Awaken the Elements (Elemental Trilogy) (31 page)

             
“So he doesn’t talk about anyone?”

             
His eyes smiled at her. “But I know someone who talks about you all the time.”

             
She looked at him, a little unsure. “Who?”

             
“Jaime. He has the biggest crush on you.”

             
She made a face. “I knew that. Thanks. She went back to the tables in the back where she had her stack of books. She sat down and sifted through them until she got to the one she wanted. She thumbed through the pages until she came to the dog-eared page. She laid it flat on the table, and her eyes scanned the page, taking in the spell. It was an old book detailing a dark spell. It was never meant to be cast again. They just talked about how Satan worshipers did things. Of course, true pagans didn’t believe in Satan; that was all the Christians doings.

             
Anatha pulled over her notepad and started to jot down notes. The book talked about words and intent but not the real ritual. She decided she knew enough to pull it off. After she gave the pages another quick read through, she grabbed her notebook and left the bookstore to find all she needed to cast the spell.

             
After thirty minutes of sneaking into stores, she had gathered everything she needed. Angel followed after her. He had warned her not to do it, but she didn’t hear him. She had two things on her mind. River naked and getting back at Autumn. She walked to the backroom of Lears and started to set up her stuff. She chalked out the circle and made sure everything was set up before she left. She went to the clothing department and found a small skirt and a top that barely covered anything. She needed a sacrifice.  If she could not give blood, she would have to give it other bodily fluids.

             
She sauntered out of Lears and over to the futons where Linden and Jaime sat. Linden looked up at her, and his mouth fell open. He elbowed Jaime who turned around, his eyes bulging.

             
“Jaime, can I talk to you?” she asked and motioned for him to follow her.

             
“Sure!” he got up, following her, and watched her ass move under the tight skirt all the way to Lears. Inside, she turned to him, making sure no one had seen.

             
“Will you do me a favor?” she asked, batting her eyelashes at him.

             
By the goofy look on his face, she knew he would do anything she wanted. Twenty minutes later she had him blindfolded and naked in the backroom. Naked, she bent to light the candles. She called the elements to watch over the circle as she activated it and felt the magic bite along her skin. Unlike Autumn’s wards, this bite felt good. Almost too good.

             
“You should really rethink this,” Angel warned her from the other side of the circle. She ignored him as she got on her knees between Jaime’s legs. She reached her hands out, touching his legs. He shivered.

             
Her hands moved higher until they reached his already hard dick. Slowly, she ran her hand up and down him. He tried to touch her, but she wasn’t within his reach. He tossed his head back and forth, moaning as she sped her hands up. Finally, all the sex play and the magic playing along her bare skin made her mad with the need to be touched. She sat straddling his legs. His dick slid against her clit as she moved a little to grab his hands and put them on her breasts. She let his dick rub back and forth on her clit.  It felt so good, her pussy ached to be filled.

             
“Fuck,” he whispered as he kneaded her breasts and tweaked her hard nipples. He finally moved into a half sit-up, his mouth taking a nipple. He sucked and nibbled on one and then the other. Anatha groaned loudly. She wanted release from the tightness building inside. It felt like she was going to burst. He let go of one and went to the other, slowly playing with it.

She had finally had enough and pushed him back.
She moved until the head of his dick was where it needed to be and thrust herself down onto him. She rode him hard and chanted the words in the book, adding in some other words. She could feel the pressure building until it was almost unbearable. She never really trusted herself to go too far with guys, but the spell called for it. Her body felt full, her skin tingled with energy, and the pressure swelled.

             
“You are so fucking hot!” Jaime cried as he got closer to the edge. Anatha couldn’t take it anymore and broke the circle, casting out her spell as she let the pressure break from her body. She screamed her pleasure as her nails bit into Jaime’s chest, bringing forth furrows of blood.

             
In the music store, Autumn lay on Rowan, and River rested his head on her stomach as they chatted. Autumn could feel the wards break down as the spell crashed into the room. Her protection spell over the guys held fast, but she wondered for how long. She wasn’t sure what the spell was or what it was meant to do. She just knew it was meant for one of hers.

             
“River, up,” she said, and he didn’t question her. She got off the bed and looked around for something sharp. She spotted a picture frame. It held a picture of the three of them. She picked it up and dropped it on the floor. Quickly, she grabbed the largest piece of glass and ran it along her palm. The pain was instant as was the blood.

“Blood is my sacrifice
; do your job, wards,” she said as she went over to the front of the store and touched the window. She called on the power, and it flared inside her. She looked down and saw her hand glowed with deep, dark green as she called forth her own magic. “You aim to harm what is mine. I throw back your spell three times three. May your spell come back to you!” She released the magic, and her legs collapsed under her. Breathing hard, she felt drained.

             
“Autumn?” Rowan said behind her.

             
“I’m okay,” she said wearily. She tried to stand, but the guys each grabbed an arm. “I’m tired.”

             
“What was that?” River asked.

             
“Autumn, are you okay?” Stefan asked as he ran over to the store.

             
“I’m fine. We were attacked by magic,” she said, her eyes scanning the entrance of Lears.

             
“Who would do
  
” but he stopped as they heard a scream echo through the mall.

             
“I am too tired to give a crap what harm that spell would do misfiring. I just hope she was alone,” Autumn said, and she and the guys went back into the store.

****

             
Stefan, not sure what to do, decided on going over to Lears. He stuck his head in as another scream sounded from the back. He went into the backroom and saw Jaime standing, staring down at Anatha. He could not see the fire that burned her skin, the magic fire, but Stefan could.

             
“Dude, we were having some fun, and then she totally started screaming and is…” he said, making a frantic gesture down at her.

             
“I got it,” he said, “You might want to put some clothes on.”

             
Jaime looked down at his naked self, nodded, and left the backroom. Stefan, not sure what to do, bent down beside Anatha. He watched as the fire flared along her skin. She screamed again and tried to roll over. She opened red flaming eyes and looked at him, looking for help. He put his hands over her body, but didn’t know what to do. His eyes went over to Angel. The giant snake nodded its head, so he reached down and touched her skin. He threw his head back and instead of a scream, fire burst from his mouth as he breathed out the flames that covered her. When it was finished, he slumped back.

             
“What happened?” she asked in a hoarse voice.

             
“You did a spell against someone’s will,” Angel said. “First rule is harm none.”

             
She pushed herself to sit up and looked at the scars on her flesh. “How would that spell harm him?”

             
Stefan handed her a shirt. She shrugged it on, looking at the scars on her legs. “That is beyond us sometimes to think.”

             
She shook her head as Jaime stuck his head in. “You okay?” he asked.

             
She was going to open her mouth to say did it look like she was okay, but Stefan spoke up. “She’s fine. Looks like she had a bad reaction to some pain pills her mom gave her.”

             
Jaime nodded. “Do you need me to help with anything?”

             
“No. She needs to sleep it off.”

“I will see you later then,” he said and left.

              His brown eyes stared at her, and she felt places inside her tighten.
What?
She didn’t know what to think about that. “Yeah, sure.” And she did want to see him again.

             
When he was gone, she looked at her scars. “He didn’t see them.”

             
Stefan shook his head. “Magic fire, magic scars.”

             
“Why?” she asked the snake.

             
“Karma,” it hissed.

             
“How long will they last?”

             
The snake shook its head. “I do not know.”

             
“Anatha, I think you need to get some rest. I am exhausted from the magic, and I bet you are too.”

             
She nodded and let Stefan help her to her bed.

****

She lay down
, thanking him, cuddled into the shirt Jaime left and fell asleep. She woke the next day, and as she looked at her scarred hand, she snuggled into the shirt and thought that Jaime smelled good before her better judgment took over.  She stared at the floor, dealing with these new feelings she had. Her mind drifted to Jaime, and a goofy smile broke through her frown as she thought of his loopy smile and warm brown eyes.

             
“No,” she said and shook her head. “This can’t be happening.”

             
“Karma is a bitch,” Angel said, slithering around her feet.

Chapter 13

              It was the beginning of August when Autumn heard that Marie was pregnant and due in the beginning of September. Bud had been talking to the main safe house on the radio. They planned on flying in a doctor. Autumn sat around her plants, already on their second harvest. She went to the window and looked out at the orchard across the parking lot. Her mind wandered, and she thought of times before the virus. Her green eyes went down to the fallen bodies of those infected that were starved and finally too weak to go on. There were still newly infected people walking up every so often, but they had died down.

             
“Autumn?” Hazel said, making her turn. “The doctor is here, and he brought a medical student. He wants me to help out and show me some things. I told him I think you should learn some stuff too.”

             
Autumn frowned. “I don’t do so well around needles and stuff.”

             
“At least come meet him.”

             
She nodded and followed Hazel up to the fourth floor. There were more people up on the fourth because of the number of smaller stores. The doctor was surrounded by people talking to him. Autumn looked at the man’s back and for a moment her breath caught. From the back he looked like Ryan. Guilt rose like bile in her throat, and her heart hammered hard in her chest.

             
“Oh, good. Dr. Rinsland, I would like you to meet my oldest daughter, Autumn,” Bud said.

             
The doctor turned and looked at her with a warm smile. It wasn’t Ryan. The panic dissipated. He looked almost too young to be a doctor. He stood six foot, with dark hair that made his light hazel eyes stand out, and he had a great handshake.

             
“It is nice to meet the herbalist of the group. I am actually learning a little bit about it myself as medication is getting low.”

             
“Not too low, I hope. There are a lot of places out there in the infected zone that still have supplies,” Anatha’s stepdad said.

             
Rinsland shook his head. “That stuff is getting old.”

             
“Makes sense,” Bud replied.

             
“Now where is my patient?” he asked, turning to look for someone else. “Kimberly, do you have my bag?”

             
Everyone looked at the lady. Kimberly stood up with a medical bag. “Yes, Doctor,” she said as she eyed the crowed. Autumn looked over the pretty woman. She was skinny with gentle curves. She had perfect honey-toned skin, and her brown hair sat up on her head in a tight bun.

             
“Marie is this way,” Anatha’s mom said, leading the way.

             
“If you need me, I’ll be downstairs,” Autumn said.

             
“What luck!  Another doctor, and he is very interested in the same herbal stuff as you,” her mom whispered to her.

             
“Mom,” she said, looking at her. “I don’t need a matchmaker. I am fine.”

             
“I was just thinking,” she said.

             
“Think about the doctor and Envy,” she said, arms crossed over her chest.

             
Her mom frowned. “Well, you know that won’t happen, dear. Your sister is not doctor material.”

             
“And what says I am?”

             
“I just want you to fit in,” she whispered.

             
“Mom, I fit in perfectly here,” she said, “Down there I have real friends who like me the way I am. I just wish you could.” She stormed from the fourth floor and sat in her room, fuming.

             
Adair jumped up beside her. “It’s hard being different. But that makes you special as well.”

             
She nodded. “Thanks, Adair.” She reached out to pet him.

****

             
“So I was in cheerleading until I graduated from high school. It was a great thing to be part of. Not to mention all the football players I was able to date,” Kimberly was saying. Autumn looked around, bored. Good goddess, the cheerleaders lived after all. What irony, only the flakes should survive. “So I happened to see, well, thought I saw, Rowan Reeves this morning. Is this the California safe house they are stuck in? Because I heard they had to stay here in California because of some misunderstanding.”

             
River ran up to her. “Come on, Autumn, we got to go.”

             
Thank the stars
, she thought. “What’s wrong?”

             
“River Osteridge! So this is the safe house!!” Autumn expected her to break into cheer right on the spot.

             
“Come on, Autumn!” He pulled on her arm.

             
“Okay, bye, Kimberly,” she said sweetly as she let him guide her away.

             
When they got into the elevator, he collapsed against the wall. “It’s been a while since that’s happened.”

             
“Thank you,” she said. “Do you miss it?”

             
He shook his head as they got out of the elevator. “I like being normal.” They entered the music store.

             
“You think we are normal?” she asked.

             
Rowan came out of the back area. “So our thing is a bit weird, but I like it,” River said, and Rowan kissed him on the cheek.

             
“I just wish we didn’t have to hide our relationship,” Rowan said.

             
“No one would ever understand,” She said, thinking about her mom wanting her to fit in.

****

             
“Hi, Jaime,” Anatha said as she and Envy walked past him and Linden.

             
“What the heck was that?” Envy asked.

             
Anatha shrugged. “I was just saying hi.”

             
“You are spending more time with him. That’s weird.”

             
“I am not,” she said, but as she looked at herself in a window they passed, she could see the magic scars, and her eyes looked confused. “I still want River.”

             
“Rumor has it that Autumn is sleeping with both of them,” Ivy Lee said, joining them.

             
“I actually heard that is the rumor to hide that the guys are
   
you know,” Envy said, making a graphic gesture with her hands.

             
“No way!” Anatha said. “They aren’t.”

             
“And how do you know?” Ivy Lee asked.

             
She shook her head. “Rumors are awesome,” Envy said. “That bitch of a perfect sister is just as weird as everyone else.”

             
“I heard that she and the doctor have been talking,” Ivy Less said.

             
“What?” Envy said. “She can’t just have anyone she wants.”

             
“This is super impressive,” Rinsland said as he touched the yarrow leaves. “You shouldn’t be able to do this in here.”

             
Autumn shrugged. “I have a green thumb.”

             
“Would you like to come back with me and help me with mine for a few months?” he asked, blinking at her.

             
She stepped back, shaken by the question. “I don’t think so. I can’t leave my family.”

             
He nodded. “I will get you back,” he said as he looked at her indoor garden. “There is so much we can teach each other.”

             
“Thanks,” she said.

             
“I hear a maybe in your voice,” he said, smiling and walked past her. “Think of the change of atmosphere. To meet new people and do good for others.”

****

River had stopped in the mini hall
, listening to them. He thought about Autumn leaving. Did she really want to leave them all? He frowned and left the store. He walked over to the futons and sat down.

             
“What has you looking so blue, my friend?” Jaime asked.

             
He shook his head. “You ever have those times when you are so sure of something but one thing changes just a little, and you aren’t so sure of it anymore?”

             
Jaime nodded. “Life is a fickle bitch,” he whispered as he watched Anatha, Envy, and Ivy Lee paint a mural on one of the walls.

****

             
“She doesn’t want to leave us,” Rowan said, patting River’s thigh.

             
“But the doctor said he heard a maybe in her voice.”

             
“Do you think she really wants to leave us?”

             
“Who leave who?” Autumn asked as she walked into the music store.

             
“River heard you talking to the doctor,” Rowan said.

             
“Rowan,” River said.

             
“Shush. We made a promise. No secrets.”

             
“It was all talk,” she said, coming to sit beside him. “I would miss you guys way too much, and no work would ever get done.”

             
“I just feel like maybe you aren’t happy with us,” River said.

             
“I am very happy with you,” she said, reaching out and touching his cheek. “For the first time in my life, I can be myself around you two. That is the best feeling in the world.”

****

             
After listening to some music, Anatha couldn’t help herself. Her body needed what it needed, and all she could think about was Jaime. She turned down the lights and turned the music off. She couldn’t hear Envy snoring on her side of the store which meant she was off with Drake. She didn’t want to give in to her body’s need, but the need was tearing her up inside. She left the store and hunted down Jaime.

****

             
Darkness: it needed no light. Its senses told it where to go. It searched for food but where? It did not comprehend what food was but was drawn to it. The smell so close. Living, uninfected blood. It didn’t need nourishment like it once did but some deep craving made it want to feast on fresh flesh. It didn’t think as it once had. All that kept it going was a deep part of its brain that wanted flesh. So close.

             
The newly infected body walked through the garage, not knowing how it got there or why.  It was drawn by the smell, the smell of food. It was in here somewhere. Once known to his friends as Hilly, it slumped along on its good leg. His plastic arm swung at his side. The hook at its end, covered in tainted liquids, opened and closed as the muscles contracted.

             
He went to the window where the music came from. The sounds and the smell of food were there.  Hilly hit on the window with his good hand. But he didn’t know what glass was. He was hungry, and the smell of food made him hungrier.

Soon the music was off
, and the lights were dimmed. But the smell lingered. The smell was all around. He used his fake arm to hit the glass. The glass door cracked, so he hit it again.

The glass shattered
, and he could smell food, the fresh flesh.

****

             
Autumn was on her way to her shop when she thought she heard a scream. She ran over to Lears and looked in. “Hello?” she called out.

“Autumn
!” Anatha shouted. “There is an infected in here. I’m pinned.”

             
She went in, believing her because it was real fear she heard in her cousin’s voice. She felt Anatha’s wards and grounded them with her own power. She didn’t know how she did it. She somehow knew what to do. She grabbed a pole advertising an old sale. She stopped, peering at the infected as he stood drooling and moaning at Anatha who was trapped behind a small counter. It reached for her, and she dropped down.

             
“Help me,” she begged her cousin.

             
“As soon as it moves, you need to run,” Autumn said, and the infected person swung around, growling at her. It focused yellow eyes on her, and she ran from the store. She looked around and tried to figure out what to do. She had a gun in her room, but there was plenty she could do without it. The infected person came out. She swung the pole, and it backed off. Anatha came running out, giving him a wide berth. Autumn hit him to make sure he was paying attention to her.