Discovery

by E A Foley

  “Zarina . . .” Rozlynd tried to start, but Violet cut her off in excitement.

  “That would be great, wouldn’t it, guys? More people like us who can do magic! And they’re friends. And Cirrus wouldn’t be the only guy, and—"

  “But we don’t even know them,” Roz cut in when Vi stopped for a breath.

  “I know them,” Zarina said indignantly. She looked at Rozlynd in a way none of them had ever seen.

  “What do you say, Iris?” Rozlynd asked in an attempt to get Iris on her side.

  “Uh. I think I’d like to meet them first. You know, get to know them before I start teaching them how to throw fireballs and such. I’m sure they’re great guys, Zarina,” she added in a rush. “We don’t know them, that’s all.”

  “I agree with Iris,” Morrigan chimed in. “You don’t invite someone you’ve only met online straight over to your house. You meet in public first to make sure they aren’t stalkers or psychopaths.”

  “Or sociopaths,” Rozlynd added in a voice that plainly said exactly what she thought of Jaden.

  “What does everyone else think?” Zarina asked the group.

  “Why don’t we all meet for coffee or dinner or something and then move on to training? A day would be best. Half-day at least would be my vote,” Cirrus said.

  “But Jaden’s in Davis.”

  “Well, you’ve been to his room, right? Make a doorway when he’s free and we’ll go somewhere he shouldn’t be recognized. What about the other guy?” Iris asked.

  “Rowen is in San Diego, so he can drive up for an afternoon. If we can find a day that works for everyone.”

  “Sounds like a plan. Zarina, why don’t you talk to Jaden and Rowen about dates and let us know what they say.” Iris waited just long enough to receive a nod before jumping into the day’s lesson: review on all air-related offensives.

  The lesson was repeated again on Thursday, but Iris had a few new tricks to add, including using air to create trip wires and ropes. Though both required more concentration for any of them—including Iris—to use effectively, they were fun to implement.

  Thursday also brought an answer from Jaden and Rowen that they were free the coming Saturday or not until after Picnic Day—whatever that was. Several suggestions were made as to where to meet the two gentlemen. In the end, they went with Iris’s recommendation of miniature golf and laser tag at a local family fun center. Zarina’s parents were going to be out of town, so she could pick Jaden up through a doorway and then drive him to meet everyone. Rozlynd was going to borrow her parents’ minivan again to avoid the need for several cars.

  When Saturday came, Iris had mixed feelings. Something felt off to her. She would’ve normally stayed home, but this was too important. Instead, she put on a smile when she knocked on Roz’s front door. Unfortunately, her eyes gave her away.

  “I feel the same way,” Roz announced when she opened the door to let Iris in.

  “At least you can hide it.”

  “You can too. You have sunglasses and they don’t know your eyes can change color yet. Besides, why the hell should I hide my feelings? Zarina already knows how I feel. What’s the point in pretending?”

  “Trying to give him the benefit of the doubt?” Violet asked from where she and everyone else sat waiting in the living room.

  “I’m late again, aren’t I?”

  “A few minutes. No big deal. We should head out, though. Zarina already let me know she picked Jaden up. They’re on their way now. Let’s get this over with,” Rozlynd sighed.

  Less than twenty minutes later they piled out of the minivan and walked as a pride on the hunt through the parking lot. Everyone looked every which way as though they were going to see Zarina first and the hunt would be on.

  “You must be Zarina’s friends. Hi, I’m Rowen,” a young man said lightly as he joined the group.

  “Hi,” Rozlynd said and shook his hand.

  Iris tried to size him up quickly. She could feel he was capable of wielding the power flowing all around them, but something felt different. Similar to how it felt with Morrigan. Like he wasn’t fully in control of his powers. Or like they weren’t fully unlocked yet. He seemed nice. It put a true smile on Iris’s face and brightened her mood. Her eyes twitched for a few seconds and she knew they were back to blue. Which was good, because a few seconds later Zarina hailed them from where she and another guy stood. She positively beamed.

  Jaden’s powers were a bit stronger than Rowen’s. Almost as strong as Rozlynd’s, but they still lacked that polished sensation she felt with the rest of her friends. Niceties were exchanged at the entrance before everyone walked in together. By the time they all had clubs and matching golf balls, a tense silence had descended upon the group.

  “Well you guys are a really talkative group,” Rowen said after they moved toward the first hole. “Don’t worry, I can stay silent like the best of them.” He grinned.

  Cirrus chuckled. “You’re just new entities. No one’s ready to break free from the pack yet.”

  “I can see that. It’s not like we’re going to eat you or anything.”

  “I think they may be the ones planning to eat us, Rowen,” Jaden added to his friend.

  “Yeah, you’re probably right. We got ourselves a pack of lionesses, don’t we?”

  “More or less,” Cirrus agreed. “I find keeping my mouth shut the best thing most of the time. Why—"

  “You? Keep your mouth shut? Please. You never shut up about anything you have an opinion on. And don’t try to argue with me. You know I’m right and they’ll all agree with me,” Iris added in mock disgust.

  Cirrus stared at her for a few moments. He opened and closed his mouth twice before conceding. “The First’s right, actually.”

  “The what?”

  “Oh. I call Iris The First because she figured out all this stuff and teaches us.”

  “What stuff?”

  Cirrus stopped. Iris wished he hadn’t been wearing his usual sunglasses so she could have seen his full expression.

  “I’m messing with you. Zarina figured out what Jaden can do and he told her about me, and she told him about you guys, and blah, blah, blah. It’s nice to have other people to talk to about it, I must say.”

  “It is,” Rozlynd agreed. She’d maneuvered her way back from where Jaden and Zarina were holding hands at the front of the group to join Rowen and Cirrus in conversation. There was something in the way Roz kept glancing at Rowen out of the corner of her eye that made Iris think Rozlynd was going to have fun today after all.

  “So, how long have you known Zarina?” Rowen asked.

  Cirrus made to answer, but Violet poked him in the ribs. He turned to her and she nodded away from Rozlynd and Rowen. Cirrus got the hint. He joined Vi and Iris in falling back even further to see where this conversation would go.

  By the end of the third hole, everyone had relaxed. By the end of the game—which took a long time with the nine of them—everyone was comfortable with one another. Rowen was quick to make fun of himself and was so easygoing that they all couldn’t help but enjoy his company. Jaden was much more reserved, but he was so sweet to Zarina that many of his minor faults were overlooked.

  Iris suggested they skip laser tag in favor of food. Everyone agreed. Rowen sat between Cirrus and Rozlynd and by the end of the meal he had Roz’s number and plans to see her the next day. Iris sent half her mind to the Gallery of Doors once she was back in the minivan. She wasn’t surprised to see two new doors fully formed and lit. One with an eastern dragon to rival Rozlynd’s western dragon and one with a centaur to go along with Zarina’s unicorn. It appeared the universe was telling her they were all right.

  Chapter 23

  After Iris gave him an initial lesson the following Tuesday, Jaden was too busy to join any practices until late April. Rowen could only make it on Thursdays because of his work schedule. Zarina skipped out on the all-day training session during Pacific’s spring break in order to hang out with Jad
en—though she told her parents she was hanging out with the rest of the group—as well as the last Thursday practice before Jaden was going to start coming consistently. Iris was less than impressed, but she promised to give a Saturday makeup lesson to anyone who needed it at the beginning of May.

  Of course, that meant she’d have less time to work on her senior project and study for her AP tests and finals, but what were friends for if not to be taken advantage of? As the date drew closer, Iris felt more and more cheated. She wasn’t the one who’d blown off practice for something else. Okay, Rowen did have work, but he was doing fine. And Morrigan could honestly use the practice. She wasn’t getting any stronger in any area. Zarina and Jaden were the ones falling behind, and it had been their decision to skip practices. Why should Iris have to suffer for it? She decided she shouldn’t have to.

  “Hey guys, so I know I promised a makeup session this weekend, but I don’t have the time. I’ve got way too much to work on before graduation. Sorry,” she apologized to the four of them after practice on Thursday.

  “Man, I was really looking forward to Saturday, but I totally understand. No worries, Iris,” Rowen told her.

  “Thanks Rowen.”

  “You got it, First.”

  “Please don’t call me that,” Iris groaned.

  “I should probably work on stuff too,” Morrigan agreed.

  “I rearranged my entire schedule to make room for Saturday’s practice,” Jaden said. “So, what, I’m supposed to play catch-up during the weekday lessons and hope that whatever we’re working on makes sense? That blows, you know?”

  “You did promise, Iris,” Zarina agreed with Jaden.

  Iris went from wanting to punch Jaden to feeling deflated at Zarina’s reminder.

  “Dude, don’t be a jerk,” Rowen told Jaden.

  The comment lifted Iris’s spirits once more. It gave her a little more confidence. She clenched her fists, lifted her head a few inches and looked from Jaden to Zarina. “I’m sorry, but I can’t. I still have to graduate and schoolwork takes precedence over all magic activities.”

  “But you already got into Davis. It’s not like they’ll take back your acceptance if you don’t get straight A’s this semester.” Jaden was still trying to get Iris to budge.

  “The answer is no,” Iris iterated one last time. “See you guys at training next week.”

  Jaden and Zarina walked away without a word, created a doorway to somewhere—Iris was too far away to see where it led when they opened the door—and disappeared.

  “See you tomorrow,” Morrigan waved. She was gone a moment later.

  Iris didn’t realize Rowen was still there until he spoke up.

  “Don’t worry about Jaden. He likes to be in control, that’s all. When there’s a last-minute change, it rocks his boat. He’ll get over it.”

  “Thanks for letting me know.”

  “Sure. And Iris, keep standing up for yourself. It’s a good quality to have as a leader.”

  “I’m not a leader.”

  “You are, you just won’t let yourself believe it.”

  “I don’t think I know how to believe it,” she said truthfully.

  “Well, that’s not something I can help you with. It’s something you’ll have to figure out for yourself. Besides, there must be a reason you were woken first and not someone else. What else would it be besides the fact that you’re supposed to be the leader?”

  “Good question, but it still won’t compute for me.”

  “I think half of it is knowing that you can. So, on that note, I believe you can be a great leader and will follow you into battle. In a manner of speaking.”

  “Thanks, Rowen. If I get all my work done on Saturday, I can give you a short, private lesson.”

  “Thanks for the offer, but I’ll be fine. I’m gonna hang out with Roz. Maybe she’ll give me a few pointers.”

  Iris raised an eyebrow at him.

  “Yeah, you’re probably right. Bad idea. We’ll keep it to hanging out. See you next Thursday.”

  “See ya next Thursday,” Iris called with a wave.

  Rowen nodded and smiled at Iris before joining Rozlynd and Aerianna. Everyone else had already taken off. Iris didn’t feel like talking, but she had no choice since she still had to take Aerianna back to her car. And Rozlynd, since it seemed Zarina had ditched her. So she joined the other three before creating a doorway to Cirrus’s living room.

  Her drive back to campus and then the long way home gave Iris time to think over what Rowen said. She knew he was right. There had to be a reason she figured out how to use the power flowing through the Earth first. Why the Gallery of Doors was linked to her mind and not someone else’s. If it wasn’t so she could be the leader, then why? Simply to teach everyone? But that couldn’t be true. If she were only supposed to be the teacher, she shouldn’t still be the strongest. Shouldn’t be the one people deferred to.

  This thought made Iris analyze the last dozen training sessions. All of her friends were expecting her to teach them new things, which wasn’t a new development, but it did add to her confidence. It was more, though. They all asked her for feedback. Deferred to her lesson plans and ideas. Even Roz, Cirrus, and Aerianna asked her what was next instead of dictating.

  The more Iris scrutinized the last few months of her life, the more she realized her friends had started asking for and listening to her opinions outside of magic practice as well. It was subtle, but there. Asking Iris where they should go to lunch. Or about dorm assignments for the five of them going to Davis when it was obvious. They even asked her to make decisions on things like school project topics when pairs and teams were assigned. Not to mention all of them adjusting their schedules to fit hers for training purposes. They were all seeing her as a leader, but was she really behaving as one?

  It was a question Iris would have to contemplate later. Now, she needed to get to her homework and the mundanities of a high schooler’s life. By the end of the weekend, she was really glad she’d canceled the training session on Saturday. Even with staying up late Friday and Saturday nights to work on essays, study for tests, and create presentations, Iris barely managed to catch up on the workload she’d ignored in favor of magic. It was good she had, though, because it allowed her mind to relax Sunday evening and dream up a new magical feat: healing a small wound.

  Iris had a new pep in her step at school Monday morning. She felt the least stressed she had all year, which allowed her to feel buoyant. She let her persona as a teacher take over and her confidence shine through. Instead of keeping her head down and her mouth shut in class, she actually raised her hand and gave answers to questions she knew. Her eyes didn’t sting once on Monday or Tuesday, and by the time training came on Thursday, she’d perfected healing a minor cut and was ready to share this new ability with her friends.

  “So how did you practice this one?” Aerianna asked with more than a little apprehension.

  “Uh . . .” Iris wasn’t sure she really wanted to share.

  “You know, some people cut themselves for attention or because they’re suicidal. I’m not sure cutting yourself so you can see if you can heal yourself is any better.”

  “Yeah, I’m with Aeri on this one. It’s a bit messed up, Iris,” Rozlynd said.

  “No, guys, I didn’t cut myself or injure myself in any way. I swear,” she added in a rush at their looks of skepticism.

  “Then how did you practice?” Violet asked.

  “Okay, I did injure myself, but it was never on purpose. I got a paper cut on Monday morning, then I played with my cuticle so much on my left middle finger it started bleeding, so there were those two to practice on. I got a spider bite Tuesday evening but never could figure out how to heal that one, so I switched to healing other things.”

  “Like what?” Cirrus asked with true interest.

  “A dying plant, an old scar on my hand, oh, I stubbed my toe. Stuff like that.”

  “And you didn’t want to share all of this bec
ause, why?”

  “Because it’s a lot of different things to go over in one session. Even though they’re all healing, it’s difficult to find the right amount of power and to determine how to mend what’s broken. I thought you guys wouldn’t be able to get it all on day one, so I wanted to start with one today and go over the others next week.”

  “You know, we all realize you’re better at this stuff than we are—” Rowen began.

  “That’s your opinion.” Though Jaden mumbled, it was loud enough to be heard. He shut up at all the glares he received.

  “So it’s fine if you tell us everything and let us know we’re only going to work on one aspect of it during a lesson,” Rowen finished without acknowledging Jaden’s interruption.

  “Yeah, all right. I’ll remember for the future.” Iris’s eyes twitched a bit with her words.

  “And knock that melancholy shit off!” Aerianna added with a poke to Iris’s ribs.

  Anger flared in her cheeks and eyes before settling with a sigh at the mirth surrounding her. “All right, all right. I get it. You guys ready to try this stuff?”

  “Hell yeah!” Was the prevailing response. If there had been another one, Iris didn’t hear it.

  Chapter 24

  As Iris allowed her teacher persona to take over more and more, her confidence in her abilities grew. She started trying things out while her family was home to see if anyone noticed anything. Nothing big. She treated it like a scientific experiment. If none of them knew how to use magic, then they’d never catch on to what she was doing.

  Phase one was using magic exclusively in her room with the door shut. After two days of no one saying anything, Iris moved on to phase two: using magic in her room with the door open. She even made things a bit more obvious by using her own light source rather than the lamps and ceiling light. No one noticed that her light switches were in the off position but there was light in her room.