Awaken the Elements (Elemental Trilogy) (23 page)

             
Envy aimed her gun behind her. “I want to kill everyone,” she said to her little friend.

             
“In time, Envy.” They turned down the aisle.

             
“Shh,” she said, putting her hand on Ivy’s shoulder.

             
Ivy Lee started to say something, but quiet whispers came around the corner, and she shut her mouth. Envy pulled her into the shadows. They stood there while the two walked by. It was Hazel and Frank. Envy tapped on Ivy Lee’s shoulder. That was her cue to move. They jumped out of the shadows, shooting the two without saying a word. Hazel and Frank both turned and gawked at them.

             
“Silent kill,” Ivy Lee said, high-fiving Envy.

             
“I know. Now it’s time to find Marie and her lap puppy, Windle.”

             
“Can I have lap dog?”

             
She nodded as her eyes flashed with spite.  “Yeah.”

****

             
“Where’s Autumn?” Anatha pointed her gun around the aisle as she turned the corner.

             
“Someone’s coming,” River whispered. They shrunk into the shadows.

             
“So where can people be?” Joe asked Brittany.

              Anatha looked at River. He pointed to them, and she shook her head. “We could have gotten them,” he said when he was sure they were alone.

             
“No, let Autumn take them. We can follow them and see if she finds them first. When she kills them, we kill her.”

****

             
“Who’s that?” Rowan asked.

             
“I think it’s Joe and Brittany,” Autumn said. They were hiding behind a giant fake castle. They watched Brittany and Joe leave the aisle they were in. Two people followed at a distance.

             
“Then who’s that?”

             
“I think it’s River and Anatha,”

             
“Should we follow?” He asked from behind her.  It took her a minute to think with him so close.

             
“Yeah,” she finally whispered.

             
They left the safety of the castle only to hear voices. He grabbed her arm, pulling her back behind the castle.  “That was close,” he whispered. She nodded.

             
It was Windle and Marie. They were both whisper-bitching about something. He watched them, and Autumn kept her eyes on the aisle the others went down. “Don’t worry about them,” she whispered.

             
“Okay,” he said. After Windle and Marie were gone, they attempted to follow Anatha and the others again. “It sure is quiet.”

             
“Grab my arm if you’re afraid.”

              “Funny,” he said as they ran into Envy and Ivy Lee. Ivy Lee had her gun aimed and ready to shoot.

             
“Wait,” Autumn said in a panicky whisper, “I saw Windle and Marie go that way.” Rowan pointed his gun the way the two had gone.

             
Ivy Lee looked up at Envy, and Envy nodded. “Thanks.” They went the way Rowan pointed.

             
“Lucky us,” he said.

             
“Yeah, that could have been bad if Ivy Lee had decided to shoot.” They continued after Anatha and River who were following Joe and Brittany.

****

             
“We could have killed them,” Ivy Lee whispered. Envy’s foot hit something, but she caught herself before falling on her face.

             
“I want Marie. We can get Autumn later,” she said, looking down at what she had tripped over. It looked like a pogo stick. “Damn thing.” She kicked it.

             
“Look, Envy, I see them.”

             
Envy could see something. Her big lips spread into an evil smile. They snuck quietly down the aisle. She could hear Marie and Windle bitching at each other. They were so close now.

             
“I can’t believe you talked me into playing this stupid game,” Marie said.

             
“I didn’t make you come. You thought Envy would apologize if you showed up. Well, I didn’t hear no apology,” Windle said coldly.

              “Why did you come? So you could see who Autumn was chumming with?” She asked angrily.

             
“Maybe. Maybe I was trying to get rid of your fat ass.”

             
Envy walked out of the shadows, looking at the two squabbling idiots. “Games over,” she said as she and Ivy Lee opened fire. After they killed those two, they headed back the way they came. It was time to get Autumn.

             
Anatha stopped, looking behind her. She felt as if they were being followed, but it was too dark, and she couldn’t tell. “What?” River asked.

             
“I think someone died,” she said.

             
They had lost Joe and Brittany and were now wandering around until they found someone or someone found them.  Turning the corner, she and Rowan ran into Joe and Brittany. Everyone stood still, staring at one another for a few seconds. Autumn and Rowan pointed their guns, shooting Joe out of pure instinct. Autumn turned her gun and shot Brittany.

             
“What the hell?” Joe asked, his eyes filled with question.

             
“I would be lying if I said it wasn’t personal,” she said. She turned her gun, and without aiming, shot him again. “I wish this thing really gave off a minor shock. A big one would be even better.”

****

             
“What was that?” Envy said.

             
“I don’t know, but it sounded like Autumn,” Ivy Lee said. They were walking blindly into an aisle nearby.  There were no lights on anywhere. Anatha and River stood in the middle of the aisle listening to Autumn laugh. She wished she could have been there for it. She noticed black figures walking toward them.

             
“Is that someone?” Envy asked.

              “Yes,” Someone answered.  She thought for a minute. Oh, Lord, it was those creatures they saw their first summer. Envy groped for Ivy Lee’s small, childlike hand in the darkness. She didn’t realize who had spoken until all four stood face to face.

             
Ivy Lee was already shooting. Anatha shot Envy, while Envy shot River. “Don’t scare me again!” She shouted as she shot whoever was in her way. They killed each other in the darkness.

They walked over to the victim chairs
.  “So Jaime and Janice are still alive?” Anatha saw the four empty seats.

             
“I didn’t see them,” Stefan said. He sat on his foldout chair, calmly watching the aisles.

             
“Yeah, someone would have killed them before us,” Envy said. Drake got up and let her have his chair. She took it, smiling.

             
“Autumn, game over!” Anatha yelled. “You won.”

Autumn heard
her but gave no reply. She stood there in the back of the store with her arms wrapped around Rowan as he gave her a toe curling kiss. “Are you ready to leave?” he asked finally.

             
Autumn pulled away. “Sure.” They stood there looking at each other. There was much they wanted to say to each other. It had been a very interesting year. Instead, she let him grab her hand, and together they walked out of the darkness. They stopped in front of the others, and a small, greedy smile appeared on her face. She pressed her gun against Rowan’s laser box and pressed the trigger. He jumped when it buzzed.

             
“There can only be one winner,” she said. He laughed. The group played a couple more games of laser tag before getting bored.

****

             
Hazel walked over to the guy’s table as they ate dinner. “Hey, Autumn is having a moment,” she whispered to them as she walked by.

             
“What was that?” Stefan asked as he paused, empty fork in hand.

             
Rowan shook his head. “It’s nothing. We’ll be right back.”

             
Stefan watched him and River leave. He wondered about those three. He felt there was something going on, but he had no evidence. He was frowning when Jaime and Linden sat down.

             
“Where are the others?” Linden asked.

             
“Around, I guess,” he said, frowning at his dish.

             
River and Rowan made it to the bookstore and saw Autumn crying over a book on the table. She saw them and swiped the tears from her cheeks. “Hey guys,” she said.

             
They each took a seat beside her. “What are you reading?” River said, pulling the book toward him.

             
“It’s just a picture book.”

             
“A picture book showing forests,” he said, showing Rowan.

             
“Autumn, I wish we could make you feel better. It seems every day you become more and more sad.”

             
“I feel I am withering away in here. It’s too cold to go outside, and I need some air, some real trees and grass and dirt. I need something,” she started crying again. “I feel like a root-bound plant struggling to live.”

             
River and Rowan locked eyes over her head as they both ran hands over her back to comfort her.

“What can we do?” River asked.

              She sighed, pulling the book back to her and flipping the page. “Nothing.”

****

             
River had passed the boarded up store numerous times wondering what it would have been. Finally, boredom drove him to break the lock and investigate the dark store. He felt along the wall and found light switches. He flipped the lights and saw another particle wall blocked the rest of the store. He found another door. Passing through it, he didn’t need lights to see. This new store was set on the corner of the mall, and it had great bay windows. Through it he could see the horrible storm that raged outside.

             
He walked over to the window and saw the infected below, glad this place was on the second floor. He turned to the stuff in bags stacked along the walls. His eyes widened as he read the contents. He walked over to the boxes and started going through them. He left the store, his face glowing with delight. He had to find Rowan.

             
Twenty minutes later, he led Rowan inside. “I am not joking. This is going to make the best Christmas gift ever.”

             
“I don’t know. I just don’t think we can do what she wants or needs unless we drag her outside.” He stopped, looking at the window. “Wow that is a nice view.” You could see over to the orchard across the way.

             
“Check out the bags and the boxes,” River said, beaming.

             
Rowan walked over and looked at everything. He stared at River. “This is amazing.”

             
“I know! We need to do some work. I was thinking more lights around here and here.”

             
Rowan nodded and touched his chin. “We need to go up to the fourth floor and have a chat with Moss.”

             
River gulped. “I don’t want to go up there.”

             
“Neither do I, but I have an idea.”

             
Forty minutes later they had Moss in the store. He looked at everything and heard the guy’s idea. “I think it could work. It will take me a few days to get together the stuff we need, but we should have it up and going by the end of the week.”

             
“Concentrate, Autumn,” Adair said.

             
She stared at the five pebbles on the table before her. She sighed. “I just don’t care about it now.”

             
“You should,” Angel said.

             
Autumn rolled her eyes. “I am just not feeling magical right now.”

             
“Upset that River and Rowan have been ignoring you most of the week and Christmas is here?” Anatha asked as she touched a candle and it flared to life. She blew it out and did it again.

             
“No,” she replied with a stony expression.

             
“Then what is your problem?” Anatha asked and lit two candles without even touching them. She jumped up. “Yes!”