The Council Read online

  The Council

  Witch's Ambitions Trilogy

  Book One

  Kayla Krantz

  Dedication

  To anyone seeking the truth behind their life.

  Witch's Ambitions Trilogy

  Book One: The Council

  Chapter One

  The Last Day

  MY HEAD DROOPS in exhaustion as the guest speaker at the front of the class rambles on. Several times I consider walking out but the effort seems too much. She’s an older witch from Mentis, I believe, but I haven’t listened enough to be sure. She talks about her telekinesis as if it’s an achievement, and while most of my classmates listen on in wonder, I shake my head in disappointment.

  I’ve started developing telekinetic powers too, but there are two major differences between me and the girl: I don’t brag about my abilities, and I’m from Ignis, land of fire.

  Helena, sitting in the desk beside me, elbows me. I look back at her through unapologetic eyes, and she frowns at me. I can tell what she’s thinking without her saying one word. She believed the teacher when he said it was important for our studies to listen to the lecture.

  Helena and I both originate from UnEquipped parents; we aren’t meant to have powers, only to be protected by those fortunate enough to develop them…that was before mine started to form, of course. I haven’t told her yet, mostly out of fear of how she will respond, while the rest of me is worried about hurting her feelings.

  Will she be excited for me or will she be jealous because of the absence of her own?

  I smack the small pencil off my desk so I have an excuse to look down at the floor. I scoop it up before I take the opportunity to reach into the folds of my robe, feeling for the thin black chain hidden in the depths. It’s connected to a small, beautiful ruby—a present I had gotten from my Healer, Ambrossi, years before. It’s meant to be worn around my neck, supposedly imbibed with the power to lessen any physical pain from my childhood accident, but I don’t feel it. Instead, I find a better use for the amulet by using it as a source of comfort when I’m nervous.

  I hide it, not wanting to admit to anyone that I like it.

  “And that’s why you should always expect the unexpected at your Arcane Ceremony,” the witch at the front of the room finishes her lecture.

  Beside me, Helena begins to clap, but I don’t join in. Instead, I slide my hand out of my pocket and go back to fiddling with my pencil. It seems ironic, expecting the unexpected, like she had fabricated pieces of her story to make it more interesting. Considering my boredom with the current version, I can’t imagine the first draft. I push my pencil tip into the cover of my journal and turn it in place until a small black smudge forms.

  “All right, class. I expect you know the etiquette and proper attire for the ceremony tomorrow. Last minute details will be handled by your Coven representative, but before I dismiss you, I need to ask, does anyone have any final questions?” The gaze of my teacher sweeps across the room before it temporarily rests on me and continues its way through my classmates. “No? All right, class dismissed!”

  I sigh in relief and grab my bag from under my desk to sling it over my shoulder. I won’t miss this place like I know the rest of my classmates will. I can’t wait for the Arcane Ceremony, and my resulting freedom from the mundane lifestyle that comes with UnEquipped parents.

  The next chapter of my life is bound to be better than the years that have passed so far.

  Helena sighs wistfully and takes her place at my side. She hooks her arm over my shoulders to help me out of the classroom as I struggle to squeeze between the desks. “You were so rude!” she scolds, smacking me in the arm with her notebook for effect. “Misty was pouring her heart out up there!”

  I shrug. “I wasn’t impressed. Of all the presentations we’ve seen this week hers was the worst, especially considering the fact that both of her parents were Equipped. Her story was just one in a million.”

  Helena shrugs. “I thought it was inspirational.”

  “The girl with the astral projection was much more impacting.”

  “Why do you have to be such a grouch?” Helena asks, deepening her frown.

  “I’ve waited years for it to be the last day of class, and it was disappointing that she was our final lecture. I’m sure if Clio were here, he would’ve handled it in the same manner.”

  Helena laughs. “Maybe so…where is he anyways? I thought everyone had to attend today.”

  “He’s the Adept. The Council is coaching him about what to do tomorrow. It’s a big honor, you know,” I say. “Once we’ve been separated into our Covens, he’s gonna be put in charge of training our Equipped Covenmates.”

  Helena arches an eyebrow. “Do I hear a hint of jealousy there?”

  I lick my lips nervously, wondering how I can talk myself out of this. It’s another one of those moments where we’re both painfully aware of the fact that my physical state is unable to live up to the task…no matter how much my mind wishes for it. I would have been honored to be the Adept but barely being able to walk means I should be grateful just to graduate. “All I’m saying is I’m smarter than he is, even if he won’t admit it.”

  “Just because you’re the smartest witch of our class doesn’t mean you need to rub it in,” Helena scolds. “He’s worked hard for it too. I heard his powers are coming along well.”

  I wonder what he’s capable of. Immediately, I remember that pyro powers are not my go-to magic. Mine are telekinetic, unsteady, and hard to control. Since Clio is the Adept, it means he has more control over himself…he has to.

  Am I being as arrogant as Helena pretends? I had studied enough to be able to excel to the top of my class, but with my smarts, it should have been enough to graduate a few years before, not to mention be the Adept when I did so. My accident made it impossible for me to advance when I should’ve, but that was just another thing I would never admit out loud.

  “I’m not bragging,” I say finally. “It’s more like I’m glad her little lecture is over.”

  “What do you have against Mentis?” she asks.

  “Not against Mentis, just people who take too much pride in tiny achievements. Bad enough the people in The Council look down their noses at us; we don’t need every witch to follow suit. I’d like to think the UnEquipped and Equipped have a slight chance of getting along.”

  “Forming your powers is no small task even if she knew to expect it. Besides, if anyone has too much pride I think it’s you.” She laughs to ease the tension of her words, but I know she’s referring to my limp. If there’s one thing I strive to do, it’s to pretend that I don’t have a handicap.

  “I don’t need people to help me all day, every day. They have lives too you know, and I’m not helpless.”

  Helena holds her palms out. “I understand, but a day needs to come where you realize you aren’t the burden you pretend to be. People enjoy your company—even if you are a little bitter.”

  I shrug. “It’s hard to imagine anyone could enjoy carting around a cripple like me.”

  “You’re so much more than that.”

  “You have to say that. You’ve been stuck with me longer than anyone,” I say.

  She laughs, and I take the opportunity to look away. I’m glad for her optimism, but it doesn’t do much to change my mind. I hate being cared for…I can only imagine the people in charge of helping me feel the same way.

  We waddle away from the school, toward the sun-parched soil that leads home. Since the school sits on the edge of the Grove, it’s the only time we get a glimpse of the entire landscape of the Land of Five at once. Each Coven is unique but Ignis with its desert-like environment is my one true love. I watch some of my classmates split apart as they travel back home,
and I can only imagine how different my life would be if I had been born into their group rather than my own. I adjust the straps of my backpack and nudge Helena’s arm off my shoulders, wondering what my friend’s plans are for the rest of the day. For some reason, I don’t want to be alone.

  “Wanna hang out?” I ask.

  She shakes her head to scatter her long, cascading red hair. “I wanna go home and study,” she says, gesturing to her Book of Spells wrapped tightly in her arms.

  I look at the cover noticing the wear and tear of the pages down to the very binding itself. It’s obvious that it’s been read a hundred times at least in the past week. My own Book is nowhere near as worn. I usually keep it hidden away—in my backpack, in my desk, or in my bookshelf—while she has it in the open, reading it every opportunity she gets to work hard for an accomplishment that has a slim to none chance of happening.

  Another ugly fact that burrowed itself under my skin while I had been forced to listen to this weeks’ worth of mentors was that none of them had been an UnEquipped who had managed to develop powers. Had our teacher had done that on purpose? Did he not want to give false hope to people like Helena…or is it just so hard to accomplish that he feels it isn’t worth his time to cover?

  I push the thoughts away and nod in understanding to Helena before I watch her walk away, leaving me to my own devices. I need to study as well, but my way of approaching the situation will be different. Without powers, Helena will be reduced to reading the passages of her textbook over and over in the hopes her brain will be able to take the words and develop them. I—on the other hand—need to find out if the telekinetic powers I had accidentally used the other day were a fluke…and how I can manifest them into pyro powers.

  It will be hard, I’m sure of that, but not impossible. If anything, my inspiration will be to make sure my story turns out to be more interesting than the ones I had heard in class.

  I begin the trek home with that thought on my mind, watching the way my feet churn puffs of dust and sand into the air as I hobble into the heart of Ignis. I pant for breath by the time I reach an old petrified log that marks the ninety-percent spot of my trip home. Sweat covers my scalp, fastening the ends of my short blue-black hair to the back of my neck as I sit down on the log, grateful for the chance to give my leg a break. I breath out and listen as a bird flies overhead. I watch it for a moment before I narrow my eyes, freezing it in place, and even from this distance, I can see its distress as it fights to free itself.

  It’s odd to think I’m the one stopping it. Me, someone who can barely move on the ground, can stop something so beautiful in mid-flight. Always expect the unexpected, Misty’s voice rings through my mind, and I blink to break the hold on the panicked creature. The bird drops a foot through the air before its panic wears off and it continues on its journey, unsure of what had happened to it.

  I should’ve been able to cook it, not hold it. I laugh at the irony of the statement before my mind turns once again to Clio. He would’ve had no problem charring the tiny bird.

  I consider visiting his house, but I know that he won’t be there until later, whenever The Council releases him from his training session. I have a lot of questions for him, and I can only pray that he’ll be in the mood to answer them.

  ***

  ANGEL PASSES ME a fresh piece of corn, and I pick up my knife to go to work shucking it. My fingers hurt from the hour I’ve already spent at her side. I falter a few times, nearly slicing my finger in the process, but she doesn’t notice as she works on her own pile of vegetables. After I pull the greens off the plant before me, I set it aside, lifting my hand to wipe away the sweat that’s gathered and look out of her hut into the heart of Ignis.

  The Coven vaguely resembles a spiral in shape and at the center, where all the shops and restaurants converge along with Ambrossi’s home, lays a deep pit lined with stones to keep it cool in the blistering mid-day heat. This is also the place where the Coven alter sits, splat in the middle of Ignis land. It’s the biggest stone of all, smoothened out to form a flat surface like a table. When the Coven has important information to share, this is the place we gather to hear it. At the middle of every Coven I’ve been told there’s an alter for rituals, but it’s strange for me to imagine it. I squint my eyes against the sunlight as it bounces off the light gray rocks swirling the pit. It’s a change of pace from the orange sun-parched soil that covers the rest of the ground.

  In the excitement for tomorrow, I wonder if Helena remembered to tend to her Coven duties today.

  Our duties are a thing we all take part in—a requirement by The Council in the hopes to make members of the same group closer to one another. As much as I hate to admit it, they’re right. In a way, Coven duties are training for the UnEquipped to find useful roles. It’s understood that those without powers should focus on keeping the Coven running while the Equipped spend their time keeping it safe.

  Kitchen duties aren’t my favorite responsibility, but I like Angel—spending time with her is easy. Kind and patient, she never scolds me for something I do wrong, unlike my mother. There are times, especially lately, that I wish she was my mother…life would be a lot easier.

  Angel passes me three more pieces of corn before she flashes a careful smile. Her long black hair, loosely tied into a ponytail, whacks me slightly as she shuffles around a pile of work equipment.

  “Those are the last of them for today,” she says. “You’ve done a good job.”

  “Thank you, but are you sure you don’t want me here longer, ma’am?” I ask, glancing toward the large pile of vegetables beside her.

  She shakes her head. “I’m letting you go a little early today so you can get in some studying.”

  I nod and cut another piece of corn free from its leaves. I try not to think about her words, only the task at hand. If it was up to me, I’d help her in the kitchen all day. I like the busywork—it keeps my anxiety at bay. I look up at her again, considering arguing when I see the exhaustion in her eyes. If she’s that tired and still insists I should go, there is no changing her mind.

  Chapter Two

  Accident

  I CONCENTRATE ON the vase before me, pouring all my energy into studying its every detail. It’s a deep container with white and blue markings spiraled on the outside. In my mind, I can picture its demise before I slowly let out the breath I’m holding. I blink and the vase flies through the air to where it shatters against the stones in a thousand pieces as if I had taken a hammer to it.

  A small smile plays at my lips as I stare at the remains. It may not be the power I was supposed to have nor the power I want, but it fills me with pride to know I’m capable of something that powerful.

  “That’s incredible!” Helena gushes from behind me.

  I jump at the sound of her voice and turn to look at her, catching the pride in her green eyes. “Helena…what are you doing here? I thought you were going home?”

  “I thought about your offer and decided we should study together. Apparently, you’ve been studying with Clio! If that’s the truth, there’s gotta be some things you can teach me.”

  I reach up to scratch at the back of my neck feeling suddenly awkward. I hadn’t planned on seeing Helena again today, and now that she’s here, I’m not sure what to say. Helena seems happy at the moment, but I wonder if inside she feels betrayed I hadn’t told her of my powers. As cliché as it sounds, I hadn’t wanted her to find out like this.

  I nod uncertainly, gauging her emotions again. “I did it yesterday for the first time. I broke a window…Mother just thought the neighborhood kids were throwing rocks.”

  “Wow, that’s amazing. I guess we know the results you’ll get at the Ceremony…if only mine would be that good.”

  A flutter of nervousness runs through me at her words. The thought of being sorted into Mentis and separated from my friends and family in Ignis gives me a bout of anxiety. A thought like that makes “freedom” seem almost a burden. Despite that fact, it excit
es me to think I’ll pass the test put forth by the Council, and I’ll impress everyone who doubts me in the process.

  What I don’t want to think about is what comes next, after the spotlight of the Ceremony fades away, and I’m left in the darkness to make a life-altering decision.

  “Have you told your parents?” Helena inquires.

  I shake my head and walk over to the pile of vase remains. “No one knows. It seemed too hard to tell her the truth. I didn’t even know the best way to tell you that I was developed.”

  “You were actually afraid of me?” She lets out a short laugh.

  “I know how much the ceremony means to you. You’ve studied nonstop for the past week.”

  “Yes but didn’t you realize your results tomorrow would’ve done it for you?”

  “Yeah, but anxiety is irrational. Besides, you’re easier to deal with than them…I’m afraid to tell my parents,” I admit, using my powers to piece the destroyed vase back together. It’s a ridiculous thing to admit out loud, and I wonder why I fear it so much. Maybe I’m not as ready for my freedom as I had imagined.

  “Think they’ll disown you?” Helena asks, sitting on the nearest rock to look at the vase beside my feet.

  “Nothing that severe, I hope. I just don’t know what they’ll think of me. It’s not everyday someone develops powers that are different from their Coven. I don’t even know what this means.”

  “Yeah, well, you should stop complaining. Things could always be worse. At least you have parents…not like Clio, and at least you have powers…not like me,” she scoffs.

  There it is, the jealousy. I tense at the sound and turn to look at her through sympathetic eyes. That’s the reaction I had been prepared for, but I still feel awkward thinking about the way I can handle this situation. “Still nothing?”