Awaken the Elements (Elemental Trilogy) (29 page)

             
Stefan looked at him. “Really, he knows about the magic too?”

             
“They have witnessed some stuff,” she replied.

             
Rowan snorted. “Yeah.”

             
“So if you guys are okay with this, I guess I’ll back off.”

             
“Thank you,” River said.

             
“Now how come Stefan is magic?”

             
“Witch folk,” Autumn corrected.

             
“I want to do magic,” Rowan said.

             
“Is the magic book from the bookstore not working for you?” River asked, making Autumn laugh.

             
“I don’t mean that magic. Her magic,” he said, sticking out his tongue at him, and then his face sobered as if he was reminded of something. “Uh, we need to talk about that kiss…”

             
River looked embarrassed. “I
  
”

             
“Stefan, please excuse us,” she said.  He looked at their serious faces and nodded, leaving the store.

****

             
“What the fuck was that?” Rowan said as soon as he was sure Stefan was gone.

             
“I know, right?” River said. “I am a bit worried.”

             
“You,” he said. “I was so mad.”

             
Autumn ran her fingers over her plants lightly. The store felt quiet, and she finally looked at them. “What?”

             
“Aren’t you mad?” Rowan asked.

             
She nodded and looked back at her plants. “Angry, yes; mad is too easy. But you don’t understand. Her magic can hurt. Maybe it will all just blow over.”

             
“Two years, Autumn, and she hasn’t stopped bugging me. I don’t know what I have to do to get her to back off other than tell her I am with you.”

`
              “I wish I had an answer. I just don’t want her to burn down the mall.”

             
“She can do that?”

             
She shrugged. “Maybe.”

****

             
“Dude, that was awesome! You finally grew some balls,” Envy told Anatha after she showered and was drying her hair.

             
“If Autumn isn’t going to help, I will catch him my own way.”

             
“You are my hero!” Ivy Less said.

             
“So what is the plan?” Envy said, sitting down next to her cousin.

             
“I am going to seduce him,”

             
“Men like seduction,” Envy agreed.

             
“Yeah, flash your goodies, show him a good time, and he is yours,” Ivy Less said.

             
Envy nudged her in the side. “I taught her that.”

             
“How are you and Drake doing?”

             
Her face puckered. “I am getting tired of him to tell you the truth. But I don’t have many guys to choose from. I think Janice has sworn off men altogether and is with Sage. So that leaves Linden and Stefan.”

             
“What about Jaime?”  Ivy Lee asked.

             
“Yuck,” she replied. “Not interested.”

             
“He isn’t that bad once you actually talk to him,” Anatha said.

             
Envy rolled her eyes. “I want Rowan.”

             
“Ain’t going to happen; he is Autumn’s,” Ivy Less said. “I caught them kissing the other day.”

             
“You did not!” Anatha said which gave her hope about getting River.

             
She nodded. “Yeah, and it was a kiss kiss. Not a peck.”

             
“Well, now,” Anatha said with a sly smile.

****

             
“He’s in there now,” Ivy Lee said.

             
“Awesome,” Anatha said, a bathrobe tied tightly around her. She slipped into the bathroom and heard the shower going. He was singing a song she had never heard before.  She watched his blurred shape through the smoky glass door. The steam could be cut with a knife. She untied the bathrobe, letting it fall to the floor.

             
She quickly opened the door, and the hot water splashed her skin. He paused, standing still with his hands on the suds in his hair. She let her eyes roam freely up and down his body. He had a nice tight ass, a perfect back and shoulders.  She licked her lips. She moved to him with what she thought was feline grace. She reached out and touched him. He stiffened under her touch. She kissed his neck. When he didn’t do anything, she molded her body against his back.

             
River thought it was Autumn or Rowan, but the unfamiliar body against him made his eyes widen with alarm. He unlocked the arms around him and turned to see who had gotten in the shower. His mouth made an O seeing Anatha standing naked. She tried to make herself look sexy, but it just looked awkward.

             
“Umm, this is unexpected.”

             
“I got to see you naked. I thought it about time you saw me naked.”

             
He scooted around her to get to the door. “You are very pretty, Anatha, but I
  
” he grabbed his robe and covered up.

             
She stepped out of the shower. “River, I really like you,” she said, and ran her hands over her small yet perky breasts. “I want you.”

             
“I have to go.” He opened the door and ran.

             
She stood staring at the door, willing him to come back. Hands on her hips, she frowned. “Well, fuck.”

****

             
He ran into the music store, past Autumn and Rowan who were sitting on the futon watching a movie. They stared at each other then got up to follow him to the small bathroom.

“Something wrong with the shower?” Rowan asked
, watching him rinse his hair in the small sink.

             
“Anatha, totally naked, walked into the shower with me,” he said.

             
“What?!” Autumn and Rowan said.

             
He looked at them. “I thought it was you or Rowan, but when she pressed her body against my back, I could tell it was neither of you. I ran out. What else was I supposed to do?”

             
“If I was a girl, I would be down there kicking her ass right now,” Rowan said, angry, as he looked at Autumn. Her eyes were spooky, and she turned, leaving the store. She went to the railing, looking down to the second floor. Her eyes scanned the area, and then she saw Anatha. Her eyes went to the clock, and with all the anger she was feeling, shattered the glass. The glass rained down onto the floor right as Anatha stepped down.

             
“Ouch!” She jumped on one foot. “What the hell?” Autumn turned around, and Anatha’s eyes bored into her back as she disappeared.

             
Anatha growled and hobbled to the elevator. It made no sense. If she was with Rowan, why did she do that? And then a thought crossed her mind.

“No,” she whispered
, venomously.  Autumn wouldn’t do that. It was unfair. Autumn didn’t believe in unfair.

             
“What did you do?” Rowan asked Autumn as she walked back in. “I made her bleed.” They both stared at her. “Nothing bad.” She smiled. “Just enough to make her hurt a little.”

             
“She makes me so mad,” Rowan said.

             
She ran her hand over his cheek, his anger flowing away. He smiled suggestively, and his eyes slid to River. She laughed and gave him a small nod before they melted together for a kiss. She motioned for River.

“Group
hug!”

****

             
Anatha sat reading a book as Autumn tried to explain magic to Stefan. “I am a horrible teacher. You know as much as I do!” she said, giving up.

             
“What does it feel like?” Stefan asked.

             
She tilted her head, thinking.  “Mine is earthy. It feels moist and powerful.”

             
Anatha looked up. “Mine feels like fire.”

             
Autumn watched as Adair and Angel shared a look. “What was that look?”

             
Adair shrugged. “It’s right that each of you feels the way you do. Each magic is different.”

             
“What do you feel?” she asked Stefan.

             
He thought about it and looked at her, his brown eyes looked scared. “It feels wild.”

             
Anatha nodded. “Wild is a good word to describe it.”

             
“I also feel both of you when you do magic.”

             
“He’s a buffer,” Adair said, his monkey face a stony mask.

             
“Huh?” Anatha asked.

             
“Hold his hand, Autumn,” he said.  She took his hand. It felt soft and firm like a hand should. “Now do something magical.”

             
She smiled, focusing on the table that Anatha’s book sat on.  The table slid easily across the floor. “Wow.”

             
Anatha’s eyes darkened, looking at her cousin. She picked up the book which was now lying on the ground, and Autumn got a glimpse of the cover.

“Sex magic?” she asked
, cocking an eyebrow.

             
She slammed the book on the table and stomped over to them. She took Stefan’s hand before Autumn could let go. A great void swallowed them, and they were pulled inside what felt like a dark hallway.

             
“You shouldn’t be here,” a small voice said, making the three of them turn to see what looked like a specter. It had large, wide, pale eyes, translucent skin, and black and red streaked hair that looked alive.  A woman, maybe?

             
“Who are you?” Anatha asked.

             
“Go away. He is looking for you!” it hissed at them.

             
“Ginjay,” a deep voice echoed through what at first was a hallway. Now Autumn knew it to be a cave.
His cave.
Autumn peered around them, wild-eyed.

“What has you all riled up?” The voice was getting closer.

              “We have to go now,” Autumn said, her face pale.

             
Stefan shook his head. “How?”

             
“Break the bind,” the voice said.

             
“Ginjay,” the voice rounded the corner as Autumn and Anatha let go of Stefan’s hands.

             
Autumn collapsed in the store, thinking of the dreams that have haunted her most of her life. In the back of her mind, she could still hear the evil man.
Where are they?
Shrieks of pain filled her head until she thought her ears would bleed. She held her head in her hands as tears fell from her eyes.

             
“Autumn,” Stefan spoke next to her. He reached out and touched her, bringing out her calming magic. It pushed the pain away.

             
“What and who the hell was that?” Anatha finally asked.

             
Autumn looked at her. “He has been haunting me in my dreams.” She shook her head. “I don’t know who he is, but I know that if he would have caught us, we would be in a lot of trouble.”

             
“Why did that happen?” Stefan asked the power animals. They held fear around them like a big glossy coat.

             
“We don’t know,” Angel hissed.

             
“But we know someone who might,” Adair said, and they blinked out of existence.

             
“Sometimes I feel I have lost my fucking mind,” Anatha said. “Look, this chitchat is awesome and all, but I have some arts and crafts to go do.”

             
Stefan helped Autumn to her feet as they watched Anatha leave. “You guys are going to have to tell her about River not wanting her.”

             
She nodded. “I know. Things are getting out of hand.”