The Council, A Witch's Memory

by J. C. Isabella

  “Yeah, you heal.”

  “The thing is, I’ve never tried it before.”

  She smiled and patted my arm, “Don’t look so worried. You’ll be fine.”

  “What about spells?”

  “We don’t actually cast spells, not like in the movies. Saying an incantation won’t do anything except make you look funny. But with a strong mind you can will certain things to happen.” She glanced back at me, the gray of her eyes shimmering with the same magical glow that Henry’s did. “It’s about desire. If I want someone to forget they ever saw me, I will look them in the eyes and tell them to.”

  Breakfast was quiet and uneventful. Henry was nowhere to be found. Zane shoveled his food down and proceeded to clean the entire kitchen in less than a minute. Seriously, he had the dishes washed and everything put away.

  I left the room, head spinning.

  Ten minutes later I stood in the conservatory. It was a large glass room attached to the back of the house. The windows were not clear, but tinted light blue.

  Sometimes I felt like I was in a fish tank.

  I shuffled toward the center to examine a rectangular black table commanding the center of the room. It had always been there, but was usually covered in potted plants and bags of soil. Mrs. Langley used the conservatory as an indoor gardening room. She had a real green house towards the north side of the property, but she liked some of the green indoors too.

  On the unusually clean surface of the tabletop sat an enormous book.

  It was bigger than a dictionary, its paper yellowed with age, brown leather cover worn and weathered. Various cloth bookmarks were slipped between its pages, puffing it up near the spine.

  Past the table I noticed a row of cages on the floor, ten of them, each one with an animal inside. Five dogs, two rabbits, and three cats, none of them moved or made a sound. They lay on the floor of their individual cages lethargically. It was kind of strange, considering Henry didn’t usually keep cages of sick looking animals in his house. I felt so bad for the poor little things.

  Flora entered the room, Zane trailing behind her.

  I did a double take when I noticed her outfit.

  At breakfast she’d merely thrown a robe over her pajamas. Afterwards she disappeared to change again. I didn’t understand why she hadn’t changed fully the first time. I understood now she hadn’t wanted to get her clothes dirty.

  Her yellow dress wasn’t the kind you’d find in regular stores, unless you were shopping for a Halloween costume. It was floor length, a shimmering material with sheer bell sleeves and an empire waist. The fabric floated around her. A green ribbon held back her long, black hair.

  She looked like a fairytale princess, stepped off the pages of a storybook.

  My brother could barley keep his tongue from hanging out. I thought he went gaga for the cheerleaders in their little outfits. Clearly he hadn’t considered formal wear.

  “That is a really beautiful dress. What’s the occasion?” I felt underdressed in my jeans and Rolling Stones tee.

  “Oh, thank you.” She swished the skirt. “This is how some of us dress when we’re not around humans. I wanted to show you, just to give you a heads up.”

  “I have to wear dresses like that?” Part of me cringed; another part thought it might be fun, as long as they were comfortable. Normally my dresses were knee length. I’d never worn anything I had to worry about tripping over, except for that one Halloween Henry and I went trick-or-treating as Princess Leia and Han Solo. The hem of my white costume had been black with dirt by the end of the night.

  “For special occasions and formal Council meetings. It’s tradition.” She beamed at me. “I’ve already ordered you a few, and I think you’ll love the colors.”

  “Why?” I wasn’t a Council member. What need did I have for a fancy dress?

  “Well, if a meeting is called while you’re here, you’ll come with us. It’s only when an elder is present. Of course, everyone dresses normal when we are out in public.”

  Zane asked excitedly, “What do I get to wear, Flora?”

  She turned to my brother with a devilish grin on her face. “Oh, since you’re a knight, you’ll have to wear a suit of armor.”

  He blinked and ran a hand through his unruly blond hair. “Really?”

  “No.” She bubbled with laughter. “You’ll have a uniform. It is similar the dress whites men wear in the Navy. And it will be blue like the mark on your arm.”

  He relaxed, leaning against the table. “You’re a really convincing liar.”

  She turned solemn, the glint fading from her eyes. “We have to be, no one can know about our world.”

  Zane sobered up, understanding. He gave her a nod.

  “Wait, rewind this conversation.” I stared at my brother’s arm. A tattoo of a blue half moon adorned his tan skin. Three stars filled the opening of the half moon. A red. A blue. A green. “Where did you get that?”

  He smiled proudly, “Henry. Don’t worry, it’s not a tattoo.”

  Flora added, “Zane’s a knight now.”

  “Why?” I asked.

  “So I could go to the Council meetings.” He said. “I’m not allowed if I’m not a member.”

  “Right, of course.” I shook my head and smiled at my brother, not wanting to burst his bubble. He was very proud of his new status.

  “What does Henry wear?” Zane asked Flora.

  “The same as you, just black, all royalty dress in black. At least the men do, it’s not required for women.” Flora propped her hands on her hips and looked my brother up and down with an assessing eye. “Zane, I need you to get warmed up before I can teach you anything. Run around as fast as you can until you get tired. Don’t leave Henry’s property.”

  “Aye, aye.” He saluted her and shot out the back door.

  I laughed. “Is that really supposed to warm him up?”

  “No, I just wanted to get started with you first. Zane is very powerful for his age, maybe even more powerful than me. I don’t have to teach him anything, except the rules, and memory charms.” Flora crossed the room to one of the cages and picked up a tabby cat. She set the feline on the table, stroking its soft brown fur, and motioned for me to come closer.

  “I’d like you to heal the animals. They were set for termination at the pound. We’ll find them homes once they’re better.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Yes, you must use your powers to get stronger. I can’t take you into a hospital to practice on patients. It would blow our cover. These little sweethearts can’t tell anyone our secrets.” She kissed the tabby on its head. “The sooner you start healing, the better they’ll feel.”

  “Wait, how did you get them here?”

  She smirked. “Your brother can break into the school gym with geese. An animal shelter was a piece of cake.”

  I set to work, healing the cats first. They were all meowing and purring by the time I was finished. The dogs yapped and barked excitedly. The bunnies were…er, hoppy and floppy.

  Flora fed them and gave them water. She made sure to keep them in their cages. We didn’t need to be chasing after them.

  When I stopped at the last cage and sat on the floor I was flying high from saving innocent lives. This puppy had the cutest, biggest, brown eyes I’d ever seen. He was absolutely huge. I glanced at the name on the cage and smiled.

  “So, Bruno, what happened to you?” I asked the Saint Bernard pup. He barked, licking my hand as I opened the cage. I read the paper attached to the door. A car had hit him and his back legs were beyond repair. He wouldn’t be able to walk again.

  I fixed that. He was healed in seconds. Good as new when I peeled off his bandages.

  “Well, it looks like you’ve finished.” I heard Flora say from behind me where she sat on the table, legs swinging back and forth.

  I fed Bruno. He inhaled the bowl of dog food I set in his cage, clearly having regained his appetite.

  I smiled at my accomplishments, “I think
I’m going to like having these powers.”

  She smiled too. “I can’t thank you enough for saving me last night.”

  Leaving Bruno to his food, I hugged her. “My powers are at your disposal any time Flora, even for a paper cut.”

  Bruno was finished eating and bounded over happily. I didn’t have it in me to lock him back in the cage and hefted him up, having to use both arms to securely hold him. There would come a time very soon where lifting him would be impossible. He lapped at my face, making high-pitched happy barks. I set him back on the floor and he galloped around Flora and me, tail wagging and tongue flapping.

  “He’s a keeper.” She laughed, producing a rubber ball from a pocket in her gown and tossing it for him to chase.

  “I wonder if Mara and Jackson would object if I brought him home with me, you know, once it’s safe for me to go back.”

  Her stormy eyes narrowed. “If you go back.”

  “If?”

  That thought was frighteningly tempting. But this wasn’t my home, unfortunately.

  “Never know what could happen.” She said innocently, hinting at something. “Henry is very attached to you.”

  I shook my head, “Flora, he really hurt me. I asked him to come back last night, only because I had questions that needed answering.”

  “But you guys are perfect for each other!” she crossed her arms.

  “It’s not that simple. He lied to me. I can’t just forgive him.” I was still angry, but now that I knew what really happened, I understood why he’d been forced to do it. But I couldn’t just shut off my emotions.

  Annoyed, she let out a huff. “You should know something before deciding not to be with him.”

  I patted Bruno. “What?”

  “You may have been shocked and hurt by what Henry did, but it drove him crazy for years.” She said. “I had to watch my cousin go against everything he felt, so that you didn’t end up dead.”

  I lurched away from her. “What?”

  “Dead, Venna. You would have been killed if it wasn’t for my cousin.”

  I felt myself sway, shocked. “He never told me that.”

  “Oh, well, he was probably being too noble for his own good.” She tapped her nails on the tabletop. “See, he knew something bad would happen if he told you too soon. His parents told him, only two days ago what it was. You weren’t the only one who was lied to or kept in the dark. So do Henry a favor, and yourself, and give him another chance.”

  My chest tightened and I glanced around the room. I fidgeted, feeling a strangely strong desire to find Henry. For some inexplicable reason I was so on edge my teeth hurt, and I knew I would feel this way until I was with him.

  I glanced at the doorway.

  Would he think I was annoying, wanting to be plastered to his side at this very moment?

  No, no, Henry wanted me. I could feel it.

  But he couldn’t come to me.

  I knew he would have if I’d given him the slightest hint that I was in the mood to reconcile.

  This was my greatest problem, how could I force myself to put distance between us if I kept having these feelings?

  “Venna?” Flora’s concerned tone broke my train of thought. “Are you all right?”

  “I need to find Henry.” When I found him I knew he’d be stressed, probably cracking his knuckles and pacing. He was irritated, definitely irritated.

  “Why?” Her eyes widened with curiosity.

  “I feel like he wants me with him.”

  She slapped her hand over her mouth, stifling a squeal.

  “Are you all right?” I found myself distracted by her behavior.

  She blurted. “This is amazing. You’re binding!”

  “Binding?”

  “Yes,” she sighed dreamily, clasping her hands together. “When a witch and a warlock fall in love, they bind to each other magically and mentally. Your souls unite and the person becomes your mate. Soul mate. After that, you acquire their power.”

  I frowned and she continued.

  “For example, once you and Henry are bound, you will get his power and he will get yours.”

  “When?”

  “I can’t tell you that, it happens when it happens.”

  “So if we bind we trade powers?”

  “No, you will keep your own and you’ll get his too. With him you share everything.”

  “Let me see if I understand…not only would I be able to heal, he could heal too, and I’d have the ability to control things with my mind?” oh, God. This can’t be happening. I was in love with him, a little. But that was before all this crazy stuff had happened. I really didn’t feel the same about him anymore. He was a different person. My soul couldn’t recognize him, because we didn’t know each other!

  “Yeah, pretty cool huh?” she hugged me excitedly. “This is so great!”

  I couldn’t hug her back. I was still trying to control in my shock. “I’m connected to Henry, like I can hear what he’s thinking?”

  “Not exactly, you won't hear his voice in your head. But you’ll know any of his strong emotions, be it happiness, sadness, anger. Like now, he wants you. He’s calling out to you and he probably doesn’t realize it.”

  I shook my head. Was it ever going to stop? All this information was coming at me and I barely had time to process it. “We can’t share feelings, and I doubt I’m supposed to be his…his mate. I don’t know the real Henry. And hello? What about marriage?”

  “Oh, we do that to, but more for legal purposes.” She pushed me out of the conservatory into the hall. “Go to him, and get to know him. You’ll see he’s the same person.”

  “Uh, where am I going?”

  “His office, at the end of the hall.”

  Of course he had an office.

  Wanting to run down the hall to Henry’s office, I tried to keep my cool. I felt what he felt. We were connecting more than normal people would. It really scared the crap out of me. How was I supposed to handle that? Especially when I was trying to convince myself to put distance between us.

  I couldn’t hide anything from him now.

  Besides, if I ever felt how terrible he was feeling about all of this, there was no way I’d hold onto any anger.

  The strangest part was how normal it felt, feeling what Henry was feeling. It wasn’t awkward or uncomfortable, and had it been, I wouldn’t be going to see him. But I couldn’t argue with my feelings, no matter how apprehensive I was.

  But why the hell did it have to happen now?

  Why not after we made up?

  Because, I had to face the fact’s, I couldn’t see us not making up. Or me not making up with him. Or anything. Shit.

  I’m so freaking screwed.

  When I reached the office door I knocked and cracked it open. I forced a smile and tried to push away any apprehension I had. I did not want him to feel it.

  I was right. Henry was stressed out. His back was to me and he stood, arms crossed, glaring out the windows by his desk.

  Slipping in, I shut the door and crossed the room, standing beside him to look out at the vast backyard. Zane was running around in figure eights, sending up a massive cloud of dust and dirt. Flora chased after him, hauling the old book with her, unsuccessfully trying to get him to stop playing games and be serious. Bruno was sitting close by, watching as if he were very entertained. He was still carrying around the ball Flora had given him.

  Henry didn’t say anything at first. But the longer I stood with him the more his tension began to diminish.

  He let out a deep breath, “I was hoping you’d come to me.”

  “I know.” I laughed, watching Zane zip up the side of a tree to stand on the tiptop limbs. Flora tried to follow him, her dress getting tangled in the branches. She made it halfway and sat down on a branch, yelling at him, still hanging onto the book.

  “You knew?”

  “What are you so anxious about?” I wondered, looking into his eyes, feeling almost as if the answer would show itsel
f.

  “I felt you this morning.”

  “How?” was it the same way that I felt him a few minutes ago?

  “I’m not sure, but I just had this feeling you were looking for me, or wondering where I was.”

  “I woke up and you were gone.” I said, trying hard not to move any closer to him. But I was drawn to him, like something was pulling me toward him. “That’s all.”

  He bent closer and rested his forehead against mine. “I don’t care how many times I have to say it…I’m sorry.”

  My throat went tight. “I know, and I want you to know, that although I’m mad, I don’t hate you.”

  He hugged me tight. I knew that it would take some time, at least for me, to figure out how this would work. Things were going to be all right between us, eventually. I wasn’t sure how long it would take, but now I had hope for us.

  I looked up and the endless green of his eyes called to me. They started to glow. The air crackled with some kind of energy around us. The hairs stood up on my arms.

  “Henry, what’s happening?” the lights flickered.

  He cursed. “Close your eyes.”

  I couldn’t look away. Like a deer trapped in the headlights of an oncoming car, I was frozen. Literally. “I can’t.” I tried to move. “I feel…stuck.”

  “Are you even trying?” he gasped as the glow deepened.

  “Yes,” I growled. “Why can’t you close your eyes?”

  “I’m stuck too!” he tried to pull away, but we snapped right back tighter, as if forced. “It’s happening.”

  “What’s happening?”

  “The binding,” the chords stood out in his neck as he just barely managed to close his eyes. But they popped right back open as if he lacked any and all control. “I can’t stop it. I’m sorry.”

  I shook my head as best I could. “Don’t be. It’s okay.”

  I began to feel warm, pleasantly warm, and tingly all over as my body trembled. My breath left me. I felt as if something expanded inside my heart, in my head, making room for something else…no, not something, someone.

  Our eye contact never broke and he appeared just as shaken.

  He felt just as shaken.

  Dropping my head to rest on his chest, I listened to the rhythmic sound of his heart. My own pulse pounded in my ears.