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

  Kate Stoessel

  Council of the Harvest Moon: Book 1

  Copyright © 2021 by Kate E. Stoessel

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without written permission of the copyright owner except for the use of quotations in a book review. For more information, address: [email protected]

  FIRST EDITION

  www.katestoessel.com

  For Maggie, who has been traveling to fantasy worlds with me since we were kids.

  Table of Contents

  American Continental Coven Approved Specialty List

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  Up Next in the Council of the Harvest Moon Series…

  Acknowledgements

  About the Author

  American Continental Coven Approved Specialty List

  CHAPTER ONE

  The full moon illuminated the cobblestone walkway leading to the back door of a brick townhome. It was a brisk March night in Boston’s North End, and I hugged my coat a little tighter against my petite frame. Determination seized me as I swung open a tall gate marked with a twinkling Celtic Knot. To the human neighbors, the symbol was nothing out of the ordinary, but I knew the signs of a magical engraving.

  This is the place , I thought as I stepped into the back garden. Fear gripped me as I neared the backdoor. I couldn’t tell if it was fear of the witch inside or fear of what I knew my mother’s reaction would be if this outing was ever discovered. I had been warned from a young age not to mix with the kind of witches that sold their services to anyone who came calling. Yet here I was seeking one out. Lady Apollonia, as she was known in supernatural circles, was a revered diviner. It was common knowledge that she could see months or years into the future, a rare gift even to those who specialized in Divination magic. However, she refused to use her services in support of the American Continental Coven (ACC). Apollonia resisted every attempt by the government to recruit her. Worse than that, she offered her services as a commercial business to all forms of supernaturals, as well as humans. My mother, the ACC’s head Potion Witch, considered her, if not an enemy, a dangerous traitor.

  Taking a deep breath, I tried to remind myself why I was at this particular witch’s door. I was desperate. My life was unraveling, and I needed to know what the future held. Up above, a few crows cawed into the dark night. Their startling shrieks forced my boots to further crowd the supernatural entrance to Lady Apollonia’s studio.

  “You can do this,” I whispered to myself. “You have to do this.” As I reached out to ring the bell, the door opened to reveal an older woman with smokey silver eyes. Her black curls fell over the crocheted shawl she wore, covering a loosely fitted shift dress.

  “Khlorie Lethestone,” the woman stated matter of factly. Her voice was both soothing and striking in a way that made goose pimples form on my arms. “Make your decision now whether you want to know your future. There is no unhearing what I tell you.” With that, the woman left me standing in the doorway to make a choice. Against my instincts, I stepped over the threshold into the townhome and closed the door behind me.

  I found myself in a tight hallway lined with eggplant colored wallpaper, which made the space seem a bit claustrophobic. Gold frames holding clippings from human newspapers and magazines about Apollonia’s services lined the walls. I couldn’t believe that she flaunted her powers like this when secrecy had been the policy of the ACC since its founding in the 1500s. My mother would be furious if she saw this, but not as furious as if she knew where I was right now.

  Don’t think about that , I thought, but the guilt clawed at me. In my 18 years, I could never remember lying to my mother. We had always been a team and I had always believed her if she told me a person or neighborhood was dangerous. Talking to Lady Apollonia was worth the risk, though. Giving the framed clippings a final look, I made my way down the dark, cramped hallway to a curved doorway. As I got closer, the scent of vanilla and jasmine incense wafted heavily through the air. It surrounded me as I stepped into the circular room, lit sparingly by candles. Lady Apollonia was sitting in a deep blue, wingback chair. Her smooth, alabaster skin was in stark contrast to her dark lipstick and raven black hair. Anyone would know she was a diviner because of the tan color of her dress. The power radiating from her was what told me that this was no average Divination witch.

  “Have a seat, Khlorie. There is much for us to discuss if you feel that you are ready.” Lady Apollonia motioned to a small couch across from her. I sucked in a breath and followed her instruction. I took off my coat and placed it on the arm of the dark gray couch before smoothing my long black skirt and taking a seat. Fiddling with a stray red curl, I sat wondering how to begin.

  “I know why you are here to see me. I have been waiting for this meeting for a few months now.” There was a hint of hesitation in her voice, like she wasn’t sure how to proceed. Her pause hung heavy in the air. “I knew your father. He was a great man and an unusually gifted witch.”

  Of all of the things that I expected Apollonia to say, discussing Finch Bishop was not one of them.

  “He died a long time ago,” I responded. “I was only 6 when he was killed. Fairies…”

  “Yes, I read that in the papers,” Apollonia responded strangely. Something about her phrasing put me on edge. I tried to shake it off. Of course, the death of a prominent healing witch, like Finch Bishop, was reported in the magical papers. I decided it was just my surroundings that were making me feel uneasy.

  “How did you know him?”

  “The supernatural community, particularly in New England, is not so large that powerful people do not come into contact with each other.” She waved the question away as if it was the most natural thing in the world. I wanted to probe further, but Lady Apollonia gave me a once over and continued. “You have his emerald eyes. Very rare for a witch, no?”

  “That’s what I have been told,” I started. I shouldn’t have continued, but my nerves led me to babble. “I am the only student at Gables Academy with the color.” It had been an issue when I was growing up. The other students wondered aloud often why my eyes were so strange. Witches had purple and silver eyes. My father used to tell me that the green eyes were just a sign that I was more powerful than the average witch. The thought of his kind face and understanding caused a lump to form in my throat. I needed the conversation to move away from my father. Familiar emotions were rising in my chest, and I could not be distracted tonight. “I am here because I need your help,” I began.

  “You want to know why you have not been selected to a specialty college,” Apollonia said quietly.

  “Yes!” I looked down at my black and white checked blouse. Shame surged as I looked at the uniform pattern of the training witch. “Every other member of my class has been selected by a college and has started wearing their specialty colors. I know I did well on the Witch Education Bureau tests, but I haven’t heard anything from colleges, or the W.E.B. Petr Rangersson can barely cast a spell and he got accepted into the Flying Specialty at Volant College ye
sterday. I am the only one left. I was hoping that you can tell me what is going on and what I can expect.”

  Apollonia gave me a nurturing smile. “You are a talented witch, Khlorie. How could the daughter of Morrigan Lethestone and Finch Bishop be anything but extraordinary?”

  I smiled politely but felt the tears pool behind my eyes. The pressure of my parents’ legacy was part of the problem. Everyone expected me to be one of the first ones accepted into a specialty. I was supposed to be heading to Shade College and wearing the red of the Spell Writing specialty. It was one of the most elite specialties and I had been working towards it for years.

  “You know, many people think that I am omniscient, but that is not true,” Apollonia began. “I can only see the futures of those who I meet, and those futures do change. They are not set-in stone. I will look into your future, but I may not have the answers that you seek, and you may not like what I find.”

  “I understand,” I confirmed.

  Lady Apollonia reached out for my hand. “I can sense your hesitancy. I promise that I mean you no harm. I have complete confidentiality with all of my clients. I hope that my assistant explained that to you.”

  “He did,” I started. My mother, Morrigan Lethestone, had trained me from a young age to never put myself under the power of another supernatural. I knew that this wasn’t just for my own safety, but for my mother's reputation. As a prominent ACC cabinet member, she was constantly a target for those with differing political agendas. Having knowledge of my future could be used against Morrigan, depending on what Apollonia saw. However, it would also hurt Morrigan’s reputation if I did not get accepted to a magical university and ended up without a specialty. I would just have to hope that whatever she saw would help me navigate my future, without having any repercussions for my family.

  “Khlorie,” Apollonia started patiently. “If you are having second thoughts, it is ok. Sometimes it is better not to know what is coming. I will not charge you for this appointment if you have changed your mind.” Her voice was almost imploring, and it made me wonder if she already knew something that she perceived as negative or dangerous.

  Ugh, you are being paranoid. She is just giving you the fine print .

  “Please continue. I need to know what is coming,” I responded. “I am going to hold you to that confidentiality, though. I need to know that my choice to visit you will not affect my family.”

  “No one will ever know what I learn in your future,” Apollonia responded solemnly.

  I nodded and then nested my small hand inside the diviner's larger one. For a moment, nothing happened. It was followed by a shift in the energy in the room and Apollonia’s eyes turning the tan color of her dress. The grip on my hand tightened and it felt like there was now a tether snaking over my skin, connecting the two of us. As the connection intensified, I started seeing images in my own mind’s eye-- images that made no sense to me. There was a brick building with a columned porch, a tree blooming instantly, a library, an apple tree, and the face of a handsome young man with blue eyes and dark hair. I willed the images to slow down so I could make sense of them, but they disappeared so fast that I wondered if I had seen them at all. No other images came through the bond, but the tether between us buzzed with greater intensity until Apollonia abruptly yanked herself free. The witch gasped for air and panic flared in her wide eyes. She jumped up out of the chair and began pacing the room, walking into the edge of a side table, mumbling to herself. With a wave of her hand the candles flared and gave more light to the small space.

  “What were those images? Were those my future?” I asked, still sitting on the couch, watching Apollonia’s display with both interest and fear.

  “You saw images?” Apollonia asked, obviously trying to calm her breathing. She studied me like a scientist observing a natural phenomenon.

  “Yes, just flashes here and there. Is that not normal? What can you tell me about my future? Will I have a specialty?”

  Apollonia paused her pacing and looked at me with sympathy. She took a deep breath and walked back to her wingback chair. “No, that is not normal. Your future will not be normal either. That is what I need you to understand…”

  This is it , I thought. I was on the verge of getting the answers that I had been so desperately seeking. I was about to find out why this year had been so challenging. I knew that something unusual was going on. I could sense it. It was at that moment that flashes of light began around the room and, as the light settled, I realized that the room was being raided. I threw my hands up immediately in surrender as the uniformed law enforcement officers surrounded Apollonia. A younger officer grabbed me by the upper arm to keep me from escaping. Looking up, I realized it was Callum, my best friend Brigid’s older brother. He was wearing his brown marshal uniform and looking down at me in surprise. He towered over me but leaned down to whisper in my ear.

  “Stay still and quiet Khlor,” he gently instructed.

  “M.A.S.L.E.O officers! Nobody moves,” shouted a deep and penetrating voice. “You didn’t see us coming this time, did you?” He held up a small potion bottle. “Divination blocker gave us a fighting chance,” he gloated. The voice belonged to a man that I knew well. It was Bodhi Trackerson, Brigid and Callum’s father, and the head marshal of the New England region of the American Continental Coven. He was a brawny witch with a brown uniform top, announcing his shapeshifting specialty, and half-moon patches signifying his rank. I had known Marshal Trackerson since I was a baby and in all that time, I couldn’t remember a single instance of him smiling, until this moment. It was terrifying and I feared for Apollonia’s safety, as well as my own. “Apollonia Phoebe Dell, you are under arrest for aiding and abetting known criminals.”

  “What criminals are those?” Apollonia’s voice was now firm as she faced down the marshals.

  “We have it on good authority that you have been providing your services to members of the terrorist organization known as the Inner Circle.” I let out a short gasp and Callum gently squeezed my upper arm, which I took as a reminder to stay quiet. The Inner Circle was the fairy queen’s elite security team. They were the ones who had killed my father. My gasp announced my presence to Marshal Trackerson who now looked at me for the first time. His glee was replaced with shock and then exasperation. There was no way that Morrigan Lethestone was not going to hear about this now. Surprisingly, though, that was not my most pressing concern. Apollonia was being locked into magic-blocking cuffs and was being prepared to be transported to one of the ACC’s prisons, which were not hospitable places. I could not believe that the elderly witch in front of me would be involved in terrorist activity.

  “Marshal Trackerson, please. There must be some mistake,” I pleaded.

  “Khlorie, I’d keep quiet if I were you. You are certainly in enough trouble right now. Besides, you know better than most how dangerous the fairy insurgency in this country is right now.” He gave me a pointed look.

  “Khlorie doesn’t need you to tell her what she believes,” Apollonia said staring right at me. “She is going to learn that not everything is as it seems, as well as who she can trust.” Her gaze was penetrating as if she was trying to communicate telepathically with me. However, no messages arrived in my brain. Her comments enraged Marshal Trackerson and he turned fiercely back on Apollonia. He made a grasping motion with his hand and when he opened his fingers, I saw that he was now holding her tongue. That was not a spell I had ever seen cast before. It was brutal to witness. She called out, but only grunting noises emerged. Anger lit up her features as she stared at him.

  “You can have this back during interrogation. Until then, you will not spread your filth.” He turned to a younger marshal wearing a lime green uniform top, a flyer. “Marshal Ditch, take the team and make sure Apollonia finds her way to a cell.” Flashes began around the room and soon I was left alone with Callum and Marshal Trackerson.

  “I have things handled here Callum. Go with the team,” Marshal Trackerson commande
d his son. Callum gave me a sympathetic look and then flashed out of the room.

  Bodhi Trackerson motioned for me to sit on the couch. His body position was casual, even fatherly, as he sat across from me on the chair. However, I would never mistake this man for my father; not someone who could magic out a woman’s tongue to keep her from talking. My father had been gentle, honest, and kind. He believed in only using magic to heal, discover, and grow. Besides that, he never liked or trusted Bodhi Trackerson and, despite my friendship with his daughter, I never forgot that warning.

  “Khlorie, you need to know that being here tonight is very serious.” He started. “I know that your mother has warned you about not mixing with witches like this woman,” he motioned with disdain to the room around him. “Brigid told me that you are having a hard time with not yet having been selected for a specialty. I understand that this is troubling you.”

  I nodded in response. “That’s why I came here,” I responded meekly.

  “I figured as much,” he said calmly. “I don’t think that we need to get a Mind Witch involved in questioning you.” I shuddered at the thought. A powerful Mind Witch would be able to strip my mind bare and know all of my thoughts.

  “No sir,” I replied.

  “If you tell me everything that happened here tonight. I will take you home to your mother.” He gave a humorless chuckle. “Her wrath is likely going to be worse than what any ACC prison can conjure up, anyway.” I thought about Apollonia’s tongue and I seriously doubted that.

  “Well,” I began. “I made an appointment yesterday to come and see Lady Apollonia.”

  “How did you hear about her?” He asked matter of factly. The truth was that a friend at school had gone to her for help about choosing a specialty and had mentioned that it might be a good option for me. There was no way I was telling the marshal that, however.