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

by Kate Stoessel

  I paused. “Sort of. I can control Earth.” Grandfather nodded, waiting for me to finish my thought. “I can also control Air, Fire, and Water.”

  He let out a low whistle. “All of them? Really?” Concern creased his face again. “Do you have other students that you can trust at Spindlewick?” I nodded. “Ok, rely on those you trust and share as little as you can with everyone else. I am going to talk to people here. We’ll make sure you’re safe.”

  “What do you mean “people here?” Where are you?” With that question, the mirror on his end began to fritz and we lost connection. I tried spelling him back, without luck.

  After multiple attempts to get Grandfather back, I gave up and ran out into the blustery Maine Night to clear my head. Tears streamed down my face, blurring my vision as I walked. If my father was alive, he could have prepared me. He would know what to do to help my friends. Anger flared up inside at my grandfather for being so absent. Why hadn’t he seen that I was like his son and needed preparation? My powers hummed under my skin and I knew it would be too easy to lose control right now. Looking up at the sky, I called down rain with ease, giving my powers a release. The cold droplets fell along my skin, awakening my senses and I began to run across the softening grass in front of Coventry Hall.

  My pace slowed as I reached the Witch Persecution Memorial. It had become a habit to sit by the reflecting pool and think about my father, whose name was up on the wall amongst so many other witches who had lost their lives. It might have been silly, but I felt connected to him there. I wanted to feel his presence now, as I was trying to piece together the puzzle of my life.

  When I turned the corner around the South Wall into the reflection pool area, however, something didn’t feel right. It was pitch black, and I could barely make out the water.

  The memorial flame is not lit . I thought, realizing what was different about the space.

  The flame was spelled to remain lit at all times. It was impossible for the wind or rain to snuff it out, which meant someone had to have put it out on purpose.

  The flame typically shone so brightly that no other lights were needed at the memorial. In its absence, it was impossible to see even a few steps in front of me. The darkness was thick and still. As I moved along the side of the pond, my legs tensed with each step, ready to pounce if required. Since I couldn’t use my eyes to scan the area, I would have to rely on my powers. Calling up air took seconds. With a silent command, a gentle breeze of air left my body and began investigating the area around the memorial. It was imperceptible in such a blustery night, but I knew that it was mine. Crouching down, to make myself as small a target as possible, I waited. Soon, the breeze carried back hushed voices.

  “Aella, let’s go. We got what we came for. What is the point of this?” A male voice whispered.

  “They need to know that we know, Evans.”

  “Just hurry up.”

  Knowing that I was outnumbered, the smart thing to do would have been to hightail it out of there and get help. The powers surging inside of me emboldened me to keep moving, though. When I got to the end of the reflecting pond, I no longer needed the air to carry the noises. Here they were. I knew from spending time here that the Memorial Flame was only a few feet away from where I was standing.

  I desire light, I commanded, causing the frantic energy inside me to dance. A ball of fire flickered in my hand and I willed it towards the Memorial’s torch, allowing it to grow large and wash the area in its light. The brilliant, flickering flame startled the two figures in front of me.

  “Evans, I thought you put that out,” called the smaller of the two.

  “I did,” he answered calmly, turning around to scan the area.

  Stepping into their line of view, I saw that the smaller hooded figure had defaced the North wall by writing “we know the truth” in blood red paint. Darkness was no longer their ally or mine. As the larger of the two found me with his eyes, I knew I’d made a huge mistake. The iridescent shimmer of his skin was unmistakable in the firelight.

  “Fairies,” I whispered to myself as panic rose within me. My mouth went dry and my knees started shaking. A menacing smile curled up the male fairy’s face as his arms lit up with fire. His partner turned now and spotted me as well.

  “Witch,” the young girl replied with disdain. Her bright golden eyes shone calculatingly in the darkness and her short white hair perfectly framed her shimmering face.

  “I told you this was a dumb idea,” Evans snarled at her. Stepping towards me with long, heavy steps the fire elemental waved his lit arms in a circle, causing fire to erupt all around me. My own powers called at me, begging me to engage and I easily snuffed out his prison before creating a fireball of my own.

  “A witch who is a fire elemental,” she said with a wicked smile looking from me to the flame and back. “How interesting.”

  With a quick flick of her wrist, the hooded fairy caused a wave of water to come up from the reflecting pool. She intended for it to swallow me, but she had no idea who she was messing with. With a wave, I commanded the water towards the fire elemental and hurled the fireball in her direction. She dodged it easily by tumbling forward out of the way, grabbing Evans’ steaming arms as she went.

  The water elemental’s beautiful face was no longer smug, but shocked. She looked from me to the water. Our eyes met and that menacing disdain was now replaced by seeking. She was intrigued by me.

  “Are you Finch’s daughter?” She asked, smiling. Confusion and anger crossed my features and she laughed. Evans was getting ready to light up again, but Aella shook him off, motioning for the tree line.

  “How do you know my father?” I asked, stepping towards her. She looked too young to have been the one who killed him. “Do you know who murdered him?” I shouted, desperation clear in my voice

  “See you later witchy,” she called and the two fae took off running. Their graceful pivots were a blur in the dancing firelight. Without a moment of thought, I followed as fast as my feet could carry me. She mentioned my father, and I wanted the answers that no one was bothering to give me today. I mumbled a quick spell to illuminate the path ahead of me. The new visibility made it easier for my quarry as well, however, and they moved even more quickly out of the memorial and into the larger campus. I worked hard to keep pace as they darted past President Sager’s home, but these were well trained legs I was chasing, and I spent more time in the library than the gym. Aella and Evans were heading for Perry’s forest at the back of the island. Catching them in there would be nearly impossible. As President Sager’s house appeared on my right, I decided it was time to call for help. Knowing it would reveal a talent I would have preferred to keep hidden, I called up a breeze to carry my voice to ear of President Sager.

  “This is Khlorie Lethestone.” I shouted through panting breaths. “There are two fairies on campus. I am currently in pursuit headed through the North woods.” As I finished speaking, the wind rushed off in a mighty gust in the direction of President Sager’s home.

  I hope this works , I thought desperately.

  My prey had now crossed into the wooded area separating the campus from the water. Cursing the nimble footedness of fairies, I watched them navigate the jungle of tree roots with such grace that it appeared that their feet were never touching the ground.

  I was not so lucky.

  The hem of my tunic was catching on the underbrush and I could feel blood dripping from the many scratches on my legs. My leggings were in tatters, and I felt cramping in my thighs as my breathing became more labored. There was no way that I could keep up with her like this.

  In the distance, the campus alarm sounded, alerting everyone to intruders. Three tones sang out clearly in the air.

  President Sager got my message. I felt emboldened by the sound. We are going to stop them. They can’t outrun an entire island.

  Startled by the noise, the fae began moving at an even quicker speed and they made it to the very edge of the island just as addi
tional protective wards were dropping around the perimeter. Without a second thought, they jumped off the cliff edge. I could see Aella using the water below to soften their landing and push them further out to see. Bobbing in the water, they both looked up at me. Aella gave me a smile before they disappeared into the waves.

  “Noooooo!” I screamed out falling to my knees. I sent my powers into the ocean, hoping I could get the water to spit them back out, but they were gone. All I was doing was creating rough seas. As I released my connection to the ocean, the adrenaline keeping me going subsided and exhaustion overtook me. My body gave out and all that remained was darkness.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  When consciousness came back to me, I was in the arms of someone warm. Freezing raindrops tickled every exposed area of my body and a brisk wind slammed into me from all sides. Two voices could be heard over the blustery air and the campus alarm.

  “Perry you need to calm down. This wind...she is freezing,” A voice commanded.

  In response, the arms that held me relaxed and the wind’s angry gusts calmed. I curled toward the warm body embracing me and felt the arms around my legs and shoulders grip tighter as he picked me up off the ground and began carrying me.

  “President Sager, we have her,” the first voice announced into a handheld mirror.

  “What were you doing, Khlorie,” asked the familiar, deep voice of the person holding me. “I should have gotten here faster.”

  “Perry, you felt she was in danger and got here as fast as you could. Before anyone else. Before the tones even went off, which we are going to have a tough time explaining,” said the first voice concernedly.

  “Not fast enough,” Perry responded, holding me a little tighter. I felt a kiss pressed to my forehead and I curled further in towards his chest.

  “Orpheus! How is she,” asked a strong female voice arriving on the scene.

  “From what I can sense, she’s ok. I think that she is experiencing some kind of magic-induced exhaustion.” He paused. “She feels completely drained.”

  “Any sign of the fairies,” asked President Sager. At the word "fairies," Perry gripped my body tighter. He had known I was in trouble, somehow, but hadn’t known what I had been facing.

  “No, when we got here, she was on the floor. Khlorie sent Perry a message,” Orpheus lied. “But we didn’t make it in time.”

  “That makes three of us,” President Sager said. “Now you boys take her to the Healing Center and stay on alert. We don’t know if there are any other threats on the campus. Orpheus, you carry her. Perry’s power will be more effective offensively.”

  I didn’t want to leave Perry’s arms, but I knew that the boys would not disobey President Sager directly.

  Perry , I thought. He came after me. The thought warmed me and even in my depleted state, I knew happiness. That comfort stayed with me as I lost consciousness again.

  Sometime later, my eyes opened slowly only to be forced closed by bright lights in a white room. I pushed myself to sit up only to be held back down.

  “No, no, no!” A healing witch with jet black hair, a stern face, and purple eyes was leaning over me and gently pushed me back down on the exam room table. “You cannot move until I finish the exam.”

  “Khlorie, this is Healer Miyako. She is taking care of you,” came Viv’s voice. She was dressed in the robes of an apprentice healer, and I relaxed a bit at the familiar face. “Do you remember what happened?” Taking a deep breath, the events of the night came flooding back.

  “Where are the fairies?” I asked in a quiet, gravelly voice. “Did we catch them?” I tried to sit up, but Viv pushed me back down gently.

  “Khlorie, I need you to hold still while I collect this hour’s vital signs. Then we can talk.” The Healer’s voice was firm, and I did what she asked. With her eyes closed, she ran her hands inches above my skin beginning at my foot and working her way up to my head. The whole process took only minutes, but it felt like hours. When she was finished, she had Viv take some notes as she dictated.

  “Lethestone, Khlorie. 18. Brought to the Healing Center at 11:45pm on August 2nd by Hyperion Prentice and Orpheus Tunne. She presented with lacerations on legs and ankles, magic induced exhaustion, and severe dehydration. She awoke at 9am on August 4th. Vital signs are all normal. Lacerations have been healed by first aid tincture. Hydration potion has replenished her body. Will be released after clearance from President Sager.” Viv hung the recorded notes on a wall next to the bed with a wave of her hand. Healer Miyako rolled up the sleeves of her gold blouse and pulled a chair up to the bed.

  “Khlorie, you have been asleep for a long while- about 36 hours. You might feel a little woozy. Can you sit up?”

  The knowledge that I had been asleep for two nights and a day surprised me, because I honestly felt like I could have gone right back to bed. I used my arms to pull myself to an upright position and swung my legs over the edge of the exam table, letting them hang there. The outfit that I had been wearing on Saturday night was gone and was replaced with the golden pajamas that were standard issue in most healing centers. My head was throbbing, and my hand instinctively went up to the spot where it hurt.

  Healer Miyako ran over to a white cart of drawers and pulled out a small vial labeled “Headache serum” and handed me the bottle. As the peppermint flavored concoction hit my lips I felt instantly better.

  “That’s better,” she commented motioning for Viv to make a note of the potion and dosage on my chart. “You have a lot of people wondering how you are. You must have used some pretty powerful magic to have induced such a state of exhaustion. President Sager is on her way over here, but a couple of your friends refused to leave. The boys who brought you in and your roommate. They have been in the waiting room all this time. Are you feeling up to seeing them?”

  I nodded. She and Viv disappeared out of the room and almost instantly three figures appeared in my doorway. Itzel ran in and gave me a hug while Perry and Orpheus stood back at the door.

  “How are you feeling? We were so worried about you,” she cried while hugging me tightly. After a long time, she broke the hug and looked me in the eyes, before turning on me sternly. “¿Por qué intentarías atrapar a un hada? ¿Sabes lo peligroso que es eso? ¡Podrían haberte matado! ¡Dios mío! No me hagas eso nunca más.”

  I laughed. “I am not sure what you are saying, but I think I understand.” I gave her another hug and then my eyes drifted back to Perry at the door. He looked like a beautiful mess. His clothes and hair were disheveled, and his eyes were surrounded by puffy circles. I doubted that he slept a minute since the time that he brought me in. I smiled at him.

  “Healer Miyako said that you two were the ones that found me.” Perry walked towards me purposefully and Itzel stepped out of his way knowingly. When he reached me, he threw his arms around me and hugged me so tightly to him that I was a little surprised at first. Being in his arms was the comfort I needed though, and I enthusiastically encircled him with my own embrace. His shoulders calmed when we were entwined, and he moved one hand to the back of my head and rested his forehead against mine.

  “Thank you,” I said breathlessly.

  “I was too late. Something more could have happened…”

  “It didn’t,” I responded, cutting him off and pulling him closer into our embrace. He tilted my chin up so that my eyes met his.

  “Are you sure you are alright?” Perry was staring at me intensely and with such devotion and care.

  “Yes,” I assured him, looking up into his beautiful sapphire eyes. We stood there in each other's embrace for a few minutes before he spoke again.

  “Khlorie, Orpheus and I told everyone that you sent us an air message and that is how we knew where you were,” he whispered looking at me seriously.

  “How did you actually know?” I asked, searching his face.

  “I don’t mean to break this up, because I think you two have a lot of talking to do,” Orpheus said leaning against the door frame
and smiling, his clear voice cutting through the room... “However, President Sager is coming in fast.”

  “Mind blocking potion,” I looked at him worriedly.

  “Viv’s been making sure you’ve gotten it,” Perry whispered.

  He reluctantly stepped out of my arms and I immediately felt the absence of him.

  “I’m not going anywhere.” With that, he sat down in a nearby chair. Orpheus quickly took the seat next to him, and Itzel moved to a small chair across from them right as the impressive figure of President Sager came into view. She was speaking in hushed tones with Healer Miyako. After a moment, President Sager turned to me smiling.

  “Khlorie, you gave us quite a fright.” The Mind Witch looked over warily at Perry, Orpheus, and Itzel sitting in the room’s chairs. “You have some wonderful friends, my dear. Now, I am going to ask all of you to leave.”

  “No,” Perry said firmly.

  “Mr. Prentice, two powerful fairies found their way on this campus and defaced our most sacred space. I don’t need to remind you of the severity of this situation.” The look that the Mind Witch gave him in response to his defiance was terrifying. Orpheus pasted a kind smile on his face and tried to defuse the situation.

  “Perry hasn’t slept since the night before we found Khlorie. He has been really worried,” Orpheus explained calmly, and I was grateful for his intervention as President Sager’s murderous glare calmed when she turned to face the empath.

  “Do we have to go President Sager?” Itzel asked calmly. “We were wondering what happened as well.”

  “I would like everyone to stay,” I replied in my weak voice. “That way I only have to tell the story once.”

  President Sager sighed impatiently. “This is not idle gossip. This was a major security breach on a highly protected island.”

  “Everyone can stay, Vibiana.” Standing at the door was a brawny wizard wearing a brown Marshal uniform. “Unless you think I need to take their statements separately.”

  “Marshal Trackerson,” I greeted Brigid and Callum’s Dad. He came over and gave my shoulder a squeeze. “I called your mother, and she is on her way. I am afraid that you are going to get an earful when she gets here. She would have been here already, but I told her to wait until you woke up.”