Chapter 3
A Somber Goodbye and a Moment of Schadenfreude
The walk home was filled with the busy noises of the streets as neither knew exactly what to say. Easton walked through the crowd with his hands shoved into his pockets, eyes cast down. Iris felt guilty about the way dinner had turned out, but the images that she had seen kept her from saying anything. A part of her felt betrayed because it was obvious that her father knew a lot more about her and her mother than he had told her. As much as Iris wanted to ask him about everything, her father was leaving the next day for two weeks. They had not been apart that long since she was five years old, and she was far more concerned with his absence than what he had failed to tell her over the years. Now that Caden was involved, she felt strangely calm about the whole thing anyway. She had waited this long, what was another two weeks?
It was strange—she had only met Caden a few weeks ago. The first guardian that she had ever encountered was one of the most renowned, and he was currently living with his charge. Even Iris had felt too intimidated to ask about that peculiar arrangement. She knew it wasn’t normal, and all anyone had to do was watch Callie and Caden interact to know they were lovers. But it would take someone who valued their lives a lot less than she did to ask Caden about what had happened. The fact that they were being so open about it meant that the queen must know, and if she was alright with it, there was no reason for anyone else to say anything.
What Caden had shown her in the restaurant was one of the most terrifying things Iris had ever witnessed, a very close second to the nightmares she had endured after her mother had died.
Unable to let her mind keep cycling back to it, Iris began talking to her father before they reached the door. “I suppose you are going to want to pack and then head to bed once we get inside.”
“Hmm?” he looked up at her, his eyes a little unfocused.
“Are you alright?” Iris stopped and tried to analyze her father. Caden’s timing was clearly terrible—her father was now completely distracted from what he needed to do.
He walked a couple of steps before stopping. “I am fine. Just a lot on my mind, sweetheart.”
“Well, I think you should be focused on the trip. Whatever Caden was talking about can wait until you get back.”
Easton let out a huge sigh and turned to face one of the buildings nearby. “Let’s get home first, then we can talk. And no names here, please.”
Confused, Iris fell in step behind her father. What did he mean no names here? Everyone knew Caden, and he had been coming into the shop for a few weeks because of Callie. It’s not like anyone would know what they were talking about just by mentioning his name. At best, they would probably assume that Iris was talking about an order or something.
Her father unlocked the front door and stepped into the house. As soon as the door was closed, the sound of the busy streets was all but eliminated. Iris had occasionally marveled at how effective the doors could be at shutting out sound, but as she aged, she wondered how that was possible. Sound should be entering the home through the windows and walls if not the door. Tonight, the silence seemed ominous. Shaking her head a little, Iris tried to right her thoughts. Her mind wandered back a couple of hours and how she had entered the house a bit baffled by… suddenly the encounter with the potential assassin surfaced. She was going to mention it when she arrived, but the surprise visit from Caden and Callie had distracted her. Knowing it was probably too late to do anything, Iris still felt she needed to tell someone about what she had seen.
“Um, Father?”
Easton continued walking, his steps taking him to the stairs. “Let us talk upstairs. You can help me pack.”
She couldn’t help but scowl as she followed him up the stairs. “How can I be of any help? I’ve never travelled before.”
There was a slight chuckle from her father, and he turned his head a little. “Mostly I will ask you to go get stuff and I will pack it.”
“Oh, alright. But Father—”
“Hold on a minute, sweetheart. If you would, go get the prism from the study downstairs. I’m going to need that.” Her father turned to look at her, an apologetic grin on his face, particularly as he took in her look of disbelief. “I know. I’m sorry, I just realized it, and I don’t want to leave without it tomorrow. Please.” The last word was almost pleading.
“Of course. I will be right back.” Iris hurried away, the sound of her father pulling the luggage out of the closet getting fainter the further she got. The study was impeccable as she entered and picked up the prism. Just like every other time, the young mystic couldn’t resist looking at it, turning the prism in her hands to see the different colors and lights. A faint smile spread across her lips as she looked at it, turning it so that the candlelight struck it at different angles.
Suddenly, Iris felt herself falling head first into the prism. Flailing her arms, she felt the horror of plummeting. The air was almost too thin to breathe. The world around her was red and black with the smell of death all around her. She tried to open her mouth to scream, but nothing emerged as she tumbled through the scorching air.
Out of nowhere, a voice echoed around her, “You shouldn’t be here. Go home.”
Suddenly jolted out of the experience, Iris found herself on her knees on the study floor. There was no one around her, and the prism was striking the rug as she blinked. Shaking, the young mystic stood up and looked at the prism. Too afraid to touch it again, she picked up a small bag and lifted the prism. As she closed the bag, Iris made her way to the stairs. She almost had the shaking under control as she reached her father’s room.
“I was about to come look for you. Didn’t expect you to be gone so long,” her father glanced at her for a second as he placed a few suits into the luggage. Then he stopped and turned to face her. “What’s wrong? Iris, what’s wrong?” Faster than she would have expected, he moved to her side.
“Nothing,” Iris let out a little laugh, “I just tripped going down the stairs and took a pretty nasty tumble at the bottom.”
His eyes looked at her knees. “Oh, sweetheart! You are bleeding. Come sit down. I’m going to call the doctor.” Easton began ushering her to the chair near his dresser.
“Stop fussing over me. It’s perfectly fine. If they hurt in the morning I will go then. You have more than enough to take care of tonight. Here,” she quickly handed him the prism once she was seated. It felt like she was getting rid of a heavy burden. “Don’t want you to forget this. Not after I have bled for it.”
“That isn’t very funny.” He gave her a look of disapproval.
“Sorry, just a little shaken up. If there is any way I can help you from here, just let me know.”
“Actually…” he looked at her as he placed the prism in a bag. “Wait. You put the prism in a bag? I thought you liked to look at it.”
“Yeah, but you are traveling with it. Wouldn’t want it to fall and break or something. I can look at it when you return.” Or never again, her thoughts amended.
“Good thinking.” He sighed as he buckled the luggage. “Actually, I think I’m all packed now.”
“Was I really gone that long?” Iris looked at him, uncertain if he was being nice or if he was being honest.
“Yes. I was getting quite concerned. It must have been a pretty serious fall. I can’t believe I didn’t hear you.”
Iris looked around for the clock, which read 9:30. They had been home for over an hour. “Oh, wow, I guess I just got lost in my thoughts when I picked it up. Didn’t realize I had rested so long. I’m sorry.”
“No, no. I figured you would enjoy it and didn’t want you to be bored. But I guess, we do need to talk…” his voice trailed off.
“It’s okay,” she stood up, her knees letting her know that they did not appreciate the treatment they had received. Fighting the urge to grimace or let on that they hurt, Iris continued, “It’s like Caden said. When you get back.”
Easton looked tortured as he watched his daughter heading for the door. “I wasn’t trying to hide it from you. I had really hoped that her burden wouldn’t be passed down.”
“It’s okay, Father. I know that magic isn’t your thing, and—”
“No, Caden was right. I really was trying to hide behind the hope that you would not have to bear that burden. I can’t say that I know much about what will happen if the magic is repressed, but I know what the knowledge did to your mother. She tried to stay positive and happy, just like you. But it ate her up inside. I didn’t want that for you. And I definitely did not want you to be used like she was. I guess, I thought if you didn’t know, if no one knew, then it wouldn’t affect you. I know that isn’t the way it worked, but …” He ran a hand through his thick brown hair, exposing some of the white strands that he kept hidden. “I’m really sorry that Madam Louise has been a problem. In the future, please be honest about these things. If you really have that… ability, you are going to need support. And that kind of support I know how to give.” His eyes were shining as he looked at his daughter.
Iris walked over to him and put her arms around him. It was only in that moment that she realized how her world had changed—her father was only a couple of inches taller than her. How did I not notice that before? It seemed strange, and her father seemed less like the rock he had been.
Ignoring her thoughts, she squeezed her father, who wrapped his arms around her in response. “It’s going to be alright, as long as you are careful on this trip. Focus on taking care of you, okay?”
“But—”
“No,” she pulled away from him, “I mean it. You be careful. It will do me no good to be worried about you the entire time. And you promised.”
He gave a little laugh and nodded. “Of course. I will put it out of my mind for now. When I return, we will have a very long talk.” He sighed again. “It’s times like these that I’m reminded you aren’t a little girl anymore. I am proud of you.”
“And I’m proud of you. Because I probably won’t be up in time to see you off, I love you.”
“I love you, too.” He kissed the top of her head. “Now go take care of those knees, or I will.”
“Yes, sir.” She smiled at him, then headed toward her room.
When Iris woke the next morning, her first thoughts were with the birds chirping outside her window. With a smile, she looked toward the sounds. Blinking a couple of times, she realized that she had not opened the window. The image of a young man with black hair went through her mind, and she sat bolt upright. She looked around the room in a slight panic only to find everything else as she had left it. A piece of paper was folded up on the nightstand next to her.
Remembering that her father had left that morning, Iris reached out to read what he had to say. Obviously he had opened the window, knowing that it would make her smile. He had kept the letter very short, scrawling only a couple of sentences, a promise to talk when he returned, and a plea to be careful. He reminded her that he loved her and couldn’t help but to remind her to behave in his closing. Iris smiled at the paper while fighting back the urge to cry.
Rising from her bed, the young woman moved to get dressed. I’ve already felt happy, alarmed, and sorrowful. This isn’t going to be a good day, is it?
Iris was downstairs eating breakfast 15 minutes later, and in the shop adjacent to her home less than 30 minutes after she rose. She was waving farewell to the first client when Callie arrived.
“Hey, Callie,” Iris beamed at the new employee. “I’m so glad you came early.”
“What do you mean early?” Callie tilted her head to the side.
Caden walked into the shop, “You didn’t need to be here for another hour.”
Both women turned to look at the guardian. Iris was the first to respond, “Are you seriously already checking up on me? He just left, I think I’m okay.”
Caden walked over to her. His hands held her chin and forced her to look at him, “No, you aren’t. Do you think Callie can manage the shop for now?”
“What?” the women asked simultaneously.
Caden’s eyes did not leave Iris’s. “Something happened last night and you need to talk about it. If you think Callie can manage in the amount of time it takes you to talk and recover, then I would prefer to talk now instead of putting this off any longer. Although I do think that will take about an hour.”
“Nothing happened,” Iris stepped back and frowned.
A voice from the door drew their attention, “Caden, I thought you said it was just a little shop. This looks more like a—”
Standing in the door was the young man Iris had encountered the day before. “You!” The words were out of her mouth before she could register the thought.
Caden looked between them, “Ian, I believe you have already unofficially met Iris.”
There was a long, pregnant silence before the young man finally stepped toward her and dropped to a knee. “I am so sorry about yesterday. I had no idea—”
“Wait,” Iris cut in, “you know him?” She looked at Caden.
Caden gave her a concerned look and nodded, “Yes, he is one of my students.”
“You mean he is a guardian?”
The two men shared a confused look, before Caden nodded again.
Iris placed a hand on her chest, “Oh, thank the gods. When I encountered him yesterday, I thought he might be an assassin or something.”
“What?” Both men looked at her in shock.
Nearby, Callie laughed as she tied an apron around her waist. “I can see how you would think that. He’s one of the few with black hair instead of white. Believe me, that is not the right color of black to be an assassin’s hair.”
A look of distaste crossed Caden’s face as Iris looked at Callie. “You’ve met assassins, too? Good gods, it must be even more dangerous out there in Sumaria than they teach in school.”
“Actually, just one assassin, and I found Caspian to be incredibly charming. He even helped my replacement move into my old village.”
Iris’s eyes and mouth were wide open as she turned slowly to look at Caden. Iris did not know much about the assassins, but almost everyone had heard of Caspian, and she knew about his relationship with Caden. There was a low growl from the guardian as he stepped toward Callie, “I would really rather you not say that name in front of me.”
“Someday we will have to repay him, you know.” The look Callie gave her guardian was entirely enigmatic. Caden closed his eyes and seemed to meditate for a moment. It was very obviously a subject he didn’t like. As curious as Iris was, she was not about to ask questions when that guardian was agitated.
The man on his knees in front of her still looked hurt. Standing up, he asked, “You thought I was an assassin?”
Iris gave a little nod, then she gave him an apologetic smile.
“Even after what happened?”
Iris’s expression quickly changed as she tried to figure out what he meant. Caden’s voice beside her startled the young woman because she had not heard him move. “When he touched your hand, you saw partial images. That was when he realized you were a mystic. Ian was so shocked that he let go, disconnecting the image before it had a chance to—”
A voice from outside the door hallooed, causing all four heads to turn. “My dear Iris, I have come to cheer you up.” A middle-aged merchant stepped through the door a few seconds behind his voice. The guardians quickly moved away before the man noticed them.
Several hours passed before either Iris or Callie had a chance to take a break. Iris naturally sent Callie to rest when things slowed down. The whole time, Caden and Ian waited out of the way of anyone’s attention.
When the shop was entirely empty of guests, Caden seemed to materialize beside her. “You need to talk. Soon. As soon as Callie gets back—”
“You aren’t my guardian. Stop trying to tell me what to do.” Iris didn’t even look at him as she finished cleaning up the mess the last customer’s child had made of one of the herb displays.
A hand wrapped around her upper arm, forcing her to stop and look at him. “Iris, your abilities are not trivial. If Ian’s touch was enough to trigger those kinds of images, you are in far worse danger than I had thought.”
Iris pulled her arm away, “If that were true, someone would have done something about it a long time ago.”
Caden looked around and lowered his voice as people walked past the door. “There are only a few people who know about your mother because she did not want people to know. And those of us who knew did not want those powers exploited, not that it was stopped in the end.” He shook his head. “I seriously doubt you will want it to be known. Other than me, she only had one other guardian, and—”
“My mother had a guardian?” This was news to Iris.
Caden looked at her with disbelief. “Of course. She travelled outside of Solona; it was required then, too. She also travelled for the crown.”
“She what?”
“Oh, good gods, just what—” He pursed his lips as his eyes flashed. For a second, Iris felt afraid of him. Caden noticed it and sighed. “Please do not fear me, you hardly need any more negative emotion, and I am not mad at you. In fact, I am probably the only person who can help you right now. I just cannot believe—no, I can. It’s the same thing all over again. Iris, I can sympathize with how you feel, and I am incredibly angry that you have no idea what is going on. Had I realized how far along you were and how little you know, I would never have promised your father—”
“But you did.” Iris tried to take some control over the conversation because she knew that she was completely out of her depth. “You did promise and right now all you are doing is terrifying me. I don’t want to hear about any of this. When my father gets back—”
“By the time your father returns, it will be too late. Look,” he held out his hand and a small flame appeared in it. Iris started and stepped away from him. “I apologize. I’m not entirely accustomed to it either, but Callie’s abilities have made this possible.” The fire seemed to grow larger and more intense as Iris stared at it. As suddenly as he had conjured it, Caden put it out. “I do not have much control over it, so I have to extinguish it before it becomes too large for me to control.”
“That is a basic magic concept. Keep it in a range where you can control it.”
“Exactly, and you are almost beyond my ability to help you, Iris. You are almost too much for anyone to help you because your magic has been repressed.”
“What? But I’m not some spell or bit of magic. I’m a person.”
“Mystics embody magic. Most of them don’t have to worry about repressing magic because it flows easily. But some mystics have very peculiar talents, like you and the queen, and your magic can get… caught, um, backed up, like a trade negotiation that requires signatures from 10 countries within three days.” Caden was clearly working to find something that Iris could understand, and she was rather shocked at just how much he knew about areas outside of mystics. Then again, he was probably part of the Antilian Trade Agreement. The thought caused Iris to miss a sentence or two, but she wasn’t about to admit that. Caden paused, as if giving her time to process what he was saying, and she suspected he knew she was distracted. When her focus was back on him, Caden continued, “It is possible when done right, when parties coordinate to alleviate the problem areas. But when you have one hold out, you will have another, and another, and before you know it, the entire thing is falling apart.”
“The Antilian Trade Agreement didn’t fall apart, though.” Iris looked at him.
“No, that is because we learned from the failures of six before it. That is not the point, though. The point is—” he put a hand on her head, “you are the agreement. If the magic is not drawn out of you in the right way…”
“I will blow up?” Iris looked at him with more than a little skepticism.
“No,” he shook his head, “you will implode.”
“What? How is that even possible?”
“Your magic is not… in the normal realm of magic. It is mostly hereditary, and considering what happens to most women who have it, there is a reason it is rare.”
“Because they don’t usually live long enough to pass it down?” Iris was beginning to understand what he was trying to say, and it was not helping to calm her down.
Caden looked at her with pity and nodded, “Yes. It isn’t just mystics, though. Some druids have the power, but they are better able to cope with it considering their close ties to the cycle.”
“I don’t know what that means.”
Another customer strode in before Caden could continue, and it did not slow down again until after five. Iris stayed active and pretended to be happy the rest of the evening, but the talks with Caden were getting to her.
Then the shop bell rang and an unwelcome voice rang through it, “Good evening, Iris. I know your father is gone, but you will need to close up shop so I can try to make some progress with you. I hope someday to see you capable of a little magic. Let’s adjourn to the—”
Iris looked up at Madam Louise walking into the shop and spouting instructions like she could control the business, too. The rage was almost immediate, but a low voice cut through Louise’s bossiness.
“Good evening, Louise.”
The look of shock with a hint of fear was fascinating as the woman noticed Caden standing in the door between the shop and the residence. She tried to recover. “Why, Caden. It has been a while since we last spoke.”
“Yes, I remember. After you mastered the basics, you seemed unable to make any progress, and I was trying to encourage you to find a niche where you could excel. I am sad to hear that I was mistaken in my belief that you would be able to aid new students.”
“What?” The instructor looked shocked. “I will have you know that the queen—”
“Has no idea that you are belittling students by talking about your natural talent, and making them feel insufficient. The idea that you would do that to Mia’s daughter would be funny if you had not already done considerable harm to her. I believe that you are at an age where you can retire, and I strongly recommend you go handle that this evening because I will be giving the queen my assessment tomorrow. Considering how fond of Mia she was, I really do not recommend waiting for her final decision.”
“But, I—” Louise spluttered and her eyes darted back and forth between Caden and Iris. “I don’t understand. I thought that things were finally going well. I was at least able to get her to make a light, which was more than her mother could do.”
Iris watched the way Caden moved as he strode toward Louise, and it was every bit as hypnotic as it was scary. “If you think that a student losing ability is a sign of improvement, you are not the student I thought you were.”
Iris was startled by a warm voice to her right, “I love it when he does this. I’ve tried, but I just do not have the gravitas Caden has.”
Iris looked at Ian—he was smiling. Something about his presence made her feel a little bit more at ease. She smiled, “If I didn’t feel like a hare trying to avoid being seen, I might be able to enjoy it, too. He’s damn terrifying.”
“More than your visions?” His eyes were kind as he looked at her, and she knew that he was trying to make the atmosphere a little lighter.
She leaned over toward him as her eyes were on Caden, “Much more so. My visions aren’t real.”
“Well, um,” he laughed nervously. “That’s one way to look at it.”
Iris let that slide as she watched Louise scurry out of the shop. “How in the hell does Callie not feel this terrified of him?”
Ian shrugged, “Lovers see each other in a light that no one else does. Pay a little more attention to them together. He’s like a large house cat with her. It’s one of the most bizarre things I’ve ever seen.”
Iris giggled, “A house cat.”
“Who is a house cat?” Caden was locking the door as he spoke.
“No one, sir. Iris was thinking of getting a pet and I suggested a cat because I could imagine her stroking its fur and gaining some level of comfort from it.”
Iris knew enough to nod like Ian wasn’t lying.
Caden looked at them, and Iris knew that he was not convinced. “Suit yourself. But Iris, if you would, please, come and let us talk. Callie and Ian can straighten up. I will take Louise’s place for the next two weeks.”
“You will what?” Iris could not believe what she was hearing.
Callie frowned from where she was sweeping the floor. “Caden, I think you have done as much harm as good.”
“Actually,” Iris looked at the door, “after watching him chase Louise out of here, I am feeling a lot better.” She didn’t want to admit that Ian’s presence was what first put her at ease.
“Why don’t I see what I can do to help her?” Ian stepped forward, his eyes on her. “Callie is right that you are evoking more negative emotion than positive. As she was just confessing to me, she is a bit terrified of you.”
Iris turned to look at him. “Traitor!”
Ian smiled back at her, “I know that I am not nearly as experienced, but that also means I am not prone to issuing warnings that inspire more fear than reassurance.”
Caden looked between the pair. “Alright. I will stay and help Callie.” His eyes looked at her and his demeanor changed for a moment before he looked at Ian again. “But promise if you need me, you will call. She is going to be in very rough shape, and is going to need a considerable amount of time to recover. And patience is not exactly one of your strengths.”
Ian held up his hands. “I understand, but there is more reason to be patient with her than with incorporating a mystic’s abilities.”
“That is exactly what you are doing,” Caden raised an eyebrow.
“Right, but this isn’t channeling light. This is more interesting.”
“Oh, good gods, I think this may be a mistake.”
“No, I can do this.”
“She is not an experiment, Ian.”
“And I am not an idiot.” The look on Ian’s face wasn’t nearly as intimidating as Caden’s, but Iris could definitely see that the student had learned well. Almost as an afterthought, Ian added, “Sir.”
Caden sighed and nodded. “Just remember, you are siphoning the magic. Her father plans to talk to her about the rest.”
Ian smiled, “I understand.” He placed a hand on Iris’s back, “After you.” His voice was close to her ear, and Iris felt a chill go down her spine. As she strode into the room where she had been learning magic, she was beginning to wonder if she should ask Caden to join them.