“I just think it’s hard for six people to manage five Covens with hundreds of witches each,” I say quickly, licking my lips as nervousness overcomes me, and Crowe nods in understanding. I lift my thumb to my mouth, gnawing on the nail as I think about his words. “The story about your ancestors starting Aquais…it seems as if the same thing is happening now with the Elementals,” I utter in an attempt to change the subject, “but no one’s there to take them in.”
“True, but there’s a difference between them and Aquais.” He pauses for a moment to turn his hawk-like gaze on me.
I blink and glance at him, catching a hint of emotion in his eyes.
“Elementals are out for blood while we are not.”
Instantly I stick my bottom lip between my teeth to keep myself from making a comment. The scoreboard seems the same. If Iris’ long-ago words are the truth, I’m one of the people The Council is working to eliminate. If that’s true, I certainly don’t want to hurt anyone. I cast another glance at Crowe, thinking of the bear incident again. I should trust him, but after everything, it’s hard to say the same for him.
“What do Aquais people do really? Make it rain?” I ask, hoping to ease the tension from my shoulders.
He shrugs. “Some of them, but I’m not really sure. What do Ignis people do? Make it warm?”
I grin at his comment.
Crowe sighs and cups his chin in his hand to pop his neck once. “Like you, I came from UnEquipped parents.”
I freeze at his words and my head whips to look at him so fast I feel a pain in my neck. “Really?”
He nods, a small smile spreading across his face. “Yeah, what did you think?”
“Your family practically owns the Coven…I just thought—”
“Thought they had to be Equipped to do it?” He chuckles and lifts his chin. “Nope, perseverance works well too. I’d think you would know that.” He pauses and briefly my mind shifts to Helena. “Even without powers, they gave those people a home, and they were repaid with protection and respect. They never needed magic of their own; it was all in their charisma and kindness.”
“Wow, okay.” I shake my head slightly as we begin to walk again, hoping to clear away my surprise about his heritage. The thought of UnEquipped family members brings to mind thoughts of my parents, and I frown, momentarily debating whether or not I want to see them when we reach Ignis before I return to the conversation at hand. “So what kind of powers were your friends developing before you were recruited?”
“Some of them could create ice, others could make tidal waves. One of them could even make you feel as if you were drowning on dry land by so much as look at you.”
I’m partly surprised The Council didn’t pick his friend as well. They would be a powerful ally on the battlefield, and I suppress a shiver at the thought of having to go against whoever they are. I wonder if Crowe’s exceptional gift shadowed those of his friends.
“I think The Council considered them, but they liked my gift the best. Typically, The Sage only likes to have one member from a Coven at a time.”
My frown deepens and I wonder what that’ll mean for Tarj now that I’ve been added to the group. I tuck my bottom lip between my teeth again; I haven’t seen him since the day of my recruitment. How had I failed to notice his absence?
Everyone else seems to have as well.
“So what happened to your friends?” I ponder though I file Tarj’s disappearance into a part of my mind where I’ll be sure to not forget.
Crowe pushes his bangs from his eyes. “Don’t know. We fell out of touch after I got deep into my training. Last I heard, they were doing well.”
“Ah,” I murmur, thinking of Clio and Helena. With our inability to leave the Grove, it seems very easy for members of The Council to fall out of touch with everyone they care about.
Helena enters my mind again and the thought brings a bit of water to the corners of my eyes. At the last encounter we had, she had already been desperate to distance herself from me. How is she handling this time apart? Is it better without me in Ignis? Or does she miss me as much as I miss her?
The thought of falling out of touch with Clio and Helena completely is sickening.
As soon as we cross the border into Aquais, I shudder at the uncomfortable way my foot squishes in the wet grass, sending chills across every inch of my skin. I stare down at it, hesitant to set it back to the ground. A bit of the water seeps into my shoes, and I stare up at Crowe with wide eyes, feeling helpless.
Crowe merely smiles, the look softening the hardened expression he had worn a moment before. “Get used to it—it only gets worse from here,” he says without a pause and takes the lead.
I groan in my throat as I set my foot to the ground again and stare ahead at the slope, dreading the path ahead.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Crowe’s Origins
BY THE TIME the sun reaches its highest point in the sky, Crowe and I have trekked halfway through Aquais territory. My legs are soaked up to my thighs, and I can’t imagine anyone enjoying their life here. The smell of the muddy water is embedded in my nose, leaving my face in a permeant grimace as I trail behind Crowe. He moves with ease, chin lifted high as his eyes study a clump of nearby plants sticking out the water. My mind fails to comprehend how anyone could have pride about this place.
Quite a few times I have to suppress the urge to dunk him into the water to see if he still enjoys it. I pick at my drenched clothes, wincing at the uncomfortable feeling as the fabric peels off my skin.
We move through a particularly wet bit of land, the water almost reaching up to my hips, before I notice the way the ground begins to slope upward. I hop to it, grateful to get out of the water. I stand on the bit of dryland, staring bitterly to the water we left behind as I wring out my clothes.
“We’re almost there,” Crowe says, gesturing up ahead.
My eyes trail the slope before I finally notice the mansion at the top. It’s Victorian style with black siding. A rounded Gothic archway marks the opening and a tower in the same style, just to the left of it, juts out to the sky. I gasp as I observe the home; it’s the very picture I had conjured when imagining Crowe’s background.
“It’s impressive!” I gasp although I won’t admit I have new respect for him because of it.
Crowe smiles but doesn’t speak as he leads the way to the front door. We stand under the wide archway, and I can’t help but look around at the details while he knocks. I turn at the sound of the door opening to see a male with traits similar to Crowe…although he’s much larger in comparison.
“Hey! Little brother, what are you doing here?” he greets, grabbing Crowe around the neck to press his knuckles to his messy red hair.
Crowe lets out a growl of anger, and I raise my eyebrows as he pulls himself free. “Yes, well, is Mother home?”
“She is,” he says before he catches sight of me. “Well, well, hello, Doll! I’m Kieran, and who might you be?” He grasps my hand to place a kiss to the skin, and I chuckle awkwardly before jerking my hand back, uncertain of how to respond.
“Show some respect, Brother! That’s Lilith, the newest member of The Council,” Crowe scolds, pushing past Kieran to lead the way into the house.
The water soaking my legs and feet instantly disappears, and I’m happy to be in dry clothing. I look down at it in wide-eyed amazement before peering around the room. I guess there’s some type of spell at work to keep people from trekking muddy water onto the floors upon entering the mansion.
Even their spellcasting is rich, I think to myself, barely repressing the snort that would otherwise accompany it.
The room we stand in is amazing. The ceiling high above us holds a beautiful chandelier that hangs above a wide staircase. Expensive rugs are stretched across the white tile floors. Paintings decorate the walls between the expensive silver wall moldings and a smile passes my lips as I glance at Crowe.
I gesture to the nearest painting. “Water color?” I chuck
le.
Crowe hides his face in his hand before running it through his hair.
“Council, huh? Impressive feat,” Kieran says to me, seemingly not noticing the exchange, before he glances down the lengthy corridor to the right of the stately room. “Mother!”
“Not as if I had much of a choice,” I mutter, crossing my arms.
Crowe shoots me a bitter look. “Back to that? Really? Hardly the place to discuss.”
“Alexander! Is that you?” a voice calls before I have the chance to respond.
I arch an eyebrow and watch a small woman adorned in a blue corset dress pulls Crowe into a tight hug as she rests her chin in his red hair. “Alexander?” I ask slowly, trying to keep myself from laughing.
“Yeah, it’s uh, my birth name,” Crowe admits, peering around the grip of his mother’s arms, before he pulls away and looks at the woman. “Mother, it’s so good to see you.”
“It’s been too long! You need to make your family a higher priority.”
“Mother, we’ve discussed The Council’s rules.”
She presses her lips into a tight line, the urge to argue heavy on her mind, before her attention diverts to me. “I don’t believe I’ve met this one,” she says to Crowe before turning back to me with her hand outstretched. “I’m Rena.”
“Lilith,” I introduce myself, dipping my head politely to her as I return the handshake. Her grip is firm and strong—surprising for such a petite woman. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Business or pleasure?” Rena asks Crowe as she lets go of me.
I notice the blush spread across his cheeks before I realize the meaning of her question.
“Business,” he answers quickly.
“I see,” she replies, appearing a bit crestfallen as she reaches up to fiddle with her silver necklace. “I suppose this means a short visit.”
Crowe nods with a sideways glance to me. “We were hoping for some lunch. Then we have to conduct a coven meeting so we can get to Alchemy by nightfall.”
“Fun,” she says. “You’re in luck. Lunch just finished.” She turns to lead the way to the kitchen, Crowe beside her.
“Great! What are we havin’?” he questions his mother.
I limp a foot behind, Kieran beside me. He stares at me, and I know what he’s thinking even without reading his mind.
“What happened to you?” he asks finally, reaching a hand toward me as if he thinks he can help somehow.
“Kieran!” Crowe snaps over his shoulder with a glare to his brother. “How rude can you get?”
I lift a hand, a small smile embedded on my face despite the reluctance in my facial muscles. “It’s okay,” I state though instead I could scream out my rage. “I was in an accident as a child—a fire that permanently damaged the muscles in my leg,” I inform Kieran. Or something like that. I think about the truth my parents are keeping from me and a flicker of rage passes through me.
I’ll have to pay them a visit.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” he says, oblivious to my whirlwind of emotions. “You’re still beautiful!”
I sigh, not feeling the least bit chipper to accept his compliment. “I’d be in a better mood if I hadn’t had to slosh through swamps for hours in the hot sun. How do you people do it?”
“From one of the dry Covens?” he guesses. “Here. This will help,” he offers, pulling a small polished stone from his pocket. “Keep this close to you and the charms on it will keep you dry.”
“Thank you.” I feel my face brighten as I lift my thumb slightly to roll the pebble around my palm. “This is the best gift I’ve gotten in a long time.”
He laughs as we step into a large expensive dining room. I look around in wonder, trying to keep the awe off my face, but it’s next to impossible. This room is bigger than the dining hall at Headquarters, and I wonder just how much money Crowe’s family really has. It’s too easy to imagine that this single room is as large as the entire home I had grown up in…maybe even larger.
“Sit wherever,” Crowe replies, hand gesturing to the red-padded chairs around the grand dining table.
The sound of his voice breaks me from my thoughts. When my attention focuses back to the room, I recognize Grail sitting at the end of the table, a goblet to his lips with a newspaper spread on the table in front of him. He sets his cup down and nods to me. I offer an uncertain smile back before I swallow to hide how uncomfortable I feel as I sit in the closest chair to me. Kieran sits beside me while Crowe and Rena sit across the table, a candlestick between us.
“What’s Grail doing here?” I ask.
“Don’t you know the Aquais Adept practically lives here,” Kieran replies.
I watch Grail as he picks up a roll, chewing it absently with his eyes once again on his paper. It’s like early training for The Council, I think and wonder what percent of the Coven lives with Crowe’s family to protect them.
Before I have the chance to ask, a butler comes in and places goblets in front of Rena, Crowe, Kieran and me before using his powers to fill them with water. I give him a sympathetic smile that he doesn’t seem to notice as he turns his attention to a nearby cart. He distributes bowls of a rich-looking soup in front of us before he leaves without a word. I watch him go, wondering how it’s possible for him to maintain his dignity while waiting hand and foot on Crowe’s family.
I hope they make it worth his while.
“So, how has life been treating you?” Rena asks Crowe as she dips her spoon into her soup.
I don’t listen to his response as I take a bite of the food myself. The flavor sings on my tongue, the thought of Papra’s breakfast miles away, and I begin to eat faster. I freeze as consciousness of my present company bites at the back of my mind; I want to dig into the food, but I’m scared of coming across as rude or simply uncivilized. I think about the way Crowe had eaten at Papra’s and wonder why I’m beating myself up. Regardless, I restrain myself. My spoon clanks loudly against the side of the bowl and I pull my hair out of the liquid as it dangles dangerously above it. Grail lowers the paper he’s reading to glance at me, the smallest hint of a smirk on his lips.
Is it that obvious I don’t fit in here? He’s more entertained by me than what’s in his hands.
Beside me, Kieran takes a big gulp of liquid from his goblet before sighing loudly and turning his attention to me. “So what is your power? Must be special to be scooped up into my brother’s ranks.”
I shrug, uncertain of how much I want to tell him. “I have telekinetic powers.”
“But you’re not from Mentis?”
I shake my head. “Nope. I’m from Ignis with pretty average powers actually. The Council is only fussing over me because of the way I helped with Iris.”
“That’s not the only reason,” Crowe interjects, rolling his eyes.
“Whatever the case, I was at that ceremony. It was brave what you did.”
Rena and Grail nod in agreement, and I feel heat rush to my face being the center of their attention. There are more important matters on hand, yet I still can’t escape the magnitude of my good deed.
It doesn’t pay to be nice, I think with an irritated twitch of my nose.
The meal resumes and Kieran chuckles before running his hand through his medium locks of red hair and leans back in his seat. “Want to hear about average powers? My brother can fucking shapeshift, and all I can do is cause it to rain for five minutes.”
I blink at him in surprise. Crowe made it sound as if he had been the only one in his family to develop powers. “Would you rather be UnEquipped?” I ask, raising an eyebrow.
He shrugs. “I don’t see much difference.”
“It’s got to have some advantages,” I prod, leaning my elbow on the table as I think of the seeming drought in Aens.
“Nope. I assure you it doesn’t,” he says, taking a bite of his soup.
I remember the information I learned in my studies about Aquais. Because of the wetlands, they’re unable to grow their own food. The
y depend on the shipments from The Council to get everything they need to survive. It’s part of the reason they remain so small.
“So, nothing too suspicious?” I hear Crowe ask Grail, and I realize I had managed to block out their entire conversation.
I probe Crowe’s mind quickly to catch up before doing the same to Grail. Things seem normal in Aquais as far as both of them are concerned. That’s something of a relief.
“No. You know we’re a close Coven—closer than the others anyway. Everyone is still here, and as far as I know, none of them plan on leaving anytime soon,” Grail replies, sitting up in his seat.
“Aens was practically deserted,” Crowe informs, thoughtfully tapping his spoon against the edge of his bowl as he loses himself in his thoughts.
“What’d Leo have to say about it?”
“They were shut down…most of Aens was,” I speak up, glancing between Crowe and Grail.
“It certainly was strange,” Crowe agrees, setting his spoon down beside his bowl. “Mother, you’re sure there’s been nothing odd?”
She nods. “Yes, Alexander, dear. Things have been as they always were.”
Crowe doesn’t seem convinced. His eyes are glazed over as if he’s seeing into the past, in a memory. I open my mouth to pry, but he snaps out of the trance as suddenly as it began and looks up to see me across the table. “You about finished?” he asks me, standing up so fast that his chair scrapes loudly on the fancy floor. “I want to get to Alchemy before nightfall.”
My leg twitches in a painful protest at the thought of more exercise, causing me to shuffle slightly in my seat, but I don’t argue as I look back at him. I can’t.
“Let’s go,” I say, standing up. I bow a bit to Rena as she watches me stumble around the leg of the chair. “Thank you for lunch.” I turn to leave the room, Kieran a moment behind me.
“I insist you two get a change of clothes,” Rena calls as we stand in the opening of the corridor while she wipes her mouth with her napkin. “If I know my son, he didn’t make sure you brought proper provisions.”
The Council Page 23