LOGINI can hardly believe it. Before my friends can say anything else, I squeal and throw my arms around them both, jumping up and down. Liam and Brian and the twins are the one major thing I’ve missed dearly since leaving Bo’Arrocan, and to find that they’re finally considering living in Ordan full time
“On schedule, believe it or not,” I reply. “The Bo’Arrocan branch is finally running smoothly, and the Ordan location just graduated its first class of seniors. Six of them got full scholarships to prestigious art schools.”“That’s amazing, Iris.” Alice squeezes my arm. “You’ve created something tru
IrisFive Years Later…“Fifty years of marriage, and they still make each other laugh like that,” Arthur says, appearing at my side with two glasses of champagne. He hands me one and clinks his against it, and we watch as my parents twirl on the lawn, my mom throwing her head back at something my fa
“Gee. Thanks,” I manage to laugh weakly. “I’ll see you all next week.”“You most certainly will not,” Arthur, Hunter, and Alice all say in unison, making me roll my eyes.Outside, Arthur’s car is waiting, parked haphazardly half on the curb. He must have driven like a maniac to get here so quickly f
IrisEight months later…“And that’s why the colors on this side of the color wheel are considered ‘cool’ colors,” I explain to the class of children sitting in a semicircle around me. “They remind us of water, ice, and the sky.”I’m demonstrating on a large color wheel chart when a sharp pain rips
And through it all, Augustine’s breathing grows slower, shallower.Then, quietly and calmly, she goes.Her hand turns limp in mine. The steady beeping of the heart monitor flatlines. The doctor steps forward, checks for a pulse, then shakes her head.“Time of death, 10:47 AM,” she says quietly.I br
ArthurMy desk is nearly clear. End-of-year reports have been signed, emails have been answered, last-minute meetings completed. I’ve spent the last week rushing through work that would normally take me a month, all in preparation for a vacation with my family.With a satisfied sigh, I close the las
“In the right hands—or rather, the wrong ones—a Dreamer can be trained and conditioned to focus their abilities. They can become powerful tools for espionage, for predicting enemy movements, for gaining advantages in conflicts.”A chill runs down my spine as the implications sink in. “And you think
IrisFinally, after six weeks of recovery, of being monitored, and of physical therapy to ensure her heart is healthy, my mother has been discharged from the hospital.“You don’t have to fuss over me like this,” she says as I adjust her pillows for the third time in as many minutes. She’s propped up
IrisNo matter how much I’d like to remain in a sweet little bubble of dancing to records and listening to Arthur’s heartbeat, unfortunately the world doesn’t stop spinning just because my personal drama has been temporarily resolved. Over the days following Nora and Veronica’s arrests, life continu







