The Council

by BooksGoSocial Fantasy

  “What the hell?” I bark out as I peer at him through the gaps in my blue-black hair. If my magic hadn’t been drained, I would be tempted to use a burst of telekinesis to send him flying into the river. If he’s a true Aquais, he would be able to swim out, no problem.

  If not, it wouldn’t be my concern.

  “Could you have been any ruder?” he snaps, sneering at me.

  “Hey! I apologized!” I say, shuffling myself to a sitting position as I cradle my injured arm.

  “That doesn’t make it right,” he growls, the anger evident on his face. “You have certain rules you have to live by now. You can’t just go around disrespecting people like you usually do. Do you have any idea how powerful those fairies are? They are the rule makers of this land, not us. We’re enforcers, doing everything we can to make sure that they’re content.”

  “What happened to the sympathy you tried to feed them?” I retort, curling my lip as I stare him down.

  “I’m running out of sympathy for you. This isn’t a game, and you’re not a child. I don’t care how badly your day is going, behavior like that will get you sent to see The Sage.”

  “It won’t happen again. Geez,” I spit and try to stand. “Call it a nervous breakdown.” I pause and look at him again. “You know, from all the stress.” As those words leave my lips, I wobble on shaky legs, hoping my anger will be enough to keep me up as it had done earlier. Instead, my legs buckle under my weight, and I collapse to my knees again.

  Crowe sighs, ruffling his shaggy crimson hair with his hand before he offers it to me. “Let me help you, darling,” he says.

  I smack his hand away with a snarl and glare up at him from the crouched position I’m in. “I don’t need your help. I can help myself, thank you,” I seethe.

  “Hey, I smell blood…are you guys okay?” Callista calls as she appears from her home in the water, then her eyes widen at the sight of blood covering my arm. “Hang on!”

  She flutters over to me, tiny eyes darting up and down to take in full view of the wound before she flutters away. I pass a questioning glance to Crowe, but he doesn’t return it. Callista comes back a moment later with a packet of green mush that reminds me of the stuff Ambrossi had given me when I cut my arm with the vase. She murmurs a few words, cleaning the blood away from the wound and smears the green stuff on my skin in the blink of an eye. She murmurs a few more words, and the paste is cleaned away—the wound underneath sealed shut as if I had never injured it.

  I look at it through amazed eyes, twirling my arm to better see the patch of skin, before looking back at her. “Thank you, Callista.”

  She clasps her tiny hands together and rests them against her cheek. “You’re very welcome! Please do try to be careful!”

  I gnaw the inside of my cheek to hold back a sarcastic remark. I had already made enemies of Thorn, I don’t want to do the same with Callista—especially after she had gone out of her way to help me. Instead, I busy myself with trying to stand, and she watches me struggle, the expression on her face drooping slightly. I see the sympathy there, and it gets harder to hold in my thoughts. She taps her tiny hand to my arm, and I look up at her. Without realizing it, I stand to my feet with ease. I suck in a small breath, glancing down at my feet before turning my attention back to the fairy, my amazement showing on my face. She smiles at me again before fluttering away back to her home in the reeds.

  They really are powerful. I blink and watch her disappear into the river once more.

  “Your arm looks much better, darling,” Crowe says, and it’s obvious from the tone of his voice that he’s given up our fight.

  I don’t feel the same. I break from my trance and whirl on him. “Stop it. That’s enough of the ‘darling.’”

  “Well, someone’s showing her true colors,” Crowe mutters with an irritated tick of his head.

  “I have this whole time, you haven’t noticed? I’ve had enough of this bullshit,” I spit, brushing the dirt off my arms. “I’m not a ragdoll you can toss around and control because I speak my mind.”

  “No, but you belong to The Sage now—we all do,” he remarks, reaching up to poke at the rainbow earring in his ear.

  With a frown, I copy his movement, digging my nails into the ugly gem again. “Because of you,” I add.

  “Hey, I had orders! What was I supposed to do?”

  “I don’t want to hear it.” I shake my head back and forth slowly. “Take me back to Headquarters. I want to put in a formal request to go home.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  A New Life

  CROWE PROTESTS THE entire time, but I barely hear him. I feel as if I’ve been submerged underwater and the world is eerily disconnected from me. I don’t want to be part of The Council—that much I know. It’s the only constant I’ve been able to hang onto since I first met Tarj at the Arcane Ceremony. I don’t want to carry the weight of the world on my shoulders…I can barely even manage my own.

  Thorn’s scathing expression had shown all my doubts and fears. I can’t hide them; they literally show in my every move. I’m not like the rest of the people on The Council. I’m not strong, and I doubt all the training in the world would be able to make a difference. Clio would be a much better fit than I am.

  “Please reconsider!” I hear Crowe say suddenly from behind me as his voice finally breaks through the barrier of my thoughts.

  It’s the first coherent thing I hear from him, but I ignore it. That’s when I hear a handful of grunts and groans from behind me. He’s shapeshifting again; I recognize the noises from his shifting into a crow, but I don’t want to face him to see why he’s changing. I’m sure he’s chosen his favorite bird form to fly back to Headquarters and warn them about my approach. I take a deep breath through my nose, waiting for the flapping of raven wings overhead when I hear an ear-splitting roar behind me instead.

  That’s when I finally turn.

  There’s a grizzly bear behind me, wasting no time charging toward me with its jaws parted to show every one of its sharp teeth. Quickly, I lift my hand, hoping to have just a bit of magic left in my reserves—anything to knock the bear away from me before he can dig his teeth in my skin. I already have one mangled limb; I don’t want to face the idea of having two. I focus, trying to hoist the massive bear off the ground with my mind.

  Crowe does not slow, and I begin to panic. Is he really psycho enough to tear me to pieces? I swallow roughly and think back to him shoving me to the ground; he had done it with enough force to make me bleed—I can’t put anything past him after that. My fingers curl as my desperation sharpens. Pain begins to prick at me, clouding my mind like the worst migraine I’ve ever endured, and it becomes harder to focus on the threat before me as tremors rock my body. When he’s two meters away, I close my eyes, and my knees buckle beneath me. Somehow, I manage to stay on my feet. That’s when I hear the sharp yelp of pain, and my eyes stretch wide to see a patch of fur on the bear’s shoulder is on fire, halting him in place.

  I watch as Crowe drops to the ground, rolling in a patch of mud to put out the flames before I stare at my hand in astonishment, wondering if the fire came out of me. I glance over my shoulder, scanning the riverbank for signs of a possible ally as I hear Crowe shifting back to his human shape.

  I look at him through angry, bitter eyes. “You are insane!” I screech at him before he has the chance to say a word.

  He holds a hand up to his singed shoulder, a layer of black soot mixed with mud is streaked there, but doesn’t seem bitter for the injury. His eyes shine as he stares at me, a hint of a smile on his lips. “Maybe, but it worked, didn’t it?”

  “You had no idea it even would! What was your Plan B? Dare I ask?” I demand, hobbling toward him with my eyes narrowed.

  He shrugs. “You only had two options—fight back or jump in the river.”

  I glance down at my leg, not saying a word as I purse my lips, dragging my eyes back to him.

  “I would’ve saved you, of course,” he adds,
rolling his eyes.

  I press a finger between my eyes and take a deep breath through my nose. Suddenly, Tarj doesn’t seem so bad compared to the whack job they paired me with. The moods he’s shown me have all been vastly different…as different as summer and winter, sometimes with fall between them. I don’t know what to expect next. “Stay away from me…just get away.”

  When I turn away from him, I feel him set his hand to my shoulder, and I smack it away.

  “You’re my apprentice, you’re supposed to listen to me.”

  I laugh in response, beginning to make my way down the riverbank, away from The Advisory Council of Fairies and away from Crowe. I don’t know how I do it, but I manage to run the rest of the way to Headquarters. I have a feeling Callista’s spell has something to do with my sudden physical ability. Whatever the case, when I enter through the wide archway beyond the path of the garden, the spell wears off.

  I pant and drag myself forward, desperate to get to The Sage before my legs give out completely. My lungs ache but it’s only a temporary distraction. When I pass through the Common Room, I’m wary for signs of Rayna but don’t see her. Instead, there’s a pale girl with blonde hair sitting in the seat beside the window. She glances at me over the top of the book she’s reading through wide violet eyes as I storm through the room, but I pay her no mind. If my mission works, I won’t have to meet her anyway.

  I don’t even knock as I swing open the door to The Sage’s room, peering down the stone-lined corridor that separates the Common Room from her. I wonder if the girl in the Common Room will try to stop me before I shrug off the idea and storm down the long stretch of darkness. When I finally emerge into The Sage’s space, I find her still bent over her cauldron. At the sound of my entry, she looks at me through calm eyes—not a hint of surprise on her face.

  “Lilith, dear, what can I do for you?” she asks, dipping the blade of her boline into the potion.

  “I want to go home,” I state, storming toward her before I fold my arms over my chest. “I gave it a shot, but this isn’t right for me.” For anyone, I add silently.

  “Have you checked with Crowe?” her voice rasps as she sets the damp knife down on her desk.

  I shake my head, collapsing into the chair beside her. “Of course not; he’s nuts—he changed into a grizzly bear and attacked me when I was almost out of magic, knowing I most likely wouldn’t have been able to fight. Physically and mentally, I can’t handle this. I don’t want this—to be in The Council—to do any of this. I think you’d better find someone else, someone who can better fit this role.”

  “And who do you propose could do that?” The Sage inquires, tipping her head to the side.

  “I-I don’t know,” I say, licking my lips in frustration. “There’s got to be someone better adjusted than me.”

  “I’m sensing a deeper issue here than what Crowe’s done. What’s the matter, Lilith?” she asks, folding her hands together on her lap.

  “I-it’s all too much. I can’t do this. I can’t handle my powers a-and the forced Dedication.” I pause to study her for a moment, gauging her reaction at the mention of the ceremony. Her face remains the same, and with a reluctant sigh, I continue. “I can’t be the person who commands everyone I used to stand beside. I miss my family and friends.”

  “You don’t think the rest of The Council misses their loved ones?”

  “I’m sure they do, but they also like this job,” I say, digging my hand into the soft material of the seat beside my thigh.

  “With time, you’ll come to enjoy the job as well. This is a difficult period in your life, things are changing and that always takes some adjustment. Even if you hadn’t been recruited by The Council, your life would be changing at this moment. Your Coven Duties would’ve changed, and you would’ve had to move out of your parents’ house. Just because this isn’t the way you pictured your life going doesn’t mean you’d feel any different if you had taken the alternative path.” The Sage blinks once as she watches me, and I shuffle awkwardly under her stare, feeling my rage beginning to dwindle away despite myself.

  “Never seeing them again, though? This doesn’t feel like a positive change. It feels like a punishment,” I reply, staring back at her with a face that feels as emotionless as my voice sounds.

  “It’s not forever, dear,” she assures me with a throaty laugh.

  I perk up at her comment, leaning forward in the chair as my eyes lock on the green potion in her cauldron. “Then why does it feel like it?” I ask, finding the questions come easier when I don’t look directly at The Sage. “Everyone treats it as if I’ll be here until I die.”

  “They just want you to get used to the idea that they’ll be your Coven now. You’ll always have a special spot for your friends and family, of course, but your new Covenmates will be the people you come to care about the most.”

  I compare thoughts of Helena and Clio to Tarj and Crowe, and instantly shoot down her statement, resisting the urge to say it out loud. “Yesterday, things were fine, and now I’m here, and everything’s different.” I don’t know who I can trust anymore, I think and jut my lips out in a pout.

  “You’re growing up, Lilith, turning a new leaf is part of that. There’s no changing the future, but you can change the way you handle it. A sour disposition will only make things harder on you as well as for those around you,” she states, glancing up at me as she begins to sort through a pile of leaves on her desk.

  “That may be true, but I’m here telling you I can’t do this. I’m practically begging you to take this earring out now,” I demand, fingertips gripping into the edge of the table as I lean against it to bare my ear to her. I’m sure that all it takes is one spell uttered from her lips to free me from the curse of my new life. The only thing I don’t know is how to get her to say it.

  “I can’t do that,” she replies, lifting her chin to stare me in the eyes.

  “B-but why? I don’t want to be here!” I stutter, feeling my shoulders slump as my hands slip from her table.

  “You seem to overlook the fact that none of them did. This isn’t a fun job. It’s hard—loaded both with responsibilities and danger. If people weren’t handpicked for The Council, it stands to reason there wouldn’t be a governing Coven at all.”

  I pull my lips tight as I flick my gaze to the window, staring out at the magnificent garden beyond, mind a blank on what to say.

  “Let me tell you a little story, Lilith. The first time they were brought here, many of them had similar reactions to you. They weren’t happy, they didn’t want to do this, didn’t think they could do this. Because many of them are so unique in ability, they didn’t have anyone to help them train. They had to learn themselves, and The Council was the best way for them to go about it. Look at them now. You’d have never guessed it by looking at any member of The Council that they doubted their place on it.”

  I shake my head, eyes still glued to the window as I lift my hand to my mouth. “I don’t believe this.”

  “Would you be up for making a deal?”

  I stop my frantic thoughts and turn to her, eyes carefully narrowed as I consider the potential possibilities before me. “What did you have in mind?”

  “Give The Council a chance, Crowe especially. I know he’s a little rough around the edges but have him teach you everything he knows,” she says.

  “Yeah, yeah. I’ve heard this part before,” I reply. Does she think I’m this easy to trick or if she is just bound to disregard all my concerns? “What do I get out of this?”

  “I’ll let you go home for a day. Talk to your family and friends, do whatever you’d like on Ignis soil. Let your loved ones tell you what they think of your offer. When evening comes, you’ll return to The Grove, and when you come back, I want your priorities straight. You will come back with The Council as your number one goal. No more denial, no more trying to leave—focus will be on developing your powers and adjusting to your new role. Am I clear?”

  I look at her
through hooded eyes. If she’s telling the truth, I would love the idea of returning to Ignis, but I don’t like the idea of the intense training I’m imagining will happen upon my return. If she is okay with what Crowe had done to me within the first few hours of being part of The Council, I don’t want to think about what they consider rough training to be.

  “You promise?” I ask, veiling the emotion in my voice.

  She holds her palms out. “I have no reason to lie to you. I can make a Witch’s Deal, if that’s what it’ll take to console you.”

  “That won’t be necessary,” I utter before I bite my lip and reach up to finger the colorful earring in my right ear.

  “Is something wrong?” she inquires, drawing her wrinkled face tight.

  “You lied about the Dedication,” I point out, voice stiff with my mistrust as my hand drops from my ear. “I want to believe you’re telling the truth, but I haven’t been given a good impression of The Council so far.”

  “That’s fair,” she agrees, dipping her head to scoop a handful of leaves into her palm. “But you must know I did not lie to you about that, Dear,” she informs me, voice firm as she locks her gaze with mine. “I never offered you the choice of going home. I told you that you are a part of The Council, and now it’s official. Tarj stopped you from getting the piercing of your choice for a reason.”

  That’s certainly not the way you made it sound. I roll my bottom lip between my teeth and bite back the comment. Deception you’re fine with but lying is morally wrong? I gnaw on the inside of my cheek at the irony wondering what other morally corrupt ideals The Council is fine with.

  I shift my attention to calm the new flare of anger inside of me. “After this trip, will I be allowed to see my friends and family again?”

  The Sage looks at her cauldron as she drops the leaf bits inside, one by one. “If you complete your training, I promise you will be allowed access to them whenever your heart desires, so long as it doesn’t create a distraction. Since you’ll be representing Ignis, you’ll be allowed to freely travel between here and there to consort with the head of the Coven as well as the Adept, who I believe this year is your friend, Clio.”