Discord

by E A Foley

  After about a minute, Kyxy disappeared. Thirty seconds later, Kylee and Roz received the same single knock. It took Rowen and Thorin longer, but they both received managed concealment around the three-minute mark. Iris knocked twice on Cirrus’s door a moment later to let him know she could still sense him before heading to Thorin’s door. He’d become trackable once more. Rowen popped back into her mind as she told Cirrus he’d finally concealed himself from her.

  Iris continued walking around the room, knocking on doors as dictated by their ability to remain concealed from her. Cirrus had the least success out of everyone but still managed a solid three minutes on his second attempt.

  “Great job, you guys!” she called as she reentered her apartment through her doorway. An excited buzz filled the air as everyone discussed their successes.

  “Were you trying to conceal yourself at all?” Nimbus asked as she joined him in front of the tv.

  “No. I’ve basically given up on this skill. Why?”

  “Your presence lessened. I could still sense you easily, but you seemed less solid.”

  “Huh. I wonder if my being in the Gallery makes a difference. We can test that theory later. Anyone have questions about concealment?” she asked the group at large. Even though she wasn’t teaching them this one, it was hard for her not to take over in the teacher role. “Ready to move onto the next skill? Tracking another magic user’s movements?” she continued.

  Nimbus chuckled at her side.

  “Sorry,” she said. “I’m not used to sitting on the bench.”

  “You’re not, love. You’re stepping aside for a moment so an assistant coach can take a shot at teaching.”

  “I’ll try to think of it that way.”

  “Why don’t you explain the concept and then I’ll take over during the example part?”

  “Sounds good. Thanks,” she grinned at him. Thankfully, her attempt to take over the lesson didn’t threaten him and he understood how she felt.

  Once Iris explained the concept, she headed down the hall so everyone could try tracking her. She created a large barrier around her apartment and concentrated on it shielding any magic being used inside it. She didn’t know if it would work, but she figured she might as well try. It got Brett’s and Jaden’s attention. Both of their telltale tracking signs bloomed at the nape of her neck—which showed her where they were.

  Chapter 25

  Neither Brett nor Jaden were in Davis. Iris grinned as she decided to mess with them. She formed a doorway to Brett’s location. His presence popped back to Davis in a second. Iris switched her focus to Jaden. He arrived in Davis before her doorway finished forming where he’d been. Iris chuckled at her own cleverness.

  “What are you doing?” Thorin called down the hall.

  “Sorry. Just having fun with Brett and Jaden that’s all.”

  “Dammit! Why do you get to have fun but you won’t let me?” Rowen demanded.

  “Because if you formed a doorway to their locations they’d stay there to fight. It seems when I do it, they scurry back to Davis in an instant,” she said from where she leaned against the hall wall at the entrance to the living room.

  A few chuckles and a lot of smiles filled the room.

  “Glad you’re having fun again,” Gavin told her.

  “Me too. I’m ready for you guys to try tracking me again. Sorry for the disruption. I’ll head back to wandering around the apartment. Holler when you think you know where I am.”

  With that, Iris went down the hall and sat at Violet’s desk. The apartment filled with magic. The pain at the back of her neck doubled. She hoped it was because Brett and Jaden were furious about their inability to determine what magic her friends performed. They both stood across the street from her apartment. Iris thought about waving at them from the front door but changed her mind. There was no need to increase their anger. More specifically, there was no need to increase the persistent pain at the back of her neck.

  By the end of the lesson an hour and a half later, everyone tracked Iris at some point. She was an easy target with how much power she held and the fact that she kept all eleven of her friends firmly in her mind, but any success was great.

  “Great job everyone! How do you guys think it went? From my perspective you all have the concepts and ability to master these skills.”

  “In theory, yes. But what about across further distances? I’d like to try my hand at that before I’ll agree I have these two down,” Gavin started the conversation.

  “I totally agree with Gavin,” Rozlynd added.

  “I don’t think I have a grasp on these at all,” Cirrus chimed in.

  “Cirrus, you do. I promise. Gavin and Roz, I get what you’re saying.” Iris glanced at Nimbus. A raised eyebrow asked him his opinion about going to the island. He agreed with a nod. “And totally understand that you want to try these across greater distances to feel fully successful. We can go to the island next weekend to give you guys a little more space but in the meantime, you can practice around Davis.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Is that a good idea?”

  “Isn’t that dangerous?”

  Kyxy, Sienna, and Violet all asked at once.

  “Does this mean we get to fight Jaden?” Rowen added before Iris could answer the other three questions. His face lit up at the prospect.

  Iris shook her head at Rowen. “How many times do I have to tell you, Rowen? No. Period. End of discussion,” she said in exasperation. “He’s left all of us alone for weeks and I intend to keep it that way. Understand?”

  “Fine, fine, fine. If he shows up I won’t attack him.”

  “Thank you,” she told Rowen before turning her attention back to the three friends who asked valid questions. “We’ll be fine. The barrier I maintained today only required a third of my power. A little less, actually. I’ll be able to form a much larger one over most of the island to keep us safe, be a sound barrier, and hopefully conceal the magic you all perform.”

  “For how long?” Roz and Thorin countered at the same time.

  “That is to be determined. I’d say at least an hour. Perhaps two. Longer wouldn’t surprise me with how long I maintained the barrier today but I can’t know for sure until I try. I won’t let it get to where I’m close to exhaustion. Don’t worry,” she addressed her roommates specifically. “I know where my magical limit is and have a good warning before I reach it.”

  Aerianna pursed her lips at Iris while Roz raised her eyebrows a few fractions of an inch. Neither believed her. She ignored them.

  “Okay. So now that everyone knows the plan for next Saturday, does anyone have questions about today?” Nimbus asked the room. “No? All right, be sure to practice on your own time. Try tracking everyone else throughout the day. Not just when you have study sessions with each other—which I want all of you to attend at least one of before Saturday,” he added.

  Grumbling followed Nimbus’s announcement.

  “If you all want to see what it’s like to have Jaden or Brett constantly tracking your movements, by all means, don’t practice,” Iris called over the muttering.

  Everyone stopped talking immediately. Iris’s eyes flared with her rising emotions. Nimbus rubbed her back. Massaged her neck with one hand. It brought her boiling blood down to a fast simmer.

  “Want to come to my place tonight?”

  “Yes, but you know I can’t,” Iris said in a huff as she crossed her arms. “All it will do is show them where you live. That’s the last thing I need to deal with right now.”

  “Fair enough. How about I spend the night here?”

  “I’m always here.” Iris knew she was being difficult, but her frustration levels were peaking once more. Especially with the continual pressures at the back of her neck.

  “What if I get us a hotel room for the night?”

  “I don’t want you to have to do that. We can stay here.”

  Nimbus pulled her into his arms. “How about we go to Cirrus’s
place and stay in the extra room? That way you get a change of secrecy.”

  Iris nodded into his shoulder and uncrossed her arms to return the hug. She really wanted to retreat into herself—go somewhere no one could find her, but the only place she had that luxury anymore was on Gemina Terra. And she flat out could not travel there.

  “I think I need to go for a walk. Alone,” she added before Nimbus could suggest he come with her.

  “Sounds good. I’ll head back to my place and grab a few things. When you’re ready, let me know. I’m taking you out to dinner. No arguments,” he told her as she opened her mouth to protest. “Any requests?”

  “Sushi?”

  “Sounds perfect. Don’t forget a jacket. And an umbrella. There are showers in the forecast this afternoon into the evening.”

  “Thanks.”

  Nimbus released Iris and took a step back to stand in front of her. He rubbed the outsides of her arms a few times. Tilted his head down a little to catch her eye. Iris looked up. His brows were slightly creased. A few fingers alighted under her chin and gently lifted her head.

  “I worry about you, you know?”

  “I know,” Iris agreed. “I worry about—”

  “Everyone and everything,” Thorin butted into her and Nimbus’s conversation as he approached them. “I hope you’re taking a break tonight, woman. If you don’t and he doesn’t make you, so help me I will!”

  “He’s taking me to dinner. We were hoping to spend the night in the spare bedroom at your place but if you’re going to be an ass about it, perhaps we won’t.”

  “You guys are coming over tonight? Cool! Iris, can we play a board game? Please? A strategy one? I really miss game nights,” Cirrus joined the conversation too.

  “Yes, but after Nimbus and I get dinner. And before you ask, you’re not invited,” she told him with a smile that helped soften her words. “See you in a bit?” Iris asked Nimbus.

  “See you in a bit,” he agreed.

  Iris gave Nimbus a quick kiss before heading down the hall to her room. Several people formed doorways to various destinations in Davis as she grabbed and pulled on her winter jacket. By the time she got back to the living room, head tilted down and eyes focused on nothing, only her roommates remained. She grabbed her umbrella and walked out the front door. Thankfully, no one tried to stop her.

  While uneventful, Iris’s walk didn’t help clear her mind like walks usually did. She couldn’t decide how she felt. Her eyes shifted a dozen times to prove her indecision ran deep. She kept her thoughts internally focused during her walk away from her apartment, but couldn’t keep them in on her way back.

  “All right. It looks like you’ll have to talk this one out. Start broad. Then focus in,” she told herself.

  “I’m afraid I’m going to get everyone killed.”

  “Nothing new there. That’s been a constant for years now,” she scoffed at herself. “Besides, you’re working on adding another level of safety for everyone right now. Nimbus is helping teach all your friends how to conceal themselves from Jaden and Brett and track other magic users. That combined with all the training you did on Gemina Terra is helping them all stay safe.”

  “Yeah, that’s true.”

  “It is,” she tried to convince herself further. “Now, what else?”

  “I have no idea what to do about Brett. Does he actually like me or was Jaden’s statement about him pretending to be in love with me accurate?”

  “Seriously? Why do you even care?”

  “Because if he truly wants to change, then I need to do something to help him accomplish that change.”

  “That’s a good point, but you have so much more to worry about than Brett right now.”

  “That’s for sure.”

  “Next?”

  “How am I going to free Zarina from Jaden’s control and bring her and Morrigan back to me?”

  “That’s a tough one. Jaden may be the place to start.”

  “Yeah. But how do I separate him from Mr. Moreno?”

  “Perhaps Brett is the solution. If you can get him to switch sides, maybe he can tell you how he did it and then you can somehow get Jaden to do the same thing?”

  “That’s a lot of what ifs, even for you, Iris.”

  She sighed and nodded her head. “I don’t think I have the mental capacity to solve that one tonight.”

  “Then keep going with your list. What’s next?”

  “I need to find a way to keep everyone safe during spring break.”

  “That’s an important one. It’ll take more time to solve than you have tonight so keep going.”

  “I feel completely trapped.”

  “Unfortunately, there’s not a lot you can do about that one. Well . . . you could form doorways to your old practice glade and meadow and make sure you’re inside a barrier when you step out. It’d be a change of scenery, but I’m positive you wouldn’t get to enjoy it because Jaden would follow you and attack you. Or Brett would show up and yell at you to go back to Davis or profess his love again or something.”

  “Probably,” she agreed. Iris drew in and expelled a large breath of air.

  “Just say it,” she demanded of herself.

  “I’m afraid I’m pulling away from my friends again.”

  “And . . .”

  “And I’m afraid I’m pulling away from Nimbus because I don’t want to get attached to him and then have him get injured or captured or dead and I just don’t know what to do about it because it makes me feel even more trapped and terrified and I love him so much that I can’t tell him to go away either,” Iris spit out in one breath.

  “It’s a little late to not become attached,” she told herself.

  Iris stopped for a few moments. She took several breaths to keep the tears stinging her eyes from rolling down her cheeks. Admitting her personal, emotional defects to herself was always difficult. Worse when she didn’t have a solution. Just saying it all out loud brought forth a calm Iris had sorely missed. It allowed her to head home at a quicker pace.

  She sent Nimbus a text and headed straight home. Her eyes twinged one final time before settling on some unknown color. She’d find out what color in a few minutes. Until then, Iris tried to focus on the positives from the day’s training session and how much she looked forward to dinner and board games that night. Her homework could wait until tomorrow.

  Chapter 26

  Iris didn’t allow the prickling sensation showing Brett searched for her bother her through dinner. She also didn’t allow her mind to contemplate what it would be like to be normal. She’d left that life far behind and thoughts of normal only increased her anger and sadness. Instead, she focused on her date and his perfect blue eyes.

  “That was delicious, thank you,” Iris told Nimbus as she held onto his right arm with both her hands.

  “Agreed. It put me in the mood for a Japanese crepe. Anything like that around here?” he asked as they walked toward the 4Runner.

  “Nothing street-fare like, but there are a few crepe places if you want to try one.”

  “What do you think?”

  “I’m full, but I wouldn’t mind a bite of yours,” Iris said as she leaned her head on Nimbus’s upper arm.

  Nimbus pulled his right hand out of his pocket and disengaged his arm from Iris’s grip so he could wrap it around her waist. She put her left arm around his back. Squeezed him a little tighter. He pulled his phone out and looked up dessert options.

  “How does—”

  “It’s bad enough I know about you. I don’t need to see you in Davis. Go back to wherever the hell you came from.”

  The prickling at the back of Iris’s neck flared as Brett flooded his being with power.

  Iris opened herself and pulled in her own flows before realizing she couldn’t do anything magical. She released all the power she’d collected back into the Earth. Clung tighter to Nimbus. If Brett attacked him, he’d have to attack her too.

  “You have no idea who I am
, do you?” Nimbus asked Brett is his usual, calm manner.

  “You’re the asshole who stole Iris away from me. That’s all that matters.”

  “I warned you to leave my brother alone when we were kids. Now I’m telling you to leave Iris and all her friends alone.”

  Brett furrowed his brows. His eyes roved Nimbus’s face as he tried to place him. “Powers? Nimbus Powers?” Brett seemed at a loss for words. “You’re Cirrus’s brother. How? When?” He stuttered for a few more moments before finding his train of thought. “You’re the strong magic user I always sensed down the street. Why him?” he asked Iris abruptly.

  “It’s been him for lifetimes,” Iris said quietly.

  “I refuse to believe that.”

  Iris released Nimbus and took a few steps forward. “That’s the way it is, Brett.” A shiver ran up her spine as the glare he gave her matched the cold of the evening. “We’re heading to get crepes. Want to join us?” She had no idea why she asked him that.

  Brett’s glare increased. He shook his head, managed a short, “No!” and left.

  “Brett, wait,” she called after him. Took a step forward to follow him.

  Nimbus took Iris’s outstretched left hand. It pulled her attention away from Brett’s receding back. “You have feelings for him, don’t you?”

  Iris sighed and nodded. “In a way, yes. He’s conflicted right now. I feel sorry for him at the very least. I’m not sure exactly what he’s going through, but I can empathize. And there’s this need to help him that blooms deep in my chest every time I see him. I know I don’t owe him anything, but somehow I feel like I owe him the benefit of the doubt right now.”

  “Perhaps that’s part of your being an Oculus Prismatic. Maybe you feel a need to help people or guide them when they need guidance.”

  “I never thought of it that way.”

  They fell silent and continued walking. Iris didn’t pay much attention to where Nimbus took them. She was fixated on the pulsating at the back of her neck. Brett’s aura and magic were shifting. She concentrated on following him until he made it back to his apartment. Mr. Moreno waited for him. Brett’s magic flared and the two men disappeared. Iris pulled her attention back to the present.