Under the Winter Sun (Elemental Enchanters Series Book 3) (18 page)

Explosions echoed in the night. Hot, burning streaks of reds and greens, pinks and blues illuminated the sky. The colors cascaded downward and dissipated before touching the trees. Water dripped from Ava’s fingers like a faucet. Tears clouded her vision as she ran from her problems, like the weakling she was. She darted through the thick forest with no set destination.

“Ava!” She heard Eric calling, but she ignored him. The winter night made her feel more alive as she picked up her pace through the woods. Weaving through the thick pine trees, she charged forward, ignoring the pain in her lungs that the cold air brought.

She had wanted to watch the fireworks, but now she wanted to get away. That was all that mattered. She wasn’t afraid of any dangers. There were none. She ran as far as she could, the sound of fireworks fading in the background. She collided with something hard. Arms grabbed her as she slammed to the ground with a thud.

Ava twisted and fought out of their grip. “Let me go!”

“Not until you calm down,” Gabriel said.

She stopped struggling and he released her. “What are you doing?” She rubbed her aching head.

“Trying to stop you.”

She jumped to her feet and started walking in the same direction.

“Ava, stop.” He grasped her shoulders.

“Leave me alone.”

He tightened his grip on her and turned her around to face him. Even in the moonlight, she could see the hard look in his crystal blue eyes. “Where are you going?”

“I want to get away.” She batted away the tears that fell.

“You can’t run away like that.”

“How did you even know where I was? Are you following me?”

“I felt you. I came out to see if you were okay and saw Eric dart after you.”

A rustling nearby made them look behind them.

“It sure must be nice to have the ability to just appear out of thin air to stop someone,” Eric said, breathing hard. “What the hell were you doing?”

“I can’t stand this anymore. None of this would have happened if I had left him alone.”

“He wouldn’t have had the chance to break your heart,” Gabriel deduced.

“I didn’t say that.”

“You didn’t have to.”

“Oh right. Because you can feel me?” Ava shoved him, but he only took a step backward. “Because you know what this feels like? You know what it’s like feeling like a complete fool? To risk everything for someone who doesn’t love you.” She backed into a tree and slid to the ground.

Gabriel remained silent.

“I’m no expert at this,” Eric said. “I know that if you hold onto that anger you’ll never be happy. You can’t run away from it. You’ll never allow yourself the feelings you deserve.”

“Yeah, I’m so happy right now. I just
felt
Peter’s love for another woman. I’m sorry if my anger bothers you so much.” She rubbed her eyes, but the tears wouldn’t stop. Eric and Gabriel dropped down beside her. “You don’t have to babysit me.” She was being ridiculous and regretted her attitude. They were trying to help, and she was acting like a spoiled brat. She drew her legs up to her chest and rested her head on her crossed arms.

Neither Eric nor Gabriel said anything. 

Ava didn’t know how much time passed, but she knew they probably didn’t want to spend their New Year’s sitting in the middle of the woods waiting for her to stop all the nonsense. She got to her feet and they followed.

“I’m sorry for that.”

“It’s all good,” Eric said. “I’m not one to complain, but do we really have to walk all the way back?”

Ava laughed. “Are you that lazy?”

“Yes.” Gabriel chuckled.

“We’re miles away. You
really
wanted to get away. Gabe can get us back sooner. I’m sure people are worried about us.”

Ava shrugged. “I’m content to walk back.” The longer it took to return, the better.

“Come on, he’s right.” Gabriel offered his hands, and Ava and Eric took them.

When she opened her eyes, she stiffened. They all tensed.

“Um, Gabe? This is not the Manor.” Eric said. 

Ava looked around, still clutching Gabriel’s hand. Half-burned buildings surrounded them on the empty paved street. Debris from the buildings cluttered the streets while ash flurried like snow. No one was there. It was dark and abandoned. Not a sound at all. All the windows in the storefronts were broken. The roofs were caved in. The smell of burning wood and metal filled the air. Any minute, Ava thought tumbleweeds would roll through the desolate town. There was an unusual soft red glow in the distance that Ava thought was a fire, but the color was wrong. Behind the glow, mountains ascended into the smoky night sky. 

“This is wrong,” Gabriel said.

Ava let go of his hand and wandered near a storefront. “Where are we?” Glass from the once large window crunched under her feet. She peeked inside and saw her reflection in a cracked oval mirror. Smoke had left a thin film over it. She saw that her red hair was matted, and her gray eyes looked so pained it was hard to even look back at herself. Her smooth face appeared weary from stress. She looked terrible, almost to the point that she didn’t recognize herself.

“I don’t know,” Gabriel said.

“We need to get back to—Ava, get away!” Eric shouted.

She turned away from the mirror. Hands grabbed her shoulder and pulled her toward the inside of the store. She clutched the frame of the window, slicing her hands open on the broken glass. Two cloaked figures tackled Gabriel and Eric. One of their hoods fell back and Ava saw a flash of white hair. She thought of Kira.

The mysterious hands kept tugging on her. Ava refused to be pulled into the building. She kicked and elbowed the figure but nothing happened. 

Energy hummed inside her as she willed water to flow from her hands. Pipes in the building burst. The water rushed out, rising rapidly, and poured over Ava and the figure with so much force it felt like large rocks pounding her. Water erupted like a geyser from the street, shattering the pavement. The streets flooded. Debris floated in the rough waves. As the water rose, the cloaked figures to release Gabriel and Eric.

She heard the person behind her choking as the water rose above them. She elbowed them in the jugular and finally broke free. She swam to Gabriel and Eric. Gabriel touched her hand, and they were gone.

Landing on her side, she scrambled to her feet. Dry leaves and pine straw stuck to her soaked clothes and hair. She trembled, but once she saw that they were near the Manor, she relaxed.

“Was that you, Ava?” Eric asked, trying to catch his breath as he bent over, resting his hands on his knees.

Gabriel steadied himself against a nearby tree.

“I had to get us out of there,” Ava said, wringing out her hair.

“Where the hell were we?” He turned to Gabriel.

“I don’t know.”

She froze. “The Cimmerians. They did this to you before. Did they get inside your head again?”

He cursed. “I was thinking the Manor. I don’t even know that place.” She had never seen his confidence so shaken. She felt his confusion.

“Is someone watching us?” Ava fretted.

“I don’t know, but Aaron’s upset,” Eric said. “We gotta go back. Everyone is worried.”

They arrived at the practice field of the Manor and halted. Ava saw Peter and Katarina holding hands. Lance and Gillian had worried faces. Thomas stood with his arm around Moira’s shoulder. Savina’s lips pressed into a grim line. The anger in her and Aaron’s eyes forced Ava to look away. 

Natalia charged toward them. “Gabriel.” Her hazel eyes narrowed at him while her lips set in a straight line.

“Natalia, don’t,” he warned her.

“What the hell happened?”

“I teleported and we wound up somewhere else.”

“What?” she yelled. “You know Aaron forbade you. Did you forget there are Cimmerians out there? Were you trying to impress
her
? How reckless can you be?”

“Natalia, settle down,” Gustav said.

“I was bringing us back here, but we went somewhere else. I don’t know the place, Aaron.”

A muscle in Aaron’s jaw twitched, and his russet eyes glared at them. “Come with me.”

The three of them followed the Elders into the mansion, Ava dreading each step. She didn’t know Gabriel was forbidden to teleport. She couldn’t believe how irresponsible she had been running foolishly into the woods, past Savina’s protection charm. The Cimmerians had almost captured them. And it was all because of her ridiculous drama.

Once they reached the parlor, Aaron shut the door. “Tell me what happened.”

“I-I—.”

“Ava needed to get away,” Eric said. “She started running but didn’t realize she went past the charm. I convinced Gabe to teleport, but I had no idea he wasn’t allowed.”

“It should have been obvious,” Aaron said. “Have I not taught you better? You
know
the dangers.” His voice was low and indignant.

“You have. I’m sorry.”

“It was my fault,” Ava said. “I shouldn’t have run away.”

“No you shouldn’t have. Why were you running away? What were you thinking?” Aaron chided, his tone making her feel small.

“I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking at all.”

“What happened when you teleported?” Gustav asked.

“We ended up in some desolate town. All of the buildings were burned and decrepit,” Gabriel said. “Someone grabbed Ava from a mirror and then others seized us.”

What? Grabbed her from a mirror? What did he mean? 

“Ava flooded the place, and we teleported back here.”

“We didn’t feel you,” Gustav said, his voice gruff. “We didn’t know what happened. We can’t have you three vanish on us like that.”

“I’m assuming wherever you went, Havok set a charm that deflects the necklaces. And since you ran past the protection.” Aaron’s eyes fell on Ava. “They got inside your head, Gabriel, and made you teleport there. Do you realize what could have happened? I hope next time you will think,” he said, and opened the door.

“Ava, come with me,” Savina ordered.

Ava obeyed as Gabriel and Eric left the room. She had let them down. She had been selfish.

Ava followed her behind the parlor, past Colden’s old room. The door was closed, and she pushed the sadness down.

Candles flickered alive as they entered the small room. There were red curtains for walls and cabinets filled with bottles of liquids and powders.

“How did you hurt your hands?”

Ava looked down at her palms and didn’t realize she’d been bleeding. “Glass.”

“Have you been able to heal yet?”

“No.”

Savina carefully took Ava’s hands in hers. Ava watched the wounds seal. Savina grabbed a towel and wiped her hands clean. Discontent set in her green eyes. Seeing her this close, Ava noticed the small wrinkles that crowded the outer edges of her small eyes. Her long wavy red hair was pulled away from her heart-shaped face by hair clips. “You must stop being reckless. I have no option other than to make you stay here so I can keep a keen eye on you. I will put you in a room on the third floor.”

Ava cleared her throat self-consciously. “But what about my dad?”

“He will come.” Savina threw the towel away and released Ava’s hands. Ava felt even worse. Savina barely said anything. She was short with Ava and obviously didn’t want to hear her excuses. She said goodnight, and Ava left.

Ava needed to apologize to Gabriel and Eric, but when she came out of the parlor, Gillian and Lance greeted her.

“Why do you keep doing these things?” Gillian asked. “That’s the second time I thought you died.”

“Are you okay?” Lance asked.

Ava nodded. “I’m fine. Where are Gabriel and Eric?”

“In the library.”

As she approached the door, she heard Natalia berating them.

“I can’t believe you two,” she said. “I expect this from her, but not—.”

“Hey, she’s the one that got us out of there,” Eric said.

“You weren’t there,” Gabriel said. His sharp glare would have made Ava shrivel up, but Natalia stood strong in front of him. “It wasn’t like we did this on purpose.”

“No, but you ran after her like you always do.”

“Because she was leaving the protection!” Eric yelled.

“You shouldn’t go chasing after her if she’s going to do something stupid like that. You all could have died. Havok could have taken Ava right there and he would have three Elementals. And Gabriel, you know Havok wants you—.”

“Please,” Ava said. “Stop fighting. I’m sorry for what I did. I was foolish, but don’t blame them.”

Natalia looked at her like she was insignificant. “They should banish you.”

“Back off Natalia,” Moira said.

“Are you defending her? How does she screw up so much and get away with it?”

“How does listening to you bitch solve anything?” Ava couldn’t believe she’d said that.