Under the Winter Sun (Elemental Enchanters Series Book 3) (21 page)

She took Gabriel’s hand, and they returned to the Manor. She saw Thomas hugging his mom, though it looked more like he was crushing her. Nathan held up Lucas with a wide smile. Lucas laughed. Tears pooled Cara’s eyes. She wrapped her arms around both her son and husband. Ava turned away from the intimate scene. She couldn’t imagine saying goodbye to her husband. She hoped he would return so that Lucas wouldn’t have to grow up fatherless.

“Thank you,” she told Gabriel. “I appreciate what you did for us.”

“You’re more than welcome.” His eyes were on hers, but she dropped her gaze.

“Let’s leave them,” Aaron told Gabriel. “We’ll be waiting for you in the conservatory.”

Ava nodded and turned to her father. She didn’t want to say goodbye. Her pulse quickened and she shook.

“Remember the task at hand. You are a brave young woman and I know you will do well. I love you. Never forget that, Ava.” He drew her close, and she folded into her father’s arms. After a moment, they broke apart.

She would not tell her father goodbye. “I love you, Dad,” she said. A lump formed at the base of her throat. She turned toward the conservatory, leaving her father behind.

All the Enchanters gathered around the white circle on the velvet rug, making it glow. As they held hands, Ava felt the immense energy flowing from each person and into her own body.

“We are one,” Savina said. “May our energies and protections guide us through this journey. May our strengths fulfill the task. By all the power there is in us, we cast this charm so may it be.”

Once they released hands, they filed out of the conservatory, and through the field. As Ava stepped outside, her eyes found Peter kissing Katarina. She cringed, looking away and moved forward.

“I’m sorry,” Gabriel said, matching her stride. “I wish I could do something to help.”

“You’ve already done enough. I just think too much.”

“That’s for sure.”

“It’s hard being around him all the time and seeing them. It’s been an uneasy morning.”

He nodded. “You don’t have to make excuses.

Eric caught up to them. “I’m pumped. How ‘bout you two?”

“You gonna be okay walking this whole way?” Ava joked, then wondered if it was too soon to make jokes.

Gabriel let out a hard laugh.

Eric lifted both eyebrows. “Oh, we’ve got a funny girl now.”

“I’m working on it. It does seem like there are faster ways of doing this.”

“Yeah, it’s called Gabriel. But obviously we can’t use him. We use tunnels and portals and such. Been a while since we’ve traveled those.”

“I hope Cimmerians aren’t hiding out in those passages.”

“If anything happens, you know you’ll be safe, right?” Gabriel asked.

“Yeah, yeah. Peter and Katarina. Got it.”

“I didn’t mean them. I meant me.”

His eyes held hers with a hard look. Heat rose within her body. “Oh. Well, thank you. So do we all walk in a big cluster?” 

“Sort of. Savina and Aaron are leading us. Gustav and Moira are in the front since she can kinda see the future. Sometimes when Enchanters make quick decisions, Moira doesn’t always pick up on their movements. Aidan, Anastasya, and Shannon stay on the outer edges of the circle to create storms if need be. Pete—both the protectors stay in the middle so they can protect us all on all sides. The rest of us fill in the open spaces. And of course the Elementals stay nearest the center.”

“Great. More time with the protectors,” Ava said sarcastically. “I wish we could get there faster.”

“Trust me, I know,” he said. “But think of all the time we’ll have with each other.”

Ava liked the sound of that, surprisingly.

For what seemed like miles, they trudged through the forest, passing the infamous barren field where they fought the Cimmerians. The grass had turned brown from the bitter cold, and the ground remained soggy from the past weeks’ constant showers. It started sprinkling which soon gave way to a heavy rainfall.             

Ava pulled an invisible umbrella over herself and picked up her pace. She didn’t want to be reminded of the last time she saw Melissa and everyone else.  

“That is the coolest trick,” Gabriel said. “Can you do it to others or just you?”

She shrugged. “I’m not sure. I haven’t tried.” She imagined the umbrella over Gabriel, and the rain stopped pounding on him.

He grinned, looking up. “That is awesome.”

She couldn’t help but notice how cute he was, mesmerized by her talent. She tried it for the entire group, debating whether or not to include Peter and Katarina, but decided she had to. Soon the rain fell all around them but not on them.

Thomas and others looked up at the sky and were dumbfounded. Ava let out a small laugh.

“Are you doin’ this, pet?” Shannon asked with bewilderment on her face.

“Yes.”

“Truly amazing.”

“You mean, you’ve been able to do this the whole time?” Gillian asked.

“I didn’t know until now. Calm down.”

They had walked for miles, but Ava didn’t feel it in her body. They were far from home, and she didn’t know where they were. The rain finally stopped, but the clouds continued to cover them. Everyone seemed to be in somewhat good spirits given the circumstances, Ava figured it was because they were all finally doing something. Ava hated walking behind Peter and Katarina, though. She saw every playful shove, tender touch, and hand hold. She wanted to shove them to the muddy ground, but reprimanded herself. Had Melissa rubbed off on her that much? Ava hoped, somehow, that they knew she and everyone else was coming to rescue them. 

Night arrived faster than Ava really noticed, but the days were short during this time of year. She assumed they’d continue through the night, but when Aaron stopped near a small log cabin, he informed them that they were staying there for the night.

Her heart dropped. “What do you mean we’re stopping?” 

“We can’t completely wear ourselves out,” Gabriel said. “We still have a very long way to go.”

“I’m not even tired.”

“I guarantee you as soon as your head hits your pillow, you’ll be passed out.” He winked.

Ava rolled her eyes. “So we’re all going to cram into this little cabin?”

Gabriel bit his lip to keep from laughing. “Yeah.”

“Come on, we’re all close,” Eric said.

“Are you kidding me?” Gillian whirled around, her face twisting in disgust. “I am
not
sleeping—.”

Eric laughed. “Calm down. It’s called magic.”

Ava exchanged a confused look with Gillian.

“It’s called an Invisibili Aula, which means ‘invisible palace,’” Gabriel said. “No one else can see them but Enchanters. There are several palaces throughout the woods. You have to know the right charm to unlock them to enter.”

The Elders led the group inside, and Ava’s jaw dropped open. The outside was definitely a ploy. Inside, it looked like a five-star hotel. Massive crystal chandeliers hung from tall ceilings. Royal blue curtains lined the entrance and opened to windows that ran from floor to ceiling. Rugs with intricate patterns were laid out on the hardwood flooring with little seating areas in a couple of corners of the room. As they walked farther, a large dining hall was to their left and a parlor the same size on the right.

A winding white marble staircase with a maroon carpet met them in the middle. A black wrought iron handrail spiraled with the stairs in an complex pattern of flowers and leaves. There was another small seating area beside the stairwell with a fireplace in between the chairs.

“The rooms are upstairs,” Aaron said. “I will prepare dinner while you all wash up.”

“Nonsense,” Gustav said. “I’ll make dinner. We shall have a Russian feast.”

“All right, then.”

Ava trailed behind the group up the wide staircase. It felt too lavish to be in a place like this. She couldn’t be enamored with the beautiful place because it diverted their attention, and she didn’t want that. Maybe that’s what the Elders wanted for everyone. A distraction so they wouldn’t be on edge all of the time. Like little kids, one by one, they chose their room, except Ava. She tried to hide her disappointment, but it was hard. She wasn’t tired and now she was back to waiting.

“Too bad there’s no library,” she heard Gabriel behind her.

“That would be nice. I need a distraction.”

“I know.”

Gillian linked arms with Ava and Nicole.

“See you at dinner,” Ava said, glancing at Gabriel as Gillian pulled her down the hall and then chose a room. Gillian pushed open the door and all of them gaped at the enormous room. Ava was glad to have roommates because otherwise it would have been lonely and too empty.

“Isn’t this amazing?” Gillian gushed as she went around touching the sleek mahogany furniture. The blue quilted comforters on the two beds. The sheer white curtains behind black velvet ones. The white fireplace. She opened a door, and her voice echoed in the huge ridiculously posh bathroom.

“You’d think we were at some Ritz-Carlton,” Nicole said.

“When all of this is over, Jeremy and I are getting married. And we’ll stay in a place like this.”

“Already thinking about marriage?” Nicole raised her eyebrows and lay stomach down on the bed.

“Why not? We’re soul mates.”

Ava shifted her weight. She didn’t want to talk about soul mates or marriage. “Think I’m going to take a shower.”

“Awe, Ava.” Nicole frowned.

Gillian put her hand on her hip. “What’s up with Gabriel?”

“What do you mean?” Ava asked.

“He’s always looking at you and is always around you.”

“We’re just friends.”

She cocked an eyebrow. “The way he looks at you? I doubt he wants to keep it that way.”

Ava rolled her eyes. “I know you’re trying to get Peter off my mind, but there’s nothing between Gabriel and me. Trust me. He doesn’t look at me a certain way.”

“Whatever you say. What about you and Link?” She turned to Nicole.

“I don’t know. I mean, we touch and hold hands. But we’ve never kissed. I was hoping for one on New Year’s.”

“What’s he waiting on?” Gillian crossed her arms in front of her chest.

“I don’t know. Do you think I should make the first move?”

“Sometimes you have to draw people a map.” She glanced at Ava. “I know he likes you, but he probably thinks you don’t feel the same way. I can set something up if you want.”

Ava didn’t know how Gillian was doing it, but she was back to her old self. And what was she talking about with Gabriel? Sometimes when he looked at her she did have funny feelings, but it was only because he was intense. He didn’t like her as more than a friend.

She took a quick shower while Gillian and Nicole came up with a plan to get Link and Nicole together. Ava laughed to herself. It was nice to worry about little things and pretend that what they had in front of them didn’t exist.

After they washed up, they retreated downstairs and joined everyone else in the dining hall. It reminded Ava of the Manor’s dining hall, but instead of the dark red chairs, they were royal blue. Silverware, plates, glasses, and napkins were at each place setting.

Ava dropped down in a seat in between Nicole and Gillian and watched the rain falling in heavy sheets through the grand window.

Gustav, Katarina, and Anastasya carried out several dishes and dispersed them along the center of the already cluttered table. Katarina walked around the table and scooped out ladle-fulls of a clear golden soup with tiny onions and spices floating. 

Gillian looked at it warily. “Um what is this?”

“It’s rassolnik,” Katarina said. “It’s a soup with pickled cucumbers, beef, and some vegetables.” Her face beamed with pride. “My mother always made this when I was young. Though, my favorite is the pirozhki. Especially when she made them, but Gustav is an excellent cook.” Ava wondered what had happened to her mother. When she finished ladling out the soup, she took the large pot back to the kitchen and returned to her seat next to Peter. He smiled, showing his dimples, and kissed Katarina on her cheek.

Ava rolled her eyes and looked away. She would not be bothered by it. Instead, she sipped her water and ate her soup. It had a salty bitter flavor mixed with savory beef, onions, and carrots. She actually liked it.

“These are amazing,” Ilya said, handing a plate of what looked like a filled pastry to Gillian who passed it to Ava.

“What are they?” Ava asked.

“Pirozhki. It is the equivalent to a,” he paused, searching for the right word. “Calzone, but are stuffed with boiled meat with sautéed onions or mushrooms.”

“My favorite is with sautéed cabbage,” Katarina said.

Like I care what your favorite is
, Ava thought to herself. She took a pirozhki off the plate and handed it to Nicole, then caught Gabriel’s eyes. He looked at her as if he knew what she was thinking and had a grin on his face.

She bit her lip to silence a laugh and shrugged.

“This is very good,” Lance told Gustav.

“Thank you. I am glad you enjoyed it. It’s nice to bring a little bit of home with us.” Gustav stroked his thick beard, his face reflective, his dark eyes far away.

After dinner, Anastasya and Katarina began clearing empty plates and Ava and Lance offered to help. Ava picked up a large pile and carried them into a restaurant-sized kitchen. 

“I’ve started rinsing these, but luckily there is a dishwasher,” Anastasya told them. The scar above her left eye was deep and Ava wondered if she had the same attitude toward scars as Gustav. Adds character, he once said. Anastasya’s short choppy brown hair shone under the kitchen’s fluorescent lights.

“Do you need help?” Ava asked.

“Sure. I’ll rinse, and you can load.” Anastasya winked. She had beautiful blue eyes and a friendly aura about her. She was slow and meticulous with the rinsing.

“This is the last of them,” Katarina said as she piled plates near Anastasya.

“Spasibo,” she said.

“Did you enjoy dinner?” Katarina asked Ava. Her blue hair seemed brighter under the lights.