The Council Read online

  I want to snap and growl insults at him for the gesture, but it would be disrespectful to a member of The Council—the act even worse during the Ceremony—so I focus on the sight of the Goblets instead. Tarj lets go of me, and I plant my feet in place. I look between all the cups and let out the breath I held.

  It’s the moment of truth whether I want it or not.

  The white goblet sparks brightly, and I feel my shoulders sag as I listen to the gasp sweep through the crowd. I can’t bring myself to look at them. I can’t even make eye contact with Tarj who stands a few feet away.

  I make a move to walk away when the red goblet begins to spark—the green, blue, and yellow goblets in close pursuit.

  Chapter Five

  Iris White

  TARJ MOVES TO put out the Goblets on the altar and drapes an arm over my shoulders as he rushes to pull me out of its range. Shouts of confusion spring from the ring of onlookers, and my heart begins to beat with a mixture of fear and excitement. The crowd sounds as if they’re on the verge of a riot. At first, I assume the chaos sprouted from the results of my test before I notice a blast of fire lighting up a corner of the ceremony grounds.

  “Get down!” Tarj says, pulling his arm off me as another blast of fire flies our way.

  With my telekinesis, I block it easily, and Tarj stands rigid beside me. He stretches out a hand to send a blast of fire back the way it had come. I risk a glance up into the crowd. People from different Covens run in every direction—some toward the fight and others away. A woman cloaked in black catches my attention when she jumps away from Tarj’s attack, venom in her eyes.

  She shouts obscenities and seethes as she casts random gusts of her powers in multiple directions. Tarj rushes sideways as he works to counter the moves she sends at us. I wonder if she has any particular targets or if she’s lost her mind, trying to hurt anyone she can.

  “You’ll all pay for following the ways of the treaty!” she shouts as she spins in a circle. “You’ll all pay for following those in the wrong!”

  She’s lost her mind, I decide finally.

  The UnEquipped in the crowd flee to the shadows of the trees on the Grove while the ranks of Equipped stand their ground, trying to use their unpredictable new powers to stop her. Hundreds of spells in the air make the air sound as if it’s shattering. I stand frozen in place, unsure of what to do. The witch seems unfazed by the spells thrown at her. She puts up a wall of energy to surround herself, protecting her on all sides.

  Pyrokinetic and telekinetic powers. For a moment, I’m in amazement of the woman—she’s like me.

  She lets out a bloodcurdling screech as if she’s fed up with the situation. With her shield still in place, she dashes toward the rise sending hexes at Tarj. He’s quick to dodge the first few blows until a blast of fire catches his sleeve, sending pained screams from the depths of his throat. He collapses to his knees and tries to put the fire out. Without thinking, I rush to his side, covering the flame with my cloak to put it out. The burned flesh beneath oozes with a mixture of blood and pus. It’s all I see as I squeeze the extra suave Ambrossi had given me onto his arm.

  Without any Healer training, I’m unsure if it will work or not.

  I look up, and that’s when I notice the woman has frozen in place midway up the rise. Hostile witches surround her in a semi-circle blocking her from being able to leave the grounds, but she doesn’t pay attention to them. Her eyes focus on me; she stares as if she’s seen me before. I swallow heavily, clumsily trying to stand to my feet as I prepare for her to hex me.

  She speaks instead. “Why are you going along with this?”

  The hand I had lifted in preparation for a battle lowers as my jaw falls open. “W-what?” I stutter, frozen like a statue.

  “You’re one of us!” she hisses.

  “W-who?” I ask as Tarj takes a protective step in front of me.

  The witch appears to be on the cusp of speaking again when a chubby girl with large golden bracelets breaks from the crowd to tackle her to the ground. They roll over a few times, aiming blows for each other’s faces and bodies. It’s odd to see witches with powers locked in a fistfight, but I think the severity of the situation encourages them to fight any way possible. Finally, the larger witch wins the battle.

  “You are under arrest,” the girl says to her prisoner.

  I blink and look at Tarj only to realize he’s turned to stare back at me. I hardly notice him as I glance over his shoulder, watching the witch tie the attacker’s arms behind her back before leading her off the Ceremony Grounds.

  “Let’s get you out of here.” Tarj sets a hand on my shoulder and guides me toward my parents.

  Mother quickly pulls me into her arms, and Father kisses my head as they surround me. It’s obvious they’re relieved, but I don’t feel the same—I’m on edge.

  I pull away to stare my mother in the eyes. “What was she talking about, Mother?”

  “Who?” She brushes a lock of black hair from my eyes.

  “The witch—s-she knew me.”

  “That’s impossible,” she blurts out, breaking eye contact.

  I blink, knowing perfectly well I’ve caught her in a lie, but I don’t know how to move forward from here. Helena and Clio appear before I have a chance to say another word. Helena’s eyes grow wide, and Clio moves with purpose as Helena hugs me tight, fear on her ashen face.

  “That was crazy!” she gasps into my ear and pulls back, digging her fingers into my shoulders. “I-I can’t believe she tried to stop the ceremony.”

  “Y-yeah,” I manage to utter.

  “That was so brave of you, the way you rushed to Tarj’s side. He’s the strength of our Coven.”

  “We can gush about it later,” Clio snaps to her. He grips the top of my arm with one hand and places his palm to my forehead with the other. “Are you okay?”

  I’m unable to speak, unable to think. My mind is miles away—the torches had lit up before the angry witch had attempted to stop the ritual. Does that mean I have pyrokinetic powers as well as a few others? The witch herself had demonstrated powers from Ignis and Mentis…had she simply remarked on my results?

  “She’s in shock,” I hear Clio say to my mother as his hand leaves my arm. “Get her home.”

  I’m hardly aware of the fact that I’m moving. I’m surrounded by loved ones fawning over me, worried for more reasons than I pay attention to. I let them fuss while I’m distracted, thinking of the woman’s words, and before I know it, my mind leads me deeper into an unescapable pit until thoughts of my accident consume me. Why can’t I remember what had crippled me? If it had been self-inflicted—like my parents claim—wouldn’t I remember doing it?

  When we get home, I’m aware of Helena’s hand on my shoulder. She talks to me, probably kind words, but it doesn’t matter since I don’t hear her anyways. I only think of the witch again. She had mentioned the treaty, the reason for her attack which would explain the burn she inflicted on Tarj.

  So how do I tie in?

  A few minutes later, Helena, my mother, and my father try to coax me from my thoughts as they present food to me. I sniff at it, but my stomach flops, and I push it away with bleak disinterest. My mother frowns and helps me to my feet to coax me to lie down in my bed. I’m not tired, but I’m drained—emotionally and mentally. There’s only one person who may be able to shed light on today’s events…Fern.

  That presents a new problem. How do I get to her? My parents and Helena are still in the house, no doubt talking about the Ceremony and me. If I try to go out the front door, they might not let me leave.

  Physically, I’m unable to sneak out.

  I sigh, rolling onto my side. Maybe it’ll be better to just give up and go to sleep. I clutch my blanket around me when I hear a knock on my window. My eyes open wide, and I sit up to see Clio peering in. I make a gesture to him to open the window, and he’s quick to comply.

  “What are you doing here?” I hiss, hoping the people in the other
room won’t hear.

  “You want answers, right? I do too,” he admits, tucking his elbows under himself as he leans through the open window.

  “I don’t know anything,” I point out.

  “No, but you know someone who might,” he says, voice tight with his desperation as he pulls himself the rest of the way through and sits on the edge of my bed.

  “You do too.”

  “She won’t talk to anyone but you; you know that.” He presses his lips together as if the thought of Fern’s shyness is a personal stab at him.

  “Yeah, but I can’t exactly leave, not with Mom, Dad, and Helena waiting to smother me and hide me from the world as if I’m made of glass. You saw them after the Ceremony. They didn’t know what to do,” I say, staring down at my hands.

  “Whatever happened affects you somehow, and you have the right to know exactly what the hell it was about.”

  “I have a feeling I’m better off not knowing.”

  “That’s nonsense.” He stands to his feet and climbs back into my windowsill. “I’ll help you get out,” he offers, stretching out his hand.

  My heart races as I consider my options. I can stay put and pretend nothing has happened…or I can get answers. Clio’s idea is too good to ignore. I cast the blanket aside and Clio’s eyes focus on me as I struggle to stand to my feet. It takes longer than expected to catch my balance, and I’m not proud of it. Clio waits to help—I can almost hear his unspoken offer—but I push the thought aside and grip my bed post. Feeling much more confident, my tension eases slightly as I make my way to the window where Clio easily helps me climb through to the other side.

  In the yard beyond, the wind blows through my thin dress, sending chills up my spine. If Clio feels it, he doesn’t show it as he loops his arm over my shoulders, helping me to walk at a pace much faster than I’d be able to manage on my own. We’re silent as we hobble away from my house toward Fern’s oasis. Safely out of range of my home, Clio takes his arm off my shoulders and glances at me.

  “So…I have a question, and I need to know the truth.”

  I wince at the tone of his voice. I’m used to him sounding serious, but there’s a deeper edge to it this time that lets me know whatever he’s about to say will be important.

  “You really had no idea you were Equipped with so many powers?” he wonders, looking at me through narrowed eyes.

  “I had no idea. M-my parents always told me my accident was my fault, but I never believed them,” I say flatly.

  That seems to satisfy him because he doesn’t talk again until the oasis comes into sight.

  Fern’s engrossed in skipping pebbles across the water when we spot her. When we approach, she flies toward me, eyes wide with the same fear that my parents’ eyes had held. “Lilith! I’m so glad to see you’re okay.” She clutches her hands together in front of her chest.

  “Thank you, Fern.” I offer her a small smile.

  “What does it mean, having multiple powers?” Clio demands with a slight frown embedded on his face as he takes a step toward her. He has no patience for small talk.

  Fern swallows—the light of relief in her eyes diminishes—and I can see the tension in her tiny shoulders as she faces him. It’s obvious she’s intimidated by Clio, but who isn’t? “It’s been said that there are some who gain multiple powers in the face of a new threat to the Covens and to this land.” Fern glances between me and Clio. “Tell me, were there others like you today at the Ceremony?”

  I think through the list of other results I had seen. No one else had even lit two goblets let alone all of them. I shake my head and the emotion disappears from my face. “I was the only one besides the crazy woman, of course.”

  “What did The Council have to say about it?” Fern asks, fluttering a little farther away as she speaks.

  “They didn’t say much of anything. My turn happened right before that woman tried to stop it, and afterwards, my parents and Helena took it upon themselves to coddle me until my knight in shining armor here broke me out,” I say with a grin sent to Clio.

  “The woman—the one that stopped the Ceremony—could she be a danger to the Coven? To Li?” Clio lowers his chin and locks eyes with Fern.

  Fern frowns. “I doubt it. From what I understand, she’s been arrested. If she was a danger, you don’t have to worry about her anymore. My main concern now is you, Lilith.”

  I scrunch my face as I stare at her. “Me? Why? If she’s been detained, what does it matter?”

  “Your status is bound to carry weight with it. The last witch to light multiple Goblets at her Arcane Ceremony, I think her name was Willow, ended up being murdered by The Council.”

  My eyes grow wide as Clio turns to stare at me. “Why?”

  “They saw her as a threat. There hasn’t been another like her since…well, until you, of course.” Fern juts out her lower lip.

  “You think they’d do the same to me?” My voice is quiet, and I think back to when I saved Tarj’s life. If I had known he may be my potential executioner, I would’ve let the witch do away with him.

  “So what? That’s it? Everyone just accepted the death of that witch? No one questioned it? No one rioted?” Clio’s angry questions overlap mine.

  “It’s not as if they had much of a choice,” Fern points out, a shadow falling across her face.

  “There are more of us than The Council, that’s the way it’s always been,” Clio insists.

  “Her death was a public execution—a show about what happens to people when they turn on their governing Coven,” Fern whispers, dragging her eyes off the ground to look at Clio once more.

  “They scared them into silence,” I breathed. “Was that why she attacked me? Was she trying to kill me too?”

  Fern shakes her head. “She’s not part of The Council, remember? I don’t know why she wanted to hurt you—or if it was you she even aimed for.”

  “They don’t know where she came from,” Clio adds.

  “No one knows who she is?” I ask, raising my eyebrows in disbelief.

  “Not yet,” Fern replies.

  “Is it possible there’s another Coven of witches out there, not under the control of The Council?” Clio holds a finger to his chin.

  “If there is, I’ve never heard of them before this,” Fern informs us.

  “You’d know before we would.” I purse my lips. “The woman said I was one of them—whoever ‘they’ are.”

  Clio frowns and sends me a glance through hooded eyes. “You can’t listen to her. She was obviously deranged. She probably just wanted to catch you off guard.”

  “The only thing I know is that we must be on the verge of something huge. All of you, not just Lilith, need to watch your back in these dark days. An Arcane Ceremony hasn’t been interrupted in centuries. If I know The Council, they won’t react well to this once the shock of today wears off. Lilith, you may as well wear a target because they’ll come after you just the same.”

  Chapter Six

  Curiosity Killed the Cat

  LYING IN BED that night, Fern’s words play on repeat in my mind. I never knew that multiple powers could be considered a threat to the sanctity of the Covens—I thought the Council would’ve cherished people like me. Multiple powers would be able to lead the Coven’s troops easily into a battle…but maybe that’s what they’re afraid of.

  I can’t get the thought of Willow out of my mind no matter how much I try. Her name isn’t familiar and that’s the thought that bothers me. I had leafed through a majority of my books, searching for some mention of the unfortunate witch, but her name never appears—a case like hers would be famous, I’d imagine—but she isn’t brought up anywhere.

  Maybe The Council doesn’t want us to remember.

  I can’t shake the feeling that I’m in danger—as Fern had so graciously warned—but I’m not so sure who from. Is it the woman at the ceremony or the man that had guided me to my parents? I shiver at the thought of them. This day seems to have turned every
one against me…with the exception of Helena and Clio. For the time being, they’re the only ones I can rely on.

  I hear a knock on my window once again, and I sit up, expecting to see Clio with more ideas on my situation when I catch a glimpse of green instead—it’s Fern. I hurry out of bed to the window and throw it open, leaning on the frame as I stare at her.

  “Fern! Is something the matter?” I ask quickly, shivering as the breeze from the chilly night drifts across my face. I had known the tiny fairy my entire life and not once had she ever sought me out. Something bad must’ve happened to draw her away from her oasis.

  “The woman—her name is Iris White,” she informs me.

  “How do you know?” I lean back a bit, and she lands on the windowsill beside me.

  “She’s down at the Ceremony Grounds. It’s where they’re holding her for her trial,” Fern explains.

  “Has she said anything?” I ask, raising my eyebrows.

  Fern shakes her head. “Just her name. She won’t tell them where she came from or what her mission is.”

  “Has she said anything about me?” The question slips out before I fully decide whether or not I wanted to ask it.

  Fern purses her lips. “I don’t think so, Lilith, I’m sorry.”

  I frown down at the floor. Part of me wishes she had gathered more information before dangling the little bit of knowledge she does have in my face. It seems cruel.

  At least she’s trying.

  “Want to talk to her?”

  That gets my attention immediately. “Of course, but how?”

  “I can get you to her,” she offers, glancing over her shoulder. “But you have to be quick.”

  I want to laugh at the irony of her statement, but the seriousness on her face is enough for me to know it’ll be better kept to myself.

  She’s trying to help—the only person around here that is.

  “I’ll try. Give me just a moment,” I promise, shutting the window and hobble to the door.