Awaken the Elements (Elemental Trilogy) (28 page)

But Rowan didn’t stop
; instead, he sped up and brought River over the brink with a roar. River lay back, breathing hard. “Your mouth is fucking amazing,” he said, panting.

“I
know,” Rowan said as he came up behind Autumn. “Roll over a little.”

She did and felt his dick find its way in
side her. She had never been in this position before, just lying there, while he lazily entered her from behind. 

“Are you going to come again
, for me,” he whispered, his warm breath on her ear sent shivers down her body.

“Yes.”

River moved, so he was in front of her. He kissed, sucked and played with her skin. Rowan’s dick started to move faster, making her cry out. The beautiful pressure built, and built, and built with each stroke, each kiss, and each nibble until she exploded. Rowan came behind her with a cry. He pulled out, moving, and her eyes closed.

They sprang open as River’s body covered her
s, his knees pushing hers apart.  He was already pushing himself into her. The pleasure rolled over her, bringing a cry, as an orgasm caught her off guard.

“Oh
, yes,” River said. “I love to feel you come around my dick.”

She was lost in passion,
and her eyes fluttered shut. When they opened, River had Rowan’s dick in his mouth.

“Oh
, fuck,” she screamed as another wave of pleasure washed over her.

“River, make her
come again,” Rowan said with his hand on River’s head.

Watching the guys mouth fuck each other was so hot. “Faster,” she said
, and River pounded into her as Rowan pounded his dick into River’s mouth. Autumn screamed as yet another orgasm ripped through her then River and Rowan. They collapsed onto each other.

“
To the new year,” Rowan said.

“Geez,” River
responded. “I think we almost caught the bed on fire.”

“Best porn ever,” Autumn mumbled as she snuggled into River,
and Rowan spooned her from behind.  The guys laughed as they settled into sleep.

Chapter 12

             
“Really, I don’t think we should be doing this,” River whispered, peeking out of the funhouse.

             
“We are going to get them for bleaching our hair,” Drake said as he filled the last water soaker with the paint.

             
“I don’t know. I don’t think it looks that bad,” Linden said, running his hands through his hair.

             
Jaime gave him a funny look. “You are a blond anyway.”

             
“Doesn’t matter,” Drake said, handing out the guns. “They should be here soon.”

             
“Maybe this is going a little overboard,” Rowan said. “Dye will fade.  I thought it was an awesome April fool’s gag.”

             
Drake’s eyes narrowed. “It’s March,” he replied, thrusting a gun in his hands.

             
He shrugged. “Whatever.”

             
“See, I don’t really want to piss Autumn off,” River said.

             
Stefan watched as River and Rowan shared a knowing look, both frowning. He had kept the suspicions to himself, but he was increasingly worried about his friends. If they were doing what he thought they were doing, someone was going to get hurt. And a long-time friendship was going to be ruined over a woman they’d only known for about two years. There were other things he needed to talk to Autumn about as well. But he never could find a right time to do it.

             
“They’re here!” Frank said as he ran in and took the water soaker from Drake. “I am so ready.”

             
They all went quiet and listened to the chatter get louder. “Drake said to meet them here now,” Anatha said.

             
“I don’t see them. Maybe you got it wrong,” Ivy Lee said.

             
Drake nodded, and the guys filed out of the funhouse, guns a blazing.

****

Autumn saw the water
soakers, felt something wet hit her, and ducked behind a garbage can. Hazel slid in beside her. They looked at each other, and the paint, and started giggling. Not everyone was very happy, but a lot of laughter waved through the group.

****

             
“Autumn,” Drake said. “Come out. I have a prisoner.” He said, scanning the overturned tables and rows of video games.

             
“I call your bluff!” Autumn shouted.

             
“Do you now?” He asked, and there was a small surprised shout from Anatha.

****

             
“What do we do?” Hazel whispered.

             
“I am not going out there,” she said.

****

             
“Autumn,” Anatha said, looking at all the guys. They had their guns aimed at her. She had already been coated in some of the paint.

             
“I don’t negotiate with terrorists,” Autumn said.

             
Giggles and laughter broke out. Rowan, and even River, faltered a bit, trying not to laugh. “Drake, stop!” Envy said, finally standing up. “She doesn’t like to get dirty.”

             
“Really, Envy?” Anatha said, mouth quirked in annoyance.

             
“We have inside info that it was Autumn’s idea for the hair bleach,” he said.

             
“What fun is it if you tell your boyfriend everything, Envy?” Autumn inquired, sneaking a peek.

             
Envy placed her hand on her hip. “I did not.”

             
“Liar,” Hazel said.

             
“Enough,” Drake said and eyed the trash cans where Autumn’s voice was coming from. But she and Hazel were already crawling to the video games. When Drake went over and jumped out to surprise her, she wasn’t there.

****

Autumn crawled
past the video games. She stopped and looked at Hazel. They were pretty far away; if they ran, they could make it to the stairs before the others.

             
“We can make it,” she whispered.

             
“Autumn, just come out and take it!” Envy said.

             
“You take it for me, snitch!” she shouted back.

             
“Fine, you give us no choice,” Drake said and nodded to let the other guys open fire on the remaining ladies.

****

             
Autumn and Hazel took off for the stairs. But a great bit of magic started to build back behind them, making Autumn stop and stand still. Hazel paused, turning around. “Come on, Autumn!”

             
“I can’t,” she said and turned back, but her face was etched with worry. She ran back.

             
Anatha was drenched in neon paint, but Autumn still saw the fire that engulfed her and her rage. A magic fire she had never seen before. Anatha reached out and pointed.

             
“Put your hand down, Anatha!” Autumn shouted.

             
She turned red eyes on her cousin. “I am going to make them pay.”

             
She looked at the group of people. “Rowan, I need you all to go into the funhouse.” He stared at her for a moment, and a question formed on his lips. She gave him a look, trying to hint at what was happening.

“River,
” she said.

             
“On it,” he said in a small voice. “Let’s give the ladies a second, people.”

             
“No, I want to watch this death match,” Envy said.

             
“Envy, we need to go inside,” Stefan said, and there was fear in his voice.  Rowan and River had never witnessed that before, so they hurried and herded them inside.

             
Autumn walked over to her cousin, hands balled into fists at her sides. “How dare you do this,” she said.

             
“How dare me?” Anatha shouted. “This is your fault!” The fire whipped at Autumn, burning her skin.

             
“You can hurt people with this. How stupid are you?”

             
“Autumn, you need to step back,” Adair said.

             
“It’s about time these two got down and dirty,” Angel hissed.

             
“It is too dangerous to do this inside!” Adair cautioned.

             
“I don’t see what they see in you,” Anatha said, her eyes dancing with hatred; engulfed in flames, she reached out her hand.

             
“You will not harm anyone.”

             
“And what are you going to do?” she asked as she took two steps forward. Her foot prints left flames on the ground.

             
“Bind you if I have to.”

             
Anatha threw back her head and laughed. “
You
bind
me
?” She glared at her and held out her palm. “I contain the power to destroy.”

             
“Do you want to match powers, Anatha?” Autumn questioned as she opened her magic “I might not have fire, but I can destroy too.” She looked at the closest garbage can.  Her hand flicked it, and it crumpled like paper. “I’ve been practicing too, cousin.”

             
Anatha gathered the fire that surrounded her and held it in front of her as she screamed with rage. She threw it at Autumn.

             
“No!” Stefan said, running out. He held out his hand, and the fireball dissolved. They stood there looking at him. His eyes were red like Anatha’s for just a moment.

             
“Figures the inept would step in,” Angel said

             
“He has actually been doing pretty well,” Adair replied.

             
“Thank you, Adair,” he said.

             
“What just happened?” Anatha blinked, taking a step back.

             
“That summer night when you received these two, I awakened with this,” Stefan said, holding out his hands and flexing them. “I had no idea what it was, but Adair said he would help me out.”

             
“But you’re my monkey,” Autumn said, confused.

             
“He needed help. So when you are busy, I hang out with him.”

             
“He is like us?” Anatha asked; her anger momentarily diffused.

             
“Kinda,” Adair said. “He is witch folk like your people.”

             
“Witch folk,” Autumn nodded. “I like that. So what can you do?”

             
He shrugged. “Lots of little things and deflecting other magic,” he said.

             
“Stefan, did you know you could deflect that?” Autumn asked, brows furrowing. “Or did you just hope you could?”

             
He gave her a sheepish grin. “I didn’t know.”

             
“Damn, you are lucky,” Anatha said. “Why are you just telling us this now?”

             
“He thought he was crazy,” Adair said, his tail twitching above him, flicking Angel.

             
He nodded as River and Rowan came out. “We good?”

             
Autumn nodded. “Yeah.”

             
“Well, I think we need to talk,” Anatha said.

             
“I would like that a lot,” Stefan said.

             
“But first I want to do one thing,” she said and gave them a wicked smile. She ran up to River and locked lips with him, kissing him. His eyes were wide, as Autumn and Rowan’s mouth fell open.

             
Anatha stopped and walked by. “Check you later. I have a shower to take,” she said with a sneer directed at Autumn.

             
Autumn’s brow furrowed in vexation, and she took a step. But Stefan reached over and touched her arm, bringing calmness to her. “You are interesting,” she said, turning to him.

“Please remove your hand,
” Rowan whispered as he walked to them.

             
“We just stopped this. Let’s talk,” he whispered.

             
Autumn closed her eyes and saw Anatha singing to herself as she walked up the stairs to level two. Autumn smiled, and with a flick of her hand, the stone floor became a rock.  Anatha didn’t notice as she took her next step. Her foot hit it, and she tripped. She fell forward but caught herself. She looked at the step, but it looked normal.

             
“Let’s talk,” she said, her lips curved into a satisfied smile.

****

             
“I don’t know what you guys are doing, but I have some ideas,” he said as he followed her into the boarded up store front. His brows furrowed as they entered the little dark hallway.  She led him into the next room, and he blinked in surprise.

             
“Do you mean me and Anatha?”

             
“Did you do this?” Stefan asked, looking at the plants bearing vegetables.

             
“I grew it, but Rowan, River, and Moss built it.” She looked at her plants with warmth. “They are almost ready. I could speed it up with my magic, but I want to try to do it naturally.”

             
“So this is what you three have been doing?”

             
She bit on her bottom lip and looked away. “Sure,” she finally said.

             
“It’s more, isn’t it?”

             
“It is none of your business or anyone else’s, Stefan.” She picked up a watering can and watered a box of herbs.

             
“They’re my friends. If you guys are involved, I’m worried about a friendship that has been going on for over fifteen years.”

             
“We have talked about that,” Rowan said, walking in.

             
“You are so nosy sometimes,” River said as he went over and looked at the green peppers.

             
“I am just worried,” Stefan said.

             
Rowan put his hand on his shoulder and squeezed it. “We are fine. Now how come he can see magic, and we can’t?”