by E A Foley
“Ditto. Want to come over for a movie?”
“That’d be great,” Iris agreed. She could be convinced of almost anything right now. Except going home.
Chapter 25
One of Matt’s roommates was watching a movie when they got back to his place, so they set up to watch something on the smaller screen in Matt’s room. He put in a Japanese movie she’d never heard of and kept the subtitles off. Iris spent the first half intrigued by how much she understood and the second half distracted by Matt’s kisses. He loaned her some sweats and a t-shirt for her to sleep in. She used his arm as a pillow and snuggled into him—happier than she could remember being in quite some time.
Matt dropped Iris off at home a little after eleven the next morning. They didn’t have any more plans to hang out, but she’d see him in class the next day. She headed straight to the shower and did a bit of homework before going to the kitchen for a late lunch around two. The living room was full once more. This time Thorin was there too. Iris shook her head and turned around. Cirrus stepped out of a doorway to block her path.
“Seriously, guys? I thought I made myself clear yesterday! I—”
“Iris,” Morrigan cut her off. “You know there is no way for you to stop using magic. We’ve discussed this already.”
“You have? When? Why?” Rowen asked.
Rozlynd told him to shush.
“Sorry,” he told the room.
“How can you have a so-called normal life if you have to use all your power twice a week to keep yourself from losing control?”
“Thirty minutes to an hour twice a week is not a big deal. I get rid of the concern I’ll accidentally injure someone and get back to reality. The reality I choose to live,” she added before someone could tell her this was reality.
“That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard you say,” Thorin told her.
“And I’m pretty sure I’ve made it perfectly clear I don’t give a damn about your opinion.”
“And what about Brett?” Jaden demanded.
“He isn’t after you guys, so don’t worry about it.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Exactly what it sounds like. His dad is interested in my power. I told him I’m done with magic, so it’s a non-issue now.”
“And you expect Brett to believe you?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Personal reasons.”
“What—”
“Personal means private, not public,” Iris growled. Pain flared in her eyes. The expressions surrounding her told her what color they were. It didn’t help her mood.
“Look, Iris,” Cirrus began from behind her. He still blocked her only retreat. “We’re concerned about you, that’s all. You’ve had a couple of run-ins with Brett in the last few days. Then you came home, told us all to basically fuck off, and that you want nothing to do with magic anymore when it was you who unlocked most of our abilities. Not to mention taught all us pretty much everything we know.”
“Yes, and now I realize it was a mistake. I was a happy-go-lucky teenager who thought she was invincible. I haven’t felt at ease since a few months into being able to do magic and I know I never cognized the consequences until recently. And you know what? There are a lot of consequences that can happen. Becoming a science project is probably the least of my concerns today.”
“So that’s it. You’re done?”
“Yup.”
“And you expect Brett to leave us all alone?” Zarina asked. There was an edge to her voice Iris had never heard.
“Yeah. And if he doesn’t, I’ll tell him to fuck off again and make sure he realizes I’m serious.”
No one seemed to have any response to this statement, so Iris walked past everyone to the kitchen where she rummaged around for something to eat.
“I hate to admit it, but I’m with Iris,” Morrigan’s voice finally cut through the silence. “I think it’s dangerous and I never use magic unless I’m at a practice session—personal or group—or to get up here for a visit.”
“Was that part of your and Iris’s discussion?” Aerianna put air quotes around the word discussion.
“Hey, leave her alone,” Iris yelled from the kitchen. “It’s her life and her decision. Just like it’s everyone’s decision. Do what you like. Don’t expect any magical help from me that’s all. I’d rather spend my time joining a martial arts club on campus instead.”
“That’s actually a really cool idea,” Violet chimed in. “What would you say to a dance class?” She did what no one else had and guided the conversation away from awkward as everyone started talking about campus clubs they could join.
By the time Iris finished her microwave meal, everyone except Jaden—and Rowen and Morrigan who didn’t go to Davis—wanted to join a martial arts club. They found several options and discovered it wasn’t too late to join for that quarter. The topic of magic had been completely dropped. Iris made sure not to bring it up. It allowed her to spend a fun, magic-free evening with her friends for the first time in a long time.
Matt was absent from class the following morning. Iris called him on her way to her shift at the lab but he didn’t answer. She called him again after work but he still didn’t answer. She shot him a text as she wandered toward the bus and asked if she could bring him anything that evening and told him the homework assignment.
It wasn’t until after she texted Matt that Iris remembered she had Aikido class that evening. She got home, changed into comfortable clothes, hopped in her car, and headed toward the recreation center. She had Monday night rehearsal directly afterward, so she hoped if Matt needed something it could wait until after nine.
Aikido was fun, especially since Violet and Zarina were taking it with her. The instructor was surprised by how much Iris knew after learning she’d never officially studied the martial art. When she explained she had a friend who showed her a few moves, the instructor informed her Morrigan was a good teacher. Iris filed that compliment away to share with her later.
Iris and Zarina waved goodbye to Violet an hour later and headed through the building to the band room. Rehearsal was fun, but much more serious since Picnic Day was less than two weeks away. They practiced the show pieces and the march before playing a dozen or so songs Iris had only played once or twice in her almost two years in the band.
Her magic-free day continued into Tuesday. Iris couldn’t be happier. Especially since Matt was in class. He said he’d overslept and then didn’t get around to texting her back. Iris shrugged it off but declined his invitation to get lunch. She still had to meet Morrigan on the island for some sparring and magic practice.
Morrigan wasn’t on the island, however. Iris waited for a half-hour before deciding she wasn’t coming and pulled surrounding flows into her body. She used the technique Brett showed her and was full to bursting in a quarter of the time it previously took her. It also meant she had a ton of magic to use by herself and she didn’t really feel like it. Iris knew the fastest way to get rid of all her magic was to turn it inward and transform into a faerie again. The problem was, she didn’t seem able to do it. After another thirty minutes, the most she’d managed was a little fatigue. It wasn’t even remotely close to enough to get her through to Friday evening.
Iris decided she needed to try something different. Something she knew would take more energy than usual. Her first thought was of fire followed by water, but she dismissed it immediately. The two wouldn’t use more than a quarter of the power she currently held. And she’d need to expel a second or even third round of power in order to not lose control this week.
The sun beat down on her head. It made Iris feel sluggish. She created a barrier above her and turned it dark in order to keep the sun at bay. Iris smiled. She expanded the barrier. Pushed it outward and upward in a slow, methodical fashion until the entire island was covered in a sunglass-style dome.
It wasn’t enough. Iris pushed the barrier farther and farther away u
ntil she couldn’t pull in any more power. With her last few tendrils of strength held in reserve, she released the barrier and closed her eyes as the sun shone down on her once more. With a sigh, Iris got to her feet and opened a doorway to her living room. She walked down the hall, climbed into bed and collapsed as exhaustion took over.
“You okay?”
“Yeah. Just tired. It’s been a long few days,” Iris mumbled to Aerianna.
“That’s for sure. You got anything going on this evening?”
“Nope. It’s my night off. I plan to pass out early and sleep until the last second possible.”
“Just don’t sleep through your alarm again.”
“Right.”
Aerianna fell silent and Iris drifted into a dream-sleep stage. She was back at the mansion. The dream started from the beginning along with a dull ache at the back of her neck.
Chapter 26
Iris sprinted through the lit, open area of manicured lawn to the deep shadows surrounding the side of the massive residence. She needed to get inside. The first window she came to was dark. She tried to open it. It budged. Iris counted to ten. No alarm sounded and no voices drifted through the building toward her. Iris raised the window enough to slip inside before closing it noiselessly.
She took a few moments to allow her eyes to adjust to the dark room. The shapes of large objects that would probably manifest into furniture when the lights turned on filled the room. Iris moved around them with care and made it to the door. She couldn’t hear anything. The doorknob turned without a sound. She peeked through a crack. A well-lit, empty hallway met her eyes. Iris stuck her head out. Doors lined both sides of the hallway. A single door sat at each end. She needed to go up.
Two calming breaths gave her the nerve to slip into the hallway, pull the door shut, and creep to the door at the end of the hall on her right. She opened the door with no trouble and found herself in a stairwell. Iris ascended one floor. A second. Muffled footfalls on the second floor sent her up to the fourth. She could hear feet on the stairs now.
Iris exited the stairwell on the fourth floor. It was thankfully void of any people. She tried doors. The first three were locked. She didn’t dare use magic and give away her location. The mansion teemed with magic users.
The fourth doorknob turned but something told Iris this wasn’t the right room. She moved to the fifth door. It was locked. There was no time to try the sixth. She went back to the fourth and entered.
Voices exploded into the hall she vacated a second before. Iris locked the door behind her. She didn’t have time to allow her eyes to adjust to the dark. She moved through the room. Felt her way around large objects. Something crashed to the floor as her foot made contact with it.
Iris ignored the pain and dashed to the window. It was the only way out. She threw it wide. Looked up and down. Opted for down. She pulled the window most of the way shut after her before lowering her body as far as possible.
She dangled by her fingers. Light flooded the room. Iris had no choice but to let go and hope she found the window ledge below her.
A falling sensation pulled Iris out of her fitful dream. It took her a moment to realize she was in her room. Half-way out of her top bunk again. Aerianna was gone—which was a good thing. She pulled herself back onto her bed and rubbed the spot at the back of her neck. It appeared Brett wasn’t done with her after all.
Though she’d vowed not to use magic in Davis, Iris pulled a trickle into her being and focused on Brett. His location came to her in a flash. He was across the street. It didn’t surprise Iris in the slightest that he knew where she lived and what her daily schedule was. She pulled shoes on, ran a brush through her hair, and headed outside to confront him. Brett smiled at her from where he sat in his car. He reached across the front seat and opened the passenger door for her. Iris climbed in.
“Fancy seeing you here.”
“Cut the bullshit. What the bloody hell do you want?”
“I believe I’ve made myself pretty clear. I want you to join us.”
“Why? You haven’t given me a good reason. Besides, everything you’ve done thus far has been a turn-off. The stalking of my friends. Me. My dreams. If you want someone’s help, you should really stay the fuck out of their head.”
“But dreams are how you learn things.”
Iris swallowed her initial thoughts on how Brett knew anything about her dreaming habits. “Not these dreams,” she said instead.
“Perhaps you haven’t gotten far enough into it yet.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Iris didn’t want to admit it, but his statement intrigued her. And concerned her. He always seemed to know more about her than she liked.
“You’ll have to wait and see.”
“Right. Okay, asshole, I thought I’d made myself perfectly clear, but since I didn’t, let me try again. Leave me alone. Leave my friends alone. It would be great if you transferred schools, and I never saw you again, but I have a feeling that’s asking too much.”
“Much too much. What did you do in the glade the other day? Where did you go?”
“None of your business.”
“Not even a clue? I have a bet with my Dad about—”
Iris opened the car door. Brett slammed it shut with magic. She turned to face him. Balled a fist and readied to punch him if it came to it.
“You’re powerful. Very powerful. My Dad says you have the ability to be the most powerful magic user by twofold. More, even. But you are letting your power go to waste. Why? The best way to increase your strength is to use magic daily. Why do you only use it twice a week in secluded locations?”
“Because I don’t want to be different anymore,” Iris growled at him.
“But you’re not different. You’re the same as your friends. The same as me.”
“I am nothing like you, let’s get that straight right now. I have no desire to use my power for, well, at all anymore, so it’s a moot point.”
“There’s so much you don’t know. So much we could teach you. About the history of magic and the Earths.”
Iris’s interest tried to grow once more. She squashed it and instead said, “I don’t care. That’s the thing. When you’re done with something, the reason for its existence no longer matters. I’m done with magic. Tell your Dad. And leave me alone! And my friends. They all think you’re a dick, so there’s no way any of them will join you either.” Iris clicked the unlock button and stepped out of the car. She stood there waiting until Brett drove off. Before she could cross the street to head home, Jaden accosted her.
“Was that Brett?”
Iris gritted her teeth. “Yes.”
“What did he want?”
“Same thing as last time. And I told him the same thing I’ve already told him and everyone else. I’m done, so leave me alone.”
“You talked a lot longer than that. What else did he want?”
“To teach me more about what we can do and its history,” Iris said cryptically. There were a lot of people out right now.
“And what did you say?”
“That I don’t care and—”
“What! You had a chance to learn about the history of this stuff and you said you didn’t care? Did you even pause to think for a second? Or think about anyone other than yourself. Did it ever occur to you that we may want to know why we can do all this stuff?”
“If you want to find out, then go after Brett for all I care,” Iris’s anger mounted once more. “How many times do I have to tell you guys? I’ve had enough. The pressure. The concern. The time and effort. It’s not worth it,” she emphasized the last four words and punctuated them with hand gestures.
Jaden shook his head at her. “You’re just a spoiled, selfish child, aren’t you?” He crossed the street and headed to Iris’s apartment before she could respond.
Iris started crossing the street to tell him off but her phone rang. It was Matt. Iris decided this was a much better option. She answered the phone and was
at Matt’s ten minutes later. But she couldn’t shake Jaden’s assessment of her.
Somehow, Iris made it through the week. She spent most of her time engaged in band practice or functions and many of her spare minutes with Matt or at his place. The less she was home, the happier she was. She didn’t even need to use magic again until Sunday, which was a welcomed change.
Iris tried and failed to become a faerie again before creating another dome over the island. She returned home even more exhausted than she’d been on Tuesday. She’d needed to form an even larger dome, though. It concerned her. She vowed not to use Brett’s trick to double the speed at which she could draw power into her being the next time.
Instead of going to the island on Tuesday, Iris went to her secluded glade. Either she was still drained from Sunday, or not using Brett’s magic gathering trick was what she needed. She managed to drain herself after using half as much power as she had on Sunday. She hoped it would be enough to get her through to the following Sunday as she was booked solid with school, work, and band until then.
Iris had to make a quick trip to her glade Friday evening between practice and meeting her section for pizza. She only had about ten minutes to dispel the pent-up magic in her body. After the above average temperatures of the last week, a rainstorm felt like a good idea. She concentrated on the water around her but didn’t let her mind focus on more than a small ring surrounding the island. All she needed was to get enough magic out of her system to make it to Sunday when she could come back to exhaust herself once more.
Without bothering to dry herself off, Iris left the island for her room and a shower. She was dressed in shorts and a t-shirt, and out the door fifteen minutes later, just in time for Thorin to pick her up.
“Hey. Thanks for the ride.”
“No problem. Did you just use magic?”
“What? Yes, why?”
“I don’t know. I can tell that’s all. There’s a difference in you. Like your aura is emanating a positive, happy vibe.”