“May I come in?” I call through the blanket hanging over the door.
“Lilith? Of course,” Lynx calls in reply.
I push my way inside and narrow my eyes to see in the dim candlelight as I stand beside the door, twining my fingers together nervously. Lynx is seated beside a small bed in which Callista lies. Her pink wings are parted to spread across the white sheets beneath her as she stares up at the ceiling, a noticeable absence of emotions on her usually cheery face.
“Hi, Callista, how are you feeling?” I greet, taking a small step into the room.
She struggles to sit up, propping herself up on her elbows to see me. “I’ve had better days, Lilith.”
I frown and remember once again that I let go the girl who had done this to her; the guilt becomes suddenly virulent. “I-I’m sorry about—”
She holds up one of her tiny hands. “It’s okay. The Sage explained what happened to me. You can’t blame yourself. It was an accident all around. You were new and unprepared for their tricks. You don’t need to apologize.”
Accident or negligence? “If you say so,” I murmur, not feeling entirely convinced.
“Something wrong?” Lynx asks after a careful moment of observing me.
Can everyone tell I’m losing my mind?
“I-I need advice,” I say, staring directly at Callista.
“I’d be happy to help!” she chirps, trying to sit up again. She lets out a groan and flops back down to the bed. “As much as I can anyway.”
“Oh, my God, are you okay?” I ask, taking a hesitant step forward as I watch the expression of pain spread across her tiny, beautiful face.
“She’s fine, she’s just trying to push herself again,” Lynx says, frowning at Callista as he strokes her hand once.
She sighs in response and relaxes against the mattress, defeated. “I’m sorry, Lilith, I just hate this—being bedridden.”
“I understand.” Once again that trill of guilt runs through me, but I swallow it back. No use beating the dead horse.
Lynx gives Callista a sympathetic smile before he stands to his feet and walks over to me. He sets a hand on my shoulder and walks me over to the door.
“It’s gonna take some time for her to heal. She’s determined to fight every step of the way.” He sighs. “I know you came to visit, but I think you’d be better asking Thorn for advice until Callista’s better again.”
My shoulders stiffen at the thought of the brusque fairy but a quick glance at Callista is enough for me to push my selfish feelings aside. His aquamarine eyes are glazed over with exhaustion to match the heavy purple half-circles beneath them. Suddenly, I understand. Callista needs to get better not just for herself but for Lynx as well.
“Let me know when she gets better,” I say to Lynx before calling to Callista, “Hope you get better soon!”
“Thank you for visiting,” she replies.
I give Lynx a last look before I move to leave his den and think of Thorn, wondering if she’s in her home among the reeds or off somewhere on business to account for her sister fairy. I shiver as a breeze blasts through the trees, and I realize I’m still wearing the thin Mentis clothes Quinn had given me. I reach gratefully into my pocket to pull out the cloak Lazarus had loaned me and drape it over my shoulders, glad for the bit of warmth it offers as I approach the reeds.
“Thorn, are you here?” I call into the darkness, listening to the gentle burbling of the river passing through the plants.
After a moment of silence, I recognize the light of silver around her black wings as she flies from the water.
“Hello, Lilith, this is a surprise,” she greets, lighting down on the grass beside me.
“I visited Callista today, she’s doing well,” I state and plop down beside her.
“She’d be better if she’d let herself relax. Damn her enthusiasm,” Thorn says. “I hope you didn’t get her too worked up while you were there.”
“Lynx told me the same. In his own way, of course.”
“So what’s going on then?” Thorn asks, flapping her wings as she glares at me. “You didn’t come just to shoot the breeze.”
Her words send a bigger chill down my spine than the cold night air, and I suddenly wonder if I’m making a mistake trying to seek anyone’s help. This is my issue, after all. What could they possibly do to make things better? Fill me with tired clichés?
I’m the only one can do a thing about it.
“I need advice, and I don’t know where else to turn,” I admit finally.
The frown on her face eases a bit as she hears the tone in my voice, and I realize how truly similar I am to her. We both wear hardened outsides to hide the fact that inside, we care…probably too much.
“What is it?”
“I-The Sage talked to me about something important…about possibly becoming her successor,” I force the words out.
Thorn’s face remains impassive. “Well, that’s good news, isn’t it?”
“The Sage only gets her position by acquiring powers from every Coven of the Land of Five, right?”
“Yes, that, and she’s also the most powerful witch in current existence with the ability to learn any power of her choosing.”
“That’s the problem. I don’t have powers from multiple Covens, and I’m certainly not powerful. I barely have control over what I can do now.”
“Crowe says you’re able to access powers from Ignis and Mentis equally.”
“Yes, but it’s not as black and white as that. Lavina says I shouldn’t be capable of pyrokinesis…that whoever burned my leg imbibed me with the ability, and long story short, she thinks I might be from Mentis—hence my ability to use telekinesis and read minds. That means I’m an average witch, by their standards.” I pause for a moment, swallowing heavily before I force myself to continue. “Pyro powers aren’t natural for me…it’s why I can only access them when the rest of my magic’s been completely tapped out.”
“Did you tell The Sage this?”
I shake my head. “But I’m sure she knows regardless.”
“If she knows then she isn’t just blowing smoke. She has a plan. You should feel honored to be chosen for this because it’s not just given out to anyone.”
“Just like I should’ve been honored to be ‘nominated’ for The Council?” I retort, folding my arms across my chest before the bravado fades. “I can’t do it. I don’t even know who I am…how can I be someone important?”
Thorn grunts and flaps her wings again. “I get it’s hard but you have a duty to fulfill. It’s not a choice and to pretend it is just makes the situation harder on you and all those around you.”
“I thought you were supposed to be helpful. You’re just repeating what Rayna told me.”
“And she’s right, but let me ask you a question. Have you gone back to Ignis yet?”
I shake my head again. “We’re supposed to go when Crowe gets back, after the execution.”
“Good. While you’re there, get to the bottom of your mystery. The sooner you tackle this issue, the sooner you can work on feeling better about yourself and putting your heart and soul where it belongs.”
“But—”
“No buts, Lilith. You’re a person of power now. Everyone—your parents included—have to respect you. Stop acting like a scared child. You’re strong. You’d be even stronger if you let yourself portray it. If you demand the truth from your parents, they will be bound by a witch’s oath in which they cannot break. Do you understand?”
I stare at her for a long moment. That’s information I haven’t heard before. “Really?”
She nods. “A power gifted to you by The Council.”
About the only gift I’ve gotten from them, I scoff silently. “That’s good advice,” I muse out loud, bobbing my head thoughtfully. In my chest, my heart clenches painfully. The way she put it makes it sound as if I’m only inches away from the truth.
For all I know, I might be.
Her lips pull into a tight
smile, the first real one I’ve seen on her face. “That’s why I’m here. Now, do you need anything else?”
“If you could give me courage, that would be splendid,” I say with a short nervous laugh.
“I’m not a genie,” she replies, dragging her lips to one side of her face. “Remember what I said about finding your confidence, your inner strength. It’s a power very few witches learn to properly utilize.”
“Right,” I murmur, feeling a yawn open in the pit of my stomach at the task at hand.
The only one capable of building myself up to make this final leap is myself, and at the moment, it seems all but impossible.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Duty
THE SCENE FEELS all too familiar as groups of witches gather at the Ceremony Grounds to watch the new execution as if it’s some wicked show. Only this time, instead of Iris, it’s Chastity tied to the pole. The Council members—myself included, I remember bitterly—are dotted around the field, cloaked in long blue and black hooded robes that make the scene even eerier than it should be.
If that’s possible.
Witches from our home Covens gather around their representatives, and I feel uncomfortable standing with the people I had grown up with. My hood encircles some of my blue-black hair into my face, and I’m glad for the bit of shelter it offers. Not everyone from my Coven regards me as they should. Some of them eye me with disdain, as if they can’t believe I’m on The Council and they’re not.
As if I had a choice.
I look down at the fabric draped around my body and tilt my head to the side, trying to hide just how uncomfortable I am. I scan the group of familiar faces around me, but to my disappointment, Clio and Helena aren’t among them. My shoulders droop in disappointment and I fidget in place again. Against the sun’s blinding glare, I stare up the hill to the spot that in a few minutes will prove to be Chastity’s final resting place. Rayna is the one in charge of this event. She stands proudly beside the girl tied to the stake, her robes a few sizes larger than each of the other members of The Council.
Chastity appears so much smaller than she really is with her arms bound behind her—even from my place across the field she looks as thin as the stake she’s tied to. Her lips are in a straight line as she stares at the first row of onlookers. She doesn’t seem intimidated by her fate…if anything, she’s bored. When I try to probe her mind, it’s as vacant as the expression on her face.
As I watch her, the confliction in my mind resurfaces. Is it right for them to execute her over me? I feel the question in my heart again—the odd thing is it urges me to help her, nearly screaming that this isn’t right. If The Sage is right about my connection to the Elementals, I could very well be observing my own fate.
What can I do at this point?
It’s very unnerving to be one of the most powerful witches in the Land of Five but still have no control over my life.
I blink away the thought and focus on Chastity. Her eyes come to a rest on me again, and I shiver as I remember the ominous threat she had delivered in Mentis.
“For your crimes and your alliance against The Council, we find you guilty, and as a result, you Chastity Vines, will be executed this day at the stake. Do you have any last words?” Rayna asks, taking a small step closer to the stake.
The girl doesn’t offer a final word as her feet scuff the dust beneath her. Instead, she grins at Rayna and holds it.
Rayna raises an eyebrow. “Is that a ‘no’ then?”
You aren’t gonna do a thing?
I tense at the sudden voice but hold my place at the edge of the field despite it as it continues to urge me to approach her. It’s not Hyacinth’s voice, and I’m certain it’s not my own. I should be concerned an unknown witch is sending me thoughts, but I don’t let it bother me. If they’re a threat, no doubt Hyacinth will be able to pick up on it.
I ignore the voice and watch Chastity as Rayna covers her in liquid. She holds that eerie smile as Rayna gestures for me to approach. My eyes widen, unsure of my position within the ceremony, but I follow her commands, walking slowly toward the rise. The crowd parts as I stiffly walk through them. I hear whispers, not all of them kind, but I don’t turn around as I stand at the base of the rise.
Rayna dips her head to me, expecting me to do my part. I look back to Chastity—who continues to wear her eerie grin—concentrating on the limited fire ability inside of me. It’s nerve-racking to have such a large audience, even more so when I consider the possibility of failing. I swallow roughly to make the butterflies in my stomach disappear while I concentrate. For a long moment, nothing happens; mocking comments from around the crowd fill my mind like angry bees.
Just when I’m about to give up, fire ignites beneath her feet. The smile on her face falters as the pain begins to bite at her but it never fades completely. Another minute passes before she is devoured in the flames. Her screams fill my ears, and her smirk embeds itself in my brain. I can’t tear my eyes away as the girl gradually dissolves away. As the sound of her anguish comes to a stop, and her body begins to change to dust, I’m petrified.
I still can’t believe someone so young would sacrifice her life like this. I know nothing about her, beside her name and mission, but I can’t stop pondering her motives…as well as The Sage’s. Why would she order her execution so quickly? Why not question her, probe her mind, get any and all information first?
Quinn, who stepped through the crowd to stand beside me a moment prior, offers me a gentle smile. "Relax. You don't have to worry about her anymore.”
I offer a smile back but it’s fake. Sure, Chastity will no longer be a threat, but she didn’t work alone which means there will be others. I’m far from being able to relax. Chastity herself had said this was only the beginning. And as I had learned from every action book I ever read, the first bad guy always dies.
But that had been Iris, hadn’t it? Maybe the second guy dies too.
I glance across the field to see Hyacinth in the distance. Her face is scrunched as she stares at the sky, lost in thought. Is the voice that reached out to me trying to contact her now?
Is it telling her something about me?
“Good job,” Rayna calls to me. “I know it’s difficult to attend one of these things, let alone be the executioner.”
I barely hear her as she moves to pull the stake from the ground. Chastity had been just one in many problems I face. Thoughts of her once again remind me of The Sage’s stance, and my own—which flips both ways depending on the situation.
The problem of being a middleman.
For a long moment, I wonder why I had been so dissatisfied with my old life in Ignis. Compared to this, it had been paradise.
Careful what you wish for, Hyacinth’s voice lilts through my mind.
In no mood to acknowledge the comment, I put up my veil and consequently my mind shifts to memories of Chastity’s final moments—all I can think about is sharing it…if the Elementals don’t get me first.
Stop it, I think to myself, squeezing my eyes shut in a pointless attempt to block out the scene around me.
“Are you okay?” Quinn asks, and I jump, forgetting he’s there.
I swallow and move to compose myself, wiping away the water that had gathered beneath my eyes with the distinct hope he hasn’t noticed. “Yeah, yeah. I’m fine.”
He gives me a sympathetic look dangerously close to pity; my hope is in vain.
“Did you know her?” I question, tipping my head toward the rise as I remember what I suspect him to be.
He opens his mouth and closes it before he picks at the hem of his shirt. “Not well. She kept to herself mostly and only really came out of her house for Coven Duties.”
“You didn’t notice her around Mentis before that?” I ask, tilting my head to the side.
Quinn frowns—it’s obvious by the expression on his face that he can guess why I’m asking my questions. “She had a habit of getting in and out of places unnoticed.”
Yeah, apparently. If she had been part of the Elementals, she hadn’t been under suspicion for it until she attacked me. That thought prompts another frown to appear on my face.
Sensing the sudden tension between Quinn and me, I survey the group of onlookers to notice a lack of sorrow. Death is always a grim event, but no one on the Ceremony Grounds has shed a tear over Chastity’s demise. For an execution, it’s oddly silent. Everyone seems to wear a blank face, much like the one Chastity herself had worn, as if they’re unsure of how they feel—or simply don’t care.
How could it be that someone could go through their entire life and not be close to anyone? Is Mentis in general just less connected than Ignis? Or is that they’re simply afraid to show their grief because they think it will be taken as disloyalty by The Council?
That’s just wrong. Surely someone will miss her.
“Didn’t she have a family?” I blurt out.
“Of course she did, but both of her parents died of the same illness a few years back.”
“Hmm, so she’s lived alone for a while now,” I murmur, glancing back toward the smoldering pile of Chastity’s remains.
“What is it? Do you think she killed them? Maybe a rite of passage into the Elementals?”
I stare at him for a moment, considering. I’m not sure what to think. Her case is strange but oddly normal. It seems as if a number of people in my generation are missing one or both their parents.
They can’t all be accidents.
A shiver runs down my spine as Clio flashes through my mind. There’s no way he’d do something as evil as kill his own parents…right?
“It’s suspicious,” I say finally.
Quinn nods, opening his mouth to speak, before Rayna calls to him, and he jots over to her.
“Everything about the Elementals is suspicious,” a voice says from behind me.
I turn and my eyes widen as I catch sight of who had spoken. “Tarj!” I gasp, fighting the urge to hug him. It isn’t necessarily happiness that drives the urge but rather relief. After his disappearing act, I didn’t know what had happened to him—it’s reassuring to know Council members aren’t killed off when they’ve been replaced.
The Council Page 29
