The Council Read online

  I’m amazed at the accuracy of my steps as we pass Helena’s parents without a word. They glance up from their breakfast, but I don’t offer them a greeting. I feel their surprised eyes on me, but I make my way outside with no explanation, and in the back of my mind, I make a note to apologize to them later.

  I start to pant as I get a few feet away from Helena’s house, and she’s quick to catch up to me, casting glance of concern over her shoulder as she stands beside me. Her fingers dig into my shoulder as she once again tries to hold me in place.

  “Li, you need to slow down,” she urges, her breath a strained huff.

  Questions burn in my mind as much as my lungs strain for air. If I’m unable to help Iris, I don’t know how I’ll get the answers I seek—or if I can.

  “No-I-I-I have to talk to Iris…before it’s too late.”

  “She’s nuts, Lilith! Besides, she might already be dead.”

  I whip around on my heels to face her. “What if she’s not?” I demand, waving my hands like a madman. “What if she’s the only one willing to tell me the truth?”

  “You’re gonna hurt yourself doing this.”

  “So what?” I snap, smacking her hands away as she tries to grab my forearm again. If Fern is right, my life is in danger anyway…and Iris might know why.

  Helena’s lips part as she stares at me. A flash of shock goes through her eyes before she buries it beneath an emotionless mask. It’s rare for us to argue, but in the moment, I don’t think about her feelings—I only see her as an obstacle. She must sense it because she doesn’t argue again as I begin to limp forward.

  The sudden movement proves to be too much. I cry out in pain as my leg twists at an awkward angle, but I force it away, thinking of the distance that still lie between me and my goal. If my leg gives out now, I will never make it. We travel a few more minutes with my frantic desperation fueling me onward, but I can’t keep it up long. My chest begins to burn with ragged gasps.

  “Did you hear the news?” Clio’s voice calls from a distance.

  Helena doesn’t speak, but I have the feeling she’s making a gesture to me. Clio calls to me to stop before both of them hover at my sides.

  “Why are you doing this?” Clio asks. A glint in his eyes tells me he’s picking the best moment to grab me and hold me in place, most likely on Helena’s instruction.

  “Answers…you wanted them just as much as I do,” I remind him, clenching my teeth as my gait grows more off-balanced.

  I take another step and my leg decides I’ve gone too far. I feel it buckle under my weight, and before I know it, I’m on the ground again. My cut from earlier roars in pain as dirt slips into the opening, but my wounded pride hurts more. I’ve fallen twice in the span of a half-hour in front of both of my friends.

  Helena drops to her knees beside me using her cloak to try to clean out the worst part of the wound. My hair hides my face from both of them as I sit on the ground, too ashamed to make eye contact.

  “Lilith, stop this,” Clio pleads, crouching beside me.

  “We’re so close,” I whisper, digging my fingertips into the ground. I gaze up at him, feeling the tears blur my vision. “What if she’s the only one that has answers?”

  Clio frowns, biting his lip as his eyes dart between me and the path ahead before he sighs. “There’s still time,” he mutters.

  I draw my eyebrows tight as I stare at him.

  “Hang on,” he says, tucking his arms underneath me.

  He lifts me easily, and I pass Helena a surprised look as he repositions his arms. Before I have the chance to protest, he cradles me to his chest and begins to walk toward The Grove. I’m ready to tell him to put me down when I notice the progress he’s making and think better of it.

  “Clio, you can’t seriously enable her!” Helena yowls, her voice overwrought with disbelief as she jogs at his side.

  “She’s right, Helena. She deserves to know the truth.”

  “Iris was a whack job…she’s being executed! You don’t want to give the Council the wrong impression, do you?” She directs that question to me.

  “After last night, it might be too late for that,” I remind her.

  Helena tilts her head to the side, stops in place, and watches Clio continue forward. A cloud of darkness spreads over her face, and I frown at the exchange, but like Helena’s parents, it’s a problem that’ll be better tackled later in the day.

  What seems like only a few minutes later, we stand on the edge of the Ceremony Grounds. My eyes widen at the number of people before us as a collective burst of shouts and chants rises. There are more now than there had been during the Arcane Ceremony, and the sight makes me temporarily forget the mission at hand. I have never seen so many people gathered in one place.

  Bad new travels fast.

  “I think every Coven is here,” Clio remarks, finally setting me to the ground.

  “All the more reason for you to not do this,” Helena says as she finally catches up to us.

  I glare at her.

  “Looks like it hasn’t started yet,” Clio points out.

  I nod, keeping my hand on his shoulder as I search the grounds for a sign of Iris. My attention goes to the altar where the Goblets had been yesterday. They’re gone now, and in their place, a large chunk of wood surrounded with handfuls of sawdust sits, pointed toward the sky. Then I see her—Iris. She’s tied to the stake by her hands and feet just as Helena had warned.

  They’re going to burn her, and nobody’s willing to stop it.

  I forget about everything as I rush forward once again. I don’t know if my friends follow me or not—I’m only focused on the thickness of the people before me. Again, it’s strange to see so many people from every Coven united for something that isn’t a Ceremony. I shake away the awe as I reach the outermost ring of people. I use my telekinesis to part enough room to squeeze through to get to the center, to Iris.

  “Iris White,” Tarj’s voice bellows out.

  I have a sinking feeling in my heart—I’m running out of time. I can hear Clio and Helena somewhere behind me but I don’t focus on them. Helena’s mistrust would only cost me time I can’t afford.

  My eyes focus on the stake.

  “You’re being charged for the crime of treason to your superior Coven and multiple charges of black magic resulting in the injuries of your fellow witches. How do you plea?” Tarj’s voice echoes around the grounds as he faces her.

  The last circle of people proves to be the thickest and hardest to break, but I’m so close that I won’t give up. “Please! Let me through!” I gasp, setting my hands on the arms of the nearest people.

  They turn to look at me as if I’m insane, but the movement gives me just enough room to squeeze through, and I don’t miss the opportunity. I hobble past them and cast a quick “thank you” over my shoulder.

  “Guilty!” Iris cackles, exposing her crooked teeth as her lips curve into her famous wicked smile. It’s obvious the thought of death doesn’t bother her at all.

  I reach the front row and Iris’ eyes catch sight of me before she cackles louder. The members of The Council surround her in preparation for the end of the execution, but I take a step forward anyway. The girl that arrested Iris yesterday holds a hand out to keep back the line of onlookers from getting any closer.

  “Who am I?” I yowl not caring about the attention I draw.

  Mutters ripple through the people at the front of the group and the girl on top of the hill looks at me through narrowed eyes. I don’t see any of it. I lock my gaze with Iris, and she looks right back at me as if she’s staring into the depths of my soul.

  “Please! You have to tell me the truth!”

  “By the law of our combined Covens, we sentence you, Iris White, to death by burning. An execution reserved for only the worst of the outlaws.” Tarj rolls his parchment up before his eyes focus on Iris.

  The old witch blinks in acknowledgement and juts her chin toward me. “You’re the leader now.”r />
  As soon as she utters those words, Tarj’s pyrokinesis catches the wood clumps beneath her feet on fire and less than a second later, it spreads to her gown, ripping easily through the fabric and into her skin and muscles. The agony of her pain hurts my heart.

  No one knows what a burn feels like better than I do.

  “No!” I scream and search for someone who can stop it, for someone to see it’s wrong.

  There’s laughter from behind me, but I don’t join in. I try to scramble up the hill, but I feel the Council’s barrier hold me back. Iris begins to scream, thrashing against her binds in desperation. All I can do is stare as the last of my hope dwindles away. Her nails dig into the stake in her agony, and two minutes later, the struggle ends. I blink for the first time, unable to tear my eyes away from the pain, from the torment of her final moments. Cheers erupt around me at the sight of her charred and lifeless body.

  I don’t share in their excitement.

  I collapse to my knees, staring at her remains. I feel as if I’ve lost a part of myself. Clio and Helena finally break through the crowd and kneel on opposite sides of me. They try to whisper carefree things to me, but I can’t be soothed. They don’t understand how deep my pain is—how can they?

  The world around me spins. Iris had been my only chance to figure out the truth of who I am.

  Now she’s gone.

  Chapter Eight

  Decisions

  “LILITH, TALK TO me…what’s going on?” Clio says, his hand on my arm.

  “She’s gone…my last hope is gone,” I whisper, staring at the pile of Iris’ ashes. It’s almost hard to believe that a moment before those tiny pieces of dust had belonged to a living, breathing witch. I blink before I look at Clio. “What am I supposed to do now?”

  “Answers? She was a crazy old bat,” Helena retorts, folding her arms over her chest. “Even if she could’ve helped you, I doubt she would.”

  “I think you’re sleep-deprived,” Clio adds, much nicer.

  “Fern brought me here last night…Iris knew something about me…or she did anyways,” I mutter with another glance at the stake. The girl that had arrested Iris goes to work cleaning up the remains of the executed witch, and I pull my eyes away.

  Clio scrunches his face as if he doesn’t believe me. “What? Fern was connected to this mess?”

  “Not connected, just on top of it. Besides, Iris knew the truth about my accident. I didn’t trust a word from her mouth, but I trust Fern, and she believed it.”

  “How? How could Iris possibly know a thing about you?” Clio raises an eyebrow.

  “She was from Ignis.”

  “How do you know that?” Helena asks, staring at me with jaws parted.

  “She told me. She also said The Council exiled her.” My eyes dart between my friends to study both their reactions at once.

  Clio shakes his head with a small grin on his face. “They don’t do that.”

  “I said the same thing,” I say, sighing wistfully as the scene from last night plays in my mind.

  “So why was she exiled?”

  “I don’t know, and now, I’ll never know,” I mutter, frowning as my fingers tear a few grass blades free. “Iris said she wanted to hurt Tarj, not me. She had something against The Council, so I’m guessing she’s done something like this before.”

  “So, Fern knew that this witch knew something about you, but she knows nothing about it herself?” Clio narrows his eyes as he watches me.

  “She interrogated Iris on my behalf. After the Arcane Ceremony, she wanted to know the witch’s reasons for doing what she did.”

  “That doesn’t answer my question.”

  “Fern thought I’d want to speak to her.” I swipe a lock of my black hair from my eyes.

  “So what’d she tell you?”

  “To be suspicious.”

  “That’s it?” Clio scoffs, rolling his eyes before his attention focuses back on me.

  “She told me my injury wasn’t an accident. Th-that my parents know the truth, and that The Council is really my enemy.” My shoulders slump under the weight of that statement. If all of it’s true, my life is more messed up more than I would’ve guessed.

  “I don’t buy that Iris told her nothing,” Clio shoots back.

  “All I’ve heard from Fern is that she passes on her sympathies for getting me in trouble,” I remark, turning to the departing crowd. It’s hard to ignore the stares some of them give me. They think I’m insane—after my little display, I don’t blame them. I shrug off the thought. Most of them are from other Covens anyway.

  “How can you be so sure she isn’t holding anything from you?”

  I shrug. “I’m not sure really. How am I supposed to be after these past few days? It seems like almost everyone has hidden something from me.”

  Helena tips her head to the side and stares at me through wide eyes but doesn’t speak.

  “Beside you guys,” I add with a hefty sigh.

  “That little bitch gets in everywhere—she has to know something,” Clio debates, waving his hands to emphasize his words.

  “If you think she’s hiding information from me, why don’t you go ask her?” I wave a dismissive hand at him as I struggle to stand to my feet.

  Clio’s jaw sets as he wraps an arm around my waist to help me balance. I’m too numb inside to summon my usual rage at his gesture.

  “Let it go, Clio,” Helena says, standing up as well.

  He narrows his eyes at her, but she stands as tall as she can, seemingly not intimidated by him.

  “I think it’s kind of funny that both Fern and Iris told you The Council were the bad guys. That’s not a common opinion, you know.”

  I lick my lips and stare at him feeling on the verge of a fight.

  “If Fern knew something, she would tell Li,” Helena reassures him, and I can hear my own irritation reflected there.

  I shoot her a grateful look as we stroll a few feet away from the bottom of the rise.

  “Maybe she wouldn’t say a word if she has a stake in the outcome,” Clio suggests, crossing his arms over his chest.

  I clench my teeth, feeling the anger wash over me at his comment, and this time, it’s not as easy to ignore. “What are you saying? That she’s really an enemy? That she’s what…using me for information? Do you think she had a part in hurting me? What exactly do you think happened to me? You think people just took turns hurting me, messing me up for life so they could mock me fifteen years down the road?” I hiss, stalking toward him.

  Clio’s eyes widen in surprise, and he holds his palms out. “Look, calm down. I’m just saying there has to be some reason she’s taken so much interest in you.”

  “She’s my friend, that’s why,” I say slowly, my face an inch from his as I stand on my tiptoes in what I hope is an intimidating stance.

  Clio breaths in deep through his teeth, but it’s obvious he’s not convinced. “Fine.”

  “You still don’t trust her?”

  “Not a bit.”

  I chew on the inside of my cheek, dragging my gaze away as we fall silent, anger sweeping through us while Helena watches with an uncomfortable expression on her face.

  “Lilith, is it?” I recognize Tarj’s voice.

  I look at him, lips parted slightly, as I watch him walk down the hill. His windswept silver hair blows in the breeze in the same way that his baggy pants do. Throughout my talk with Clio and Helena, I had forgotten he was still on the altar. I realize too late that he must’ve eavesdropped.

  “You clearly knew that,” I reply, narrowing my eyes against the sun.

  “What is your fascination with Iris? You’ve caused quite a scene these past few days,” he says, folding his arms over his chest.

  “Does it matter now? She’s dead.”

  Tarj nods. “We believe Iris is part of something bigger. I don’t exactly know why she targeted you, but based on your results at the Arcane Ceremony, you are special.”

  I stare at him
through wide eyes. The idea that I could be in danger doesn’t register with me. I focus instead on the news that Iris didn’t work alone. Would her people know the truth about me? Was there a specific reason she had targeted me, or was it only because I happened to be on the altar at the time of her attack?

  “So what of it?” I demand. “Are you going to punish me for it? Drag me back to my parents again?”

  Tarj shakes his head. “I think this issue is more serious than you realize.”

  Fern’s warning echoes in the back of my mind, but I hardly notice it. Clio’s arm brushes against mine—he can tell I’ve tensed up.

  “How so?” Clio asks, tilting his head as he stares Tarj down.

  “Well, as you know, it’s rare for a child of UnEquipped parents to become Equipped…even more so for them to have multiple powers. That’s not the type of thing that goes unnoticed.”

  I swallow roughly and eye him. It’s hard to tell if his words are meant as a threat or not.

  He continues to speak. “You have a major decision ahead of you.”

  “What’s that?” I ask though I know the same question is on both Clio’s and Helena’s minds. For a moment, I wonder to myself if they would consider exiling me as they had done to Iris to keep Ignis safe.

  It would certainly be a lot less work for them, and if iris and Fern are right, it seems like a job that’s right up their alley.

  “We, at The Council, recommend that you go live in Mentis—at least for a little while.”

  “Why?” Helena inquires. “Why can’t she stay here?”

  She grabs my hand, worried about losing me. The thought of being separated from Helena makes me sad, but it’s mixed with the joyous thought of escaping my parents. Tarj stares at me as if to gauge my reaction, but I return a blank expression. It must be as obvious to him as it is to me that I don’t know what to feel.

  “We have reason to believe that this group may be aware of your location in Ignis. If you stay, you will most likely be targeted again.”