The Council

by BooksGoSocial Fantasy

  “Grateful, really? You show your gratitude by ripping me away from my loved ones? My home?” I ask, jutting out my bottom lip. “That doesn’t seem the least bit twisted to you?”

  Crowe holds his palms out. “Don’t look at me, darling. Complaints should go directly to The Sage. I’m just following orders.”

  I raise a hand to my temple and close my eyes for a long moment. I have the feeling she would toss out my complaints just as she cast aside my doubts.

  “Fat lot of good that’ll do.” I sigh and look up at him. “Why are you my mentor anyway? Our powers are completely different. You can’t help me, and I have no desire to try to help you.”

  “If The Sage wanted us to know, she would’ve told us. I want to think she’s taken a liking to me because of my power. Mentoring you is a huge promotion for me, if you will.”

  In my head, I make a note to make his job as hard as possible for giving me the piercing. “Shapeshifting—you’re the only one in history to pull it off. If you don’t mind my asking, which Coven did you come from?”

  I don’t know why I suddenly find myself envious of his abilities, but I am. If I could shapeshift, I would change into someone else and slip away from the Grove before they realized I was gone. They would never find me again.

  “Aquais,” he replies and lets out a short chuckle. “Seems like everyone I meet asks me that question. Why the sudden interest in me?”

  “What else am I supposed to do with my time now that I’m here? Wallow for the rest of the day?” I snap, ripping up a handful of grass blades.

  “Fine, fine.” He smiles again and sits down on a nearby rock. “I’m glad you’re trying to make the best of it.”

  “Not as if I have many options.”

  He ignores me. “What Coven did you expect me to be from?”

  “I’ve never met someone from there before,” I admit with a quick look at him before I resume my work on the grass. “If I had to guess, I would’ve assumed Mentis. They seem to have the most variety of powers.”

  “I was confused the first time I changed, to say the least.” He pauses to run a hand through his hair. “I saw all my friends being able to conjure water and me, well, I thought there was something wrong with me for not being able to do the same.”

  “What was the first thing you ever changed into?” I ask, blowing the handful of grass from my hand.

  “A crow,” he says. “Hence the name.”

  “You changed your name?”

  Crowe nods. “Most of us have. The Sage says that with a new identity comes a new title.”

  I purse my lips at the idea of being forced into changing my identity as well. “She didn’t mention having me change my name.”

  Crowe shrugs again. “Maybe you won’t have to. She might figure she’s dragged you through enough torture to put you in your place without completely taking the wind from your sails.”

  I blink at him, hoping that statement to be true more than he could ever possibly understand. So much is changing so fast, I don’t know how much more I can handle before I snap.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Advisory Council of Fairies

  “SO, WOULD YOU like to get the tour started or would you rather continue to pout for a few more minutes?” Crowe asks, raising an eyebrow as he stares at me from his place across the clearing.

  I shoot him a sarcastic glance and struggle to stand to my feet. My anger helps me as much as my magic. “Don’t pretend as if I have a choice now. It’s very misleading.”

  He dips his head with a crooked smile lighting across his face. “Very well,” he says before he begins to lead me into the depths of the Grove once more.

  I sigh and follow him, too exhausted to bother with my usual bravado. Gauging from my experience so far, it seems I’ll have to get used to strenuous exercise—The Council is a fan of it. I recognize the magnificent garden surrounding Headquarters as we approach it, and I arch an eyebrow as we pass through the trees.

  “Where are we going?” I inquire, staring at the back of his head.

  “Training grounds,” he says over his shoulder.

  “Training grounds?” I echo, wondering if I heard him right.

  “You want help bringing out your pyro powers, right?” he asks, and I manage to increase my pace to his.

  I nod, knowing there was never an easier question for me to answer in my life.

  “I know how hard it can be to reign in your powers at first. It’ll be my job to help bring those powers out,” he explains.

  “Okay,” I agree with a feeling that maybe not all The Council’s requests are farfetched.

  If possible, I hear him mutter.

  “Excuse me?” I draw my eyebrows together, staring at the side of his face.

  He swallows, eyes growing wide as turns to look at me. “I didn’t say anything.”

  “You doubt I have those powers too?” I murmur, bobbing my head. Despite the situation I’m in, it’s comforting to know there are others that don’t expect the world from me.

  “How did you know that?” he questions, words slipping from his lips quickly, and I’m more confused by the reaction.

  “You just said it?” I reply—am I losing my mind?

  “No, I didn’t.” He knits his eyebrows together, appearing as confused as I feel.

  Had that been his thought I heard? Can it be possible for me to develop clairvoyant powers now? I remember the sound of my mother’s voice the night before the Arcane Ceremony, thinking it’s the perfect answer for that incident, but swallow back the idea as I reply, “Just a guess then.”

  “Either way, you’re right,” he admits, exhaling loudly.

  I scoff. “That’s very reassuring from the people that kidnapped me from my home.”

  “You’re gonna have to let go of that. Now that you’ve got that piercing in your ear, it doesn’t matter.”

  I fold my arms across my chest. “I disagree.”

  Crowe closes his eyes for a long minute. “Either way, it’s not that I doubt you, I just know how hard it’ll be to manage two different powers.” He opens his eyes to look at me. “And if you really have five, or one from each Coven like the Ceremony said, then I don’t envy you at all.”

  I nod and we continue to move, feeling as if this is the only time I can come to an agreement with him. The grass disappears into sunburned Earth like that of Ignis. I take a breath of air feeling more at home on the scorched sand than I did in the woods. Up ahead, the ground begins to dip into a large rut in the ground like someone had taken a scoop out of it. Crowe steps down into the curve before he looks up at me.

  “Since you’re from Ignis, these grounds will be the best for you,” he informs me, holding a hand against his forehead to shield his eyes from the sun.

  “Are there other grounds besides this one?” I ask, idly hoping to avoid traveling down the dip in the ground before me.

  “Yep, one for each Coven. I think you’d hate Aquais’!”

  I shiver at the idea of a cold, soggy marsh and eye the slope before me, testing it carefully with my good leg before I slide down, wobbling at the end of the rise until I fall on my butt with a groan. The air leaves my lungs, puffing the lock of hair from my eyes as I stare at Crowe.

  “At least you made it.” He chuckles, scratching at the back of his neck.

  “How does this work?”

  “Simple—try and light something on fire,” he says.

  “I’ve tried it before,” I point out, narrowing my eyes at him. “Nothing ever came of it.”

  “Then you didn’t try hard enough. That’s what we’re going to work on here.”

  I glance around at the barren land but nothing seems to stand out. What does he expect me to do?

  I look back at him in time to see him shift into a crow and watch as he plucks a feather out of his side and tosses it to the ground. My eyes dart from it back to him. I can see the command in his eyes a moment before I hear him say, Yours.

  I narrow my eyes
at him, wondering if he’s testing my mind-reading powers, but push the thought away before I look at the feather. I concentrate on it, much the way I had focused on the vase the day I showed Helena my telekinetic powers. I stare at it, pouring my energy into the glare before I feel my strength begin to diminish. The veins in my neck show under my skin as I struggle to keep the hold a moment before I collapse to my knees, eyes still on the feather before it finally rips to shreds, and I let out the air, setting my fingers to the ground as I struggle to regain myself.

  I watch Crowe switch back into his human form and close my eyes as he pulls his clothes on.

  “Well, you didn’t quite do it,” Crowe sighs, studying the remains of his feather scattered on the ground.

  “I tried,” I pant, lifting my dirty fingers to wipe away the sweat from my brow. “Is this when I say I told you so?”

  “No. It was a valiant effort,” he replies, picking up one of the fluffy bits from the dirt. “I didn’t expect you to get it on your first attempt, but I’m glad you put so much work into it. I think you’ll make good progress fast.”

  “I don’t need your approval,” I grumble to myself and try climbing to my feet. I take a step and lurch forward uncertainly. After the strain, my magic reserves are next to empty, and I can’t use my telekinesis to keep myself steady. I’ve never run out of magic before. I roll my bottom lip between my teeth. Before today, I thought that was a myth.

  “Are you all right?” he calls.

  His voice breaks me from my thoughts, and I look up, attempting to focus my gaze on him while blocking out the thoughts in my mind. “We’re done training for today?” I ask, ignoring his question.

  “Of course, you’re drained,” he says, tightening his face. “It’d be cruel to have you keep going. Besides, I have more to show you on the tour.”

  “H-has this ever happened to you?” I swallow roughly at the nagging exhaustion that suddenly washes over me.

  “What? Running out of magic?” he asks, tilting his head to the side.

  I break eye contact and force away the thought that I could be feeding my enemy a possible weakness.

  “Yes, it happened a lot of first. It’s another reason we need to train—it’ll give you more stamina. The last thing we want is for you to run out of energy during a battle.”

  I don’t say anything as I follow him away from the Training Grounds. In the distance, I hear burbling water, like the sounds of the fountain in the garden, but louder…wilder. There’s a river nearby. I follow Crowe to the edge of the rapid water and watch the way the currents tug at the thick reeds.

  “Why are we here?”

  He takes a few steps away, eyes focused intently on the water as if he’s searching for something. “This is a special place. This is home to the Advisory Council of Fairies.”

  “The what?” I ask, raising my eyebrows. I knew there were other fairies beside Fern that lived throughout the Land of Five, but I didn’t think any of them lived with The Council. Fairies are believed to be rebellious, mischievous even, so the thought of proper fairies has me admittedly baffled.

  “In the same way that The Council governs the rest of the Covens, The Advisory Council of Fairies watches over the rest of the fairies,” Crowe explains as he looks at me.

  “I’ve never heard about them.”

  “We make sure the school keeps them out of the curriculum. As you know, fairies are delicate. If they wanted people to know they were here, they would’ve told us.”

  “Right.” I chew on the inside of my cheek. “What decides which fairies help The Council?”

  “While regular fairies are capable of tiny moments of magic, these ones are powerful—as strong as we are…maybe even more so.”

  My lips part. The thought of a fairy having as much power as a witch is a statement I never thought I’d hear in my life. Crowe looks away to continue his search, and I narrow my eyes to better see through the water plants. I’m almost eager to see what a fairy that powerful looks like.

  “They’re not here, not right now. You’ll meet them later, I guess. Do you have any experience around fairies?”

  I nod, thinking of Fern. Idly, I wonder what her powers are. Based on the stunt she pulled the night I met Iris, I would say trickery is within her range. She also seems to be good at healing. Maybe she’s more a fairy meant for the Alchemist Coven—it would certainly explain her relationship with Ambrossi.

  “You should be able to handle them just fine then. The Sage likes her privacy so she most likely won’t want to answer all your questions. At least she didn’t with me. If you can’t find me, seek them out. They’ll be more than happy to help.”

  I nod again and we begin walking down the riverbank.

  “Crowe, is that you?” a tiny voice calls from the river, her voice so light and lilting, it’s almost musical.

  “Oh, you are here!” he exclaims, turning to her.

  I turn as well to see a fairy with pixie-cut blue hair and large green eyes. Her pink wings are much larger than her body keeping her in the air as she flutters above the river. She wears a tiny purple dress with silver bracelets that clank as she waves to us. She stares at Crowe, and I don’t take my eyes off her. She reminds me of a peppier version of Fern.

  “Callista, this is Lilith. She’s new.”

  The tiny woman focuses her attention on me, a warm smile gracing her face as she does so. “It’s so nice to meet you! What’s your power?”

  “She’s still trying to figure it out as it develops,” Crowe says with a sideways glance to me and a shrug. “She’s torn between pyrokinesis and telekinesis.”

  Possibly even clairvoyance, who knows?

  I glance at Callista to see the way she tilts her head. She lifts her eyebrows as her wide green eyes stare at me—through me—with a meaningful expression.

  Had it been possible she had heard my thought? If so, she doesn’t comment on it as another fairy makes an appearance. She peers at me from the reeds—her black hair and black wings match. She has a sour expression on her face, giving me the impression she’s different, more pessimistic than either Fern or Callista.

  I let out a small chuckle of amusement. I didn’t know it was possible for them to radiate an air of negativity. Today, I’m learning quite a bit about fairies.

  “What’s going on?” she asks, flying free from the reeds to flutter beside Callista. Her large black wings are spiky and solid black, not the opaque hue like most fairy’s wings have.

  “New recruit,” Callista replies with a gesture to me.

  “Who are you?” The new fairy addresses me, jutting out her chin as she eyes me up and down.

  “I’m Lilith—Li, for short. You?” I manage to say, feeling Crowe’s eyes on me.

  “I’m Thorn,” she replies with a curt nod of her head.

  I scrunch my face. “As in, thorn in my side?” A wide smile spreads across my face before I can stop it. The idea of such a pessimistic fairy seems hilarious.

  “Yes, mind your manners, Li,” she retorts, folding her arms across her chest. I bite my tongue as I catch the obvious scathing in her voice especially when she says my name.

  Crowe shoots a glare my way at the exchange, and I clear my throat in a desperate attempt to compose myself.

  “I’m sorry, it’s just you seem bitter…like me. I-I didn’t know it was possible. I’m surprised is all…no disrespect,” I murmur, running my tongue along my teeth. I’m disappointed in myself. I’ve always considered myself to be closer to fairies than to witches, and the fact I mucked up such an important relationship within the first five minutes shows just how far I’ve fallen.

  Fern would disapprove if she heard of it—that much I’m sure of.

  “There must be logical minds among all species if they hope to survive,” she says. “Not everyone can be bridled with hope and optimism.”

  “You’re right. Again, I’m sorry.” I reach into the fold of my robes to fiddle with Ambrossi’s amulet. Even though she’s a fract
ion of my size, the strength of her piercing glare makes me more nervous than the idea of telling my parents about my telekinesis had.

  For a moment, I remember doing the same thing on the last day of class. There were a lot of things we were kept in the dark about, and idly, I wonder to myself why we even had to attend. I’ve learned more about the truth of my Coven—and The Council—in the hours since waking up than I ever did in the year of classes I had attended in Ignis. I have a feeling I’ll only learn more and more the longer I stay in the Grove.

  I stare at the fairies, wondering if they can sense my anxiety.

  Thorn drops her arms, clenching her hands into fists at her sides but doesn’t say another word. I know I’ve messed up—I’ve made an enemy of someone who should be my ally. I don’t break my gaze. I want to apologize again, but the words stick in my throat. They won’t do any good—I can tell by Thorn’s clenched jaw. If she’s anything like me, the apology will only further irritate her.

  “You’ll have to forgive her, she’s going through a lot right now,” Crowe says quickly, with a small, hesitant step toward them. “She was just recruited today, and she’s not too happy about being here.” Crowe lifts his hand to cover the side of his face as he whispers to them, “She was tricked into joining The Council.” He composes himself, sending me a quick glance before he clears his throat, once again addressing the fairies. “I’m sorry to bother you, ladies, really. It’s just a meet-and-greet on our tour.”

  “That’s quite all right. I’ll see you again!” Callista says, disappearing back into the reeds. Thorn manages a quick, “Hmph.” Then she follows the lead of her friend.

  With them out of sight, Crowe grasps my arm and begins to pull me away from the riverbank before I can utter a goodbye. When we’re out of earshot, he shoves me ahead of him. Not expecting the force, I topple to the ground with a groan as the cut on my elbow from Helena’s cracks open on contact. I get up on my hands and knees, lifting my injured elbow a few inches off the ground as the first drop of blood falls free. Crowe steps around me so he’s in my sights, folding his arms across his chest as he stares down at me with disapproval on his face.