by Lizzy Ford
“We’re starting in five minutes. Same place as last night,” she announced. “Beck, you’re joining us.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he replied.
Hearing the amusement in his voice, Autumn glanced at him. He was an odd character, one she wasn’t sure she wanted to figure out.
The cook emerged in time to bring Autumn a refill on her coffee. She ate as fast as she could then rose when Jenna did, mug in hand as she trailed the two girls and Beck down the hallway to the classroom where Amber reviewed their orientation books the night before.
It took her longer to navigate the hallway with the coffee and cane. Amber waited for her to sit down before closing the door. The other two girls were giggling at something Beck said. Annoyed by it, Autumn ignored them and focused on sipping her coffee.
“Everyone grab one,” Amber said, passing around a small box.
Autumn peered into it curiously and took one of the amulets. It looked like quartz crystal. She set it on her desk and watched the other two girls take theirs. As Jenna touched hers, it flared light purple. Tanya’s turned yellow-orange.
“Is mine broken?” Autumn asked, puzzled. She lifted it and shook it. It didn’t change colors.
“Beck, help them out,” Amber ordered, crossing to Autumn. She lifted the crystal amulet. It flared bright blue for her. When she set it down, it faded again to clear quartz. “Try again.”
Autumn picked it up. Nothing changed.
Amber reclaimed the box and thrust it at Autumn. “Try another.”
The next one didn’t work for her either.
“I’ve never seen that happen,” Amber admitted. “I’ll research it. In the meantime, watch the other two, okay?”
Autumn nodded. Beck held Jenna’s in one hand and what looked like a hair in his other. He wrapped the hair around the amulet. The purple flared again. The light in the center of the stone faded, until it resembled simple amethyst. He handed it to Jenna.
“Your amulet is basically your soul,” Amber said.
“Your what?” Jenna asked.
Autumn gasped. Beck glanced at her then back curiously. She didn’t hear Amber’s explanation; she was focusing on the fact that she might not have a soul. She toyed with the clear amulet, willing it to come to life. It didn’t.
Beck crossed to her, frowning. “Weird.” He pulled Amber’s chair up to Autumn, smacking his knee against hers as he sat. “Ow, God! Feels like your knee is made of metal!” he exclaimed, rubbing his.
“It is.” She flushed, as much from his nearness as his words.
His face grew pink. He sighed. “Have a freebie.” He held out his hand.
She eyed it.
“You’re in pain, right? I can sense it.” The words were as casual and borderline arrogant as everything he said. His calming aura kept her from being irritated at him.
Instead, Autumn placed her hand on his, not certain what might happen. Soothing warmth trickled into her. She tensed, and it stopped.
“Relax,” he said, glancing up at her from the crystals. “It’ll go where the pain is.”
She hesitated then let the strange magick proceed. It was not wholly unfamiliar, no more than Beck or Amber.
“It feels weird,” she said. A moment later, she understood. The magick slipped between her body and the pain, rendering her truly pain free for the first time in weeks. “Oh, my god.”
Beck grinned.
“Don’t encourage him,” Amber warned. “Honey, if you’re in pain, you can go lie down.”
“I don’t need to lie down,” Autumn said. “The pain never goes away. I deal with it. I’m not as weak as I look.”
“Easy there,” Beck said. “Amber’s not the ass I am. She means well. I’m the idiot.”
Amber was smiling. Autumn looked down, embarrassed. She hadn’t meant the words to come out quite so sharply. She was accustomed to people taking pity on her. She hated that as much as she did feeling weak. With Beck’s magick quelling her pain and his strange aura taking away her tension, she almost felt content.
Beck picked up an amulet. It flared bright white. Autumn shielded her eyes.
“They aren’t broken,” he said, perplexed. His gaze went to her neck.
She ducked her head, assuming he was staring at her scars, like everyone did. He reached forward and tugged her necklace free of her shirt until the amber amulet fell into his hand.
“You’ve already got one,” he said.
“Is it the same thing?” she asked.
“Yeah. But …” He met her gaze again and gave her a searching look.
“But what? I don’t have a soul?” she asked anxiously. “What’s wrong?”
“No worries.” He released the amulet. He twisted. “Amber, she’s got one. She’s good.”
“Awesome. Now that everyone has their souls” Amber laughed at the horrified looks on the faces of Jenna and Tanya “we can discuss how to keep them.”
Autumn listened.
“It’s simple. Follow the Light Laws,” Amber said. “You remember them?”
Autumn nodded, along with the others. Beck shifted so she could see all three without him blocking her. He left his hand beneath hers.
“They seem very … strict,” Jenna said.
“There isn’t much room for anyone to make mistakes,” Autumn echoed.
“There’s not,” Amber said, considering. “Beck?”
Autumn looked at Beck. He nodded.
“Normally, we tell people the Light Laws and let them fret over them until they go through their trial,” Amber said. “The key is not to break the Light Laws using your magick. You can without magick, though any wrongs you commit will still be recorded. You just won’t lose your soul.”
“So …who’s spying on us to make sure we do things right?” Jenna asked.
“I am,” Beck said, grinning.
Autumn looked at him, unable to gauge if he joked or not.
“Beck is the Master of Light,” Amber seconded. “He’s charged with herding the flock that is made up of Light Witchlings.”
“Beck?” Autumn echoed, astonished.
He gave her an amused look. Jenna giggled, and Tanya looked like she was holding her breath. Amber grinned.
“Not exactly a vote of confidence,” he said.
“Sorry,” Autumn murmured, face hot. “That’s just … interesting. I guess.”
“He’s a good sport. His brother, however …” Amber grew serious for a brief moment then shook her head. “Let’s go back to the orientation. I want to cover the elements and their magicks again. Do you remember?”
“Earth is protection; Air the peacemaker; Fire is action; water, purifying; spirit, intuition,” Tanya recited.
Autumn listened. She’d read the orientation but hadn’t paid as much attention as Tanya. She made a mental note to review everything again. Amber continued, and Autumn’s interest drifted. She hadn’t thought to bring her iPad, like Tanya and Jenna did. In her half-drugged state, she was luck to remember her shoes on her way out of her room.
She touched the crystal amulet on her desk, troubled it didn’t light up for her as it did everyone else. Beck snorted and touched it with a fingertip. It came to life for him. She waited for it to die down then tried again. Nothing.
Something wasn’t right here. It had to do with her. And the amulet. Pain pricked her temple as it did when she was trying to remember something. She pushed the memory away, not wanting a headache when her day was beginning.
They sat in the classroom all morning, reviewing the orientation, before Amber dismissed them at lunch time for the weekend.
After so many weeks with bad or no real food, Autumn didn’t want to leave the table until they had to roll her out. She ate until Jenna waved for her to accompany a small group assembled in the doorway. Autumn grabbed one last roll then walked with the two new girls through the Square to the road that wrapped around the small campus. Adam told them about the school as they went.
“We have bonfires m
ost weeknights. On long weekends like this, a lot of the kids go home or travel or something,” he explained as they passed the dorms. “There’s a small stream down this road and a picnic area.”
As they emerged onto the road, Autumn felt a chill from the forest to their left. A small deer path led from the gravel road into the forest. Beside the trail, one of the trees bore a small wreath and plaque.
“Is that, like, a historic tree or something?” Jenna asked, pointing to the tree.
“No, that’s, uh…” Adam’s gaze turned sad.
“A memorial,” Autumn supplied.
“Oh, like on the side of highways where someone dies in an accident,” Jenna said.
“Yeah.” Adam turned away and quickened his pace away from the area. “We’re not allowed down that path. It leads to Miner’s Drop, this huge canyon.”
Autumn trailed them. The rest of the forest was welcoming to her, but something about that path made her uneasy. They walked to a small bridge over a bubbling creek. She’d lain in the sun, staring at the clouds on the flat rock nearby.
At least, she thought she did.
Confused again, Autumn leaned against the railing of the bridge. Adam’s attention went to her immediately.
“Are you ready to go back?” he asked.
“I think so,” she said.
“Here.” He offered his arm.
Autumn looked up into his blue eyes with a small smile. She took his arm and walked with him back towards the campus. Jenna and Tanya joined them. The three of them talked while Autumn’s gaze fell to the memorial.
Whatever happened, it was bad. The forest’s whispering stopped when they passed the memorial, as if it was afraid to talk about it. Only then did she realize the forest had been whispering into her mind. There were two voices: a distant, rumbling whisper. The other was a laughing tinkle.
Both were silent for a few steps, until she passed the memorial. Then they began again, so faint she barely heard them. The orientation said witchlings communicated with the elements. Did these voices belong to her two elements? If there were words to the whispers, she wasn’t able to distinguish them.
Jenna and Tanya took off suddenly, pulling her attention from the communicating elements. Tanya was squealing as they raced towards the Square. Adam laughed.
“Someday …” Autumn sighed.
“Oh. I’m sorry.” Adam stopped laughing so fast, he choked.
“It’s okay. I’m still healing. I’ll be able to run in a month or so, if I keep up my rehab,” she said, smiling.
“What happened?”
“Car accident.”
“Wow.”
A memory tingled. She rubbed her forehead. The headache pushed its way into her mind.
“Do you, um, wanna hang out or something with Jenna and me?” Adam asked. “Like, we can all play a game or watch a movie or something.”
Autumn glanced up at him curiously. His face was flushed again, but she felt an odd sort of kinship with him. Whatever happened – or whatever might happen? – was good. He had a crush on Jenna already; that much was clear.
“If I’m not a third wheel,” she teased. “Do you believe in déjà vu?”
“You think we’ve met before?” he asked then stumbled on. “I mean, or, not us, but like, maybe you saw-“
Autumn giggled. “Yeah, I do.”
“Oh, good.” He sighed. “Sorry. I’m not good with girls. That’s cool.”
“Do you feel like you’ve met me before?” she asked.
“Yes and no,” he replied, pensive. “I know I’ve never seen you before but I feel like I know you. Like your mannerisms or something seem familiar.”
“Weird, isn’t it?”
“Really.”
Comforted by the thought she wasn’t alone with the strange phenomenon, Autumn turned her focus back to Tanya and Jenna. The heavier of the two, Jenna had given up on their race long before Tanya reached the closest dorm building. Adam’s eyes followed the brunette.
“They’ll fit in well here,” he said. “There are some great people here. I can’t wait for you to meet everyone. Who are you rooming with?”
“Dawn.”
He grimaced. “Okay, so you’re not rooming with one of the people you want to talk to.”
“Why?”
“Dawn’s a bitch. She’s caused more- never mind. I shouldn’t say that.”
“It’s okay,” Autumn murmured.
Amber warned her about Dawn, too. She was beginning to dread meeting her roommate. Autumn fell asleep early the night before and awoke to see Dawn asleep in the other bed. She’d crept out without waking her this morning.
They reached the other two in the Square.
“I saw a store on the way here,” Jenna said, breathing hard. “I forgot my brush. It’s close enough to walk, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, about fifteen minutes,” Adam replied. He glanced at Autumn then added. “We can wait for the shuttle.”
“No, it’s okay,” Autumn said quickly. “I’m just gonna sit down for a bit anyway.”
“You sure?” Jenna asked.
“Yeah. Thanks.” Autumn walked with them to the picnic tables. These she remembered, too. She sat down, hiding her relief to be free from the pain of her bad leg.
“Kay, we’ll come find you when we get back to watch a movie or something,” Jenna told her with a smile at Adam. “You need anything?”
“No, I’m good,” Autumn replied. “Thanks.”
Adam waved as they walked away. Autumn smiled. She drew a deep breath, more tired from the walk than she wanted to be. She’d tested her leg this morning to see if it’d hold her weight without the awkward brace. It had, though it was weak. After the short walk, she realized she wasn’t yet ready to leave it off for so long.
Grimacing, she stretched the sore leg. There were metal plates and a new knee. It had taken a lot to save her leg, but the doctors did it.
The forest whispered to her. She looked towards it. After a moment, she stood. Her bad leg was shaking but steady. Leaning heavily on the cane, she walked out of the Square towards the forest and down the gravel road.
When the voices stopped, she paused at the deer path marked with a plaque. Curious, Autumn hobbled across the road to read the plaque. As she neared, her gaze was pulled to the trail instead. The air along it was dead, still, the trees unmoving despite the breeze that rustled their needles everywhere else. The scene before her was unreal, as if someone had propped a painting up against the trees.
No part of her mind recalled the path or what might’ve happened. It was blank, as if it, too, was missing something that didn’t extend to the rest of the forest.
“Oh, no. Totally off limits.”
She rolled her eyes at Beck’s familiar voice. He hadn’t made up for his poor first impression the day before. When she faced him, she was taken in by the strange aura and handsome features. His eyes weren’t twinkling. They were hard, the soulful look making him appear far older than his teen years. They rested on the path beyond her.
“I know,” she said uncertainly. “I was just curious.”
“You can be curious anywhere but there.”
“I’m sorry,” she murmured, taken aback by the sharpness of his voice.
He looked at her, features softening. Whatever bothered him, it was gone. He gave an exaggerated sigh.
“I keep making an ass of myself around you,” he said.
“It’s okay,” she replied, smiling faintly.
“I heard you’re rooming with Dawn.”
“Yeah.”
“Good luck.”
“It’s okay,” Autumn said. “I’m used to people being asses to me.”
Beck stared at her for a moment. He laughed. “Come on. I’ll show you where the cookie stash is. You have to forgive me when cookies are involved.”
He started towards the Square. Autumn glanced back again and moved forward more deliberately. Beck waited at the dorms. Where Adam hadn’t hesitated to be gallant
, Beck seemed uncertain of whether or not to offer. He rubbed the back of his head.
“Um, can I help at all?” he asked awkwardly.
For some reason, she felt like messing with him. She didn’t know where that urge came from, but some part of her was a little gratified to see him off balance.
“Are you in that much of a hurry?” she asked innocently.
“No, I just …”
Without looking up, she knew he was studying her. She hid a smile.
“You’re messing with me, aren’t you?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
“I think I like you, Autumn.”
She snorted, not at all certain she wanted him to after seeing him with Tanya. He stepped forward and offered his arm. She took it. His strange magick trickled through her, soothing. She was relieved when it eased the pain in her leg. She didn’t remember reading about this kind of magick in all the folders of the Orientation program.
“Can I ask what happened?”
“Drunk driver,” she replied. “What … what is this?” She stopped walking to stare at where their arms were linked. “Like, this … magick stuff you’re doing right now?”
Suddenly, Beck was at ease again, the confidence that bordered on arrogance returning.
“I’ll let Amber tell you,” he said with a wink. He tugged her forward. “But you have to ask her like this: why do I feel such wonderful magick when I touch Beck?”
Autumn laughed, recalling Amber’s words about the no fraternization rule.
They reached the side door to the kitchen, and Autumn was struck by déjà vu as Beck led her in. The cookies were in the top cupboard next to the commercial freezer. She watched Beck cross the kitchen to that very place. He reached up to pull free a jar of cookies.
She’d done this before, but not with him. Frustrated by the partial memories, she made her way to the breakfast bar and sat on a stool.
“Today is …” Beck paused to open the jar. “Cranberry oatmeal or something. That okay?”
She nodded. He placed the jar on the breakfast bar then grabbed two glasses for milk.
Autumn nibbled on a cookie. So far, she loved the food here. She’d lost weight at the hospital and orphanage. Like Adam, she’d happily gain it back here.
Beck sat two chairs over and grabbed a cookie.
