The Council Read online

  I peer into the hallway for signs of my parents. I don’t hear movement in the kitchen, and I assume they’ve retired to their room for the night before I rush out of the house as quickly as I can manage. My awkward gait makes my footsteps louder with each exaggerated gait, but I’m lucky enough to slip out without attracting their attention. Fern waits just a bit down the hill, in the shadows away from my house. She watches me struggle to walk toward her, my heart like a jackhammer in my chest as I pause to try to catch my breath.

  When I regain myself, she leads me to the path I had walked that morning with Clio and Helena. It’s odd how much the tone of the day has changed since then. I’m on edge once again, but now, it’s not excited jitters.

  It’s become a matter of life and death.

  The trip across Ignis is quiet, dragging out the moment as we wander through the darkness. Fern’s eyes dart in every direction as if she’s nervous something plans to attack us. The fear on her face lights a fire under my anxiety as I think about the consequences of getting caught out here. How bad things can be if Fern’s warning of my powers turns out to be true. I push the thought away, focusing on her instead. I have the feeling it’s hard for her to be away from the oasis—the only home she’s known for centuries.

  The sunbaked soil beneath my feet begins to soften into grass. I stand on the edge of the Ceremony Grounds, hiding in the shadows to survey the land. I see a guard in the distance, standing atop the altar, and I look at Fern in confusion. Does she really think I can get past them without being seen?

  “There’s guards…you didn’t mention guards,” I whisper, keeping my eyes on the outline at the top of the rise.

  “I can handle them,” Fern assures me.

  I had heard of fairies being mischief makers in the past, but Fern doesn’t seem the type—she’s serious, reserved. Before I have the chance to ask, she flutters away and I hold my breath, hoping she has the perfect plan…otherwise, this could be disastrous. I squint toward the shadow again and recognize the witch on guard—it’s Tarj. I can guess he volunteered for guard duty, most likely with a personal vendetta against Iris for the burn she almost left on his arm.

  I cross my fingers hoping Fern will be alright as she approaches him. He doesn’t notice her fluttering by his head. I’m stumped for a moment before I remember she can make herself invisible to the people of her choosing—just one ability she has as a fairy. She tosses a handful of white power directly into his face. He blinks and stares at her but seems dazed and unresponsive as if he’s sleepwalking.

  Fern shoots me a thumbs up. Inside my head, I commend her for her work. “What was that?” I glance between her and Tarj.

  “Fairy dust. He’ll be okay, but we’ve got to move quick. It doesn’t last long, and we won’t want to be here when it wears off.”

  I nod and let Fern lead the way to Iris. Close to the first line of trees, I notice the shadow of a cage, and my heart begin to pound hard in my chest. The woman from the ceremony is curled up on the bottom like an animal, and I resist the urge to poke her with a stick.

  “Hey!” I whisper.

  At first she doesn’t hear me but groans, beginning to stir from her slumber.

  “Iris!” I say louder.

  Her eyes fly wide open, and she catches my gaze. An amused smirk makes its way across her face as she moves into an animalistic pose before she relaxes, plopping down to the ground as if she hasn’t got a care in the world. “Ah, it’s you—the cripple.”

  I grit my teeth at the insult but push it away. This isn’t a friend I’m visiting, it’s a woman who potentially tried to kill me. If I want answers, I have to toughen my skin just a bit…at least for now. “Yes, it’s me. You know something about me, don’t you?”

  “I know many things about you,” she says, jutting her chin out.

  If I didn’t know better, I might have taken her for sane in this moment.

  “Who are you?” I clench my hands into fists. I feel as if she’s merely toying with me, but I also don’t want her to know just how badly she’s getting under my skin.

  “Wouldn’t you rather ask questions about yourself, dear? I’m sure you’ve heard enough of me from your Coven.”

  I pinch my eyebrows together at her words. “My Coven? They haven’t said a thing about you. Why would they?”

  “I’m from Ignis. Of course The Council would be sure to keep that information under wraps after they exiled me.”

  “They don’t exile witches,” I snap. “That’s absurd!”

  “If you really thought the words I had to say were crazy, why did you come see me, dear?” she asks, a wicked smile crossing her face as if she’s said the funniest joke she can think of.

  “I came here for answers, not games. I want to know why you did what you did at the ceremony. Why did you attack me?” Each word of my question comes out as slowly as possible to ensure she hears the importance of each one.

  “Oh, my. You seem confused. I wasn’t going after you but that blasted Council member beside you. I would’ve had him except” —she pauses and tilts her head to the side, staring into the darkness behind me— “you saved him.”

  “What do you have against Tarj?” I ask, wrapping my fingers around the bars of her cage. For a moment, I’m almost tempted to shake it until she tells me what I need to know.

  Iris smiles again. “We all have many issues with him—with The Council.”

  “’We?’” I scoff. “Now you seem to be confused. You’re alone.”

  “Today, maybe, but others are oppressed by your governing Coven.” She licks her lips quickly, and I can see the bitterness in her eyes.

  “They protect us.” I pull my hands off her cage before I point at Tarj up the hill. “He’s going to stand watch here all night to make sure you don’t get out and attempt to hurt anyone else.”

  “If you believe that, you have no idea who your real enemies are.” She stands to her feet, approaching the bars with unbalanced steps. “There’s a war coming, girlie. Do you know which side you’re on?”

  “Is that a threat?” I narrow my eyes at her. Does she realize how easily I could torture the information from her if it came to it?

  “Take it as you will.”

  “All I know is you tried to hurt me today. Not Tarj, not any of them, just you. You are the only danger these Covens have seen in a long time,” I growl, jabbing my finger toward her.

  “You’re in denial,” Iris says, bobbing her head slightly. “It’s to be expected. One of these days, your eyes will be opened to the truth of the world, and you’ll understand why I’ve done what I did.”

  “We have to go, the spell is wearing off,” Fern announces desperately from behind me, but I don’t hear her as I focus on the caged witch.

  “The Council keeps the Covens from killing one another.”

  “They are the ones threatening us harm.” She bares her teeth, lips curling back into that wicked smile.

  “Unbelievable,” I utter, beginning to walk away.

  “You’re one of us,” her voice cuts through the still night air, freezing me in place. “Deny it all you want, but you wonder about your leg. I know you do. You’re too smart to believe their lies.”

  “You know about my accident?” I ask, anger gone as I stare at her, slack-jawed.

  “Sweetie, it was no accident,” she says, chuckling.

  I’m petrified as I stare at her, unsure of how to respond.

  “Time to go,” Fern commands, her tiny hand desperately pulling at my fingers.

  “I agree—it’s time to go,” a deeper voice echoes from behind, and I close my eyes.

  Tarj.

  Slowly, I face him, but I’m at a loss for words. I don’t know how to explain why I’m here, and there’s no pretending I’m not as he stares deep into my eyes.

  “Let’s go, Lilith. You don’t need to associate with her.” He sets a hand on the top of my arm to lead me back across the land.

  “Ask your parents who you really ar
e!” Iris screams from behind me before she begins to cackle wildly.

  I peer over my shoulder to see her form begin to disappear into the shadows. I think about fighting my way free to go back to her, but Tarj tightens his grip as if he senses the temptation.

  “What are you doing here?” he grunts, shooting me a dark glare through his tawny eyes. “And how did you get past me?”

  “I wanted answers about today,” I reply simply.

  “And you think that crazy old bag of bones is gonna give ‘em to you? If you haven’t noticed, she’s in a cage.”

  I shrug, studying the grass beneath my feet as I feel a blush spread across my cheeks. I want to press the matter further when I remember the information Fern had told me about The Council and their frank dislike for people like me. In this case, it might benefit me to be quiet. I glance around for her, but she’s nowhere in sight.

  She disappeared when Tarj showed up.

  “You won’t tell my parents I was out here, right?”

  Tarj shakes his head, and I feel my heart sink.

  “I’m sorry, but they have to know. It’s dangerous, messing with these witches. They have no sense of right or wrong. Their use of black magic is everything that’s wrong with our world.” His tone is as firm as his expression as he keeps his eyes on the path ahead.

  She almost said the same about you, I think but manage to bite back the comment before it passes my lips.

  I stay silent, thinking of the words Iris had said. When Tarj and I arrive at my house, my parents aren’t happy with the news of me trespassing on the Grove. Their faces are bitter and they examine me through hooded eyes as Tarj explains to them what I had been up to. They say their pleasant goodbyes to him and as soon as the door closes, I know I’m in for it.

  “What did you think you were doing tonight, young lady?” Mother asks, placing her hands on her hips to block the door from sight.

  “I wanted answers.” I cross my arms over my chest. “What’s wrong with that?”

  “From a psychotic witch?” Father spits. “What possibly could you have to ask her?”

  “What she said at the ceremony…she said I’m one of them,” I explain, trailing off. Neither of my parents try to speak so I continue. “She said you know the truth about my accident—that you’re lying to me because you don’t want me to know who I really am.”

  “She’s not right in the head,” Father snaps.

  I shake my head. “I don’t know. Things have been weird lately, and they have no reason to be. I’m starting to believe she knows something, and that you do too, but you’re not willing to tell me for whatever reason. Today at the Ceremony, I know you saw that I lit all the Goblets. Why? Why can I do that when nobody else can?”

  Mother hesitantly stutters a “yes” in response.

  “What does it mean, Mom?” I whisper, dipping my head to catch her gaze as she stares at the floor. “I have pyro powers in me, but I can’t use them? Why?”

  Mother bites her lip, and she looks ready to speak when my father steps in once again. He clasps a hand on her shoulder but watches me. “That’s enough, young lady. Go to your room.”

  I stare at him, not surprised by the outburst. I would be more shocked if he had kept himself composed and actually tried to hear what I have to say. “How did I really injure my leg?” I try again, keeping my eyes on Mother. Out of the two of my parents, she seems more willing to talk.

  “Are you implying we’re lying to you?” Father asks.

  “No, I’m not implying, I’m flat out saying. I don’t know what it is but something doesn’t add up about this. I haven’t felt right since my powers started, and consequently, you started shutting down on me the moment you found out. You’d do better to tell me the truth because one way or another, I’m gonna find it on my own.”

  My leg is in a great deal of pain at this point from the walk with Tarj, but I’m determined not to show any weaknesses. I tap my telekinetic powers to aid me in walking out the door. Pain or no pain, I refuse to stay under the same roof as them. I slam the door extra hard to amplify my point.

  I don’t have a destination in mind, but I begin to walk anyway—desperate to put distance between them and me. My feet absently choose the trail that leads to Helena’s, and I don’t argue. When I’m about halfway there, Fern appears beside me, eyes are wide with emotion as she clasps her hands together in front of her.

  “Lilith!! I am so sorry about disappearing. You didn’t get into too much trouble…did you?”

  I shake my head. “A little bit, but it’s okay. Nothing I can’t handle. I’m glad you took me to see Iris. For so long, I’ve always thought my parents were lying to me, but after that display, I have proof.”

  “And you’re sure Iris told you the truth?”

  “All I know is I believe her and my parents the same amount,” I reply with a shrug. “And I can’t rely on any of them for answers.”

  “Where are you going?” she inquires.

  “Helena’s. Hopefully she’ll let me stay until things blow over.”

  “That bad, huh?” she questions.

  “Unfortunately so.” I peer at her from the corner of my eye.

  “I’m sorry, Lilith. We’re okay though?” Fern asks, wrinkling her brow.

  I nod and offer her a smile. “I may not have gotten the answers I wanted, but I got confirmations to my suspicions and that’s huge.”

  “Whatever you do, be careful, Lilith,” she advises.

  “Of course.”

  She dips her head before fluttering away into the night.

  When I knock on Helena’s door, she’s quick to answer. I let out a sigh of relief that it’s not her parents. “Li, what’s the matter?”

  “I-I got into a fight with my parents. Can I stay here tonight?”

  Helena frowns, glancing over her shoulder once before she faces me. “I don’t see why not. Come in.”

  I grip her shoulder with a grateful pat before I hurry to her room. “Mind if I sit down?” I ask, plopping onto her bed. “My leg is feeling sore.”

  During the anger-fueled walk, it had been easy to ignore, but without it, the pain bites at me once again. Helena nods in understanding and sits in the chair in front of her vanity desk. Lexi, Helena’s silver-and-black-striped cat, jumps into my lap as I rub my sore leg.

  “So…tell me what happened,” she says.

  “I went to see her—Iris,” I say as I scratch Lexi between the ears. The cat purrs, looking at me through narrowed eyes.

  Helena scrunches her face. “Who’s that?”

  “The woman that attacked me today at the Ceremony,” I reply, glancing up at her.

  Helena’s eyes bulge in their sockets. “Are you insane? Why would you do that? You could’ve gotten hurt!”

  “Fern urged me into it, but I’m glad I went,” I say, pursing my lips.

  “Why? What could you have possibly gained from that experience?”

  “More than I thought I would. Ever since I noticed the development of my telekinetic powers, I’ve questioned whether the things my parents told me of my accident were the truth. Iris said they’re lying to me…about who I really am,” I mutter, feeling my lower lip quiver.

  “Did you ask them?” Helena wonders, eyes sparkling with inquisitiveness.

  “After Tarj brought me home. I didn’t really have a choice. I said everything Iris told me—I asked them about my accident…they got so angry at me that it just kind of slipped out.”

  “Wow,” Helena gasps. “So what did they say?”

  “They denied it, of course, and pretended I was out of line just for asking.” I scowl at the memory.

  “What are you going to do?”

  “I’m not sure yet, but I think staying away from my parents for a while will be a good choice. I need to speak to Iris again. Black magic or not, she knows something about me that my parents are unwilling to say. I need to find out what.”

  Chapter Seven

  Burn the Witch


  I WAKE UP to Helena desperately pulling on my arm. “Li! Wake up! Wake up!” she shouts.

  Her voice sounds slow as I come back to consciousness. I sit up, my mind bleary with sleep as I try to focus on her. “What’s the matter?” I ask, wiping away the sleep from my eyes to catch the panic on her face.

  “They’re burning her—Iris!” she says, taking a desperate step forward and backward.

  Those words clear every ounce of sleep from me, and my eyes widen. “N-no, they can’t. What about her trial?”

  Helena shakes her head. “The Council doesn’t think she deserves one. There were too many witnesses for her to have a chance of innocence.”

  “They’re doing this because of me,” I mutter, struggling to stand to my feet with a frown embedded in my face. “Because I tried to visit her…t-to get answers.”

  “What are you talking about, Li? She tried to hurt you!” Helena exclaims, watching me with her eyebrows knitted together.

  I move too fast trying to walk across the room. My ankle catches in Helena’s blanket, and I lose my footing, slamming to the ground. A rough spot in Helena’s floor tears a line down my arm on impact. I bite into my lip and grit my teeth as blood begins to drip to the floor. I stare at the ugly wound, thinking of the one Ambrossi had stitched up. I don’t feel the pain as I sit up on my knees.

  “Oh, my God, Li, are you okay?” Helena gasps, bending toward me. “Should I get Ambrossi?”

  “No time,” I bark, struggling to stand to my feet.

  I get most of the way up before my knees buckle, and I stumble back down again, slamming my knees to the bloody floor beneath me. Helena tries to help me stand, and for once, I don’t stop her. I grab her shoulders, and she grips me under the elbows until I’m carefully on my feet again. She doesn’t let go as I pull my cloak tighter around myself, and I wiggle in her grasp, trying to break my way free.

  “Lilith! Wait!” She tightens her grip.

  “I can’t,” I snap, pulling my arms free.

  Helena stares at the strip of blood that smears down her hand, and I take the opportunity to rush through her house. Helena falls a step behind me, ignoring the crimson on her skin as she chases me to the door. She wears anger on her face but it’s softened with concern, part of her ready to catch me if I fall.