Awaken the Elements (Elemental Trilogy) (33 page)

             
“A shower will be nice.”

             
“I know what you have planned,” he said.

             
“Shut up, monkey,” she said, turning to him, unsteady on her feet. “Don’t follow me either!”

****

             
“Autumn, I brought you some tea,” Doctor Rinsland said, walking into the room twenty minutes later. He looked down at the empty bed. “Shit.” All kinds of ideas ran through his head. The worst was that she had changed over while he was gone.

             
“How did he become a doctor?” Adair asked himself out loud as he lay on the bed. “She’s on the roof, Doc.”

****

             
Autumn wrapped herself in a coat and walked over to the edge.  She took a huge breath of fall air. She let it out slowly and ended up in a coughing fit. She looked down at the infected.

             
Never
, she thought. She held the .22 loosely. She had the virus in her blood, and there was no turning back. There was only one outcome for people who had the virus. She walked over to a lounge chair and sat down. Her eyes looked up at the clear, crisp, fall sky. Five minutes later, she was fast asleep.

****

             
Frank walked up the steps quickly. Where else could she have gone? He pushed open the door and walked out, looking around. He wandered over to a set of chairs. Autumn was bundled in a jacket, fast asleep. He let out a sigh of relief. She hadn’t changed like the doctor had mentioned.

He sat down beside her and let her sleep. He
knew he should wake her and get her in, but she needed fresh air.
Autumn always knows best
, he thought sarcastically. He thought of his brother as he looked at the clouds. He had loved him, and if he hadn’t been so stubborn he would be alive now. He had been so headstrong, hell, they all were. Him and Autumn didn’t share the bond that she and Richard had. He sometimes envied the two, being so close. His chest tightened thinking oh his knuckleheaded older brother.

             
Autumn turned, looking at him with her green eyes. They always reminded him of the Emerald City in the
Wizard of Oz
. “What are you doing here?”

             
“Looking for you.”

             
“Why?”

             
“Everyone is looking for you.” He stood up. “Come on, I need to get you back downstairs.”

             
“But I don’t want to go.” She moved her hand, and he saw the gun.

             
“Autumn, don’t be silly. Put that down, and come inside.”

             
She stood up weakly, her hand tightening around the gun. “I don’t want to go back in!” She cried, her eyes blazing with green fire. “This is the only way. I don’t want to be like them.” She put the gun to her head. “Tell everyone I love them.” She pulled the trigger, eyes closed. It clicked, but nothing happened.

             
She opened her eyes and pulled the trigger again. She let her arm fall to her side as she sat on the edge of the lounge chair, and tossed the gun, sighing. “Fuck,” she whispered and looked at her cousin. “Help me back inside. I don’t think I can make it by myself.”

****

             
Three days later, Kimberly was standing at the door. “You wanted me?” she asked, looking in the store at the doctor.

             
“Something’s wrong; her pulse is dropping,” he said while he kept his eye on his watch and his fingers on Autumn’s wrist.

             
“What can I do?”

             
“Get Bud. If she transforms tonight, he will take care of it,” Rinsland said.

             
“Okay,” she said, turning and heading for the elevators. She should feel sorry for the girl, but she wasn’t. She liked Rowan and would like to have a relationship with him. If Autumn was out of the way, that might happen.

****

             
Aarawn watched Mabon writhe in pain on the bed. “Pyrus, what’s going on?” He asked, looking over at her.

             
At the table, Pyrus was in a deep trance. She looked at Aarawn. He took a step back as her white eyes fell upon him. “She is going to be judged. Mabon is feeling the pain of her dying.”

             
“Is she going to die?” he whispered.

             
“That will be up to her.” The four white candles went out, one after the other. “It begins.”

Chapter 14

              It was so cold when Autumn woke up. She lay on the ground, shivering, and looked around in the dark. It wasn’t the mall. She didn’t know how she knew, but she did. It got colder as she lay there. There was light up ahead. She stood up and began walking toward it.

             
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” a voice said to her left.

             
She turned but couldn’t see anything. Everywhere her eyes looked was black. “Do what?”

             
“Walk to the light,” said the voice.  Gasping, it came to her where she’d heard the voice before. Her stomach knotted.

             
“Who are you?”  She asked, walking in the direction of the voice but not wanting to.  Her feet moved on their own.

             
A bright light appeared. She squinted, trying to see where it came from. Her eyes adjusted and grew wide when she saw it was coming from the man’s hand. A silver flame bounced up and down on his palm. “I am Arawen.”

             
She looked around and saw she was in the same cave as before. “Where am I?”

             
“Here,” he said.

             
She looked at him. “And where is here?”

             
“You’re not a very good witch if you don’t know where you are,” he said, his voice full of mockery.

             
“You know this doesn’t help. How do I get out of here and home?”

             
“But you are home,” he said. She was able to get a better look at him now. He was about seven feet tall. He wore an antique hunter’s outfit, she guessed, consisting of a short red animal
  
skirt
? His chest bare, exposing a long scar that started from his heart and disappeared into his fur. He carried a big sword in a leather sheath at his side. His shoulder length, wavy, black hair, seemed old and crude, but his eyes were what caught her attention. They were pure silver.

              “Not many people have ever gazed upon me and lived,” he said. His eyes looked her over, and she recognized that hungry male look, that want.

Oh, I don’t need this right now
, she thought.

             
She tried to remember why the name sounded familiar. It came to her slowly. “You are Arawen, King of Annwn; the witch’s underworld.”

             
“Part of it anyway,” he said, bitterly as he nodded, smiling. “And you are?”

             
You never gave your name, magic or real. It could give people of power more power over you she remembered Adair telling her. “You should know.”

             
He cocked his head to the side. “But I don’t.” He walked around her. She could feel his gaze on her back. “Why don’t I know who you are?”

             
She shrugged. “I don’t know? Why?”

             
He came around to face her and grabbed her chin hard enough to bruise. “I should know. Why can’t I?!” He gave her head a violent shake. “Who are you?”

             
She stared at him saying nothing.

             
He let her chin go, shoving hard, making her stumble backwards. “I see you’re going to be of no help.” He raised his hand and waved it in front of her face. She felt power in the pit of her stomach. It rose, filling her like a balloon. She felt as if she was going to explode, and then the power found its release. It spilled from her mouth, her nose, her eyes…everywhere. It was warm and smelled of dirt and moss. The power flowed from her, covering her in a protective green light.

             
He took a step back. She looked down and saw the birthmark on her arm glow brightly. It was an upside down triangle with a single horizontal line running through it.

             
“I know who you are,” he said and laughed loudly. The fear was back. Deep inside she knew that this was a bad thing.

****

             
“No!” Mabon screamed in his sleep.

             
Pyrus held down his arms as he struggled. “You can’t help her, Mabon. She must do this herself.”

             
“He is going whether you say so or not,” Aarawn said at the table.

             
“Let her fight this out herself, Mabon!” Pyrus said, her voice hard and demanding.

****

             
Arawen threw fire against the wall where it burned but did not go out. “I’ve been looking for you.”

             
“Something tells me that’s a bad thing,” she said, watching him cautiously.

             
He grabbed her arm. “You’re coming with me. I can keep you down here with me as your body sleeps. And when Moorgun gets to your body, I will release your spirit, sending it back. I will then come to power.”

             
She struggled, her green power wrapping around her. “Let go of me!” He talked about someone she didn’t know and about something that didn’t sound right at all. She didn’t want to be trapped down here with him while her body lay up there in a coma. What would they do? She struggled harder.

             
Blue light hit the god. Shocked, he let go of her arm. They both turned to see the guy from her last dream; the one who looked like her, but had different eyes. “You will leave her alone,” the man said.

              “And you are?” Arawen demanded, more stunned than angry. He raised his eyebrow, looking at the man curiously.

             
“I’m none of your business.”

“Twins,” he said to himself. “Earth and Water. Those silly witches must have separated you to keep your power hidden.”

“Come on,” he held his hand out to Autumn, “I’ll show you out.” She wasn’t afraid of him as she reached out, taking his hand. She noticed the birthmark on his arm. It was an upside down triangle. It was like hers but without the line. But Anatha? She had no time to finish the thought. As soon as their hands touched, he was pulling her along in a run. For a moment everything in the world felt right, normal, like they were meant to be this close.

             
“Bring her back!” Arawen demanded. It came easily and felt good, wrapping around him like a second skin.

             
“No!” They said together, turning to look at the god. Autumn got a taste of the mystery guy’s magic. Cool and wet like water, while hers was warm and moist like earth. His eyes blue, hers green; as one, they agreed on what had to be done as they watched Arawen advance toward them.

             
Together, they shoved him toward the light with their mixed powers. “Hurry, we have to run!” The guy said, pulling her along.

             
“You have a birthmark like me,” she said. “Who are you?”

             
“There is no time. Look! There it is.” He pointed to a big oak door. “We have to touch it at the same time.” They looked at each other and grabbed the metal handle, throwing it open.

****

             
Mabon sat up in bed covered in sweat. “Did she make it?” He asked before passing out from exhaustion.

             
“You stupid boy,” Pyrus said, shaking her head. Tears streaked down her cheeks. “Now he knows about you. It was the only way to protect you silly fools.”

****

             
The doctor watched Autumn. Her pulse returned to normal, and the fever was gone. The color slowly returned to her face, and her breathing slowed and evened out. “What just happened?” Bud asked, watching his daughter.

             
Her eyes fluttered open. She looked around at the familiar figures and whispered something.

“What did she say?” Kimberly said
, standing over by the wall.

             
“She said I can shove the morphine up my ass, and she would like some tea,” the doctor said. “Be a good girl, Kim and get her a cup.”

             
Autumn sank back into sleep, feeling better than she had in the past few weeks. Her arm no longer itched, but she had a weird tingling sensation around her birthmark.

****

             
“You know, Autumn is okay,” Kimberly said later to Rowan.

             
“Really?” he laid down an ace. All eyes at the table stared at her.

             
“She should be up and about any day now.” She picked up a card from the deck.

             
River dropped his cards on the table. “I have to go,” he said and ran from the table.

             
“Sorry,” Rowan said, dropping his cards and chasing after River.

             
“What was that about?” she asked, watching them leave.

             
Linden shrugged. “No one ever knows what they are up to anymore. Once you think you have them figured out, they surprise you.”

             
River collapsed in Autumn’s greenroom. The plants struggled to live; no matter what they did, the plants needed her. Like he needed her. They needed her. Tears fell from his eyes, and Rowan hugged him to his chest. His own fell freely from his eyes. “She’s okay,” River whispered.

             
“I know,”

****

             
“How can it be gone?” Autumn asked.

              “Your blood is clean. Your body put up one hell of a fight toward the end,” he said as he packed the last of his supplies.  “You should be a
  
” He paused, unable to finish.

             
“A zombie?” He flinched then nodded.

             
“I’m going to take your blood samples to my lab and test it on infected people, if there are any. We usually get a few every so often, or maybe there is one at another safe house. You may be the cure for this virus.” She doubted her blood would be a cure for anything, but why crush his happy thoughts?

             
“So I’m free to go?”

             
He nodded. “I’m leaving as well. You can still come along,” he said, looking at her with hopeful eyes.

             
She shook her head. “I have things to fix here. I have been sick for so long, I’m sure my plants are dead. I have to plant more seeds and get a new batch going.”

             
“Well, if you change your mind get in touch with me on the radio.”

             
“Will do,” she said, told him goodbye, and started out of the store.

             
“Autumn?” Rinsland said, making her turn back. “I would have liked to know you better.”

             
“I already have two admirers here. But thanks, Doc. I am sure you will find someone who is just as into herbs as you are.” She left the store and made her way down to the next level. Her legs were weak, so she took the elevator.  As she got off the elevator and walked to the music store, she noticed everyone staring, and they wanted to talk to her.

             
“Later,” she said and went into the music store. The guys were halfheartedly playing foosball and looked at her when she came in. She saw her guys, and her insides warmed.

             
River went to her, hugging her tightly. “Need air,” she managed to squeak out.

             
“Sorry,” he said, letting go of her. Rowan hugged her next.

             
“I missed you both so much,” she said and started to cry. “I thought for a while I wouldn’t see you guys again.”

             
“Let’s not talk about that,” River said, running his hand over her arm. “You are here and alive.”

****

             
“Wait,” Kimberly said, catching up with Rowan before he could enter the elevator and go down to Playland. “I wanted to say goodbye.”

             
“Bye,” he said.

             
“You know, I’m going back to the base safe house in San Francisco, and being who you are, you can come with me,” she said.

             
He walked into Playland and saw Autumn by the bumper cars. “Sorry, Kim, I’m not interested.”

             
Flicking her hair behind her back.

****

             
Autumn sat in the bumper car and pressed the pedal. The car lurched forward. “I’m coming for you, Autumn,” Stefan said.

             
She twisted the wheel quickly as Jaime drove in front of her with a huge grin on his face. Her car sped away as the guys ran into each other. “Ha-Ha!” she said.