Shangri-la
Chapter 4
Lotus’s apartment seemed to be the exact opposite of Iris’s house. It was small with an air of untidiness despite the fact that there wasn’t much in it. The front room had a couch placed in the middle, a small bookshelf instead of a TV, and candles placed on every flat, stable surface. The cool air smelled faintly of lavender, as if Lotus had been burning incense earlier that day. Feeling uneasy, Iris moved the notebooks from the gray couch and sat down, sinking into the cushion.
“Would you like anything to eat or drink?” Lotus asked, swaying to silent music as she pulled two glasses from a cupboard and set them down on the counter next to the fridge.
“Just water would be fine, thank you,” Iris answered. The cheerful smile on Lotus’s face had surprised Iris earlier when they met at the ice cream shop. She had struck Iris as someone who was always composed, cold, and calculating. But as Iris climbed into Lotus’s car, the woman laughed and talked cheerfully about everything and nothing all at once, occasionally singing snatches of the song playing on the radio.
Setting the glass of water down on the coffee table in front of Iris, Lotus slumped into the cushion next to her and sipped the dark brown fizzy liquid in her own cup. “We’ll get started as soon as you’re ready,” she said.
“What is that?” Iris stared at Lotus’s drink, then looked down at her own.
“Root beer. Would you like some instead?” Lotus moved as if she was going to get back up.
“No,” Iris said quickly. “I’m just a little surprised that you drink soda.”
Relaxing again, Lotus chuckled. “I’m surprised that you don’t.”
Iris blushed slightly. “The carbonation makes me feel sick.”
Reaching behind her, Lotus grabbed the lighter from the small end table and handed it to Iris. “Light all of the candles, please. Then we’ll get started.”
“Is it part of unlocking my power?” Iris asked, standing up and moving around the room.
“Not exactly. I find them relaxing.” Lotus laughed. “Now, sit on the couch with your legs crossed and face me.”
Iris did as she was told, letting out a deep breath after situating herself so she was comfortable. Watching Lotus’s amused face had made her feel embarrassed over the amount of fidgeting she performed to make herself feel less awkward.
“Close your eyes and reach out with your inner energy,” Lotus hummed. “Sense the room around you.”
Iris wasn’t entirely sure how that was supposed to be done, so she mentally visualized what she could remember. To her right was the coffee table, with her glass of water and a burning candle on it. She could almost feel the heat from the tiny flame, and suddenly she was aware of all the candles scattered throughout the room, each one a bright light in the darkness of her mind.
“You should be able to find it now,” Lotus’s voice broke through the darkness. “Your spirit guide, I mean. Embrace it, melt with it, and become one with it.”
Animal spirit guide . . . Iris couldn’t sense it at all. Probing around the room, she searched for it. Motion rippled through the air from Lotus’s bedroom door, and Iris put her concentration on that. It was a large dog . . . No, a wolf. The wolf stalked toward her, and she pictured its fur, burying herself in its warmth, sinking into it . . .
Something was changing. Her body seemed to lose its form and her muscles tightened almost painfully. Then it was over.
“You can open your eyes now.”
Iris did, and she saw Lotus smiling at her.
“Congratulations,” Lotus said. “You did it.”
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