by Lisa Daniels
“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.
Chapter 4
A Different Kind of Lesson
As soon as she was in the room, Iris heard the door close. When she turned to look at Ian, he wasn’t behind her anymore.
“Ian?” She turned back around to see him leaning down a little, looking her directly in the eyes. Compared to the way he had behaved when they had first met, this was entirely different. Iris’s mind went back to that first encounter. Actually, it was only after he touched me that he acted differently.
She cocked an eyebrow as she took a step back. If the mystic had hoped to be intimidating, though, it failed as her back hit the door knob. “Ow!” She turned and glared at it for a second, before looking at Ian again.
His smile was wider, and suddenly Iris felt more like a mouse in front of a cat. “I preferred to feel like a hare.”
“What?” Ian’s forehead creased.
Stepping around him, she moved to her usual seat.
“No, no. We shouldn’t be sitting for this.” He grabbed her upper arm.
Immediately, Iris shook off his hand. “What happened to that sweet little boy who only wanted forgiveness?”
“I never acted like a little boy.”
“Could have fooled me. First time experiencing anything like that, I take it.”
Ian scratched his head, a goofy grin on his face. “As far as I know, you are the only mystic with those abilities. Guardians aren’t born with abilities. We are a blank slate until we start protecting mystics. Before that, all we can do is shift.”
“That’s not true.” Iris wasn’t an expert, but she knew that guardians had other innate abilities.
“Our magic is nothing like yours. But we aren’t here to discuss me.” He held out his hands. “You fell into the other realm last night, and it has definitely affected you.”
“How do you know?” Iris frowned because she hadn’t told anyone about that.
He just smiled at her. Annoyed that he was being enigmatic instead of helpful, Iris turned and sat down and looked at him expectantly.
Ian frowned, “We are supposed to be standing up.”
“Caden wasn’t when he read my powers yesterday.”
“And Caden took down a brigade of Unwashed without any help. If I tried that, they would have another pelt for their ceremonies.”
“How will you learn if you don’t try?”
Ian blinked at her for a few moments. “Oh, I see.” He gave her a look of pity. “You are afraid.”
“I am not!” Iris stood up. “I don’t even know what to be afraid of because nobody has told me anything. Caden is full of ominous warni
ngs, and my father could barely look at me, so—”
As she was ranting, Ian stepped forward faster than she could react and grabbed her hands. The moment he touched her, the images began to form in front of her eyes. Iris could no longer feel her body as horrors moved like a parade in front of her eyes. This time, she thought she could hear them calling out to her, their muted voices beckoning her. She turned to try to find the source.
“No, don’t look for them. That’s what they want.”
The voice was close and sounded familiar. “Ian?” Iris tried to find him.
“I am not there with you. I am experiencing what you see with you. We can communicate, but we should not stay long.”
“Why?” It was a stupid question because she had no desire to stay in the wasteland, but she wanted to know more. No one had given her any information she could use. “This place isn’t real, so what does it matter?”
There was a rough laugh, “This place is very real, and while you may not be here now, it can suck you in.”
“Is this what happens to people who can do whatever I can do when they die? Is this imploding?”
“No. I’m afraid that is quite literal. Mystics and druids with your ability cave in on themselves and pull anyone and anything around them into the beyond.”
“They what?”
“I’m not supposed to tell you about it. Just trying to clarify what Caden said.”
“If you are trying to frighten me, it’s working.”
“No, no, no, no. You cannot feel negative emotion here. Caden was right, you are already on the brink. Teetering would probably—nope, never mind. You are doing fine. Just come back to me and I will help you release some of the negative emotions.”
“What do you mean never mind? I’m teetering on what brink?” Iris could feel the rage, frustration, and panic building.
Suddenly she was standing in the study room, and she was very aware that Ian was embracing her. He was stroking her hair. “No, Iris. You cannot do that. Not there. Not in your current state.”
Pushing on his chest, Iris tried to pull away. “What the hell do you think you are doing?”
He looked down at her, confused. “I thought it would help you feel more relaxed.”
“You thought I would want to return to find myself in the arms of an almost complete stranger?” She couldn’t control her voice, and suddenly she was aware of feeling hot. Too hot.
“Shitshitshitshit.” Ian was muttering and looking around. Finally he shouted, “Caden! I can’t stop her!”
Iris began to see red and black in the room around her. The walls, the ceiling, even the furniture—everything started to shimmer and move like the world did in her visions.
There was a loud noise and commotion, but she could not see what was going on. She felt something cool and soft surround her, a relaxing voice soothing her as a hand stroked her hair. The world stopped shimmering and started to fade into grey. Feeling exhausted, Iris pressed into the coolness against her and closed her eyes.
There was a slight sound coming from somewhere in her room. From the way she felt, Iris knew she was sick. “Father?” Her voice sounded weak, but she was certain that her father was there taking care of her. Too tired to open her eyes, she turned her face to where she thought he was.
There was whispering, but she couldn’t make out what it was. The voices sounded faint, almost unreal.
“Father?” There was a bit of panic in her voice. Then she felt a large hand slip into hers.
“Shh.” Her father was leaning over her, pushing the wet hair out of her face.
“I had an awful nightmare. I think it followed me back, Papa, I still hear the voices.”
She felt the bed press down and knew that her father was sitting near her, just as he had always done. “I don’t want to grow up, Papa. They are waiting for me.”
Arms moved around her, and Iris buried her head in the large shoulder. It smelled different, but that didn’t bother her.
“I’m scared.” It was almost a whimper as she tried to press into him.
It sounded like her father’s breath had caught. He stroked her hair and continued to shush her until she fell back to sleep.
The next time Iris woke, pieces of her memory floated before her eyes. Unsure how much of it was a dream and how much of it was real, she tried to open her eyes to see where she was.
My room. Does that mean that Father just left? Her head turned to the bed and she saw the open letter. Though she felt weak, she reached out for it. Her hand hit the letter, and it fluttered to the floor.
“Here.” The soft voice spoke from somewhere close to the bed, then someone came into her vision. He picked up the letter and held it out to her.
“You aren’t Father.” It was the only thing Iris was certain of as she looked at the stranger.
His expression was pained, but his voice was even, “No, I am not your father. He has not returned yet.”
“Of course not. He just left this morning.”
The man turned to look over his shoulder. Iris tried to follow his sight, but found she could not sit up to see what he was looking at. He then turned back to her and shook his head. “No, it has been almost two weeks.”
Iris tried to sit up. “That’s not possible. He just left after…” Something about his leaving bothered her, but she wasn’t sure what. Feeling frustrated, she looked at the stranger. “I don’t know you. I don’t want you in my bedroom. What are you, a thief? Someone who knows I am ill and is hoping to gain some advantage in the guild by taking me hostage? I’ll tell you right now that—”
The man reached out a hand and gently pressed her down. She wanted to fight, but at his touch, Iris felt better.
Looking into her eyes with his strange yellowish-black eyes, the man shook his head. “I am a guardian. All I want from you is for you to relax and regain your strength. That is all.”
“Why should I believe you?” Despite being incredibly tired, Iris did not want to give up without a fight. “I’m not an idiot. Guardians have white hair.
The man gave her a gentle smile, “A common misconception. Just like mystics with your power are a myth.” With that he stepped back and Iris saw him shift into a beautiful white tiger. He moved close to the bed.
Iris looked at him. Without thinking, she stretched out a hand and placed it on his head. The tiger’s eyes widened a little, but he began to purr as she scratched behind his ear. “A black-haired guardian. You are weird.” She laughed and closed her eyes. She continued to stroke the tiger, and some of the frustration and rage melted away. “You are soft, Mr. Black-Haired Tiger.”
Then she rolled over and fell asleep again.
A woman’s voice woke her the next time. “Iris, it’s time for breakfast.”
The smell of something delicious forced Iris to open her eyes as her stomach growled. “Ms. Paston?”
The laugh was melodic, “No, Iris. It’s me. Callie.”
“Callie?” Iris tried to focus on the woman. “You look like you are my age.”
“A little younger, actually. I am sorry I haven’t been a whole lot of help.”
Trying to sit up, Iris looked at her. “You made me food, and I feel like I am starving.”
Callie put the tray down and moved over to help Iris. Placing a couple of pillows behind her back, Callie moved back to the tray. “Actually, I didn’t make this.”
“It smells exotic, though. You don’t look like you come from here.”
“Um,” Callie sat in a chair near the bed, a chair that Iris knew belonged in a different room, “how much do you remember, Iris?”
Iris’s mind sluggishly went over the last memories, “The queen talked father into taking a trip, and I think he is gone, but I don’t know for sure. I don’t remember much since my last lesson. Was it my last lesson?” Iris looked at her with confusion written all over her face.
Callie looked away as if asking for help. After a moment, she looked at Iris again, “He left two weeks a
go.”
“Then it’s already time for him to come back? What about the shop? I have to—” Iris shoved the tray back at Callie and tried to get out of bed.
A firm voice from somewhere in the room stopped her. “The shop is fine, Iris. You need to rest.”
Iris looked around, trying to find the source of the voice. There was a blurry figure over near the door. Some strange memories floated through her mind. “Caden?”
“Yes.”
Iris relaxed a little. “The shop is okay?”
“Yes, we have been helping your new employee with managing it. We have had to cut back the hours, but it seems to have made things sell quicker. There will be plenty for you to do when you are healed.”
Iris gave a faint laugh, “That sounds about right. Whenever we don’t have time to be open twelve hours, we get more business. I thought we should take advantage of that, but Father wanted to keep things easier for our customers. Now that I’m older, I see his point.”
“He has always been a good man.”
“Do you know my father?” She tried to focus on the man.
“I knew only about his reputation for a long time. After I returned to Solona and helped Callie get a job, I got to know him in person.”
“So are you Callie’s guardian?”
“Yes, I am Callie’s guardian.” His eyes moved to Callie, and a strange thought floated through her mind. He loves her. As soon as it went through her mind, Iris said it, “You love her.”
“Yes, I do.” Caden didn’t make any attempt to hide it. “I have loved her for a very long time.”
“Then why are you here? I don’t need a guardian.”
Caden took a deep breath, giving Iris the impression that he was thinking about his answer. Finally, he said, “I am here because I am needed.”
A voice outside of the room called for Caden. Iris looked at the door, “Who else is here?”
“Don’t worry about it. Just rest for now. Excuse me.” With that Caden opened the door and left.
