Chapter 9: Hidden

Meeting other kinds of Mystics is like breathing in fresh air, air that comes right after a storm that sweeps through the trees to renew them. Leaves fall and feed the earth. Everything wrong in the world straying far away from the rings within the trunks.

I thought this would scare me. I’m breaking the rule right now, speaking to these Mystics about, well, being a Mystic.

Nothing stays hidden from them.

More and more, I’m starting to refuse that that’s even true. Where are they now, to rip me away from the world I’ve lived in for so long? Are they going to banish me to whatever place they banish Mystics to?

Are they? Can they see me? Hear me? Know what I’m…

Iris taps my shoulder. “You doin’ okay there? I know this is a lot to take in, but trust me here, okay? Whatever you’re worried about, you don’t have to be.”

Easier said than done.

I nod and find Riley at the whiteboard at the side of the room, humming to herself as she draws. “What’s with her? She seems very chipper, more than the average person.”

“Riley? Telepaths are playful Mystics. Not naturally. It’s how they cope with all the thoughts they’re reading or have read in the past. They’re not always like this though. For the most part, this only happens when they’re overwhelmed, when there are multiple people in the room,” Iris says.

“Like now? I mean, do Telepaths read thoughts constantly? Is there any way for them to shut it off?” I ask.

“I hope so. Older Telepaths might be able to control whose thoughts they read, but she’s only seventeen. Thoughts from everyone she’s in the same room with come at her all at once at a fast rate. It’s hard for her to completely process and comprehend them without causing herself to strain,” Iris explains. “Being in physical contact with others makes it easier for her to focus and block out everything else, but it’s not perfect. She’s still learning.”

Like how I’m still learning and practicing to control my magic. Psychological magic must require time to perfect, too. Mind reading being so invasive for both parties must make things difficult, not just learning to block out the voices, but also focusing on life, their own life, their own thoughts and memories. I bet her head is crowded with no way of releasing the pressure.

I pity her.

“When did you meet?” I ask.

“Last year. We bumped into each other, like how you met her, except I set it up.”

“I’m sorry. You set it up? You suspected I was a Mystic this entire time?” I sigh.

Iris moves to the desk in front of me and sits on top of it. “I didn’t suspect. I already knew. I just needed confirmation. It’s complicated, okay?”

I cross my arms on my desk and lay my head down. My arms aren’t the best pillow, but they’re better than the hard surface of the desk. I swear I’m going to have a headache by the end of this. “Let me guess, you have an Oracle friend, too?”

“Ding ding ding!” Riley chimes. “His name is Lucian, and—”

“We plan on having a meeting all together after school to fill you in with what’s going on, if you choose to join us,” Iris says. “We would have it now, but Lucian has class this period. I mean, I do too, but I really don’t care about Physics.”

How convenient, right? Friends with an Oracle and a Telepath, as if they’re trying to find other Mystics, break the rules further and put people in danger. What exactly are they planning? Not knowing the point of all of this is digging into my skin and causing an uncomfortable itch.

I don’t know what to make of it. Maybe I should’ve just left when Iris told me that she knows who I truly am. Maybe I shouldn’t have agreed to talking with her in the first place. This is going to be messy, and I don’t like the idea of being involved in that.

Although being friends with other Mystics sounds great and better than what I’ve been doing for nine years—hiding, I don’t want to deal with the outcome of it. My parents, the Council. I can’t, and it hurts. I’m finally not alone anymore and I have to let that go, only to live in the dark corners of my memories.

I stand and sling my backpack over my shoulder. “Thanks for letting me in on your secret, even if it was just for a little while. But I should go.”

“What do you mean? The period hasn’t ended yet. We still have time,” Iris tells me.

“I know. I’m sorry. I can’t do this. Any of this. It’s too risky.” I head to the door. “I’ve been alone, and I plan to keep it that way.”

Before I can reach the door, Iris grabs my wrist. I turn to meet her. “What?”

She moves her hand down my wrist to clasp my own. “You shouldn’t have to live like that, Mika. We may not be human, but we’re not born to be alone for the rest of our lives. Please, just stay.”

I shake my head. “I’ll see you tomorrow in class, Iris.” I pull my hand away and leave the classroom.