Autumn (20 page)

My first thought was that I wanted to run into Holt’s arms and never let go. Samuel’s hand on my shoulder stopped me.

“What?” I demanded.

“This is bad,” he said, his blue eyes troubled. I glanced at Holt. “This is really bad.”

“Why?” I demanded. “It’s not like we planned this. So, what’s the harm.”

I shook free of Samuel’s hold and ran to Holt, throwing my arms around his waist. He smiled, stepping into my embrace.

As soon as I touched him an overwhelming feeling of calm settled over me, making me feel safe, protected, warm, and happy. It was a feeling I had missed in the last month, and now that I had it back I wondered how I had ever done without it.

“Hi,” he murmured into my hair, and I knew he was smiling. Even in the chaos a warmth spread around me.

“Hi,” I said back, so that only he could hear.

“See what I mean about it being embarrassing?” I heard Logan sneer. I buried my face deeper in Holt’s shoulder while his arm tightened around me.

“Are you alright?” he murmured.

“I am now.”

I felt Holt jerk backwards, and suddenly my arms, which a moment before had encircled his warm body, were left empty.

I gasped and stumbled. Cool hands steadied me and I looked into Samuel’s blue eyes.

Rog had grabbed Holt, I assumed powering his strength with Glamour, and pulled him away from me. Holt now stood between his brother and Rog, panting. His face was twisted in pain.

“We shouldn’t do this here,” said Samuel. I wasn’t sure if he was talking to Logan or Gaudet, but he was looking meaningfully at Carley and Nick.

“Sorry, Samuel, you lost your ability to make decisions when you sided with conniving monsters like that,” Rog said, flicking his blond head my way.

“You realize you just called a five foot two inch tall teenage girl a conniving monster, right?” Gaudet asked him.

I glared at Rog. “Just leave us alone,” I cried.

Gaudet smiled. “Funny, we were going to say the same thing about you.”

It was clear that something bad was about to happen, and I was powerless to stop it. Samuel tugged on my shoulder again and I stepped behind him, taking what protection he offered. Carley and Nick were looking between us, dumbfounded.

“Carley,” I said, without taking my eyes away from Holt.

“Oh, MY GOD, what is going on here?” she demanded. “Autumn, here I was thinking your life was boring. Sorry for that one.”

“Oh, so you say sorry to Autumn, but not me?” Nick demanded. He was standing next to Carley, having positioned himself as much as he could between her and the odd-looking guy in the colorful clothes.

“How is it that good-looking guys always run in packs?” Carley demanded, shoving her hands onto her hips. “Like, first we just had Holt and Samuel, then Logan appeared, now there’s this guy you’re calling Rog. Ridiculous name by the way.”

Rog was staring at Carley as if she had a second head. Given how fast she talked it was surprising that she didn’t.

“See what I mean?” he demanded, turning to Logan. “She’s only bringing the Fairies down.”

“YOU are the ones who are bringing the Fairies down,” Susan said, stepping out from behind a shed. “Seriously, you should have known better. At least
you
should have, Logan.”

Rog mockingly put his hand over his heart. “You don’t think well of me? I’m devastated,” he said to Susan. “You’re looking as lovely as ever, by the way.”

“Look all you want,” said Susan airily, tossing her luscious hair over her shoulder. “It’s as close as you’ll ever get.”

Logan started to laugh, but stopped when he saw Susan glaring. She had gone to stand on the right side of Samuel.

“Susan,” said Holt. His voice was like music to my ears, and my eyes drank him in hungrily. “How long do we have?”

Susan’s face looked grim.

“What are you talking about?” I asked, forgetting that Nick and Carley were still there.

Susan bit her lips together. She looked like she was about to cry.

“Not long,” she said. “The non-Fairies should leave.”

“The WHAT? Holy guacamole,” said Carley. “She grabbed Nick’s arm in a death-hold. “Did you hear what Susan just said? Possibly the most awesomest thing in the whole wide world.”

Nick had been looking back and forth from one person to another, but he started to relax once Carley touched him.

“Let’s go,” he said suddenly, taking Carley’s hand.

Carley didn’t pull away, but she argued. “Go? Are you nuts? No way. This is awesome. Just getting good. I haven’t seen Holt in forever and I’ve missed the eye-candy. No offense, Samuel.”

If Samuel hadn’t looked so worried he probably would have smiled.

“None taken,” he said easily.

“Nick,” I said, “get her out of here.”

“We’re going to have to adjust their memories later,” Samuel muttered to me.

“Fine,” I said, “whatever, I just want them out of here now.”

I saw him nod.

Nick started to pull Carley away.

“I can’t leave Autumn,” she complained.

“Oh, sure you can,” Nick said, still tugging on her arm.

“No, stop,” said Carley, digging her heels into the ground. “I came here to hang out with Autumn and I want to hang out with Autumn. Give me one good reason why I should leave.”

Swiftly, before she knew it was happening, Nick placed his hands on either side of her face so that his thumbs brushed along her cheek bones. They were almost eye to eye and I had to smile when I heard Carley give a little gasp.

“Because of this,” Nick said huskily, and right there, in front of everyone, he leaned forward and kissed her swiftly, warningly. For a second I saw Carley try to push him away, but with her next breath her hands came around and clamped onto his back, pulling him closer.

Somewhere behind me I heard Gaudet say, “Ew.” I ignored her.

“Yay,” sighed Susan. “Awwwwwww.” She clasped her hands together and blinked rapidly. “So romantic.”

I spared a glance for Logan and Rog and was happy to see looks of disgust painted on their faces. Then my eyes found Holt.

A warmth spread through my body, and I didn’t care that I was blushing furiously.

“Hi,” he mouthed again, smiling.

I smiled back.

Finally, Nick let Carley up for air.

“Wow,” she said. Her lips were swollen and she put her hand up to them and gave Nick a goofy smile.

“Okay,” she said, “Let’s go. Now. How fast can you walk? Bye, Autumn. Let’s talk in the morning. I have a feeling we will both have awesome stories to tell.”

Never looking away from Nick, she allowed him to pull her out of the clearing. As he passed, Samuel clapped Nick on the back and Carley’s new boyfriend looked down and smiled. I watched their retreating backs. At least they were safe, and now happy. I hadn’t realized how worried it had made me to have my two best friends at odds, and now they were not only not at odds, but Carley had just gotten a kiss from Nick in front of everyone, and far from being mad about it she had giggled like a little girl and had trouble walking. Awesome.

“You have about a minute before they get here,” said Logan. “Autumn, you might want to make a run for the airport. Of course, I don’t think you’ll make it.”

I felt as if he had just punched me in the gut.

Of course. Now I understood what was happening. The Supreme Council was coming. Holt and I were supposed to stay away from each other and now they knew we hadn’t.

I wanted to cry in pain and frustration. Mrs. Cheshire was about to arrive.

“Autumn,” came Holt’s warm voice, “you should go.”

I stared at him. “No,” I said, “I’m staying. I’m not leaving you to face them all alone. Plus, it’s all going to be fine. They wouldn’t have freed you if they didn’t want everything to be fine.”

My words sounded hollow even to my own ears, but I had to say them. There were other solutions to what Holt had done besides killing one of us. That was a ludicrous idea, and I still didn’t think that any of the sane Fairies, meaning all the ones that weren’t named Mrs. Cheshire or Logan Roth, would stand for murder.

“Autumn,” said Susan, “we can’t protect you.”

“WHAT do I need protection from?” I demanded. “Other than him?” I pointed an accusing finger at Logan. “He’s not going to attack me in front of everyone.”

“You don’t know that,” said Susan desperately.

“Yes,” I said, “I do. He doesn’t have the guts.”

When I met Logan’s eyes I thought he might kill me. Like a bucket left too long under the hose, they were overflowing, not with water but with hatred.

“I will make you pay for that,” said Logan through gritted teeth. “If it’s the last thing I do you will pay.”

I met his gaze, but Holt interrupted. “Logan,” he said to his brother, his voice filled with a sadness I felt in my bones, “please stop.”

Logan wouldn’t look at him, but he said, “I can’t stop now. It’s too late.”

Just then, with a popping sound, the Supreme Council arrived. First came Mrs. Cheshire, a little out of breath, as if she had run there. She wore bright colors, almost looking like one of the traveling Fairies. Her mass of dark hair fell in beautiful waves over her shoulders.

Flanking her were Lydia and Leslie. To their credit, they didn’t look very happy to be there.

Right after her came Alderoy and Divoni. Both wore dark blue robes, as if they were there in some official capacity.

Mrs. Cheshire didn’t even look at me. She had bigger fish to fry.

Alderoy and Divoni moved to stand on either side of her, shifting Lydia and Leslie until they stood behind the three Court members. All hope I had of either Alderoy or Divoni offering some sanity to the proceeding was lost when Alderoy said, “Mrs. Cheshire, I do believe you have the right of it. Please continue.”

“We must wait for Mrs. Roth,” she murmured. Her eyes were locked on Holt and she looked deranged. She never even looked at her son, and Samuel made no move to talk to his mother.

“Samuel?” she said, still staring at the Summer Prince, “aren’t you going to come and stand with your mother?”

“No,” said Samuel, “I don’t think I should.”

Mrs. Cheshire seemed to expect that answer. In fact, she seemed to be waiting for it. “Very well,” she said. “There’s nothing I can do about it.”

“No,” said Samuel, “there isn’t.”

“Your grandmother tried to explain to me that you were just a headstrong young man doing what you thought was best,” she continued. She made this comment as if she was talking about baking or TV-watching choices instead of life and death.

“Maybe she’s right,” said Samuel, “but I’m going to do what’s right.”

Divoni cleared his throat. “Mr. Cheshire, you do not agree with your mother’s stance?”

Samuel shifted so that he was facing Divoni.

“No,” he said, “I do not.”

“And why is that?” asked Alderoy. I found myself eternally grateful that Nick and Carley had left before the Court arrived.

“Because we shouldn’t be told who to love or who to marry. We should spend time together, get to know one another in a lot of circumstances, and then decide if we are right for each other.”

“So, you don’t believe in love at first sight?” I found myself asking. I probably should have kept my mouth shut, but I couldn’t help it.

Samuel shook his head, smiling a little. “Not for me. It’s fine for some people, but I want to get to know you.”

I realized that he was looking right at me. I blinked and forced myself to break his gaze, but a blush was creeping over my cheeks.

Everyone noticed what had just happened except for Alderoy, who said, “I feel as though a son should agree with his mother, but unfortunately she is a member of the Court and you are not, which means her suggestions are going to be followed.”

Before he could continue, Mrs. Roth appeared, looking unkempt and frantic.

“Logan,” she wailed, “what are you doing? I told you to leave Holt alone. Why couldn’t you just listen?” I had never seen Mrs. Roth look anything other than perfect, but now she wore no makeup and her lips trembled.

“Sorry, Mom,” Logan muttered. He actually looked contrite, but I decided it was just an act. You can’t apologize for doing something you know is wrong, and then do it again. And Logan must have known that what he was doing was wrong.

“Is it time, then?” asked Mrs. Roth, squaring her thin shoulders.

Mrs. Cheshire nodded. “I do believe it is. We have gathered all the information we need. There really isn’t anything else for us to do at this point.”

I felt like I perpetually didn’t know what anyone was talking about.

Holt came to stand with his mother. At first Rog tried to stop him, but Logan, who was different now that he was surrounded by his family, motioned Rog to let him go.

“I’m sorry, Mother,” I heard Holt say. He looked at her so tenderly I thought I might start crying. What was he doing?