by Lizzie Vega
“Oh, yeah, we are really good. Even after the conversation we just had, I would say even better. But I noticed he was a little off as well, so we talked about it. He really opened up to me.”
Iris wrinkled her eyes and smiled, “That’s great. So, what happened.”
Sam cocked an eyebrow, “If he had brought this up before any of this other stuff started happening, I would have though he was nuts, but under current circumstances, anything seems possible.” She reached and took a big gulp of her coffee.
Iris’s curiosity was definitely peaked, “C’mon, Sam, spill it, you’re killin’ me here,” she reached for a sip of her latte as well.
Sam looked at Iris directly, her big green eyes beaming, she lowered her voice, “Can you summon the dead?”
Iris choked on her coffee, “Jesus Christ, Sam,” she said coughing, “Out of the blue or what? God, give me a little heads up next time, will ya?” Iris took a deep breath. She was clearly unnerved.
Sam winced, realizing the abruptness of the question, “I’m sorry, I should have eased into it a little,” but she leaned across the table, “Can you?”
Iris hesitated and looked carefully around the shop, this wasn’t your average sunny afternoon conversation and she wasn’t sure how she should begin,
“It’s not that simple, Sam, I’m not really...wait, what does this have to do with Michael?”
Samantha recounted the story of the accident that had killed Michael’s father and with it, the subsequent derailing of Michaels life as he tried to come to terms with the loss.
Iris exhaled heavily, “That’s a sad burden to carry. It does put a few things into perspective,” she said as she watched Sam carefully, “How did it affect you when he told you?” She seemed to be tuned in to what Samantha was going to say.
“I got him to open up about what he was feeling. He started to cry and when I took his hand,” Sam’s eyes were beginning to brim once again, “Iris, I could feel his pain, I knew what he was going to say. It was as if we were back on the day of his father’s funeral.”
Iris reached across the table and took Sam’s hand in her own, “But this time, Sam, you weren’t afraid, were you?”
“No, I wasn’t.” she replied in a strong voice, but a tear slipped down her cheek, “I just hugged him for a bit, I thought I could feel his spirits lifting.” She stopped and Iris could almost see the wheels turning in Sam’s head, “If only I had known what this felt like during the funer...”
Iris interrupted her, “Huh-uh, none of that. There was no way you could have understood what you were feeling. Don’t dwell on that. Just concentrate on what the two of you have now. That’s what’s important here.”
“God, Iris, how do you know all of this stuff?” Sam said as she blotted at the corner of her eye with a napkin, “You seem so wise for being so young.”
Iris just smiled, “Thank you Sam, but I’m not the one who’s going to be an astronaut. It’s all relative. I had to grow up a little faster than most kids, not that I recommend the method. Never apologize for where you are in life.”
Samantha smiled, “I guess so, I’m just glad I’m there for him now.”
Iris smiled again, “I see the way he looks at you, I’d say the feeling is mutual. Just remember Sam, it’s what happens going forward that matters.”
“Yeah, I know,” Sam shrugged. There was a long pause in the conversation, then Sam caught Iris’s eye, “Soooo?” she asked, “Can you do it?”
The young witch shook her head, “No,” she answered quietly, “It takes a very powerful set of skills to complete a level of magic like that. I don’t have that skill.”
“Do you know someone who can?”
God, she’s relentless, Iris looked across the table at Samantha. Her new friend had no idea of what she was asking for yet, here she sat in front of her, her eyes were asking, pleading with Iris to find a way to help Michael.
Iris knew the risks. With so many unanswered questions regarding Annika’s arrival and the possible dangers they might soon face, her mind was racing, until, what is the point of magic, if I can’t help people.
She took a deep breath and nodded, “Maybe.”
Chapter 40
Iris and Stefan walked down the busy street toward the antique shop. Iris noticed that Stefan seemed less than his newly attentive self. He had hardly said two words since they had left her house. “You seem distracted, Stef. I don’t think meeting with Goodmund is something to worry about, I’m actually looking forward to it.”
Stefan took her hand and gave it a little squeeze. “I’m sorry, Iris. I was thinking about Anni and the girls. I’m still trying to wrap my head around the idea of having them take her out in public. I mean, what if something happens?”
“Yeah, I thought that might be it,” she said with a knowing smile, “I gave them specific instructions about where they could go. They are very responsible, plus the credit card I gave them to use only has a small limit on it. They can’t do too much damage. Anni needed to get out of the house. Katie will text me if they run into anything weird.”
Iris just shook her head as she said it, “Annika will just come off as a foreign exchange student. With the colleges here, she’ll fit right in. Her language skills are growing by the minute.”
They reached the store front and Stefan reached for the etched steel handle of the antique shop door, “This will be interesting,” said Iris as she breezed by Stefan.
A small chime announced their arrival and he watched her walk by with her shoulders back and her black hair bouncing on her shoulders, “Oh, yes,” he said softly, “Quite.” and followed her into the stores foyer.
Marci looked up from her bookwork and the two approached the checkout desk. She recognized Iris immediately and smiled warmly at her, “Hi,” she bubbled, “Welcome back,” and before Iris could say anything, added, “Here to see the boss?”
Surprised at the unexpected question, Iris could only nod as Marci picked up her phone and quickly dialed.
“Mr. G, you have special visitors,” Marci listened for a moment as something was said on the line, her face brightened, “Um-hmm, it is. She’s brought a very handsome guest. Ok, cool,” She hung up. “He’ll be right down.”
She caught Iris’ eye with a nod toward Stefan and winked at her, “Nice,” she said and went back to her paperwork.
Mr. Goodmund stepped out the doorway in the back of the store and slowly made his way up to the front. Just like the last time she had seen him he was cleaning his glasses and shuffling along. He was clearly in no hurry. As he came closer to the couple he smiled and reached out his hand to Iris, “Welcome back, my dear.” He shook her hand gently, then looked at Stefan, “I see you have brought a friend?”
While Iris couldn’t help but notice the deep, almost benevolent resonance to his voice, she also noticed that Stefan’s expression kept changing back and forth between confusion and agitation. “It’s nice to meet you,” he told the old man, but his tone was flat and sounded unsure.
Iris spoke up, “We need to talk. There have been a few developments.” Goodman looked at Stefan again, “I see that.” He adjusted his glasses back up on the bridge of his nose.
“Marci, keep an eye on things,” he called to his assistant, “we’ll be upstairs in the back office.”
The young woman looked up quickly from her work and nodded. She stood up and watched as they made their way to the back hallway, then went to the front door, flipped the open sign off and hung an out to lunch sign on a small hook. After looking both directions to make sure no customers were approaching, she silently flipped the lever and locked the front door.
Making their way up the stairwell, Iris noticed that the old man seems to move more smoothly than she had first realized. They reached a short landing and, as Iris and Stefan exchanged curious looks between themselves, the old man reached out and tapped a keypad next to a formal contemporary styled security door. “We can be more comfortable in here,” he said as he
turned the lever to the door. He swung the door wide and Iris noticed that the musty air of the old antique shop changed to a cool air-conditioned crispness. “Please,” he gestured into the room, “Make yourselves at home.” A wry smile crossed his lips as he said it.
Having never felt any reason to be fearful, Iris took a step to enter, but as she did, Stefan took her elbow gently to slow her movement. His face showed a hint of concern and made a subtle attempt to move ahead of her.
She just tilted her head and winked at him, appreciative at his concern, but she walked through the doorway all the same and her jaw dropped in surprise, so much so she put her hand to her mouth to stifle a laugh as she investigated the space.
While still echoing the beautiful arched windows and stamped tin ceiling tiles of the previous century, the space had been renovated into an elegant post-modern living space complete with a full kitchen and entertainment areas. The large windows faced the Southern part of the downtown area and, as the sunlight streamed across the living room, Iris couldn’t help herself, “Looks like the antique business is booming, I’d like to hire your designer.”
The old man just grinned playfully, “Did it myself, but I’d be happy to give you some tips, though you seem like you have a pretty well-defined sense of style.” Iris smiled at him, her eyes twinkled. Stefan had yet to say a word. He just stood and looked around the space like he was taking an inventory. If anything, he looked disappointed.
“As to the lucrative nature of antiques,” Goodmund continued shaking his head, “I just do it for fun. I’ve done really well in the markets, so I’m comfortable.”
There was a short span of silence as the three of them stood there staring at each other. Goodmund broke the awkward moment, “Forgive me, I’m a terrible host. Please have a seat.” He gestured to the living area and escorted them over to the leather sofas, “You get comfortable, I’ll get us some refreshments,” he turned toward the kitchen, “I’m sure we have lots to talk about.”
Stefan just shrugged and sat down next to Iris on one of two sun drenched charcoal leather sofas set on a large Persian rug. Large wall panels suspended from the ceiling framed off the living space and provided a backdrop for a number of art pieces. Iris looked at the artwork. She looked past the living room area and noticed a pair of large framed paintings that seemed to invite the eye into the next space. The black and white work was of a nude man and woman with clearly erotic intentions.
Iris cleared her throat and directed Stefan to look toward them, but she was met with the same glum look he worn since they had met Goodmund. “What is it, Stefan? she inquired, “You look sad.”
“It’s nothing, I just thought he would be,” he shrugged, “A little different. He’s not who I was expecting.”
“Mm-hmm” She gestured around the room, “I wasn’t expecting anything like this, very odd. Let’s just see if we can learn anything.”
Footsteps announced the old man as Goodmund appeared and place a large platter of beverages on the reclaimed wood and glass cocktail table in front of them.
“I brought a variety, help yourselves.” He chose a bottle of sparkling water and perched himself on the edge of the sofa opposite the couple. Stefan was now squinting as the sun was shining directly in his face. “Here,” Goodmund said as he picked up a small remote off the table, “Let me adjust that for you.” He pointed the remote at a sensor by the windows and a set of blinds dropped silently from behind a soffit.
“Thank you,” Stefan responded. It was the first thing he had said since their initial introduction and as he reached for a bottle on the tray, Iris could see that he was becoming a bit more relaxed.
The old man took a deep breath, “Ok, you have had developments and I’m sure you have questions. I will do my best,” he said as the young man chose a golden colored bottle from the assortment, “Excellent choice, Stefan, I thought you might enjoy that.”
Stefan smiled weakly as he looked at the bottle closely, “It’s honey based. Thank you.”
Goodmund smiled again as well, “A tasty nod to your homeland, it’s quite good.”
Iris was feeling better as well as she watched Stefan relax his shoulders and begin to open up with a smile. It was Goodmund that finished the thought in her head.
“He’s quite protective of you,” he said to her surprise, but then he added, “I am quite envious of that.” That only peaked her curiosity further.
“Mr. Goodmund, a lot has happened in the last couple of days,” Iris blurted out tensely, “I think we have done something wrong. I am feeling so overwhelmed by it all.” The expression on her face gave the statement a confessional feel.
The old man’s face showed no sign of concern or alarm. He looked at Stefan quickly, his old eyes studying the young man, then he looked back at Iris, “First, you must call me Alec. I want us to become good friends. Anything else is too stuffy, ok?”
Iris just nodded, “Ok, Alec, it is.” She seemed to relax with that and Stefan reached over and touched her arm, “You know I’ll help you, Iris,” He squeezed her arm gently.
Goodmund smiled, “Yes, dear, you’re not in this alone. Your friends, your protector here, they will all help. I will, in my capacity, I will help you where I can.”
Iris straightened up at his comment and her eyes flared at him, “Alec, it’s time to stop with the riddles. I remember our first conversation about intentions. I get it. But you need to fill in the blanks for us.” Her voice grew loud. She could feel her eyes beginning to glaze over and felt a warming sensation drift across her shoulder.
“Those kids brought forth someone from another time. There could be dangerous consequences. I’m afraid for them.” Iris turned to Stefan, his eyes were growing wider as she spoke, “And then he shows up, now it’s personal.” The warm feeling had made its’ way across her collarbone and she knew that she had to get control of her thoughts.
She brought her hands up as if to physically push away any more thoughts and closed her eyes to calm herself.
After a long breath, she opened her eyes and looked at the old man, “I’m sorry, Alec. It’s getting very personal.”
During her outburst, he had just sat there, his head cocked to one side, watching her. He didn’t show any alarm. His expression was thoughtful and understanding. He looked at Stefan, “Boy, I envy you. Her power is impressive, isn’t it? And the bond the two of you have? Quite impressive as well.”
Iris’s jaw dropped, “Bond? How did you know that? Please, Alec, no more riddles.”
“Ha,” he laughed, “I could feel it the moment the two of you walked into the shop downstairs. It just radiates around you.” His old eyes suddenly looked far away and tired, “I had that once. I was foolish and lost it. It pleases me to see that someone else can have such love.”
He looked at his two guests. Their expressions matched up perfectly. A little shock, a bit of a smile plus a hint of embarrassment that just served to underscore how accurate his impression had been.
“That’s what I thought.” he said with a sense of satisfaction. “Ok, keeping within the rules of intention, let’s discuss developments. If I don’t answer you directly, try to rephrase the question. I have broken that rule only once in my life. I won’t do it again.”
With a green light to get some of the mystery solved, Iris hesitated, “I don’t know where to start, there’s so much.”
“Fair point, I’d say,” said the old man, “I’ll start. Stefan, how did you meet Iris?”
“Oh boy,” smirked Iris, “this is still a point of discussion.”
“I first saw her with the Michael and the others when they were tracking the lightning. We met formally later and, that wasn’t something I had planned.”
“Interesting. A random run-in? Wait, you said others? How many more are there, other than Michael and Parker?”
Iris answered, “There are four more, all students at the University.” She held up her fingers as she counted them off. “My friend Katie introduced me to
Samantha, who is Michaels new girlfriend, Parker and Michael are roommates, Mac and Allie are friends of Michael.”
Stefan followed up, “I saw them all together at the campus Cosplay party. They have all been friends since high school.
“Yeah, spy.” She patted him on the arm playfully, “I’ve known Katie since junior high. Michael and Sam have known each other for far longer than that.”
Goodmund rubbed his chin, “So you are all tied together as friends. That’s helpful. There are no outsiders involved. The bond makes it safer for all of us.”
“And the summoning, what happened then?” he asked, “from the beginning, please.”
“I cast a strong summoning spell. I used a large protection circle as well, just to be safe,” Iris rolled her eyes, “Had I known, Well, stars began to form into a constellation pattern that matched what the group has been following.”
Stefan interjected, “Actually, Samantha recognized the pattern and predicted the outcome to a degree.”
Goodmund posed a question, “Does this Samantha also have powers?”
“Sort of, Alec, she is a very strong empath, although she is only now becoming aware of her ability. She’s studying to become an astronomer. It makes for an interesting combination.”
A faint melodic chirp announced a text on Iris’s phone, she glanced at it, “It’s Katie, checking in, they are having fun at the mall.” She clicked the screen off, “Sorry, the girls were told to check in.”
Goodmund, nonplused, continued his questions, “After the stars formed, what happened?”
Iris arched an eyebrow, “Then it got really interesting, first a sword materialized out of a column of bright lights and” she leaned forward on the sofa, “then a hand reached out to claim the sword.”
Iris said the last part in a whisper for dramatic effect.
Goodmund smiled, “Nice storytelling, continue.”
“It was a young woman. She stood up and, had Michael not intervened to save him, Annika would have killed Parker with the sword, but Stefan’s arrival interrupted Annika’s second attempt to kill Parker.” She sighed, “It got better after that.”