by Lizzy Ford
It let her. She closed her eyes, unnerved by the cool magick in her body. She shivered. Where the earth had been tentative and gentle, the air raced through her. It made her feel almost giddy, exhilarated.
“What’re you doing here?”
The soft, low voice made her heart flip. Autumn opened her eyes and turned.
Decker was like a streak of night against the snowy surroundings. Dressed in black, his dark eyes were piercing, his muscular frame tense. Whereas the girl in her room had been traced by shadows, Decker’s body was blurred by them. Autumn had the instant impression of power- and danger.
“Exploring,” she managed.
“Down a forbidden path?” He crossed his arms and stepped towards her.
“I’m just curious.” Autumn resisted the urge to move away, aware of the canyon at her back.
He stopped in her personal space again, as he had at the football game. She held his gaze despite her unease. He was close enough for her to feel his body heat and the cool shadows that turned to fire as they entered her body.
“Primarily air magick,” he assessed. “Secondary earth.”
“Yeah,” she replied.
“Interesting combination.”
Decker circled her, his warmth and proximity stirring her body in ways she didn’t like. His magick was too intimate, skimming her blood the same way her elements did. They didn’t have to learn her body as hers did. They explored her as if they already knew her and were reacquainting themselves. They welcomed her.
The strange sense threw her into confusion. She hated being unable to control his invasion of magick but still found herself captivated by his dark allure. His touch had sizzled at the game, and she was almost able to imagine what it would feel like for his hands to move over her body.
“What are you?” she asked to distract her thoughts.
“Fire.” He paused in front of her. “You can’t tell?”
The husky timbre of his voice and the intensity of his gaze made her face hot. Fleeting amusement crossed his features. She sensed he knew the effect he had on people. Where his twin seemed uncomfortable with his magick, Decker was a part of it, a hunter with no second thoughts about toying with his prey.
“I’m also water and spirit,” he added.
She absorbed the words, recalling what she’d read in the orientation program. “Passion and intuition without balance.”
“I take it you read the book.”
She smiled faintly at his look. “It fits you.”
“Does it?”
“Impulsive and unrestrained. Good in a dark alley, as I learned the other night,” she paused. Her instincts prodded her. “Probably not so good in normal relationships. Too much potential for collateral damage.”
“Interesting,” he said. She thought she saw anger in his gaze. “Beck doesn’t usually date girls who can think.”
“We’re not dating, and at least he tries to be sweet.”
“Or he’s taking pity on you. You’re not his type.”
This time, it was anger that made her face warm.
“Sucks when someone reads you like that, doesn’t it?” Decker asked.
She dropped her gaze to his chest, repeating, “Like I said. Collateral damage.”
“Collateral damage implies innocence.” He tipped her chin up to meet her gaze again. He traced his thumb against her lips. A charge tore through her. Her breath caught at the sensation of yearning that skimmed her blood and settled at the base of her belly. “Innocent people don’t react like you are.”
Pain in her temple. His husky voice and charged touch, fire, a cabin in the woods. The memory faded, replaced by another that tugged free of the depths of her mind.
She’d visited a zoo once and paused in front of the cage of a growling panther. It paced back and forth behind its enclosure, eyeing the onlookers in a way that said it was choosing which one to eat first when it escaped. Decker was as sensual and strong as the great cat, unafraid to use that power and magick, and there was no cage between them.
Autumn lifted her chin to break the connection, anger burning alongside the desire and fear in her body. She’d felt helpless too often to let anyone wrest her control from her, no matter how aroused she was at the idea of discovering how deep his passion ran.
“That usually works,” he said.
“The last thing I want is to be burned or boiled or whatever might happen next,” she replied.
“Some other time then.”
Though he stayed in her personal space, the magick around her shifted, releasing her. The heat in her blood was replaced by the chill of the snowy morning. She shivered.
“My spirit magick can’t read you,” he said, studying her with less intensity and more genuine interest.
“Maybe she’s immune to assholes.”
Decker didn’t flinch at his brother’s tone, as if already knowing he was there.
Autumn took a step to the side, exhausted by the effort of resisting Decker’s draw. Beck stood at the edge of the forest at the end of the corridor. He was dressed in a cream jacket, boots and jeans, though his gaze was intent.
“You look cold,” Beck said to her.
She nodded. He unzipped the coat to display a light blue sweater that almost matched hers. He left the corridor, pulling off the jacket as he went. Decker turned at his approach. Beck faced his brother and handed the coat to Autumn.
She took it and huddled into it, grateful for its warmth.
The brothers were staring at each other. Autumn glanced up from zipping the coat, her gaze lingering. Side-by-side, she saw how much they looked alike and how different they really were. Beck’s magick was a white mantle, and it rendered his features and the air around him brighter. Decker’s magick, on the other hand, was black.
“This is the second time I’ve had to find her for you,” Decker baited.
Autumn sighed, her blood agitated by Decker’s magick and soothed by Beck’s. The sensations warred within her while the testosterone and magick between the twins was like the tension before a storm.
“I can’t be everywhere at once,” Beck snapped. “None of us are allowed down here.” This he addressed at her with a pointed look.
“Just don’t knock this one up,” Decker said.
“At the rate you’re going, you’ve probably gotten close to a hundred girls pregnant.”
The twins stepped closer to each other in a sign Autumn knew was not good. She didn’t want to be the one nearest the cliff when their fists started flying. She breathed in deeply to pull at the air magick. It filled her.
“She’s smart, Beck,” Decker continued. “Smarter than you. Didn’t think smart, crippled girls were your type.”
“Leave the poor girl alone, Decker. She’s been through enough.”
Her face flamed. Decker toyed with both of them on purpose, and Beck was too stupidly honest to think before speaking. She released the air magick without really knowing what it’d do.
It shoved them away from her and away from one another with enough force that both gave her startled looks.
“Oh, no,” Beck said with a shake of his head. “You can’t use magick against us.”
“Stop talking down to me,” she snapped. “I’m not poor, crippled invalid.”
“I didn’t mean-“
“Shut up, B-“
“You’re both assholes.” Her words silenced them. She limped towards them, fed up and ready to go back to her warm room. “If running into both of you is why this path is off limits, I totally get it.”
Neither spoke, and she reached the corridor without sliding in the snow. Her back was stiff and her leg swollen again. Sonya’s magick had worn off. Autumn gritted her teeth as each step grew more painful. She made it halfway across the clearing when she heard someone trotting after her.
“Hey,” Beck said, slowing as he joined her. “Sorry about that.”
“You can have your coat back when we get to the school.”
He chuckle
d. “I’m not that bad, am I?”
She said nothing.
“Hold on.” He took her arm to stop her and moved in front of her.
Autumn barely held her tongue, anxious to get back for painkillers. His aura soothed her, as gentle as Decker’s was intense. Beck’s teal eyes scoured her face.
“Thought so,” he said. He held out his hands.
She glared at him.
“Asshole or not, I can take the pain away,” he said with a smile. “Trust me.”
Grudgingly, she placed her cold hands in his. His were large and warm. His earth magick floated through her, finding its way to where she hurt most while replacing the cold chill of air in her blood. Autumn sighed and wobbled on her feet, leaning into him. She rested her head against his chest.
“I’m good for something,” he said softly. He released one hand to drape his arm around her, steadying her. “You okay?”
“Yeah.”
“My brother scare you?”
“Not really. Made me mad.”
“He’s got that effect on me, too.”
Beck’s lightness was contagious. Her sour mood faded.
“I don’t think of you as a poor, crippled girl,” Beck added. “I’m sorry if I come across as kind of …I don’t know …insensitive?”
“Arrogant,” she supplied.
“Maybe that.”
“Thoughtless.”
He laughed. “Okay, okay, you win.”
Autumn smiled and leaned away, meeting his gaze. She’d resisted Decker only to fall into Beck’s subtle spell. He raised an eyebrow, as if asking if she wanted to lob anymore insults at him. His eyes were sparkling again.
“C’mon,” he said when she was quiet. He released her and held out his arm.
She took it. He wrapped his arm beneath hers and gripped her hand to keep from breaking the healing magick. As sweet as he was being, her mind was on Decker and the fire he stirred in her blood. The skin on her chin burned where he’d touched her, and she couldn’t forget the heat in his gaze. Fire and water, two elements capable of consuming …
She shook her head. Women that fell for bad boys rarely seemed to end up happy, if television was any guide.
“Can I ask you something?” she asked.
“Sure.”
“Who’d you knock up? Please don’t say Dawn.”
“You learned fast how pleasant she can be,” he said with a grimace. “Yeah, she’s the one.”
“You should’ve known better,” she mused. “But I guess the blond hair did you in.”
“I like me some pretty blonds.” He replied with a wink.
Despite his easy answer, she sensed he was troubled. She didn’t have to ask why; he wasn’t comfortable using his magick. He probably wasn’t comfortable with the idea of being a father. For once, she pitied someone else and didn’t press the issue.
“The snow is beautiful,” she said as they stepped from the forbidden corridor onto the gravel road.
“At first, until Amber makes me shovel,” he replied. “When the lake freezes, we can go snowmobiling.”
“Oh,” she groaned as they reached the edge of the Square. “I left my iPad on the picnic table!”
“No worries. If it doesn’t survive, I’ll get you a new one.”
“Um, those things aren’t cheap.”
“My dad owns the school. He won’t think twice about ordering a few more.”
His wink made her flush. Both twins were charismatic. Any other place and time, she’d be floored they gave her the time of day. With Beck’s gorgeous eyes and body, the subtle magick and his awkward attempts at being gentlemanly, he was a cross of sexy and endearing. His brother was right. In a normal world, Beck wouldn’t be anywhere near her. He’d be with girls of Dawn’s caliber: the kind beautiful enough to be models.
After a hesitation, she spoke. “I don’t get you.”
“I’m easy. What you see is what you get.”
She said nothing, silently disagreeing. He had the arrogance of a guy who only dated blond models. It seemed at odds with his kindness towards her.
“Okay, I have to tell you this,” he said, grinning. “When we’re touching, I can sometimes see what you’re thinking.”
“Are you serious?”
“Yeah. It’s an awesome skill when you’re … ah” he fumbled “with someone. I’ll just leave it at that.”
Her face grew redder at the image in her thoughts. She tugged her hand away from him, not wanting him to see. The awkward silence lasted until they entered the main house. Beck paused in the living area.
Jenna waved from her spot on the couch with Adam and a few others. Autumn returned the gesture.
“I’m going to rest,” she told Beck.
“I’ll be around,” he replied. His eyes went to the stairs, and he rubbed the back of his head. “You … um, don’t take this the wrong way, but you want an escort? For the stairs. Not your room … just the stairs.”
Autumn shook her head, amused. “I’ll be okay.”
He gave a salute and walked into the living room, nudging Biji over on the couch so he could sit. Autumn smiled at the small girl’s objection. Unconcerned, Beck squeezed between her and the arm of the couch.
With a deep breath, Autumn tackled the stairs. Beck’s magick wore off too fast, and she was in pain halfway up the stairs. She forced herself not to pause, afraid of showing anyone else how weak she was. When she reached the top of the stairwell, she steadied herself against the wall in the shadows of the hallway before proceeding to her room.
She was relieved to see Dawn and her entourage had left. Autumn closed the door behind her and sat on her bed. Removing the brace, she stared at her leg.
Sometimes, when she was alone, she felt anger at the part of her that was so weak. The visible scars, the immobility. Why did this happen? What had she ever done to deserve pain for the rest of her life? Wasn’t taking her family from her when she was four enough?
Frustrated and fatigued, Autumn propped up her leg on a pillow and lay back in bed. It’d take awhile for the swelling to pass. She normally read a book. Today, she felt too tired and closed her eyes to nap.
Chapter Seven
Come with me.
The whisper pierced her sleep. Her eyes opened, and she blinked, surprised to find it dark in her room. She didn’t mean to sleep the rest of the day. She’d hoped to take a nap then venture outside to recover her iPad in the hope it survived the snow.
Autumn sat up. The swelling in her leg was gone. The room was chilly, and a glance out the window showed it still snowed. Dawn was sleeping deeply, and the time on her alarm clock read a few minutes past midnight.
Standing, Autumn waited for her body to balance then crossed to the bathroom. She refused to turn on the light, telling herself it was because she didn’t want to wake Dawn. In truth, seeing the dark-haired girl in the middle of the night scared her too much to fall back asleep.
When she returned to the bed, she caught a glimpse of movement from the Square. Autumn pushed aside the sheer curtain to gaze into the quiet gathering place, lit by a single light on the back of the main house.
She gasped. Standing below her window, gazing up, was the dark-haired girl from the mirror. Her body was ethereal and surrounded by black fog, her pale face the only real part of her with form.
Autumn closed her eyes and willed the girl away, terrified that the hallucination had moved from her mirror to the real world.
Come with me.
She knew before opening her eyes that the apparition wasn’t leaving without her. Autumn looked. The girl remained.
Shakily, Autumn pulled on jeans, boots and two sweaters. She grabbed her cane and checked out the window again. The girl waited for her. Telling herself the hallucination would disappear by the time she reached the Square, Autumn took her time with the stairs and retreated out the back door.
The snow was three feet deep and the air cold. The night was silent, aside from the murmurs of air and earth ma
gick. She stopped as she stepped onto the back porch, unwilling to venture into the deep snow. Air magick filled her uninvited, and she shivered. She didn’t fight it, instead comforted by the element. It mixed with her magick, and both moved in and out of her as she breathed.
Autumn looked around for the dark-haired girl. Her gaze found the apparition at the other end of the Square, past the dorms by the edge of the road. Invisible hands pushed the snow out of her way to clear a path leading straight to her, the ghost.
Autumn gripped the handle of her cane more tightly. She’d hoped the answers she sought showed up in a document on her iPad, not in the form of a ghost on a snowy night.
Heart pounding hard, she walked onto the path. The air pushed the snow back over the path behind her, as if forbidding her from backing out. Autumn kept her eyes forward.
The dark-haired girl waited. Her features grew more real as Autumn approached while the fog moving and shifting around her obscured her body. The ghost was gorgeous, with large, dark eyes, fine features and a clear complexion as pale as the moon. Autumn had avoided studying the image in the mirror, but she saw how pretty the girl was as she neared.
When Autumn was a few feet away, the girl turned and fled towards the forest. Air cleared a path behind her for Autumn to follow. Uneasily, she realized there were no footprints. The apparition wasn’t a part of this world, and the air magick was determined that Autumn follow her.
The girl stopped at the edge of the forest, beside the memorial plaque on the forbidden trail.
Autumn’s gaze moved from her to the deer path. The trees lining it were weighed down on one side by heavy snow and untouched by winter on the other, causing them to lean away from the path.
As before, when Autumn neared, the girl spun and ran down the path. Autumn swallowed hard as she stepped onto the trail. She reminded herself nothing bad happened earlier in the day, when she’d ventured this way. She’d wondered why the path was off limits at all.
The girl paused at the clearing until Autumn approached. Autumn stopped to take a deep breath. Her leg was starting to ache. She hadn’t thought about putting on her brace before leaving her room. She stopped to stretch, eyes on her guide running across the field.
