by E A Foley
“We’ll always be there for you, Morrigan,” Iris said with a smile. “No matter what.”
“And I think that’s precisely why I’m not afraid. I know you guys are waiting for me. To help.”
“So . . . do you want a lesson or something?”
“No. You said I may not be ready yet, so I’ll wait. I would like to join you guys at your next practice so I can see what types of things you all can do.”
“Of course you can! I know Cirrus won’t mind one bit,” Violet answered for the group.
“What days do you practice?”
“Usually Tuesdays and either Wednesday or Thursday.”
“Can we keep it Tuesdays and Thursdays? I have aikido Monday, Wednesday, and some Friday evenings.”
“Yeah, that should be fine, right guys?” Violet asked the group.
Everyone agreed.
“Then I only have one more question.”
“What’s that?”
“Can we stop for food soon? I’m getting hungry.”
The car was filled with chuckles and smiles. It broke the tension that still permeated the interior of the van.
“Sure thing. Can someone see what’s around us right now?” Rozlynd asked from the driver’s seat.
“I got it,” Zarina announced from where she rode shotgun.
Chapter 17
They decided on fast food for dinner and were back on the freeway in less than thirty minutes. Since Morrigan knew about magic, their previous decision to not discuss it went out the window.
“So, speaking of magic,” Rozlynd started, “can anyone else tell when someone is using magic nearby? When we get to Cirrus’s late and you guys have already started, I swear I can feel you guys doing magic. It’s like the pulsating of the power surrounding me intensifies.”
“I never really thought about it, but now that you mention it, yeah, I can,” Aerianna agreed. “But I have to be really close to the person and they have to be using magic at the time.”
“I can tell, and I think I can even discern who is doing what, but like Aeri said, I have to be really close to them to figure it out,” Zarina added. “What about you Iris? Is it any different for you?”
“It is. I can tell when someone is doing magic and identify who it is. I can also tell what they’re doing as well as determine how strong they are magically. They don’t have to be nearby, but I can’t discern as much when I’m far away.”
“Really? That’s cool. How come you never taught us how to figure that stuff out?”
“I guess I assumed you guys were able to tell as well.”
“Do you think you could teach it to us now?”
“I dunno. We can give it a shot. Which part are you the most interested in?”
“I wanna be able to judge if the person I’m up against is stronger than me,” Rozlynd said immediately.
“Let’s start with that, then. I think it’ll be easier to accomplish while we’re all in a small space anyway. Vi and Zarina, can you both fill with power, please? Not until you’re bursting, but as much as you can comfortably hold. Thank you,” Iris added after both friends complied with her request. “Now, Roz and Aeri, concentrate on Vi and Zarina. Compare their aura—their essence—to one another and see if you can determine which is stronger.”
“I don’t feel a difference,” Rozlynd said after a few minutes of concentrating. “Do you, Aeri?”
“I can tell they’re both filled with power, but beyond that, no.”
“Hmmm. Okay, let me add myself to the mix. See if anything changes.”
“Yup. That’s obvious. You’re stronger. I have no idea how I know that. I just know you are,” Aeri announced after a few seconds. “But I don’t know how any of you compare to me. Just to each other.”
“I’ll have to think on that one. What about you, Roz?”
“I can’t tell if I’m stronger or they are. I can tell Iris is the strongest of the three of you, though. It’s almost like a higher frequency is surrounding her. At least, that’s what it feels like to me,” Roz offered.
“I’m not getting that. It’s more like. . . like . . .” Aerianna couldn’t find the right descriptors.
“Like her presence feels massive?”
“That’s not very nice, Morrigan,” Iris admonished.
“Nice or not, she nailed the description,” Aerianna agreed. “What does it feel like to you, Morrigan?”
“More like a commanding presence. And confidence. Like the person knows how strong they are and that sense of strength manifests into a feeling that encompasses them before emanating outward.”
“Interesting that you can feel we’re holding power. Maybe you’re more ready than your door indicates,” Iris told Morrigan.
“Self-worth,” Zarina called from the front seat. “That makes sense. Can I give it a shot?”
“Of course. If we all release what we’re holding and then Roz and Aeri fill up . . . Thank you both. Okay Zarina and Vi, give it a go.”
“They feel pretty similar to me, but I think Roz is a little stronger. Could any of it have to do with the amount of time we’ve been using magic?” Zarina asked.
“No. Vi, can you pull power into your being once more?”
Violet did as Iris requested and Zarina saw why Iris said no so quickly. Even though Violet had been using magic the second longest, she wasn’t as strong as the other two girls.
“As much as I’m enjoying this, I need you to direct me to the hotel, Zarina.” Roz brought the girls back to reality and the needs of the mundane.
They continued trying to identify who was holding magic, what they were doing, and who was stronger for a bit in the hotel room that night, but no one was able to gather nearly as much information as Iris could. By the end of an hour, the best anyone could do was tell who was using magic, but not how much or what they were requesting. Once a request was made, a few of them could tell who’d requested what, but no one was one hundred percent at it. Iris finally put a stop to the impromptu training session in favor of discussing what they wanted to do in Disneyland and California Adventure over the next two and a half days.
“Iris, you got us reservations for lunch today, right?” Rozlynd asked as they left the hotel room for the park the following morning.
“It’s more of a linner reservation. Sorry. The only thing they had for six was at four p.m. Sorry.”
“Stop apologizing. Thanks for getting the reservations in the first place. I’ve never eaten at the Blue Bayou, so I’m thrilled no matter what time.”
Iris smiled. It was nice to feel appreciated. “If you guys give me your tickets once we get into the park, I’ll go get FastPasses for something.”
“That’d be great!” All five girls chanted at once.
“I’ve been dying to go on Pirates. Can we do that one first, please?” Violet almost begged.
“I concur,” Morrigan said before anyone else could argue in favor of a different ride.
“Cool. You guys want me to get FastPasses to Space or Indie or Star Tours or Haunted or—?”
“Star Tours!”
“Space Mountain.”
“Indie!”
“Haunted.”
“Yes.”
Iris received all five responses at once. She had no clue who said what.
“I’ll check the app,” Zarina supplied. “Looks like the line for Pirates isn’t too long.”
“Okay. Then I’ll have to get FastPasses to a ride that’s close-ish or not too far out of the way. That leaves Star Tours and Indie. And Haunted, I suppose. Though that’s a bit of backtracking. What are the return times?”
“Good point. You should get one for Star Tours before they’re gone,” Roz said after consulting the app over Zarina’s shoulder.
“Will do.”
The girls handed Iris their tickets as soon as they entered the park and split up.
“See you in a few!” Iris waved.
She dodged strollers, children, and dozens of people who wer
e fixated on only themselves, but managed to make it to the FastPass station for Star Tours with her frustration level on low. She tapped her foot as she waited for the machine to spit out one FastPass for each ticket and muttered “finally” when she had all six in hand. Iris went back into dodge-people mode as she crossed the park.
When she made it to Jungle Cruise, she slapped a bug off the back of her neck. At Indiana Jones, she realized it wasn’t a bug. Iris stopped in the middle of the walkway like so many of the inconsiderate people around her. She managed to murmur an apology to the person who ran into her before moving out of the way.
“You’re an idiot, Iris,” she thought. “Just keep walking. There is no way you felt another magic user. There are no other magic users.”
And you know that to be a fact, how? her Little Self asked.
“Seriously? You never thought to tell me there are other magic users? Hello?” But her Little Self was gone. “You suck, you know that, right?” she muttered out loud.
“Who sucks?” Morrigan whispered as Iris slipped into line for Pirates.
Iris shook her head. She refused to allow this weekend to be ruined by the stupidity of her Little Self. Thankfully it was Morrigan who’d heard her and not one of her other friends. It meant her comment went by unaddressed. Morrigan quietly accepted her ticket and FastPass, shrugged at Iris and refocused her attention on finding Hidden Mickeys.
The morning continued in a fun-filled flurry as the six of them bounced from ride to ride in no particular order. The tickling sensation inserted itself here and there. Iris looked around for its owner, but she couldn’t do much without pulling power into her being. She wasn’t willing to give away her abilities to someone she didn’t know. Especially if they hadn’t identified her either.
As the morning transitioned into the afternoon, Iris grew more tense. After the third ride in a row with the tickling sensation prominent, Iris was frustrated beyond belief. She was pretty sure the other magic user had identified her. Them, more likely. She wondered if the person could sense another magic user even when they weren’t holding onto any power. If that were the case, the six of them must feel like a homing beacon. It was enough for Iris to pull some power into her being.
The tickling sensation intensified. The other person was holding onto some power. She focused her mind. Followed the power back toward its source as they made their way to the back corner of the park. Iris’s guard was up. She felt like they were heading into a trap. The magic user was close. Her eyes tried to scan the surrounding crowd, but she was too short to see over the milling bodies. She pulled more power into her being. The tickling sensation vanished. Iris grimaced.
She was distracted as they got in line for Winnie the Pooh. The fun colors and song pulled her back into a good mood. It continued as they crossed the walkway to enter the FastPass line for Splash Mountain and peaked when they all laughed at how soaked they got on the steep drop into the briar patch. They got off Splash Mountain and went to look at the photo they’d staged of them playing poker.
“This is great, guys! We should get some,” Violet called over her shoulder.
“Yeah?” Rozlynd called back.
Iris felt the telltale sign of someone using magic and glanced around. Rozlynd’s shoes were surrounded by a puddle of water and were now dry.
“Really Rozlynd? We said no magic,” Iris mouthed the last two words as she walked closer to where Rozlynd sat.
“No one saw. They’re all distracted by their own—"
Their conversation was cut off as the pair of them felt the unmistakable whoosh of magical air pass between them. They shared a second of bewilderment before Rozlynd was on her feet. Both of them looked for the culprit. The problem was Rozlynd focused on their group of friends while Iris surveyed the surrounding crowds of people. She tried to see if anyone looked familiar from earlier that day.
“All right, who did it?” Rozlynd asked in a hurried whisper after pulling the other four girls away from the photo sale booth.
“Did what?” Violet asked.
“What are you talking about?” demanded Aerianna.
“I thought we agreed to no magic,” Zarina reminded them.
“So I don’t like having wet feet, big deal. No one noticed, but that random wind gust? That was uncalled for.”
“It wasn’t one of them,” Iris said. “There’s someone else in this park who can access the stores of power flowing through the Earth. We can either stay and be on our guard or leave the park early. What’ll it be?”
“Why would we leave? There are five of you,” Morrigan said. Everyone else shrugged, so they got in line to purchase Splash Mountain pictures.
Iris didn’t want to say it, but she had an uneasy feeling about this magic user. She was now positive the person could sense magic users the same way she could. Worse, whoever it was knew her and her friends, while Iris had no idea who to watch out for. She needed to get away from her friends to search out the person. She offered to go get FastPasses for Indiana Jones while everyone else purchased pictures. She’d meet up with them in line for Haunted Mansion.
The prickling sensation at the back of her neck increased the further she traveled from her friends, but Iris kept on walking. She expelled a breath and cleared her mind. Focused her thoughts on the tickling sensation at the back of her neck. Pulled a trickle of power into her being. The person was behind her. Close. She made to move left so she could circle back around. Someone grabbed her arm and yanked her off the main path.
Chapter 18
In a flash, a man drew Iris to a less traveled corner of the park next to the Haunted Mansion. “What the hell do you think you are playing at? You’re just a kid. You’re all just kids. How many of you can use it?” He demanded in a low whisper. Leaned toward and slightly over her.
Iris wrenched her arm out of his grasp and glared at him. The fear from being grabbed was consumed by anger in an instant. Her eyes burned with a heat she’d never felt before. Her sunglasses would hide their assured shift to green. “Who the hell are you and why should I tell you anything about me or my friends?”
“Don’t play with me girl. I’ve been doing this stuff for decades now. Do you really think you can outperform me?”
“Yes,” Iris told him. Coals filled her stomach. They sparked and expanded outward to engulf her body in heat. She was done being the scared, fragile girl. She’d already judged how strong he was and she knew she was stronger than him. Disbelief flashed across his face as Iris drew upon the flows of power surrounding her.
“Stop! You’ll draw attention to us.”
Iris stopped pulling power into her being. She held it for a count of five before releasing it at a snail’s pace. She wasn’t in the mood to trust this guy. Having power easily accessible felt like the smarter idea.
“You’re stronger than me, I’ll give you that,” the man admitted. “But I’ve been doing this much longer than you have. Probably longer than you’ve been alive.” He shook his head and stared at her for a few more moments. “If you have any sense, you will stop accessing that power and tell your friends to do the same. Nothing good can come of it.”
“I don’t think I could stop if I wanted to,” Iris found herself admitting.
“Then you’re already too deep. Balance has you in its clutches. You’ll stop sooner or later. I only hope you’re the one who makes that decision.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You know.”
The man’s eyes unfocused.
Iris could tell he was thinking about something else.
He shook his head, glared at Iris and left without another word.
Iris turned to follow his progress, but he was gone. It took her a few moments to remember she was supposed to be getting FastPasses. She released all the power she held, but kept her body poised to pull it back in. She searched him out. He was nowhere to be found. Some of the joy of the day disappeared. She needed to find him again.
After Haunte
d, they took a trip around the park on the train. Iris used the time to home in on the man from earlier. He was somewhere in Tomorrow Land. Iris suggested they get off there and go on a few rides before their late lunch. She claimed a need to refill her water bottle as everyone hopped in line for Autopia. Iris snagged the man’s arm the same way he had hers and dragged him off the main path.
“Why did you search me out?” She demanded.
He glared at her for a few moments. “I wanted to warn you. The first magic user I met warned me to stop. I didn’t listen. It cost me more than I care to think about. I felt it was my job to pass on his warning. I’d hoped—what with your age and all—that you weren’t too involved, but I’m obviously too late.” He paused as a few people passed them. “It seems the war between Balance and Chaos is gearing up for another round. If you stop now, you may survive. If you don’t . . . you won’t like the results.”
His eyes unfocused. He shook his head. Came back to the present. “Do not search me out again. You’ll bring attention to me and I don’t want that.” He stepped around Iris and marched down the path into the mass of bodies flowing from one ride to the next.
Iris turned to call after him, but the crowd engulfed his retreating back and she lost sight of him once more. She stood there for a few moments and contemplated his words before finding a drinking fountain. She muttered to herself the whole way there and ignored more than a few sideways glances.
“Snap out of it, Iris. The guy was obviously crazy. I mean, who the hell was he talking about? Balance and Chaos? What kind of names are those, anyway? He could do magic, that was obvious, but so what? You were naive to think you and your friends were alone in that department. Now you have to figure out what you’re going to do about it.”
Iris stopped talking to herself long enough to refill her water bottle. She was lost in her own thoughts when she joined her group of friends in line.
A soft knock sounded in her mind before a door opened. You should really practice schooling your eyes and facial features more often, Violet had the decency to tell her in the Gallery of Doors.