Page 6 of The Other Side

Chapter

Four

IRIS-MARIE

T he bell above the shop door rang as I shifted a few boxes beneath the counter. The sudden jingle caused me to jolt. I had been on edge ever since Cypress paid me an unfateful visit. I wasn’t sure what to expect anymore—or who.

“Pardon, mon cher. Is this the establishment of the bayou witch Iris-Marie?” The foreign man’s voice caught me off guard as the sound of heavy footsteps neared the counter.

“Indeed it is—” I stood, my words silenced at his appearance. He was well built, unlike any other man in this bayou town or the next. His deep ebony skin emitted a warmth, clashing with his amber eyes, their color swirling like golden honey. His brown-black hair was twisted in locs, pulled back with a ribbon, adorned with golden cuffs that matched the sun charm earrings he wore. He was dressed in the oddest attire, his beige sleeveless shirt revealing his muscular arms while sticking to his formed chest. There was something about him that seemed oddly familiar, but I couldn’t quite place it.

“Forgive me.” I breathed a smile, which he returned. “May I ask who is looking for me?” I grabbed my walking stick, noticing his eyes as they stared at its crystal filled with hellfire. His lips pressed together as he made a face, as if something had amused him.

“But of course.” Those honey colored irises returned to me. “To permet mo entrodwir mo-mem. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is—” He paused. “Elias.” He offered me a formal bow. I returned the respectful gesture. “I come from a place as far from here as you could possibly imagine, and word of your abilities has spread to my corner of the world. There are rumors you not only possess magic, but an unnatural power so strong, you can reach through the veil into the other side. They even call you the conjurer of souls, Iris-Marie. Tell me,” Elias crossed his arms and leaned on the counter, a wave of warmth radiating from him, “is this true?”

For a moment, I felt lost in his gaze, studying his unnaturally pleasing face. Something about it—his smile—felt known to me, as if I had seen it before, but in another. But who? And how?

“Sa ena? What’s wrong?” he asked. I shook the curiosity from my brain.

“Yes!” I forced a smile, gripping my walking stick as I perfected my posture. “All of what you say is indeed true.” Elias’ face was hard to read. “I am quite powerful. Iris-Marie, the conjuror of souls and great witch of the bayou.” I bowed a second time. “At your service, Elias.”

“How wonderful! Can you show me?” he asked.

“Why, of course, but like any service, it will cost you.” Elias laughed softly, reaching into his pocket as he retrieved a single gold coin. He placed it onto the counter and slid it towards me. I picked the unfamiliar coin up, examining it closely. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a coin such as this before.” Not only was the coin thick, but it had two faces engraved into it—one female and one male on either side. I examined the artistry closely, recognizing the female as Cypress. “Where is it from?”

“That is a coin from my home. I can assure you, it’s worth far more than any other you’d see here in the bayou. Look here.” He pointed to Cypress’ portrait. “That is the goddess of the Underworld, Cypress. And here.” He flipped the thick coin over, pointing to the male’s portrait. “That is the god of the heavens.” I stared at it closely.

“Ozias. You favor him,” I said aloud. Elias ruptured in joyous laughter.

“You indulge me too much, Iris-Marie. So, is that payment enough to see your talents?” I brushed the coin to the side of the counter.

“It is. Now, how about I read your future?” I reached below the counter for my deck of cards. “Tarot reading is one of the most sought after experiences my patrons come to see me for. I have never failed to deliver a true glimpse into their fate.” Elias nodded as maroon bursts of magic shot from my hands, gripping the tarot deck from the counter as it began to shuffle in the air while he watched in awe.

“Intriguing,” he whispered. I decided to put on a little show, elaborating a simple card shuffle as they levitated and swirled, circling the man. He laughed, clasping his hands together as they returned to my open palm. “I am curious. Have you always possessed such magic?” I began to shuffle the deck with my hand, surprised. No one had ever asked me that question before—or anything about me, for that matter.

“As long as I can remember. It has protected me all my life, keeping me safe until—” I stopped before saying too much.

“Until?” I simply smiled at his question, my magic raising the deck as it fanned before him.

“Pick three.” Elias pondered, choosing his three cards. Magic gripped the chosen tarot cards as the deck fell gently to the counter. I manually placed the cards face down in front of him, preparing to read his fate.

“Shall we see what the cards have in store for you?” Elias nodded. “This.” I pointed to the first card, slowly flipping it over as I spoke. “Represents your past, things that have already happened.” I turned the card over, reading the truths within the illustrations. “There has been a rift between you and another—something deep that has caused you pain.” Elias’ smile faded as he stared at the cards, telling me what I saw was fact. I studied his face closer, sensing a disturbance in his soul. “There is a shadow on your heart. You carry the pain from this —” I tapped the card. “Don’t let the past guide you; it’ll only lead you to darkness.” I could see a sadness hidden behind those gleeful eyes and strong exterior.

“That very shadow you describe has a grip unlike any other. Even if I wanted to forget the past, I can’t. She won’t let me—”

The shop bell rang, interrupting our session. I glanced over Elias’ shoulder and watched as a strange man stepped inside, his pale face and arms covered in ghastly scars. He resembled a beaten ghost. The stranger brushed his blue hair from his face as he looked to me and Elias.

“Byen mersi. Thank you, Iris-Marie.” My attention returned to Elias as he offered a small bow and smile.

“But I’m not finished reading your fate?”

“I can assure you, my fate was sealed long ago. I do not need the cards to tell me what I already know. But I thank you for your kindness and help.” Elias gently gripped my hand, gifting me a warm kiss from his soft lips before he turned to leave.

“Are you sure there’s nothing more I can do?” I almost didn’t want him to leave. Elias looked back over his shoulder at me.

“You have given far more than you know.” Elias approached the shop door, opening it as he froze and stared down the strange man. The two seemed to have some silent conversation, neither moving for a few minutes. Elias mumbled something in a deep voice, so low, I couldn’t hear, but it seemed as though the blue-haired man did, immediately dropping his eyes and hiding them behind his hair as Elias disappeared into the crowd outside.

How strange.

The man waited a few seconds before exhaling and raising his head. “I take it you’re Iris-Marie?” he asked in a nonchalant tone.

“Seems lots of people are asking for me today. You know my name. Care to share yours?” I heard a low grumble as Bastien entered the room. He seemed excited, as if he recognized the man. I watched in disbelief as the beast walked to his side.

“Wow, I didn’t expect to be so eagerly greeted by you, of all things.” Bastien hissed, annoyed by the man’s response. “Easy. I didn’t mean anything by it. I’m simply here to do the same as you.”

“I’m sorry.” I moved around the counter, intrigued by what I was seeing and hearing. “But who are you? And how do you know him?” I pointed to the alligator.

There was no way this—person—would know Bastien. Not unless…

“Bastien? I’m afraid our familiarity goes back much farther than the two of you.” Bastien hissed. “Forgive my intrusion, I haven’t been to the human world in such a long time, and all your customs are always changing. Adjusting to being in the sun alone is a challenge, seeing as we never see daylight in that damned cave.” All I could do was blink. “You don’t remember me, do you? It’s alright, we never really spoke before. I was also dressed a bit differently.” My brain strained to remember his face, looking him up and down. He was dressed completely normal, as if he’d stumbled in from the street. What did he mean by differently? I drew a blank. I couldn’t help but stare at those ghastly scars across his skin when it finally clicked.

“ You .” I pointed, stepping back in horror as my fingertips began to ignite.

“Me.” He shrugged. “The name’s Tuft, thanks for asking.” He rolled his eyes.

“She sent you, didn’t she?” The man nodded. “But why?”

“You’re not the only one who owes the keeper of souls. I’m here to earn my freedom, same as you.” He crossed his arms and stepped past me towards the counter. “Tell me, do you have any idea who that man was who left as I arrived?”

“He said his name was Elias.”

Tuft picked up the gold coin and peered over his shoulder at me. “Of course he did.” I approached the counter, returning to the opposite side as I watched him admire the unworldly gold coin. “I haven’t seen one of these in centuries.”

“You know this coin?” He nodded.

“Just as I know where it comes from and who gave it to you.” His gold eyes stared at me from across the counter. “Look closely.” He extended the coin towards my face. “What do you see?”

“Cypress and Ozias,” I stated what Elias had told me.

“Look closer, witch .” I grimaced at his annoyed tone. “What do you really see?”

I used my magic to levitate it, rotating it in the air slowly as I gazed closely. My eyes studied the features of Cypress’ face, almost identical to her ethereal form. Whoever made this coin captured her beauty well—too well. My hand rotated it again. I began to study Ozias’ portrait on the other side. He was also beautiful, with such striking features. Features that—

“Wait,” I whispered, pulling the coin closer with my fingertips, feeling the grooves. “They look like—”

“They are.” My eyes rose to his. “Cypress may be the goddess of the Underworld, but her brother, Ozias, is the god of the heavens. They are opposites in every way, as depicted on this coin from the heavens.”

“Siblings? Cypress and Ozias? How come I haven’t heard this before? We know all the stories and tales of the gods and goddesses, who they are and what they do, but not this. Why?” Tuft shrugged.

“My guess is, they did not want you humans to know.” But why?

“So Cypress and Ozias are siblings. It’s a mind boggling thought to grasp, but what does this have to do with me?” I shook the coin at him. “Or that damn soul eater’s favor? You said she sent you here to help me, to earn your freedom, but what does any of this mean?” Magic flickered from my fingers, and my voice rose as he stood there, unphased by my temper. “I have half the mind to fry you where you stand!”

“Easy, witch. Believe it or not, we’re on the same side here.” Tuft exhaled, taking the coin from my grasp and holding it, showing me the side with Ozias. “See him? That’s Ozias.” I rolled my eyes as he stated the obvious. “No, listen. This is Ozias. Does he not remind you of someone? Someone who was just here?” I raised a brow at him, fuming with annoyance.

“Just get to the point.”

“Fine, impatient human. Elias, the customer before me, is Ozias. They are the same.” I looked at the coin with a laugh. Tuft only made a face, telling me he was being serious.

“Oh, come on. Elias is not Ozias. And even if he was—which he isn’t—why would Ozias, the great god of the heavens, visit my shop?” I placed my hands on my hips. “Well?”

Tuft groaned. “You are impossible! I don’t know why Cypress thought I would be of any help to you. You’re too damn stubborn! Listen, witch—”

“Watch it, boy!” My hand raised, engulfed with maroon fire as he groaned like a wounded animal.

“Sorry—Iris. Listen, Iris, that man—that god—was Ozias. I know, because…” He trailed off, a shadow casting across his flesh.

“Because what?” I snapped.

“Because I’ve met him before!” His temper shocked me. Bastien hissed him a warning as he began to settle. “Forgive me, but I have met the god of the heavens many times. Long ago, we were once acquaintances.” My magic was extinguished by his heavy and painful words.

“When?” I pressed. “And how if—”

“I will not speak about it. But trust me when I say, that man—Elias— is Ozias.” Despite not knowing him, I felt an odd sense of truth in Tuft’s words.

“Why would Ozias be here, in the human world? In my shop? And why would he say his name was Elias?” Tuft shook his head.

“I don’t know. It's probably because he knows you made a deal with Cypress.”

“How would he know that?” Tuft eyed the crystal atop my staff, releasing a laugh.

“You shined too close to the sun, Iris-Marie. You performed your magic tricks and summoned souls from the other side for thirteen years, right in front of him. Did you not think the other celestials would notice your sudden god-like power? Or that you were ripping apart the veil between worlds? These things do not go unnoticed and are closely monitored by many, including Ozias.”

“You mean, all this time, Ozias and the others…they were watching me?” I asked as a wave of anxiety began to build in my chest.

“We all were. For thirteen years, Cypress has kept a close eye on you, allowing you to break the rules and perform such miracles, all in the hopes that you would someday catch Ozias’ eye. Did you really think a human conjuring souls from the Underworld would have no consequences?”

“Consequences? What consequences?”

Tuft sighed heavily. “I swear, you humans can be so thick-skulled. Gods, such as Ozias and Cypress, cannot simply gift their powers to humans. It goes against everything in nature and sets things out of balance, disrupting the natural order of things, if you would. By giving you even a drop of her power, Cypress has sent all of the fates and scales into absolute chaos, unpredictable and unstable chaos. And while Cypress may thrive in chaos, I assure you, the other celestials do not. You see, Cypress is not only one of the strongest and smartest of celestials, but she is the oldest in existence, followed by her little brother, Ozias—”

“Wait, little? No, Ozias is the ruler of the heavens. He is the firstborn, everyone knows this.”

Tuft shook his head. “Once again, you are wrong. The gods and celestials have purposely rewritten history, spreading lies to hide the truth of their past. Cypress is the firstborn and oldest of the celestials. And being the firstborn, she is the rightful heir to the heavens.”

Cypress, the same queen of darkness and death itself, was the rightful ruler of the heavens? What an impossible thing to imagine.

“But—”

“Let me explain.” Tuft cleared his throat as he cut me off. “In the beginning, Cypress was the sole heir to the heavens. She was a formidable child, learning all there was to know of everything, making her the most skilled, intelligent, unmatched celestial in existence. That is, until Ozias. The second Ozias was born, their father abandoned Cypress to be raised by others. He longed for a male heir, believing females were unfit to rule. Once he had his son, that was all he cared for—making him the next god of the heavens. Their whole upbringing consisted of Cypress surpassing Ozias in every way, but no matter how powerful or intelligent she was, her father turned a cheek. He cared only for Ozias, and where he showed love to his son, he showed distaste towards his daughter.”

Tuft shook his head in distaste. “When the time came for the heir of the heavens to take the throne, it was Ozias who was chosen, not Cypress. News of his crowning shook our existence as celestials began to argue, eventually choosing sides. Half sided with Cypress, recognizing her as the legitimate heir, whereas the other half only recognized Ozias, the firstborn male. This rift caused the heavens to split, dividing celestials for over a century. Friends turning on friends, siblings on siblings, it was madness, absolute madness, resulting in an all-out battle amongst the stars. The two gods fought for their right to rule. Celestials on both sides were erased from existence in the vilest of ways, depleting our numbers. Ozias knew if Cypress wasn’t stopped, it would mean the end to not just celestials, but all mankind. War, famine, disease, and death broke out on Earth, nearly destroying it, forsaken by the heavens. It was only then Ozias and his son decided to stop Cypress, eventually condemning her to the Underworld and taking the throne himself. With Cypress subdued to the Abyss, there remained no choice but to end the war and work together for peace in the heavens. Since then, Ozias has ruled above, creating peace and harmony as Cypress continuously sought to retake her throne, using helpless humans to help her take her revenge.”

“Why humans? Why doesn’t she just take it back herself?” I asked.

“Well, Ozias, like any celestial, has a sense of… humor . Cypress may be the keeper of souls but, ironically enough, she does not possess one herself.”

“What? How is that even possible?” A god without a soul. What a fucking terrifying thought.

“Ozias, with the help of his son, ripped her soul from her body. Stole it. And now, he keeps it hidden away somewhere where only he knows. As long as Ozias has Cypress’ soul, she can’t hurt him. At least, not by her own hand.” I stared at Tuft, finally understanding the meaning of it all.

“Cypress is using humans—using me to somehow help her seek revenge on Ozias, isn’t she?” He nodded. “But how? Wait.” I searched a nearby cabinet, retrieving the dainty glass bottle I was given. My body turned towards Tuft as his eyes widened, confirming my suspicions. “I’m assuming this has something to do with whatever she has planned for him, doesn’t it?” Tuft carefully took the bottle from my hand and held it, examining the liquid closely.

“Do you realize what this is?” he breathed in disbelief. I shook my head.

“All I was told is that I would know what to do with it when the time came.” Which ironically, I guess I did, in a way.

“This, Iris-Marie, is a very special, very dangerous potion. It has no effect on humans but a substantial effect on celestials. Specifically gods.”

A potion for gods? But why—

“Tuft,” I breathed. “You said Cypress knew Ozias would notice me—my power. Does that mean Cypress—” I swallowed, struggling to ask the question. “Does Cypress expect me to somehow use this potion on him? On Ozias?” Tuft stared at me, his gold irises swirling as dread and fear plastered his pale and scared face. I felt sick to my stomach. “Tuft? What does it do?”

“This potion does the very thing Cypress needs to defeat Ozias. It turns any god human, stripping them of their true and ethereal forms, leaving nothing but their mortal form.” I could hear my heartbeat throbbing within my ears as I began to hyperventilate. “I’m afraid you , Iris-Marie, are tasked with defeating the great god Ozias, or you will face the goddess Cypress and pray her only punishment is that your soul shall be damned to the Abyss for all eternity.”

No. No, no, no! The sick reality of my situation began to weigh heavily on my shoulders, pulling me towards the floor.

“Tuft,” I breathed, the room beginning to spin. “I—I—” My legs fell limp as I fell to my knees, clutching my chest. “She—she knew. She knew! All this time!” Of course. It all made sense. I was a pawn, nothing more.

“Iris!” He crouched, trying to help me as Bastien grumbled and watched. “Are you alright?”

“Am I alright? No!” I snapped at him as he flinched. “I’m fucked. I’m stuck in a centuries-long war between siblings—two gods—and there is no way out for me! I should’ve known. I should’ve known she would do this!” Tears began to burn my eyes as I grabbed his arms, shaking. “Her deal was too good, and I was an ignorant fool. They all said not to trust her, to never make a deal with the goddess of death, but I did. I made a deal with the devil herself!”

“Shhhh!” Tuft tried to calm me as I leaned my head against his chest, sobbing into his shirt. He hesitated, eventually wrapping his arms around me, comforting me the best he could as I cried into him. “It’s okay. It’s going to be okay.”

“How?” I wheezed quietly against his shirt.

“I don’t know, but it can’t get worse.” I gently pulled back and looked up at him with tear-filled eyes. He offered me a soft smile that, for some reason, eased my fears.

“No, I guess it can’t.” I wiped my face, attempting to dry my tears.

“Regardless of the outcome or how this all came to be, we are in this together. We will figure this out together, Iris-Marie.” I nodded at him as he stood and gently helped me to my feet. “There’s nothing more we can do today. Let’s take a breath and look at it with fresh eyes in due time.”

Tuft was surprisingly sweet, his soft side now on full display. It was a pleasant change.

“Why did you make a deal with her?” I asked. His smile immediately fell as a darkness overcame his face.

“That is a story for another day. You carry too much on your shoulders, don’t add my burdens to yours.” I nodded, feeling emotionally and physically depleted from all that had occurred. Tuft’s mood slowly lightened as shook his blue hair. “Now, where can a guy like me get a nice glass of absinthe? It has been ages since I had a taste of that toxic delight. And I’d say after today, we’ve earned a couple of drinks.”

I couldn’t agree more.