
“Palace?!” Cleo's eyes widened.
“Well, castle might be a better word for it.” Gem hummed thoughtfully, ignoring the human's stunned silence. “Now come! Let's get you settled in.”
Cleo let Gem pull her along, suddenly much more aware of their hands still clasped together when every passing guard or servant fixated on the point their hands met.
“You can take the room across from mine, so I'm nearby if you need anything.” Gem explained, finally dropping her hand as Cleo watched her push open a grand, tall door to reveal an impossibly large and comfortable room. “I can have anything you need brought here, too.” She added once Cleo had stepped inside and started to look around.
“No, this is…” Cleo could hardly form words. This was all so nice, nicer than anything they'd had back home. “It's great. Thank you.” She said earnestly.
Gem smiled and snapped her fingers, changing the color of the walls from the same white of every other wall in the castle to a dark blue hue, specks of gold and gray that Cleo came to realise were moving slowly.
“Thought you might get a little stir crazy without any color in here. I know I would.” Gem giggled. “It's the sky! The human one, anyway.”
Cleo smiled. “I can tell.” They said, reaching out to touch the wall as a painted meteor swerved around her fingers to change trajectory. “It's wonderful.”
Gem looked impossibly pleased, grinning from ear to ear - and though her teeth were ominously sharp, Cleo didn't feel threatened this time as the fae flashed them her way. Cleo couldn't help but giggle at the sight.
“Well, if there's anything else, you know where to find me.” Gem said and gestured to the room across the hall. “I'll come get you for dinner, so you can rest until then. You must've walked a long way to find me, after all.”
She left and closed the door before Cleo could even respond. They just smiled softly at the shut door before shaking her head in amusement and walking to the large bed, flopping down onto it with a deep sigh.
They were asleep before they even knew it, woken up by a gentle tap on the shoulder from Gem. “Rise and shine, sleepyhead.” The fae cooed.
Cleo groaned and covered her face with a soft, feathered pillow before slowly blinking awake to remember where they were. Their gaze settled on Gem, now sporting a much more elegant dress than the outfit she'd last worn in front of the human.
She must have noticed Cleo looking, because Gem's grin became shy as she smoothed down the gold and pink fabric with a giggle. “I thought we should have a proper dinner to welcome you to the castle. Maybe a full tour of the grounds after. What do you think?”
Cleo sat up fully and stretched with a yawn before nodding. “Sounds great.” They said, her voice groggy with sleep. “I don't have a dress as pretty as yours, though.” She admitted.
Gem grinned. “I thought of that, so I had a few options prepared.” She admitted, walking - if the sound of heels hitting the floor was any indication - over to the wall as a closet manifested as soon as she reached for a handle.
Inside of the closet was an array of suits and dresses, though none seemed to be quite Cleo's size. They stood and stepped closer, reaching out for one slowly as it suddenly appeared on her own body with a plume of mist too quick for them to even react to what had happened.
“Neat, huh?” Gem grinned. “Makes getting dressed a lot faster than how you humans do it.”
Cleo just nodded in agreement, looking down at the dark green dress hugging their form, a slit along the left leg and sleeves stopping halfway along her biceps.
Gem stepped to the side to reveal a wardrobe mirror, giving Cleo a view of how the dress looked on her. “Do you like it?” She asked, sounding hopeful.
Cleo nodded with a smile. “Yeah, I like it. A lot.” They agreed.
“Great!” Gem grinned, holding out a hand for Cleo to take. “Let's head to dinner, then.”
Cleo chuckled and once again let Gem grab her hand to lead them around, warming up to the routine faster than she would have expected themself to.
They took note of various halls and open doorways as they passed, knowing Gem would give her a tour later which would hopefully help Cleo avoid getting lost too often if they were going to be staying here full time.
It wasn't long before they reached a large banquet hall, the table mostly empty save for two empty plates and candles glowing faintly with blue flames. Gem guided her over and pulled out a chair for Cleo to sit before hovering quickly to the only other seat made up, across from them.
“Eat your fill, I promise nothing will go to waste and we can make more if you need.” Gem encouraged before gesturing to a man at another entrance to the room as he disappeared behind a door before multiple fae men and women dressed similarly came out carrying trays and pitchers, setting them down along the table.
Cleo eyed the feast, and with a nod from Gem, began stocking their plate with various foods she'd never seen before but smelled wonderful. A woman came to her side and filled a glass with a green liquid that smelt vaguely like wine before moving around to pour the same beverage in Gem's.
Gem lifted her glass with a grin, and Cleo got the memo. She lifted her own, and Gem reached to clink their cups together before downing her drink in one go. Cleo tried to do the same, but the overwhelming sweetness of the beverage left them only downing half before needing to set it down.
Gem smiled at her from across the table as they started to eat, resting her chin in her hand as her elbow rested against the edge of the table. “Do you like the food?” She asked.
Cleo swallowed and nodded. “It's a lot better than what I'm used to.” They admitted.
“You can have as much as you want.” Gem offered, shifting her gaze down to her plate as she plucked at some sort of pastry idly with a fork. “If you're going to stay here, you can eat like this every day.”
Cleo hummed thoughtfully. That didn't sound half bad. It definitely beat struggling to have food on her plate half the time. “I like the sound of that.” She admitted.
“There's a lot I can show you here, you know.” Gem continued between taking a bite from the breaded dish she'd been poking at.
“Like what?” Cleo asked, intrigued.
Gem stood, floating over the table and landing at her side with a hand extended. Cleo chuckled in amusement, taking hold of her hand as the fae pulled them to their feet.
Gem's feet fully hit the floor in time with music flooding the large room seemingly from nowhere, starting to dance slowly while the table and chairs were pushed through the air off to the side of the room. She led Cleo into a spin as her dress transformed, billowing out into a fuller gown of the same color. Gem guided Cleo to spin her in turn, and her own outfit transformed into a suit and tie complimenting their dress.
“Fancy.” Cleo raised a brow with a smile.
“Thought you'd like it.” Gem said with a proud grin. “Do you dance?”
Cleo shrugged. “Not really.” They said, nearly tripping when Gem suddenly pulled her closer.
“Then just follow my lead. I don't mind if you step on my toes.” She said playfully, and Cleo couldn't resist an eye roll as they chuckled along. Gem led them around the room in time with the omnipotent music, humming along every now and then.
“You dance, I take it?” Cleo wondered, to keep the conversation going.
“When I attend events, mostly.” Gem nodded. “With my wife, more often than not.”
Cleo nearly tripped over their own feet, eyes widening. “Your wife?” She repeated.
Gem snickered. “Yes, my wife. It's always fun seeing humans react like that to hearing their new fae partners have spouses.”
“Fae part- Won't your wife be mad?” They wondered.
“Of course not, why would he?” Gem shrugged. “She may even want to keep you too once he sees you.” She added teasingly.
Cleo felt her cheeks turn red. Gem giggled. They glared and abruptly turned the fae in a spin. “You sure love to tease me.” She muttered.
“It's because you're so cute!” Gem grinned. “Very cute.” She added, leaning in closer, only to laugh when Cleo shrunk back in embarrassment. “You're awfully shy for someone who kissed me right after meeting me.”
“That was before you invited me to live with you or told me that you're married.” Cleo argued.
Gem sighed, smiling fondly. “So you aren't usually that bold? What a shame.” She said with faux disappointment. She dipped them so quickly that Cleo let out a startled yelp and held her shoulders firmly, faces nearly touching. “I liked it when you kissed me like that.”
Cleo's heart was racing, eyes resisting dipping down to the fae's smiling lips below her dazzling green eyes. They couldn't resist for long, though, soon leaning in to be met halfway in a kiss that ended sooner than she'd liked.
“Kind of like that, yeah.” Gem teased, giggling. She pulled them both upright to continue their steps, hands not moving from the other's waist this time while Cleo's slowly moved to wrap around her neck.
They danced normally for a bit, the music filling the lack of words between them even as that space grew smaller the closer Gem pressed towards the human, frizzy red braid tickling one of Cleo's shoulders with each step they took in sync.
“Why me?” Cleo asked eventually, and Gem nearly paused mid-step at the sudden question. “Why did you offer to take me here? Surely you could've granted my wish in easier ways.”
“Because I wanted to.” Gem answered easily. “Nothing more, nothing less. Why did you call for me, in the first place? It isn't an easy trek, you wouldn't have made the hike without a reason to.”
Cleo's eyes cast away with a blink. They figured the question would come up eventually. “Like I said, I wanted a fresh start. I was tired of all the constant freelance jobs, tired of my boring, repetitive life. I wanted change, I wanted something more.”
“Well, ‘something more’ is definitely something I can offer.” Gem smiled, softer than her usual teasing grin or playful smirks. She looked into Cleo's eyes for a moment before looking down between them and looking back with her face more guarded. “But, you know that to stay here with me, permanently, that I'll need your name, right?”
Cleo nodded, taking a deep breath. “And telling you my name…means I can't go back to my world.” They answered.
Gem nodded with an apologetic smile. “Those are the rules of the fae.” She shrugged slightly. “So if there was ever a time to back out…” She trailed off.
Cleo shook their head, heart hammering. This was it, she was really going to leave her old life behind. No more noisy neighbors or late notices or turned-down jobs, no more missing the bus or getting their coffee orders wrong or skipping sleep to meet deadlines. But that also meant saying goodbye to her friends, it meant never seeing another sunset like the one she was used to, or eating from their favorite pizza place.
She sighed with their eyes squeezed shut, arms tightening around Gem's neck to pull the fae closer. “Cleo.” They muttered, so only she could possibly hear.
They felt Gem's arms tighten around her waist, hugging them close. “Gemini.” She whispered back, and Cleo didn't even pretend to not know what the gesture meant.
They were equals now. Those were the rules of the fae.
Gem pulled back, looking equal parts shy and elated. “How about that tour?” She asked quietly, the music fading around them until it was a faint noise in the distance.
Cleo's hands slid from around her neck, traveling down Gem's arms until they found her hands between them. “I'd like that.” They hummed, smiling happily.
Gem gave their hands a tug, hovering ahead of the human as she began leading Cleo around her new home.
Their home.