Awaken the Elements (Elemental Trilogy) (16 page)

             
“How
Superman
was that?” She said, thinking how glad she was he was a quick thinker.  She let him pull her off the edge.

             
He held onto her until she had her feet under her. “Things like that can get someone hurt,” He said, breathing into her ear. She nodded, shivering, not wanting him to let go, but she couldn’t make a show out of this either.  Plus, they hadn’t known each other long enough to be this close.

             
“They’re gone for sure now,” Hazel said.

             
“Yep,” River agreed.

              The same questions circled throughout the crowed. Who were they, what were they, and why were they here? No one had the answers. Autumn stood where she was with Rowan’s arm securely around her waist. She actually took a small, unnoticeable step back so she could rest her back against him. Okay, so she wanted this, to be held. She had wanted that for a while. No one else noticed, but she knew he did. Finally she got irritated hearing everyone ask the same stupid questions over and over again. The heat and the smell of rotting flesh were getting to her again. She looked at him.

             
“You can let me go now.”

             
Reluctantly, he let her go. Secretly, he didn’t want to. It just felt right to have her in his arms. “Don’t worry. I promise not to do any edge climbing anymore,” she said. She went over and picked up her box. She felt like taking a shower but then changed her mind. She was going to take a bath. She went down to her room and dropped off her stuff then grabbed up some bath items. She went over to the hot tub shop.

Chapter 9

              “Those girls are doing something wrong up there,” Aarawn said.

             
Mabon rubbed his hands over his arms; although it wasn’t cold, he had the shivers. “I know. Maybe you should go up and check.”

             
“And have Pyrus angry at me? I don’t think so.” Their eyes went straight to the mall as the circle was created. “Do you feel it?”

             
“The circle is calling.”

             
“I thought they had to have a ceremony to be welcomed, but so much power…” Aarawn said, starting to walk. Mabon followed closely.  They watched the circle on the roof. “Look, Mabon, they are being welcomed now. What a great thing to be part of. Our sisters are now full witches.”

             
“This can be very dangerous,” Mabon said, charming them before the zombies noticed, blocking their human scent. They stood at the far edge of the parking lot and couldn’t leave, the magic wouldn’t let them. The circle’s energy called for the rest of the elements to join in. “Such a circle we can create, Aarawn.”

             
He nodded; the idea of such power excited him. If only his sister knew what she was dealing with. She could do anything at this moment. Both their sisters were now full-fledged witches. They had been welcomed to the world as creatures of magic. “I believe we have to keep an extra eye on them at all times.”

             
“Their animals should make themselves known tonight, and that should make it easier to keep an eye on them.”

****

             
Rowan watched Autumn leave the roof, wondering what she had planned on this hot night. He yawned. Time for bed. Stretching, he decided to leave the roof. Others were also drifting back into the mall. Looking at his watch told him it was twenty minutes after midnight.

             
Rowan put the watch to his ear and listened.  Click, click, click. It was working. After midnight? It just didn’t seem right. River, Stefan and Drake were talking, as Rowan walked by them. “You guys have the time?”

             
Drake looked at his watch. “Eleven twenty.”

             
“What’s wrong with this?” He undid his watch and shook it. He looked at them. “It’s not working right.” He shoved it into his pocket.

             
“Where are you going now?” Stefan asked.

             
“I’m going to bed. You know where to find me,” Rowan said, walking off.

****

             
As soon as the elevator doors closed, moving Rowan down to the third floor, River ran into Autumn.

             
“Hey,” she said with a bright smile. He smiled right back.
Darn her witchy ways
, he thought.

             
“Hey yourself,” he said. “Whatcha doing?”

             
“I’m in need of a bath.”

             
“Need company?”

             
She swatted his arm. “No. I don’t.”

             
“Change your mind, let me know,” he said and wiggled his eyebrows.

             
“I’ll add your name to the list,” she said, slipping into the elevator.

             
“Wait! There’s a list?” he said, but the doors closed.

****

Rowan’s elevator opened.
              “Where did Autumn go?” he asked River.

              “Something about a bath. You okay?”

             
“No,” he said. “I have a headache. Think I’m going to hunt me up a bottle of Tylenol.”

             
River pointed up. “Sure thing.”

             
“See you later.” He turned back around, pressing the elevator call button.

****

             
The elevator beeped, and the doors slid open, letting Anatha out. She saw Rowan and River. Her brain went blank for a couple of seconds. She turned to get back into the elevator, but the doors closed, taking Rowan up. She cursed under her breath. She took a deep breath and turned, facing him, her stomach knotted up nervously as she shoved her hands into her pockets. She couldn’t help but think of him naked most of the day and night, and now she stood face to face with him again. He wasn’t naked, but just thinking about it embarrassed her. She quickly looked away from him before he could see her blush.

             
“Oh, hey, Anatha,” he said. “I wanted to say sorry about earlier.”

             
She pulled up enough courage to look at him. “Accidents happen.”

****

             
Rowan wandered around the fourth floor looking for Autumn. He stopped in front of the hot tub store. He heard singing coming from inside. He looked inside, fighting with himself about whether or not he should go in.

****

             
Autumn undressed, making sure no one was around, and slipped into the hot tub quickly. It was really warm but not too hot; just perfect. She added some bubbles and flipped on the jet sprayers, making the bubbles build up around her. She swam around for a while as she sang her favorite song. She had always wanted a big bathtub, ever since she had watched
Peewee’s Big Adventure
. She grabbed the aloe and green tea shampoo she found in the Bath & Bed Shoppe on the second floor and lathered her hair.

             
She preferred heat to humidity, but she really didn’t like either. She liked the fall; it made her feel more alive. Dunking her head under the water, she scrubbed her hair. She came back up, her hair in her face. She pushed it away and saw Rowan standing there at the edge. She jumped, biting her bottom lip to stop from screaming.

****

             
“I can see I’m embarrassing you, so I will say goodnight,” River said, getting ready to leave.

             
Anatha let her mind wander to Janice doing the strip show for the guys. It made her mad. Mad was good, embarrassed wasn’t. She felt the heat in her face leave, and she looked at River. “I don’t accept your apology. I might have if that little strip show didn’t go on, but it did.”

             
“Hey, look, that was nothing. It meant nothing.”

             
“Oh really? Then why did you just sit there and watch?” She crossed her arms over her chest.

             
“Drake pulled me in. He told me he had his own version of Hooters going on.”

             
“So you went because of Drake? You could have said no.”

             
“But the others were there, and I didn’t want to look like…” he froze.

             
“Like what? A pussy?” she said, finishing for him.

             
He nodded, “Yeah, I guess so. And I shouldn’t have to explain myself to you. All I wanted to do was apologize. Anyway, I thought you were Stefan.”

             
“So now you think I sound like a man?”

             
He shook his head. “I am so not dealing with this drama right now,” he said and walked away.

             
Anger and confusion ate at her, along with exhaustion. She turned around and went to her own room. Autumn became friends with them so easily but not her. And that made her anger flare, burning along her skin. She shivered and paused. “I’ve never been able to do that before.”

****

             
“Go away!” Autumn shouted as she sank to her chin in the bubbles.

             
“Come on, let me join you,” Rowan said, walking closer to the hot tub.

             
She moved farther away from the edge. “Go away, Rowan.”

             
He dipped his pinkie in the water, swirling the bubbles around. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

             
“I’m fine. Thanks. Bye.”

             
“You want me to leave so quickly?” He grinned.

             
“What am I supposed to do, ask you in?” She felt a burst of confidence, and sat a little taller but made sure the bubbles stayed in place, covering her.

             
“Why not?”

             
“Hmm? I’m naked.”

             
“More reason for me to get in,” he said in a low voice.

             
As quoted by the man of mistakes himself,
Homer Simpson
, Doh! She smiled, and instead of shrinking into the bubbles, she scooted closer to Rowan. Part of her brain screamed to hide under the water, but the other part of her brain cheered her on for flirting.

             
“I can let you in Rowan, but you have to stay on the other side.”

             
He leaned in close to her and whispered, “Ever think about the next few years?”

             
She rested her elbows on the edge. “I don’t need the complications,” she whispered back.

They were so close, only a slight movement and they would be touching. He could smell her freshly washed hair
. It smelled sweet.

             
“Sorry I brought it up,” he replied, straightening up.

             
He turned, making as if he was going to leave. “Rowan?” He turned back. “No hard feelings?”

             
“Nope. So can I get in?”

             
She shook her head, “No, but you can stay and chat if you want.”

             
“Nah, I’d rather join you.” He got on his knees, so he was face to face with her again. Too close, but she didn’t move away. “You sure you don’t want me to get in?”

             
“Yep.” There was something about being so close to him, it made her want to be even closer.

              “No way I could change your mind?” He said in a whisper that made her shiver.

             
“Nope.”

             
“Sorry for bugging you then.”

“What are you thinking about?” He asked
, watching her face.

             
She looked at him curiously. “What made you ask that?”

             
“You looked like you were thinking about something. Why the weird look?”

             
“It’s just that a guy never asks that question. Mostly the girl would, and the guy’s reply would be ‘nothin’. What are you trying to do?”

             
“I already admitted it. I’m trying to get in your tub.”

             
“I’m not falling for it.”

             
“Really, then what can I do?”

             
She lightly shook her head, “If I told you, it would be cheating.”

             
“How about.” he pressed his lips against hers. She had no time to react. It was fast and all lip, but to him it was great. He pulled away and stood up. Turning, he left the store with a bright smile on his face.

             
She watched him leave. Starry eyed, blushing, and to top it off, at a loss for words. When she was sure he was gone, she got out. She quickly threw on some clothes and went to her store. She walked back out and went over to the futons, surprised to see Anatha sitting there.

             
“I couldn’t sleep,” Anatha said.

             
“I can’t either.”

             
“Why are guys so weird?” Anatha asked.

             
“Because we are just as weird maybe?”

             
“Maybe. I saw Rowan walk by with a huge grin on his face. What happened? He see you naked?”

             
Autumn laughed. “Almost. He snuck in on me while I was in a hot tub. Scared me and then
   
”

             
“Then what?”

             
Autumn shook her head. “I’ll be right back.”

             
She walked over to the music store, pausing in front. The thought of leaving and running back to her room overwhelmed her, and she almost did. She took a step into the music store. She had no idea what she was going to do. She had no plan. Just go with it, her mind told her. Why she decided to listen to herself now made no sense!