Page 31 of Iris
Chapter Nine
Noah keeps tight lipped as he drives us out of Silver Springs. I have looked in the back of his cab, but he has tied a tarp down over the top of the things.
“Noah, come on. Where are we going?”
When he reaches over to hold my hand in his, I sigh, giving up. He just squeezes my hand, flashing me a smirk, and focuses on the road. We are silent as the drive continues, but it's comfortable. I’ve begun to trace his knuckles with my free hand. I know that he likes it because his hand tightens on mine every now and then.
“Okay, we’re almost there. We should have it to ourselves. I gave notice ahead of time to my family to keep scarce for today.” He brings my hand up to kiss it gently before letting go. “Close your eyes for a few minutes, okay?”
“Okay…” Now I really want to know what he’s planned for today. What does he mean he gave notice to his family? Am I meeting his family? That seems kind of fast, right?
“Stop over thinking this, Iris.”
There’s a sudden increase in pressure around us. it's hard to catch my breath. But one second it feels like I'm in a trash compactor and the next there is a popping noise. I open my eyes to look around. My mouth drops.
“Are we...we are, aren’t we!?” If I wasn’t wearing the seatbelt, I know I’d be turning in a circle on the seat.
Noah chuckles softly as he continues to drive on a road that looks like it's made of sand. “Yup. We’re in my family's Fairy Pocket. I thought it would be fun to show you it. There’s a small lake perfect for a picnic near my house.”
Wow. A Fairy Pocket. It is literally a pocket dimension that the fairies have created with their magic so they can have their own safe place away from humans. I’d never heard of anyone who wasn’t a fairy who’d gotten to visit.
The place is beautiful. The colors are more vibrant, with pastel being more prominent. Even Noah’s hair turns a shade lighter while his eyes seem to stay the chestnut color.
“It’s like we’re in a painting.” My nose is pressed up against the window as Noah turns down another road that curves behind trees.
“It is, isn’t it?” Pride fills his voice. “Fairies don’t have a lot of magic, but the magic we do have helps keep our home alive.”
“But, don’t you have like, fairy dust?” I'm going to get whiplash with how fast I keep looking around.
“Mmm. You’ll just have to wait to find out, mm?” That’s the toe curling rumble.
“Right.” My cheeks have started to hurt from all my smiling but it's worth it. This place is amazing!
As we pass the bend of trees, Noah stops the truck in front of a small pond that sparkles in the sun. In the distance, I can see a two story house that looks like it has been covered in just a splash of different colors.
We both climb out of the truck. While Noah goes to the back, I bend to touch a small flower that’s a few feet away. it's adorable. I’ve never seen one like it. It reminds me of a daisy and is a light yellow with blue swirls. The petals actually seem to be twisted around. It reminds me of a swirly ice cream cone. I press a finger to the underside of one of the petals, pushing a little of my magic into it to say hello. My magic works this time as the flower leans toward my finger. it's newly bloomed. it's considered a wild flower here in the Fairy Pocket. I send a question to it, to see if it can survive outside of its world. I’m not able to listen to its answer because my magic blasts my mind when it rebounds. This time, I end up on my ass with a bloody nose.
“Well, damn.” Sighing, I press a tissue I have in my pocket, thanks to Igor no doubt, against my nose. “Maybe next time little one.”
“Iris?” Noah’s concerned voice is above me. “Are you alright? What happened?” He squats down next to me. His large hands cup my face, taking the tissue from me to dab at my nose. The pain in my head fades at his touch.
“I’m okay. Um. This is kind of what I wanted to talk to you and the others about tomorrow. Can we hold off on it until then?”
Noah just furrows his brows before nodding once. “Alright. If that’s what you want. Will you be okay to continue our date?”
“Of course!” I grin saucily. “There’s no way I’d miss it. I’ve dreamed about going out with you for years.”
My nose seems to be back under control as Noah leans forward to brush his lips against my forehead. “Same here. Too bad I was too much of a chicken shit, huh?”
I snort. “I was a chicken, too. So, let’s just move forward, hmm?”
Noah kisses me in agreement. it's gentle, sweet, quick, and I melt into him. His tongue runs along my lower lip as he pulls away. He helps me stand before brushing off the grass that has gotten stuck on my ass. He also manages to get a few gropes in. I laugh as I step away.
“You’re such a perv.” Our date has barely started but I'm ridiculously happy already.
“Takes one to know one.” Noah leads us over to the sparkling pond. He’s lain out a large black blanket with a picnic basket in the middle of it.
“You really need to stop spending time with Igor.”
