The Council

by BooksGoSocial Fantasy

  “Okay,” I say before I stifle a yawn and set my legs off the bed, testing my weak one. There are phantom pains running up the length, but other than that, it feels well enough to walk on. Just to be sure, I pick up the leaf bundle Lazarus had given me and pop one in my mouth, forcing myself to swallow the bitter herb as I had done only a handful of hours before.

  “How will we check the Coven in the middle of the night? Won’t they be asleep?” I ask, tucking it into my pocket along with Ambrossi’s amulet.

  Crowe shrugs. “It doesn’t matter. The fact they’re the only Coven that sends members to every group means we can’t trust them. Even if we did a scan of the Coven, some of them won’t be here. They come and go, and we wouldn’t be any the wiser if they were passing messages to Elementals.”

  I frown, thinking of Ambrossi back in Ignis. I remember the disdain he had displayed about The Council’s use of magic. At the time, I thought it came from concern for my injury, but now I wonder if there’s a deeper meaning to it. Another chilling thought makes its way to the center of my mind. He was assigned to me from the moment my accident happened.

  You’re one of us, Iris’ words ring through my mind again.

  Had Ambrossi been chosen to care for me because he is an Elemental…as they suspect me to be as well. I look up at the ceiling for a long moment. That realization should upset me, but it doesn’t. I don’t blame him if he’s on the Elemental’s side. I hate The Council too for separating me from my home, and Ambrossi’s had to deal with their oppressive rules a lot longer than me.

  I freeze at the thought, loving the irony as I look at Crowe. “You don’t believe Lynx is a double agent, do you?” I ask.

  Crowe shakes his head. “Of course not. I said the same thing to Lazarus and he doesn’t think so either.”

  “I thought you said their word of mouth couldn’t be trusted,” I point out.

  “I still believe that, but to me, actions speak louder than words. If Lynx were working for the Elementals, I don’t believe he’d rush to tend to Callista the way he did. I could see the devotion in his eyes. He won’t sleep until she recovers.”

  “You forget he could’ve been ordered to do so.”

  Crowe frowns and scratches his ear. He appears torn for a minute before he says, “You’re right. I know you are, but I don’t want to believe that about one of our own.”

  “I understand,” I reply, swallowing roughly to keep the comment I truly want to say silent.

  Crowe and The Sage have concerns about everyone’s status, but neither of them have bothered to consider the fact that not all of us may have chosen sides…or may have sided with the people we’re supposed to call our enemy. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do or who I’m supposed to choose.

  Hell, I don’t even know who I really am.

  What I do know is that I don’t trust either side but in the end, that’ll have to change. If I truly am involved in this war, I’ll have to put my emotions away and pick a side to fight for.

  Crowe has his sights on Lynx for the time being, but I wonder how long it will be before they corner me about where my loyalties truly lie.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Mentis

  AS WE TRAVEL through the forest of Alchemy in the darkness of night, Crowe is once again on edge. I feel the same way as I pull my cloak—given to me by Lazarus—tighter around myself to block out the chill. I risk a glance at Crowe from the corner of my eye. His face is downcast, the edges of his lips pulled down into a heavy frown.

  “Are you okay?” I ask him finally, unable to stand the silence.

  He sighs, dipping his head so his hair shields his face. “Mentis…I have a feeling they won’t be friendly toward us.”

  “Why?” I think of Dawn. The Mentis Adept hadn’t seemed particularly different at the Arcane Ceremony…none of Mentis had.

  “Think about the Elementals’ gifts so far…they all seem to have some type of mental power, not to mention they’re bat-shit crazy.”

  “So what? That doesn’t mean they’ll be hostile to us. If they were, they would’ve helped Iris attack Tarj when he was down.”

  “Maybe, but I don’t think the Elementals from Mentis will run like the other ones have. I think they’ll stay to face us,” he says. “Especially if I’m right.”

  “Why not go get backup then?” I prompt, wrinkling the bridge of my nose. “Why are we going ourselves if we think it could put us in harm’s way?”

  “The Sage insisted it’d be better this way, remember?” The tone of his voice makes it obvious he’s sided with me on the issue.

  I tap my finger against my lips. “What would make them so brazen? Couldn’t they be executed for treating us in a foul manner?”

  Crowe shrugs. “Depends on how far they’re willing to go with it. If we have no proof of their loyalty, we can’t do a thing to them. Sure you could read their minds if they’re one on one, but I’m sure if there are any Elementals, they’ll cover their thoughts.”

  “Yeah, probably,” I murmur, thinking about the encounter with Lazarus. They might not even cloak their thoughts but instead push me right out of their heads if they expect I’m snooping.

  There’s also the possibility they might create fake thoughts for me to pick up on.

  “You ever hear stories about a girl named Willow?” Crowe prompts, breaking into my thoughts.

  My heart speeds up at the thought of the story Tarj had been so close to telling me. Does Crowe know the truth as well? “The girl that was killed by The Council for having multiple powers?” I ask innocently, trying to downplay how desperate I am to hear any possible information about her.

  “She was from Mentis,” he begins.

  I scrunch my face. “The Sage knows this?”

  Crowe nods. “Of course.”

  I twine my fingers together, debating whether or not to ask him the question on my mind when it finally slips out. “What’s the true story of what happened to her?”

  “To Willow? She was executed,” Crowe says.

  “I know, but why? Tarj refused to tell me, said it was for my own good to not know.”

  Crowe draws his lips sideways as he looks up at the path ahead. “Well, from what I heard, she was the leader of the Elementals. The Sage, this was when she was newly appointed, recruited Willow into the ranks of The Council. Supposedly, she used that link to her advantage and tried to pull an inside job to wipe out every member. The Sage won, of course, and captured her. They executed her right then and there because they thought it was the end. They believed the Covens didn’t need to know about her band of Elementals.”

  My jaws gape open as I process this information. “They beat her…just like that? So what of her multiple powers?”

  “I have no idea if she really had them or not. Details of that day are still pretty hush hush. Hyacinth told me what I know so take it with a grain of salt.”

  I nod, thinking maybe it’s the closest to the truth we’ll be able to get. After all, Hyacinth has a direct link to The Sage’s mind. “It’s more than I was able to get out of Tarj. Thank you.”

  He grunts in response, and we fall silent as we cross the line from Alchemy and begin to travel through the outer boundary of Mentis. At the division line, the trees of Alchemy stop and the dirt beneath our feet turns to sand. New foliage makes an appearance, all of it tropical. Beads of sweat begin to gather on my skin, and I dread the thought of having to drag around the cloak Lazarus had given me. I squint my eyes through the soft darkness, trying to gauge how far away we are from any Mentis witches. From what I can tell, there’s a good amount of territory left as we traverse through the tropical foliage. Even in the early morning hours, the air in this Coven is so hot it feels almost suffocating.

  I look up at the palm trees overhead as I feel my feet sink even deeper into the sand. I dread the thought of what mid-day heat in this Coven feels like.

  “If there wasn’t so much humidity, I’d almost think I was in Ignis,” I say, wiping a
way the moisture from my forehead.

  “Is there really a difference? Heat is heat.”

  I scoff. “Dry heat and wet heat are too very different things.”

  Crowe laughs and shakes his head. “Desert Coven problems.”

  I give him an unamused look. “How much longer until we get to wherever it is we’re going?”

  “Rayna’s brother lives around here,” Crowe says, gesturing to the outlines of houses in nestled into the tropical plants on the path ahead.

  “Are we going to meet him?”

  Crowe’s eyes look heavy as he replies, “We can get something to eat, and honestly, I was hoping I could sneak in a quick nap.”

  “That sounds fine,” I reply, holding a hand over my growling stomach. “As long as Mentis proves to not be as hostile as you think it’s gonna be”

  “Hmm, let’s hope not.” Crowe reaches up to scratch his ear. “So far, so good.”

  We continue to travel through the tropical foliage, feeling the sand beneath our feet gradually turning to dirt. Our journey across Mentis gives the sun enough time to begin peeking over the horizon, shedding light onto the buildings that had been encased in darkness. I get my first glimpse of Mentis buildings, and I’m in amazement. They’re bigger than the shacks, cabins, and bungalows of Aens, Alchemy, and Ignis.

  The detached houses stand beside one another in small groups scattered as far as the eye can see. The sidings on the buildings range in color, though the box shape is a trait shared by them all. They look sturdy, made of materials different than those found in other Covens.

  The most fascinating part of these houses is the artificial lighting shining from inside.

  “It’s such a shame they can’t share their technology with the other Covens,” Crowe says. “We’d really benefit.”

  “I’m sure they would benefit from the other Covens as well.” I think of the weather capabilities of Aquais and Aens. Rain and wind would no doubt bring them relief on the most sweltering of days.

  We walk up to the door of the nearest house, and I bundle my cloak in my hand before fanning my face with the other as we wait for someone to answer the door. Finally, a tall boy with short brown hair and a hefty build answers the door, and I recognize Rayna in his features.

  “Hello, Crowe and Lilith,” he greets with a heartfelt warmth that seemed to be missing during the other greetings we’ve gone through.

  “I take it Rayna used Hyacinth to let you know we were coming?” Crowe questions, cocking an eyebrow.

  “Hyacinth can hear this far off the Grove?” I inquire.

  “We’re closer than we’ve been,” Crowe replies with a shrug.

  Lilith, I’ve missed you too! Hyacinth’s lilting voice drifts through my mind suddenly.

  Hyacinth, good to know you’re in range again. It’s hard to tell if I mean my own words or not.

  He nods. “Yep, I’ve got things all ready for you guys,” he says to Crowe before turning to me. “I’m Quinn, if Crowe didn’t already tell you.”

  “Nice to meet you,” I reply stiffly. I’m still not a fan of Rayna’s so I’m unsure of what to think of her relatives. If they’re anything like her, I’m sure I won’t get along with them anyway.

  If it’s any consolation, Rayna’s sorry for what she did. Hyacinth informs me.

  I conjure a picture of a thumbs up sign in my mind to project back to her. Regardless of how she feels now, it can’t change what she’s already done.

  “Come on in,” Quinn says, stepping aside.

  I follow Crowe into the large living room, looking at all the technology scattered around Quinn’s house in amazement. The artificial light radiates from the lamp beside a soft chair, and I have the sudden urge to plop down in it and take a nap. The lives of witches in Mentis are much different than the other Covens—even the poorest of them live a plush lifestyle. I feel a cool breeze tickle over my sweaty skin as I wander deeper into the room, relieving me of the heat I had felt only moments prior.

  I freeze, closing my eyes at the feeling.

  “It’s air conditioning,” Quinn informs me, a smile on his face as if he guessed my thought from my face.

  “It’s nice,” I murmur, opening my eyes to look at him.

  “Doesn’t Ignis have something like it?” Quinn asks as he runs a finger down the spine of a book on the table beside him.

  I shake my head. “Our houses are built small to help with the temperature.”

  Quinn juts out his bottom lip. “Huh, okay. You learn something new every day, I suppose. Would you two like some breakfast?”

  “I’d like to sign up for a nap,” Crowe says, raising his hand to tousle his wild red hair.

  The smile returns to Quinn’s face. “You look ready to drop.” He jerks his thumb over his shoulder. “Down that hallway, there’s bedrooms. Pick whichever one you want.”

  Crowe dips his head, and I catch the slight smirk on his face as he turns away, glad to be in a rich house once again.

  So greedy, I think with a slight shake of my head.

  Everyone has their flaws! Hyacinth offers.

  I lick my teeth in agreement. When Crowe disappears from the room, I turn to Quinn as my stomach growls again. “Can I take you up on that breakfast?”

  He nods and lets out a short laugh. “Of course.”

  I make my way to the kitchen, amazed at the way the artificial light nearly bounces off the white walls and tiles making the room glow almost too bright for me to bare. I sit at the table, waiting patiently as I hear him moving around in a different room. He brings me a cup of sweet red juice before disappearing into the other room again. I sip on the drink until he comes back a few minutes later, clutching a plate with a pile of food. I stare at it, dissecting it with my eyes before I finally dig in.

  Quinn smiles as he sits in the chair across from me, and I know it’s because I’m eating like Crowe did at Papra’s.

  “You seem hungry,” he jokingly observes, tapping his hand against the table gently.

  I nod, my mouth too full of food to speak. I chew it before saying, “This is good.”

  “Thanks.” He props his head in his chin as he watches me. “You know, it’s interesting to meet the new members of The Council. You’re always so different from one another.”

  That’s something I can agree to—even Hyacinth is on the same page.

  I swallow the bite I had taken and smile back at him, hoping it’s sincerer than I feel. “This is a lovely home; I really can’t thank you enough for taking us in.”

  “It’s no problem, really,” Quinn says. “Want me to take you for a tour around the Coven when you’re done eating? Crowe will be down and out for a while. I figure you’ll want to get some work in while you’re waiting.”

  “That sounds wonderful.” I take another bite and stare at him as I chew, scoffing to myself. And Crowe said they would be hostile.

  You haven’t met the actual Coven yet, Hyacinth reminds me.

  Silence engulfs the room as I work on the rest of my meal, trying to block out Hyacinth’s “words of wisdom” in the process before handing my empty plate to Quinn when I’ve finished.

  “Thanks so much. It feels like forever since the last time we’ve eaten,” I admit as I watch him rinse it off in the sink. For all my thinking, I can’t remember my last meal.

  “Anytime,” he says, leading the way out of the kitchen.

  I’m right on his heels as we step outside. The suffocating heat surrounds me once more, and I almost feel as if it’s stealing my breath from me. I reconsider the tour, longing for the air conditioning inside his house.

  “How do you do it?” I ask as we walk through the golden sand a few feet away from his house.

  Quinn raises an eyebrow. “Do what?”

  “Stand the heat? I feel like we’re in the ninth circle of Hell!”

  He laughs. “We wear light clothes.” He gestures to the shirt and shorts he’s wearing.

  “This thing feels as if it’s cooking me,�
�� I say, picking at the hem of Lazarus’ cloak.

  Quinn looks at me sympathetically for a moment. “Come on, I’m sure we have some clothes you can wear.”

  I don’t protest as I absorb the air conditioning once again. Finally, Quinn appears, clutching a shirt and a pair of shorts similar to his, however these ones are white rather than the brown he wears. I make my way to the bathroom, quick to pop the last bite of Lazarus’ herbs in my mouth before I splash water on my face, pull my fingers through my knotted hair, and put on my new clothes. I tuck Ambrossi’s amulet and Lazarus’ cloak into my pockets before meeting Quinn outside.

  “Better?”

  “Yes, thank you.”

  “It’s cooler toward the center of the Coven—that’s where the water used to be,” he says, squinting his eyes to look at the path ahead as we make our way deeper into Mentis.

  We begin to walk through the Coven, and I study the houses along the way. There’s no rhythm to the way their Coven is set up. What do they consider to be the center?

  “Used to be?” I echo.

  He nods. “It was an oasis of sorts, but uh—we had a drought a few years back, and it dried up. That’s where we hold meetings now since we have to depend on The Council to deliver us water every month.” His tone is stiff, and it’s obvious there’s more under the surface that he wants to say.

  “Why don’t they just refill your pond?” I ask, wondering why they would subject themselves to more work than is necessary.

  Quinn narrows his eyes and casts a sideways glance at me. “You say that as if you’re not one of them. Is this a trap?”

  I shake my head. As far as I’m concerned, I’m not. I can’t bring myself to say it. “I don’t know if you saw what they did to me at the Dedication Ceremony or not.”

  A sympathetic gleam flashes through his eyes. “Well, they say it’s to keep us humble,” he mutters, pursing his lips.

  I’m silent as I listen to his rant. I’m starting to understand why Crowe thought they wouldn’t be happy to see us.

  If the situation was reversed, I wouldn’t either.