Iris

1

PROLOGUE

I took his hand, inching slowly backwards. The demonic creature in front of us hissed and snapped its jaws.

“We can’t fight this time,” I whispered.

He looked back at me, squeezing my hand in encouragement, “Ready?”

I nodded, and we took off running. We ran for what seemed like an eternity, but every time I thought of stopping, the creature was clawing at our heels.

It wasn’t until I heard the yelp, the sound of the breath being knocked out of someone’s lungs, that I took in my surroundings. I stopped running, only just realizing my hands were empty. 

           

It was the first day of June, which marked the beginning of the Month of Magic.  All magical creatures were gathering around the castle of Athene.  They were all there to celebrate magic with Queen Alisterra herself and all the people of the Council.  They were also there to see the marking of the new fairies, some of the most powerful magical creatures in the land.

I sat anxiously in my seat in the audience, anticipating the most exciting moment in my thirteen years.  I had trained hard at the Fairy Academy and was sure I was ready to be marked. I’d always struggled with my identity, not knowing exactly what I was. Most of my classmates had elves or fairies for parents, but I was so different from them. I knew my father was a fairy, but I didn’t know who or what my mother was.

I watched as my best friend, Catalina, was marked a fire fairy after placing her hand on the marking mirror.  Several more of my classmates from the Academy stepped up, all being categorized as water, fire, air, or earth.  It was no surprise that Sofie, Queen Alisterra’s own daughter was marked a traveling fairy and was given a golden tiara made of entwined vines.  Traveling fairies could master all of the elements and trained for special missions given by the queen.

“Iris,” Queen Alisterra called out.  I quickly stood and scurried up the steps to stand by the queen. 

She smiled nervously, like she always did around me. Her mother had had many conflicts with my father in the past. I was never told why, of course,

 “Place your hand on the mirror,” Queen Alisterra ordered.  I did.  The mirror rippled a little and then liquefied.  I kept my hand perfectly still as the liquid moved under it.  I felt a tingling feeling in my hand and saw that the liquid had turned into a rainbow of colors. 

“Remove your hand,” the queen said, barely audible.  I took my hand off the mirror and it solidified again, the colors disappearing.  The queen took my hand and flipped it over to reveal my palm.  We both gasped.  In the center of my right palm was a silver marking of two tiny wings.  When I turned my hand sideways, the wings showed different colors.

“Iris,” Queen Alisterra said, clearing her throat, “You have been marked a Traveling Fairy.”  She placed a silver tiara on my head.  In the center was an iris carved out of amethyst.    I kept my head down as I walked off the stage and to my dorm, not stopping to congratulate my best friend. 

I stopped in front of a mirror on my wall.  My dark chocolate brown hair fell straight to my waist. I had obsidian black eyes at the moment, but they changed color every so often.  My full, rose lips were pulled back into a thin line, scowling at the mirror.  I wore a white, sleeveless shift that stopped an inch above my knees in the front and angled down to a point in the back, barely brushing the floor. It washed out my pale complexion. 

Glaring at my reflection one last time, I turned away from the mirror.  I just barely got a glimpse of my flimsy, translucent black wings.  They were pathetic and tiny compared to the rest of my classmates’ large powerful wings.  Mine were as tall as my stomach and as wide as the length from my wrist to my hand, and they could barely wrap around my waist.  Other fairies’ wings were almost as tall as the fairies themselves, wider than their arm span, and could wrap around them completely. Another thing to set me apart…