Elements of Power (Council of the Harvest Moon Book 1)

by Kate Stoessel

  President Sager walked into the kitchen ahead of me. “You have the choice of cooking for yourself or you can order in.” She took a magnetic whiteboard off of the refrigerator door. Simply write what you want,” she explained, writing 1 carton of blueberries on the white surface. “Then attach the board back to the refrigerator and…” She opened the fridge that now contained a carton of blueberries. “Voila. Every student here is on a 3 meals per day food plan, plus 2 snacks or light meals. The board will not work after you have used up your meal plan allowance and, unfortunately, the plan does not carry over day to day.”

  “Well,” she said. “I think that is the tour. Your room is the one with your name on it and all of your belongings should have been brought in. I need to get your Mom back to the docks before The Wick leaves her behind. I’ll leave you two alone to say goodbye.”

  “Thank you, President Sager,” I added genuinely as she walked out of the cottage.

  My mother, who had been so quiet throughout the whole tour, came over and gave me a hug. As her long arms encircled me, I curled towards her, grateful for the contact.

  “Khlorie, I want you to know that I am so proud of you. I know your father would have been too.” At the mention of my father, my chest grew heavy and sadness welled up inside. My mother took a deep breath and continued, “Just remember what I said Khlorie. Make smart decisions, be discreet, and contact me if you need anything at all.”

  I gave my mother another quick hug, thanked her, and watched her walk out the door. Nerves overcame me, and I realized that I had lived my entire life with one of the most powerful witches alive looking over me.

  Now, I was alone.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Walking over to the right side of the living area, two doors came into view. One said “Itzel” and the other said “Khlorie.” Unlike at most colleges, I did not get information about my cottage mate ahead of time. We did not get to MirrorChat and decide who was going to bring what. I felt lucky to learn her name at this point! I wasn’t sure if she was in her room, or still touring with her family. So, I decided to leave my own door open and give her the option of interacting when she was ready.

  I walked into my new room, surprised to find that my watercolor blanket and sheets had already been set up on a white four poster bed. Looking around the dorm, I was thrilled. My clothes were already hung up in my closet, and photos of my family and friends were on display. Opposite the bed, under a window with a simple white curtain, was a white wooden desk with a gray leather chair tucked neatly away. On the desk was a simple note:

  First Year Orientation Itinerary

  Student : Khloris Lethestone

  Academic Advisor: Vibiana Sager

  Meeting Time and Location: 8 am, Presidents’ Office

  Homework : Be prepared to discuss classes that interest you for your schedule. You will create an individualized curriculum with your Academic Advisor.

  Underneath the letter was a course catalog for Spindlewick College. I grabbed it excitedly and plopped down in the chair. I felt more normal than I had in months. A few hours passed while I combed through the catalogue and took notes about the pros and cons of each course that looked interesting. The catalogue was not organized in any way that I had ever seen, mostly because Spindlewick was not confined to a highly structured specialty training program. It was unclear looking at the pages if all of the classes were open to first years or if some had prerequisites. There was also no key outlining when in the year courses were offered, showing who taught them, or explaining how the year was broken up into academic periods. A quick tap at my bedroom door shook me from weighing the merits of Spell Writing Basics vs. Conjuring and Creating 101.

  “Hi,” ventured a smiling face. Standing in my doorway was a beautiful young witch. Dark brown hair with blue streaks flowed down atop her blue, boho-styled dress. Her bare feet peeked out towards me as she stepped into my room. She looked like she just walked in from frolicking on the beach. Her skin had a sandy complexion, and her eyes were a startling bright shade of silver.

  “I’m Itzel Henares. You must be Khlorie,” she said pointing to my name on the door.

  I hopped up from my desk and walked with her out to the living room. “Yes, I am. I didn’t know you were here, or I would have popped out to say hello. I got totally caught up in the course catalog!”

  She laughed and sat down on one of the couches. “The same thing happened to me. I wonder if they are bewitched to keep our attention. I have been in my room for a while! I didn’t even hear you come in.”

  “I wondered if you were here, but...” I trailed off.

  “You didn’t want to disturb me in case I was bawling my eyes out or an unbalanced person or something?” She laughed.

  “Basically,” I said laughing. “So, where are you from?”

  “California,” she said happily. “My mother and I live in Solana Beach. She is an artisan witch and has a little shop called Soleil Craft. She makes protection necklaces out of pukka shells for the surfers or creates mosaics to contain negative energy or even addiction. She is so popular with all of the supernaturals in the area, and the humans too.” It was obvious that Itzel was incredibly proud of her mother’s accomplishments. “You would not believe how many amulets she packed for me.” Itzel’s purple eyes drifted off to her door. Following them, I could see amulets hanging all over her room. Some of them were woven, some were mosaic, and others were made from seashells or driftwood.

  “They are beautiful,” I said. Artisan witches were not allowed to sell their wares to humans in Massachusetts. They did things differently over in California, though. There was less separation between different types of supernaturals and even humans. They were the first state to condemn Aunt Felicity for pursuing fairy registration. She was wildly unpopular in the region. “It must have been hard for your Mom to drop you off so far from home.”

  “Yeah,” said Itzel. “Well, especially under these circumstances.” She paused.

  “I know what you mean.”

  “So, where are you from?”

  I shifted uncomfortably, wondering how long it would be until she figured out that, yes, I was one of those Lethestones. “Massachusetts, actually.”

  “So, not too far from home for you,” Itzel responded cheerily.

  “Not bad. My mother and I live on the coast too, in Salem.”

  “Spooky!” She smiled and I laughed. “What is your mother’s specialty?”

  “Potions,” I said matter of factly. “She is the ACC’s Head Potioneer.”

  “Wow.” Itzel looked impressed, but when I expected to be peppered with questions about the great Morrigan Lethestone, she simply added, “It must have been hard for her to explain your disappearance from known witching society. My mom has a reputation for being a little...eclectic shall we say, and we still got a lot of questions.”

  “Yes,” I sighed, relieved to not be asked about my mother’s political aspirations or family connections. “It was hard. We told people that I was going to school in Europe, and that did not go over well.”

  Itzel nodded sympathetically before smiling cheekily. “I am pretty sure I have an amulet in my room that wards off unwanted conversations. Should we send it to her?” I laughed so easily it felt like Itzel was already an old friend.

  “I think she would like that,” I replied smiling. “I wish I’d had that one all summer.”

  “Yeah, it’s one of Mom’s more popular creations. So, what do you make of Spindlewick so far?”

  “Honestly, I was surprised by how normal the campus looked. What I had in my mind was pretty grim. This place is beautiful. What about you?”

  “Same! I really had a horror show in my brain. These cottages are nicer than any dorm I have ever seen, and Coventry Hall is a world-class facility. It seems a shame to keep it all hidden.” She trailed off and looked towards the kitchen. Her face lit up. “I’m hungry. What do you say that we see what the magical refrigerator can really do?”

&nb
sp; I nodded in agreement.

  She walked into the kitchen, grabbed the marker and wrote:

  3 fish tacos with avocado and salsa verde from The Fish Taco Truck in Solano Beach and Aqua Fresca.

  “Let’s see if this works!” She gleefully tacked the board on the refrigerator, waiting a moment before opening the door. “Shut up,” she said happily as her order appeared in the fridge. “It is in the little cardboard taco holder and everything. This is the best spell of all time.” Turning to me she called, “You try.”

  I thought for a moment and then wrote down my favorite takeout from back home.

  Sesame beef combination platter with steamed rice, egg drop soup, and a ginger ale from Hunan II in Boston.

  My stomach growled just thinking about it and, sure enough, my typical takeout bag appeared in the refrigerator. Itzel and I carried our takeout over to the living room and set out the meals on the coffee table. We chatted away like old friends about our moms and our schools. She had the most melodic voice, and I loved listening to her share about the boyfriend she left behind who thought they were going to make it work.

  “We’re definitely not,” she said. “I told him that, but I don’t think he heard me. He is too busy communicating with the spirits to bother listening to someone who is standing right in front of him.” She talked about how her mother was so nervous spelling them out to Maine that they ended up in Nova Scotia, Cancun, and Boise before Itzel had to just take over. I couldn’t remember the last time that I had laughed so hard or for so long. When sunlight was no longer illuminating the room, I got up the courage to finally ask Itzel what I most wanted to know.

  “Can I ask you something personal,” I began.

  “Well, I’ve already told you about my mother, my love life, and my favorite foods. I can’t imagine there is anything left.”

  “What did they tell you about why you were coming here?” My voice was a whisper. Her smile faded and her lips pursed together.

  “Will you tell me about your W.E.B. report if I share mine?”

  “Yes,” I paused. “Although, I don’t know much.”

  She nodded. “It is amazing how you can practice witchcraft your whole life and then, just when you are ready to specialize someone comes out of nowhere to tell you that you have these special powers.” She paused before continuing. “I thought I was on the way to Euterpe College in New York City. I love chanting. I love the rhythm. I love that you can entertain with your song, but also create magical environments.” Sadness crept over her face. “When testing began, my chanting teacher thought I was going to have my acceptance in the first week. I already started picking out blouses in chanter’s blue and....” She pointed to the blue highlights in her hair. “After the first week of testing, I obviously did not have my acceptance. My Head of School asked me to test in some other areas. I was surprised, of course, but I did it.” She trailed off and I felt terrible for putting my new friend in this position.

  “You don’t have to keep going. I didn’t mean to pry.”

  “No,” she insisted. “I am just trying to figure out how they knew about my extra power when I didn’t. They said that when I chant, I not only work the spell I am casting but that I also have the potential to control minds. Once they told me, it became clearer. Things started happening... and it made chanting impossible.”

  I could see that Itzel was distraught that she had to stop chanting and I felt sorry for her. “Control minds? Wow, even the strongest Mind Witches only have the ability to plant a seed.”

  Itzel jumped up from the couch, looking a bit antsy. “I know! My mother was so frightened, hence all of the amulets. I don’t think she is scared of me or anything. She is just worried that the government is going to recruit me and make me do horrible things.” Itzel’s voice got quieter and she leaned in towards me. “She said that she knew a brujo named Julio growing up and he had the grito sónico, a sonic scream,” she translated quickly. “He was trying to keep it hidden. It didn’t work. The ACC recruiters found him when he accidentally killed a couple of humans who had cornered him in an alley late one night. He meant to spell travel, but he got scared because they threw rocks at him and the grito sónico came out instead.” She looked at me seriously. “According to his abuela he was given a choice by the ACC- prison or the military. Julio did not want to use the grito sónico at all. He told my mother that it was only good for one thing, muerte. When Julio came back home after his first year with the ACC, he was like a ghost. The kids in the neighborhood started to call him el fantasma. There was none of him left because he had done such horrible things. My mother worries that this will happen to me. That I will be forced to use my gifts in unnatural ways.”

  I did not know what to say. I didn’t doubt that her story about Julio was true. He was cursed with a deadly gift and I knew that the ACC liked to recruit people and place them efficiently according to their talents. Finally, I took a breath in and tried to comfort my new friend.

  “Your gift is not like Julio’s. It will not bring death. Besides, I have known you for only a few hours, and I know that no one could convince you to use your talents for anything dangerous.”

  Her silver eyes were welling up with tears as she sat back down on the couch. “I wish my mother thought that.”

  “It sounds to me like it is not you that she doesn’t trust.” I knew that mistrust of the government of the American Continental Coven ran deep in some areas and I could imagine that Itzel’s mom would imagine the worst. “It will work out.” I reached out and gave her a hug. “Should I tell you my story?”

  “Yes, it is your turn.” A smile worked its way through all of the tears and sadness.

  I recounted my own similar tale of students finding out about their specialties and me sitting and waiting without any news. I told her about Petr Rangersson, and she laughed, slightly shocked about the quid pro quo.

  “I didn’t know people could buy their way into college for real,” she exclaimed. “How do people get around the W.E.B. and both schools? Aren’t you rich? Couldn’t you have done something like that?”

  Feigning my mother’s voice, I responded, “The Lethestones and the Bishops are two of the oldest families in the American Continental Coven. We will not shame our ancestors by engaging in scandalous affairs!” She laughed and so did I. “Honestly, though, I think she knew it wouldn’t work for me. She seems to think that I need to be here to figure out the powers I am supposed to have.”

  “So, spill already. What does the W.E.B. report on you look like?”

  “They say that I have elemental magic.”

  “Like you have a connection to fire?”

  “Well, according to the report, it’s more than a connection.” I paused. “They think I can control the elements; all of them- Earth, Wind, Water, and Fire.” I looked to gauge Itzel’s reaction. She threw her hand over her mouth to catch a gasp as her eyes grew round and wide.

  “Control all four elements? Has a witch ever been able to do that?” I shrugged. “All of our magic, no matter the specialty, is grounded in the elements.” She stood up and began pacing. “Mi diosa! If that is true. You must be the most powerful witch in the States, maybe the world.”

  “Well, I have never experienced these powers. So, who knows?” I murmured, trying to downplay my report.

  “Never? Not even after you found out about them?” Itzel probed.

  “No, I have no idea what I can do. For all I know, this whole assessment is a mistake.” I paused. “Although,” I began, needing to talk to someone about today’s events. “Something strange did happen on the tour today.” I told Itzel all about what had happened at the archway; about trying to communicate with the tree, cutting myself, the flowers, and meeting Perry. When I finished, I looked up to see what she thought.

  “So, there is another elemental? He should be able to help you right?”

  “I hope so. He’s a TA, and I think President Sager means for him to be my elemental magic tutor.”

&nb
sp; “I can’t believe that there are two of you. Now we just need a second one of me,” she laughed playfully.

  “I’ve certainly never met anyone like you,” I responded lightly. She smiled, but a sadness fell over her face.

  “Well, I don’t know anything about talking to trees or elemental powers. But let’s do this, Khlorie,” Itzel said seriously. “Let’s look out for each other. Let’s make sure that we don’t lose ourselves in these big powers. What concerns me about both of our reports is the word ‘control.’ I want to learn to control any abilities I have been granted. I just don’t want to be controlled as a result of them.”

  I nodded in agreement, grateful to have an ally with whom to face the challenges of Spindlewick. I had a feeling I was going to need her.

  CHAPTER SIX

  I was on my own for breakfast the next morning because Itzel’s advisory meeting was not scheduled until noon. Brewing some of my mother’s famous morning energizer tea made the morning feel normal, despite the change in surroundings. The peppermint and black tea mix perked me right up and got me ready to face the day ahead. Placing some sheep’s milk yogurt and berries from the magic refrigerator into a small bowl, I carried them into my room and ate while I got dressed.