The Spirits' Guide

Chapter 7

"Look, Abigail, I know we got off on the wrong foot but I would like to talk," Owen said as he walked with Iris, who was still pretending to be a girl named Abigail, down the hallway.

Even though she had been friendly to Owen yesterday, she had continued to act as though she wanted nothing to do with him. It only made him more sure that she was Iris.

"Did you really just say, 'off on the wrong foot'? Dork. Look, you keep thinking I'm this Iris girl. Just leave me alone until you realize that I'm Abigail, not Iris, Abigail." Iris growled. Owen wanted to scream in frustration.

"Why couldn't she just act like she did the day before?" He asked himself as he thought about her smiling at him as she asked about his date with Bernice. She was so friendly when no one was around.

"Fine. Since I only know Iris, try proving that you aren't her by meeting me after school." Owen grunted as he helped guide her through the crowd of students. Iris shot her eyes at him, her face twisting in irritation.

"So since your date failed with Bernice, you decide that the next new-girl will do fine as number two. You're a pig." Iris snapped before she pushed through the crowd and out of Owen's sight.

Owen sighed. That wasn't what he was meaning at all. Were all girls this complicated? He just wanted to know what was going on.

He knew Iris had something to do with the strange screaming at four in the morning. He would be surprised if anyone had slept through such howls. How could any of them think that it was just a stray dog fighting with a coyote?

A witch was in their company and they didn't even realize it. Just reporting a suspected witch could bring a reward greater than any of their paychecks or the deaths of all their friends and family.

Owen stopped walking. An idea popped in his head. It could work. There was nothing Iris would want less than to be caught.

#########

Owen waited outside the main entrance of the school, watching the large doors. He had been one of the first to dash out of the building just so he could make sure he could get a chance to talk to Iris, or Abigail, he was starting to get a little unsure of whether Abigail was Iris. She seemed just like a normal girl to Owen, not like one that had a huge secret that meant her life if anyone found out.

He was starting to lose hope as the stream of students thinned. He must have missed her when one of the large crowds left.

Owen began to walk away when he heard a girl's laugh. Turning around, he saw that it was Abigail laughing with Bernice. It was light and airy. It was the laugh he had imagined Iris to have.

Owen quickly caught up to Abigail. Immediately, both girls scowled at him. With raised hands, Owen said, "I'm not looking for trouble I just wanted to talk to Abigail for a little bit." Bernice's scowl deepened before she shoved past him.

Watching her leave, Owen murmured, "Nice girl."

"You know, girls don't really like it when you use them. Nor do they like when the boy that asked them out on a date the day before ask to see another girl in front of them," Abigail said as she leaned against the wall. Owen shrugged. Bernice wasn't the biggest worry he had.

"We need to talk but not when there's someone listening in. I just want you to know that I have proof that you're Iris. That you're a witch. Meet me where we first met and I won't inform the public nor the Venatores about you." Owen whispered, aware that Bernice was trying to listen in on what he was saying. Abigail's sea-glass eyes shot to his gray ones.

"What time?" She asked cautiously. Owen smirked.

"Tomorrow, after school."

Iris only nodded her head. Owen smiled slightly as the witch began to leave.

Owen watched the two girls walk away, hearing Bernice ask what he wanted with her. Iris only shrugged, saying she had no clue what he was talking about. Owen's stomach dropped. If he was wrong, he would get into so much trouble.

#########

The boy was at it again. He was talking to strangers and putting himself at risk. Assuming the girl, Abigail, was her was a foolish thing. Not only that, she was sure that he expected that one of the two girls was a demon. The boy was playing with fire.

Iris sighed as she shook her head at the thought of having to return to the school. She would need to find a way for him to just go on with life the way he did before this mess came to him. Humans never did well when it came to something they can't explain.

Still, he was home before dusk and that was all she really needed from him. April would do the rest. Iris's only role was to prevent the devils from getting into the house.

She was interested as another demon, another low-level one, tried to enter the house, only to burst into violet flames. Its screams rang through the neighborhood. It must have been a common occurrence, so common that no one bothered to check.

Jumping off the roof, Iris turned her attention to the house. Walking past the ashes that were once the demon, she looked into the windows.

All the lights in the house were dark, making it difficult for Iris to see inside. Gingerly, she walked to the front door.

It wouldn't kill her, but it would hurt. Magical flames were different from normal flames, they burned without the need of fuel and burned as long as the witch desired.

Iris pressed her hand to the door, bracing herself for the flames. Nothing happened. She felt nothing. So the barrier was to keep demons out.

Quietly, Iris said, "Jinn, come here." She felt the familiar mark on her lower stomach sting as it summoned the Jinn. In a matter of seconds, her invisible familiar was next to her.

Grunting, the creature whispered, "I was doing as you said in Stila. What do you want?" Iris only pointed at the door.

"Touch it."

The Jinn was quiet. For a long minute, there was silence, then, the Jinn gave a sudden grunt. Iris panicked slightly.

"Jinn? Jinn, are you hurt?" Iris whispered. She frowned when she heard his quiet laughter.

"This barrier is meant for those that don't belong in this realm. That includes my kind."

"Then why aren't you hurt by such a thing?" Iris asked.

"I'm an 'Ifrit Jinn. The witch that put up this barrier is young and untrained in magic. If I were any other Jinn, it would be a different story. Honestly, Iris, I'm insulted that you didn't know this about me." The Jinn murmured. Iris scowled. She couldn't see the damned Jinn, how would she know what he was?

"Just go in there and search the house. I want to know how many people there are and what their connections are to the boy." Iris ordered.

"Of course."

Iris stepped back, allowing the Jinn to do his job. She waited for but a second before the Jinn spoke, "There is a boy and a woman. It seems that your charge is the son of an Anerian Fire-witch. If she were trained better, she may even rival the Stila's royal family's magic."

"Is that so?"

"Still, you have to wonder why the witch has this barrier up. I doubt she knows the situation her son has been in the past few days, so why does she have a barrier keeping nonhuman and non-witch beings out?" The Jinn asked.

Iris gave the Jinn a curious glance. Did he not know about the history of Anerian witches?

Iris turned her attention back to the door before she said, "Continue with your job in Stila. If I'm not yet back by the time you're done, come here and observe the woman."

The Jinn scoffed, "Do I ever get a break?"

"You get one when I get one. Get to work." Iris grunted, walking away from the front door. There wasn't going to be another demon tonight, she might as well get some rest.