Denouncement

by E A Foley

  “Iris is home,” Cirrus called to the house at large.

  “Thank god! I’m starving,” Aerianna said as she walked down the hall to the living room.

  “Why is your hair wet?” Rozlynd asked from behind Aerianna.

  Iris reached up and found damp hair.

  “And your clothes,” Cirrus added. “Been practicing making it rain?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Well, hurry up and go change. Violet and Zarina are waiting for us and I’m hungry,” Aerianna iterated.

  “Waiting where?”

  “It’s a surprise. Get going!” Rozlynd grinned at her.

  Iris realized it would be much easier to comply with their demands rather than ask more questions. She changed and reappeared in the living room a few minutes later.

  “Ready?” Cirrus asked keys in hand.

  “You made it just in time! Our party is next on the list,” Violet said as they joined her in front of their favorite sushi house.

  “You’ve seemed a bit down lately, so this is our treat,” Zarina added. She rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet in her usual, excited way.

  “Thanks, guys. I really appreciate it. You’re the best.”

  “We know,” Cirrus grinned her.

  Violet elbowed him in the ribs and the whole group laughed.

  “Zarina, party of six,” a server called.

  Dinner was the perfect end to a rejuvenating day. Not for the first time, Iris was thankful for her friends.

  Iris created a strict no-magic-in-Davis rule for herself and was determined to follow it for the rest of winter quarter. She met Morrigan at the island every Tuesday afternoon where they practiced with staves or bokken before solidifying their exhaustion through magic training.

  Morrigan started coming to their apartment in Davis at least once a week. It helped Iris keep her motivation up and drove her to go to the island for a second time each week. She usually went on Friday evenings or Saturday mornings. Each time she surprised herself with how much power she needed to use to reach the same bone-weary state of Tuesdays.

  In the sixth week of the quarter, Iris didn’t make it to the island until Sunday—which was a huge mistake. Saturday as she fell asleep, her subconscious drew upon the flows surrounding her. When Aerianna successfully shook her awake, Iris realized her mind was trying to locate someone. When she dwelled on the essence of the person, she realized her mind tried to find Brett.

  Iris tried and failed to locate Brett four times while on the island the next day before deciding to give it up. She wondered why he was so elusive. She still had too much energy to call it quits, though, so she focused on her other friends. Morrigan came to her mind first, but she couldn’t even sense Morrigan’s essence. It didn’t surprise her as Morrigan was both far away and not a strong magic user.

  Iris tried Violet next but was just as unsuccessful. Thinking on her other options, she decided to see if she could locate Jaden. He was both a powerful magic user and was highly likely to be using magic so he was an ideal candidate. After a few minutes of focusing on his aura, she managed it. He was in Davis. Somewhere in the vicinity of his apartment and using magic.

  She drew in and funneled more power into her request. Wanted to see where he was like she had with Rowen back in high school. A second later, a flash of Jaden’s living room and large screen TV crossed her vision. It was gone in a second. Dissipated with the last ounce of power she managed to funnel into the request.

  Iris fell to her knees panting. It was more power than she’d ever used. Than she ever imagined she could use. Though she tried, she couldn’t pull any flows into her being. She’d found her limit. Even so, Iris could feel her body rejuvenating as she knelt on the warm sand. There was no doubt in Iris's mind that the next time she used magic she’d be even more powerful. It only added to her fear.

  Chapter 19

  Though no longer sure it was a good idea, Iris continued to push herself when alone on the island. She strived to recreate the skill that allowed her to see Jaden’s living room flash through her mind but experienced nothing but failure.

  At first, she tried to puzzle out the skill. Determine how it worked—something she’d been attempting on and off since high school. When that failed, Iris tried to remember all the steps and processes she’d gone through to see the single glimmer. After eliminating most items, her remaining variables were proximity and power—how strong her quarry, if they were using magic, and how much power she used. It fit with her attempts back in Pacific in her first year of using magic.

  Iris was loath to do it, but she’d have to break her no-magic-in-Davis rule in order to suss out the precise factors that made this task work. It would have to wait until after finals, however. While her sessions on the island made it easier for her to focus on her schoolwork and offered a respite from the dreary weather, they also took away from some of her study time and this quarter was a brutal one for her. She’d also stupidly prioritized hanging out with Matt over studying on several occasions.

  If she wasn’t careful, she may need to retake calculus, and her Japanese grade bordered a B-/C+. An A on the final would move her grade to a solid B. Achieving that was a big if. She needed to work on her speaking skills as that would be a large part of the final this quarter. She and Matt carved out two three-hour study blocks between their finals. Iris knew she’d need every minute of that time, so she blocked off her calendar and told everyone to leave her alone.

  She and Matt were less than a half-hour into their first study session when someone knocked at a door in the Gallery. Iris’s shoulders tensed at the sound. She ignored it. The person knocked again. Louder. Iris’s nostrils flared. She had to ask Matt to repeat his answer. She confirmed he was correct and moved onto the next sentence. Two sentences later, her phone chimed. She glanced at the text, saw it was from Thorin, and didn’t bother to read it.

  “Everything all right? You seem distracted.”

  “Yeah. Just have a lot on my mind.” Her phone chimed again. She silenced it.

  “Dammit, Iris! Stop ignoring me!” Thorin yelled in her mind.

  Iris grabbed her water bottle and took a few sips while she sent her little self to the Gallery of Doors.

  “What the hell do you want?” she demanded of Thorin as she entered the Gallery.

  “We can’t get a hold of Zarina.”

  “What about Jaden?”

  “He’s the one who asked if we knew where she was. He’s been trying to call her for the last few hours. Apparently, she didn’t show up to their lunch date. He thought she might be at the band table in the coffee house, but she’s not here either.”

  “Have you tried her door?” Iris asked as her little self moved towards it. Her real self picked up her phone. “Excuse me for a minute,” she told Matt and walked outside.

  No one answered Zarina’s door in the Gallery after the first knock. She called Zarina’s cell phone. It rang, was answered, and clicked off before she could say hello. Iris called and knocked again. She received no answers this time.

  “So—?” Thorin asked from behind her in the Gallery.

  Iris jumped. With her attention split, she’d forgotten Thorin was in the Gallery with her. “No response on her cell phone either.”

  “You can do that?”

  “Do what?”

  “Split your mind well enough to know what’s going on in both places?”

  “Yes.” Iris didn’t elaborate. Instead, she knocked a third time. The cell phone went straight to voicemail this time. “Okay, I’m heading home now. I can’t do this from Matt’s place.”

  “What are you going to tell him?”

  “I'm not sure. That her car broke down and she needs a ride. Head over to my place. I want the entire story.” Iris left the Gallery and joined both halves of her mind before going back inside and explaining to Matt that she had to leave. He was fine with it, as she knew he would be, and she promised to come back that afternoon if she had time.

&nb
sp; Iris drove a few streets away, parked the 4Runner and opened herself to the flows surrounding her. She sought out anyone using magic around Davis, but no one was. She broadened her search area. Still nothing. Iris drew more power into her being and focused on Zarina herself. If there was ever a time for her location magic skill to work, it was now.

  She closed her eyes. Inhaled and exhaled in measured breaths. Let her mind wander from thought to thought about Zarina. She didn’t focus on anything in particular but rather allowed her mind to roam at random. Images of Zarina’s physical form flitted through her mind along with her own impressions of Zarina’s personality. Together she recreated how Zarina’s essence felt to her. Pure. Innocent.

  A shadow of a location flashed through Iris’s mind. She drew deeper upon the flows surrounding her. The shadow came back but didn’t solidify. It wavered for a few seconds as Iris tried to determine what it reminded her of. Iris had to release the power she’d pulled into her being or be ripped apart by it. The left corner of her mouth turned up.

  Iris turned her car back on and flipped the AC to high for a few minutes despite the chill of the dreary afternoon. She leaned forward to place her head on the steering wheel. She’d never used so much power in her life—had no idea she could hold that much power let alone use it. It was worth it though. Zarina was in the Library. Iris sat up and exhaled. She shifted into first and headed toward campus. She was too tired to split her mind and drive, so she called Jaden instead of going to the Gallery.

  “Where the hell have you been! Why aren’t you home yet? We’re all waiting for you. You have to help me find Zarina.”

  Iris didn’t have the energy to shout over him. She waited until he finished his rant before speaking. “I found her. She’s in the library. I’m heading there now, but I can swing by and pick you up if you’d prefer.”

  “No. I’m on my way.”

  The phone clicked off before she could say anything else. “Well, at least he cares about her,” Iris said to the empty car.

  She pulled into a spot in the lot closest to the library. As she got out of the car, her head swam. Iris stopped. Both hands had to grip the door of her SUV to keep herself upright. The world tilted and turned around her. Several deep breaths got it to stop moving enough for her to make her way to the library at a quick pace. Jaden overtook her as she ascended the second set of steps.

  “Where is she?”

  “Somewhere in the library. In a window. That’s all I know. I’ll start at the top and work my way down if you start from the bottom and work up.”

  Jaden nodded and disappeared inside the building.

  Iris headed to the elevator and pushed the up button. There was no way she’d be able to climb any more stairs with how fatigued she was. The elevator dinged and the up arrow flashed to green. As Iris moved towards the opening doors, Zarina walked out.

  “Hey! Fancy seeing you here,” Zarina said. Though she tried to sound like her usual, cheery self, her shoulders were slumped forward and something akin to fear shone through her eyes.

  “Where’ve you been? Jaden’s freaking out. Everyone’s freaking out. You weren’t answering your phone or our knocks,” she added in an undertone.

  “Yeah. Sorry. I saw all the missed calls and was heading outside to call Jaden. I fell asleep in a sunny windowsill on the fourth floor. My phone was on silence, so it didn’t wake me up.”

  “I swear someone answered your phone the first time I called you, but maybe it was something weird with the carrier. Anyway, you need to call Jaden right now so he can stop freaking out.”

  Zarina nodded and the two girls headed toward the entrance. As soon as they stepped outside, Zarina called Jaden. He met them out front a few moments later. Iris moved off to the side to give them a moment. She leaned against a handrail for support before sending her little self to the Gallery of Doors where she told Thorin and her roommates they’d found Zarina and everything was fine. Iris turned to follow the couple back toward her car when a familiar figure came out of the library.

  Brett waved merrily at her before visually following Zarina and Jaden’s progress away from the building. His presence made Iris doubt Zarina’s story. Iris refused to leave until the couple was out of sight. Brett refused to acknowledge Iris’s presence until the same moment. Once they were gone, Brett jogged down the stairs and stopped less than an arm’s length in front of her.

  “How are your finals going?” he asked jovially—as though they were friends.

  “Fine. Yours?” Iris wasn’t sure what he was playing at, but the more time she could give Zarina and Jaden to get away, the better. She thought about drawing power into her being, but she was still exhausted. If she tried and failed, there was no telling what Brett would do to her.

  “So far so good. I’m looking forward to break, though. I’ve got a great training session planned with my father. What about you and your friends? Heading to the island again?”

  Iris’s blood froze. It took her a second to find her voice. Brett’s smile increased as her mind searched for an appropriate answer. “No. We were thinking about something with a bit more grass.”

  “Ah. Large meadows are always nice places for a good training session. I think they offer many more targets than islands.”

  “That depends on what you consider a target and the type of training you have in mind.”

  “True. Very true. I personally prefer glades and forests to islands and deserts. Though they can be cold this time of year. You know, depending on what area they’re in. The ocean can be fun as well, but everything moves differently. Very hard to control desires there.”

  “I wouldn’t know.”

  “No? You should try it sometime.” Brett took a step closer. He reached a hand toward Iris but dropped it well before making physical contact. He lowered his voice a little. Took another half-step forward. “You’re welcome to join my training group. I bet there are even a few things you can teach me. Like how to expand my own abilities. That was an impressive display of power you showed a little while ago. I suspect it’s how you located Zarina so quickly. I’d hoped to have a few more minutes with her, but such is life,” he added in a huge sigh.

  Iris was done with him. “If you ever go near her again—”

  “Relax. I’m not interested in hurting you or any of your friends. I want you to join us—that is my father and me—in conquering the worlds and sharing our knowledge. Like I said, there is plenty I can teach you and I’m sure there’s a fair amount you’ll be able to teach me. Here.” He handed her a picture of a massive clearing surrounded by dense trees. “In case you want to expand your horizons. We’ll be there starting at noon in three days. Well, I should be going. Have a lovely rest of your day and good luck on your finals.” Brett gave her a genuine smile. His gaze lingered on her face before he gave her a nod. He whistled as he skipped down the last few steps.

  Iris didn’t respond. She watched Brett walk in the opposite direction Zarina and Jaden had gone. When she could no longer see him, she shook herself and slowly made her way to her car. She was drained; physically, emotionally, and magically. She pushed her exhaustion away, split her mind and sent her little self to the Gallery of Doors. Iris pounded on Zarina’s door before she made it to her car. Zarina had a lot of explaining to do.

  Chapter 20

  Zarina didn’t answer the first knock. Nor the second. Iris was pissed. Her eyes seared to green. She hauled herself into the 4Runner and banged on the door once more. As she settled into her car, Iris’s little self yelled to assure Zarina knew who knocked. “If you don’t open your door right now, so help me I am entering your mind and screaming bloody murder until you do!”

  “Jesus, Iris,” Zarina said as she finally opened her door. “I heard you. I was calming Jaden down.”

  “And what precisely did you tell Jaden?”

  “The same thing I told you. That I fell asleep in a windowsill.”

  “I will give you one more chance to tell me the truth.” />
  “That is the truth. I swear.”

  “Then what woke you up?”

  “I think it was the knocking at my door in the Gallery.”

  “You think? You sure?”

  Zarina nodded. Iris stared at her friend for a few tense seconds. Zarina swallowed and broke eye contact. There was more to the story.

  “And was anyone waiting for you when you woke up, perhaps?”

  Zarina shook her head in the negative.

  “Want to try that one again?”

  Zarina shook her head again. She looked at her feet.

  “What about Brett? Was he nearby when you woke up? Or perhaps he was there the whole time and you’re lying about being asleep?”

  “I was asleep. You’re right,” she looked up at Iris. “Brett did show up at some point. He had my phone when I woke up to a pounding noise in my head.”

  “And—” Iris spread her hands out to show she wanted the entire story.

  “I didn’t want to concern anyone—”

  “Zarina, I’m already concerned. Not telling me what the hell he said or did to you is only going to make it worse.”

  “All right. First, he said hello, then he told me I had a lot of missed calls. Specifically that you were trying to get a hold of me. He said he’d answered the phone and was going to tell you I was asleep in the library, but he changed his mind. I’m not sure why, though. Then he talked about magic and training sessions and said Jaden and I were more than welcome to join him and his father during spring break if we wanted. I told him no thanks as I had plans to attend training sessions with you guys.

  “He talked some more. A little about forming an army and getting stronger and things like that. When I said no thanks again, he put his phone number into my phone, said in case you change your mind, and left. I deleted his contact, grabbed my stuff and headed to the elevator. You know the rest from there. Please don’t tell Jaden about Brett. He’ll just try to pick a fight and I’m not sure he’d win.”