Discovery

by E A Foley

  Before moving on to phase three—using magic around the house in stealthy ways—Iris created a list of things she thought would be worth trying. Things like holding the remote but changing the channel with magic and flipping pages in her textbook without her hands were easy to accomplish because someone would have to be looking at her hands at the precise moment she performed the task in order to realize something was different. She even thought her dad saw her turn a page without using her hands, but he didn’t say anything. Perhaps his brain added the missing pieces.

  Other tasks she assigned herself to try, including loading and unloading the dishwasher, meant she either needed to be alone in the kitchen, or her parent’s view would need to be blocked while she performed the task. After a week, she was really good at knowing when to use magic and how much. She even created doorways while her parents were in the backyard as a means to see if their ability to feel power was affected by the amount of power she used.

  Though she longed to try her experiment at school, Iris decided to discuss it with her friends first. Especially after her last attempt to use magic publicly. They did have a point: if something went wrong, they could be implicated as well. During the latter half of May, she did just that. There were only four weeks of school left, so if she was going to try something, she needed to act soon.

  “So, I’d like to run something by you guys . . .”

  “How many times do we have to tell you, you don’t need our permission to—"

  “No, no, no. I mean, yes, I know, but if this one goes south, I feel like you guys will be affected too. So I’ve been using magic at home while my parents are around in an attempt to see how much, if any, they noticed. It wound up being nothing. I created an experiment of sorts and started with small things in my room before trying things throughout the house, including creating doorways—not in the same room as them for that one, of course. Anyway, the point is, they didn’t notice anything and it got me thinking that maybe we can use magic in public with the right amount of caution.”

  “But we’ve already discussed this one. I thought we determined that it wasn’t safe,” Violet said.

  “I don’t know what you guys are so worried about. I’ve used magic on and off in public on multiple occasions and have never had any problems,” Jaden told them.

  “Yeah, well, that’s because you’re a moron and an ass. Did you ever consider what might happen if the wrong person saw you?” Rozlynd’s anger flared and the argument began.

  “You can’t tell me what I can and can’t do!”

  “The hell I can’t! Especially when I’m pretty sure you’d turn us over to save your own ass!”

  “Rozlynd! Jaden would do nothing of the sort,” Zarina was involved now.

  “Right, defend the boyfriend, not your best friend. When has he ever shown an ounce of self-restraint or concern for any of us? The self-centered prick.”

  “Woah, woah, woah, calm down baby doll,” Rowen jumped in. “Jaden, stop. Whatever you’re about to say, don’t, all right?”

  Jaden closed his mouth and expelled the air he’d drawn in for his next argument in a loud puff of air.

  “How about we take it down a notch, okay?” Rowen said. “Now, I don’t remember any explicit conversations about never using magic in public. Cautions against it, yes, but no outright no-can-do type directions. I’m pretty sure you guys have talked about using magic in public and that it was sort of a bad idea, and that you probably shouldn’t do it again, but it seemed more like a personal decision rather than a group decision. And just to be clear, Jaden isn’t the only one whose used magic with people around. I have too. So, if you’re going to be mad at him, you’re going to have to be mad at me.”

  Rozlynd and Jaden glared at each other, but their argument didn’t continue.

  “I think you’re right, Rowen,” Iris said. “I don’t think I ever told you two not to use magic in public. We’ve discussed it as a group and I thought it was a given, but I guess this is what happens when you assume things. Anyway, getting back to my idea of trying to use magic on campus in little spurts. Thoughts?”

  “I think it’s a bad idea. We aren’t positive there aren’t any other magic users at school and we already had that altercation with the person at Disneyland. There’s no point in having another. What if the next person who realizes what you can do works for the government or something? Or is looking for a fight?” Rozlynd announced.

  “Which is why I’m asking you guys first. While I’ve never felt another magic user at school, I can’t guarantee that I won’t be discovered.”

  “I’m all for it. I mean, we won’t know if there are any more of us out there if we don’t show ourselves in one way or another. But no more cheating, all right?” Zarina warned.

  “I don’t know—not about the no cheating thing, I totally agree with that. There are pros and cons to both sides. I think the bigger question is why? What do you expect to get out of this?” Aerianna asked.

  “To see if we can function using magic in everyday life. To see if we can be out in the open with it.”

  “And you want to start with our high school? You do realize it’s filled with a bunch of morons, right?” Morrigan asked.

  “Yes, which means they may be completely oblivious to it. Also, the number of students on campus would hopefully make it really hard for someone to determine who is using magic and would add to my safety net. I’m still the only one who can tell when someone is using magic when I’m not holding onto any myself, right?”

  “Yeah, but remember that time when Cirrus used magic and I knew it from several buildings away? I was almost able to follow a direct path to him.”

  “That’s true, but you were holding power in your being. I haven’t been able to recreate that one. Has anyone else?” Everyone shook their heads. “I wonder if you were only able to tell because of other circumstances. We’ll have to figure that one out later. I know Zarina could feel someone using magic on campus when I did that day during second and third periods, but you didn’t know it was me nor where I was when I was using magic, right?”

  “No, I didn’t,” Zarina agreed.

  “Were you holding any magic yourself? I never asked.”

  “I was.” Zarina averted her eyes for a moment. “When I get bored in class, I like to see how little I can pull into my being. It’s become a sort of game for me.”

  Iris nodded. She waited a few more moments before picking up the conversation once more. “So . . . are you guys all right with me trying this on Monday and Tuesday? I’ll report back on how everything goes when we meet for Tuesday afternoon’s practice.”

  “Only if you also promise to stop if it seems like someone is on to you,” Rozlynd grumbled.

  “Deal. And I need you guys to tell me if you can pinpoint where I am when I’m using magic or follow a trail to me.”

  That afternoon, Iris put together a short list of things she wanted to try and where she wanted to try them. She planned to repeat many of the experiments she’d run at home, plus a few new ones. Turning book pages, writing without using her hand but having her hand loosely around the pencil, carrying her French horn the way Cirrus had, and opening her lunch containers were a few subtle ways she thought she could use magic and not be seen.

  Monday came, and with it, the start of her experiment. The day went off without a hitch. Not one person noticed what she was doing. She decided to up her game and be a little less discrete on Tuesday. Iris was amazed at how oblivious her classmates were, but grateful at the same time. This meant they could use magic in their everyday lives, as long as they were cautious about it.

  “So, no problems whatsoever,” Iris concluded after sharing all of the ways she’d used magic while at school the last two days. “Was anyone able to determine where I was when I was using magic?”

  “Not a clue,” Rozlynd told Iris.

  “Yeah. I couldn’t even feel you using magic as often as you said you did,” Aerianna agreed. “In fact, the
only time I could feel you using magic was when I pulled a little power into my being while we were in class together. I couldn’t feel you using anything when we weren’t in the same room.”

  “Great! I think we can move on to having more of us use magic on campus and see how that goes. In fact, I wanted to spend today working on how to be subtle and choose the right moments to perform magic without anyone being the wiser.”

  After two hours of going back to the basics and trying out different ways to be stealthy, Iris felt some of her friends were better at it than others. She wasn’t sure what the factors were in helping someone hide their magic use better than others, but she had a few theories; confidence and an ability to lie or tell half-truths were at the top. She wasn’t sure what her theories said about herself.

  “I’m not trying to be mean, but you really suck at this, Vi,” Iris told her best friend toward the end of training.

  “Yeah, you suck more than I do, babe,” Cirrus agreed.

  “I’m trying, but I can’t seem to keep a straight face, or not look guilty when trying to be stealthy.”

  “You should keep practicing before trying it at school. The last thing we need is to be discovered. Why don’t you try at home? In your room. Maybe with your door closed at first until you can handle that much.”

  “I will,” Violet mumbled to the ground.

  “Zarina, you had a few fumbles as well. And so did you, Cirrus. You still aren’t great at the small things. I think if you both practice some more tonight you might be fine tomorrow. How about you check in with us in the morning? I’ll make sure I’m at school on time so we can review anything you guys want to before first period.”

  Iris was true to her word. She arrived at campus a little groggy from having the mansion dream again but was there a whole twenty minutes before the first bell. Aerianna, Violet, and Cirrus joined her on the walk to their usual morning meeting spot. Zarina, Rozlynd, and Morrigan were already there. It looked like they were trying to hide something between the three of them, but they didn’t have enough body mass to accomplish the task.

  “Morning!” Iris called as the four of them approached their other three friends.

  “Hey! Excellent timing! I’ve been trying to help Zarina out with a few things, but the three of us can’t watch all directions at once. Come give us a hand.”

  “You mean a body-wall, don’t you?” Aerianna laughed.

  “That’d be even better!”

  “What are you trying?” Iris asked as she stepped into place next to Zarina.

  “Turning pages without anyone noticing. I think I’m getting nervous and I’m either using too much power and pages start to fly rather than turn or I use too little and it gets stuck half-way through the turn or turns as though it’s in slow-motion. Either way, it’s really obvious that I was not physically turning the page.”

  “Hmmm. Why don’t you try something else a few times and get yourself into the flow of using magic and then go back to trying to turn pages once more. I bet you have a few nerves you need to shake off, that’s all. How about you try getting things out of your backpack?”

  “Sure. I’ll give anything a shot right now,” Zarina said as she pulled her backpack around to her front and slung it over one shoulder.

  “So open your bag physically, then ask different items to come to your hand while you keep it at the opening. Exactly. That was fine. I don’t think anyone would’ve noticed anything. Once more. Good. Now try the book again. Great!” Iris added after Zarina accomplished the task a few times. “I’ve got nothing else to add. Anyone else want to practice anything?” After everyone shook their heads at Iris, she turned her attention to Violet. “How’d it go at home last night?”

  “I didn’t try anything,” Violet told the ground.

  “Why not?”

  “It feels like lying to my parents. Or like I’m trying to trick them or something. I couldn’t do it. Sorry.”

  “At least you know that about yourself. And I’m guessing you have no intention of trying it at school today? No? Good. Well everyone else, give it a shot first period and let’s report back at break.”

  Chapter 25

  Conversation switched to the mundane, and then to prom. It was later in the season than normal because the senior class had been forced to find an alternate venue at the last minute. The Hotel Mar decided to begin ballroom renovations a month before their reserved date in order to be ready for the summer crowd.

  Iris originally had no intention of going, but Aerianna and Morrigan said they were going stag, so Iris decided to tag along. Vi was going with Cirrus, of course, Zarina with Jaden, and Rowen asked Rozlynd if he could take her. Iris even made an effort and booked a limo. Now she had to go through the whole obligatory prom process starting with dress and shoe shopping. Iris was not looking forward to it and was glad when the bell for first period rang and ended all planning.

  When the group met at morning break, everyone was excited to report that their magic use had gone off without a hitch. They spoke in hurried, lowered voices in an attempt to prevent others from hearing, which got Iris thinking about whether or not they could create some kind of barrier to contain sound. But then again, it might draw even more attention if they were all talking and no sound escaped their little corner of campus. Iris added it to her list of things to try.

  Lunch was the same as morning break, as was the following morning. By the time Thursday afternoon came and they were able to talk freely at magic practice, everyone except Violet had been successful in using magic in plain sight without being noticed. Even Jaden and Rowen talked about what they’d done.

  “So then, what does everyone think? Keep using magic in the open but be cautious about it, or switch to no magic in public no matter what?”

  “I think we’re good to go on using magic in public. Maybe keep it on campus and at home for another week and then let’s branch out into the greater community. If you’ve got it, use it, right?” Aerianna asked.

  “I think the saying is ‘if you’ve got it, flaunt it,’ and we don’t exactly want to be doing that,” Rozlynd corrected.

  “Yeah, we aren’t quite to the flaunting stage yet and will probably never get there. Unless people somehow become understanding and accepting of things they don’t understand or are different from them,” Rowen said.

  “So never,” Morrigan stated.

  “Bingo!”

  “Other votes?”

  Jaden and Zarina both cast their votes in favor of continuing.

  “Cirrus and Violet?”

  “I’m a yes.”

  “Me too. I may never use it, but I’m for it.”

  “Wonderful. Then let’s keep going. Keep it simple like you have the last few days and we’ll go from there. Anyone want any review on anything we’ve learned thus far? No? Great, then let’s get to something new: healing non-humans.”

  “Just say animals. It makes more sense,” Jaden advised.

  “Yes, but I want to go over plants as well. I can get a flower to bloom or repair a broken stem or even help roots grow so that an almost dead plant can basically come back to life.”

  “Is bringing something back from the dead possible?” Rowen asked.

  “No. I’ve tried bringing a fully dead plant back to life, but its essence was gone. All that remained was the same sensation of energy flows you’d find in a rock. I was able to move the plant and get it to wave its dead leaves about, but there wasn’t a single drop of essence—of life—left in it to bring the rest back.”

  “I’m not sure I’ve noticed a difference in essence between living and non-living things, to tell the truth,” Rozlynd announced.

  “Me neither,” Cirrus agreed.

  “All right. Then I guess we should start there.”

  "What if we already know how to recognize animate versus inanimate objects?” Aerianna asked.

  “Then find a plant that looks a little on the sickly side and see if you can rejuvenate it. Or try healing that
tree I, uh, singed on the first day of fireball work,” Iris said. “I’ll come check on you guys in a few minutes.”

  The nine of them split into two groups. Aerianna, Violet, Zarina, and Rowen wandered away while Rozlynd, Morrigan, Cirrus, and Jaden stayed. Iris made a mental note to examine the differences between the two groups of magic users, but it would have to wait for after practice.

  “Shall we?” Iris moved toward a patch of grass and a few palm trees with some rocks nearby. “Everyone take a seat on the grass and start concentrating on a palm tree. Really focus on the tree’s essence. Think about how it compares to the essence of a person. If you aren’t sure, then focus on me and see how I feel different than the tree.”

  A moment later, three sets of magic delving flows sifted through her body. It was the oddest sensation and not one Iris enjoyed. Thankfully, it only lasted a few moments before the flows went back to focusing on the tree.

  “Once you have an idea of what the tree—and I—feel like, switch to some of the rock formations nearby. To me, the pulsating is almost nonexistent. It reminds me of a trickle of water rather than a strong river undulating over rocks. You could also describe it as a physical object versus a shadow. Whatever makes sense to you, go with it.”

  “I think I’ve got it,” Rozlynd said after a few minutes of silence.

  “Then try something smaller. Try the grass you’re sitting on versus a rock you can hold. Then switch to a single blade of grass versus a pebble or even a grain of sand. See if you can still determine the differences between them.”

  “I’ve got it down,” Morrigan grinned and stood up. “I never realized what I was feeling. Thanks for bringing it to my attention. Can I go join the others trying to heal things?”

  “Of course. I’ll be along in a few. Cirrus, Jaden, how’s it going for you two?”

  Jaden grunted in a noncommittal way.