Autumn Storm (17 page)

“Someone’s gotta share the rule book with
me!”

Sam smiled kindly.
You are troubled. Come
with me.

Beck crossed his arms, cold, and obeyed. The
yeti walked through the forest for a few minutes before pausing in
front of what remained of a massive tree at the base of a hill. He
entered the gaping hole of the stump.

Beck followed, curious. He was surprised to
see the interior fashioned into some sort of dwelling, with chairs,
a hammock, table, a small fire.

“Is this your house?” he asked.

One of them.
We have several
throughout the forest.

“Cool.” Beck sat in front of the fire on a
stool. He shook off the cold and warmed his hands.

Sam sat on the other side of the fire on the
floor, his back against the wall.

“So…” Beck started. “I’m having issues.”

Sam laughed.

“I know. Surprise, coming from the Light
Master who has no clue what he’s doing,” he said with mild sarcasm.
“Not sure where to start. Do you even want to hear this?”

Start with what bothers you most.

“Autumn. Summer. Whatever her name is.”

Sam nodded. He rested his head against the
wall, waiting.

“When I made that deal, I didn’t consider
that Decker might not be salvageable. I figured she’d come back,
take the test, pass with flying colors and then she and Decker
would live happily ever after.”

Youthful optimism.

“I know. It’s not going as planned. I just
can’t figure out … Sam, I don’t know what to do.”

All things considered, you’re doing
well.

Beck rolled his eyes. “You mean to say, keep
trying.”

You know the answer already.

Beck was quiet. He stared into the fire. He
wanted Sam to tell him there was another way.

“I have to choose,” he murmured. “Don’t
I?”

You already have.

“I don’t want what that means.”

What do you think it means?

“It means I lose my brother.” The words made
him flinch. They hurt. He rubbed the back of his head and stood,
pacing.

It means you let him go. It does not mean
you lose him.

“There’s a difference?”

You let him make his own fate.

“It feels so
wrong
keeping Summer
from him. But I can’t help thinking …”
she’s better off with
me.
Guilt swept through him. He loved his brother, despite
their differences.

She will make her own fate as well.

“I want to hand her to him on a silver
platter and save him. I want to protect her and make things right.
I can’t do both, Sam,” Beck said with frustration. “Decker is
almost out of control. It’s like newspapers and fire. She doesn’t
stand a chance.”

You made your choice. You must let Decker
go. You must protect the witchlings, including Summer.

“It sounds so easy. I don’t know how to do
those things.”

You already are doing those things.
Sam was amused.
You feel when your witchlings are in danger. Go
to them. If the danger is Decker, stop him. As the Master of Light,
you are permitted the same … leniency that Decker has as the Master
of Dark. You, too, can fight, if you must.

“My hope is that I can resolve things
peacefully.”

Good. I hope so, too.

Sam’s tone told Beck it wasn’t going to be
that easy. He ran a hand through his hair, not looking forward to
confronting Decker on what was about to become their
battlefield.

Ask your mother to teach you to travel as
she does. You have the ability. You need only be taught how.

Beck nodded. “And Autumn? How do I deal with
…that issue?”

What – and who – she chooses is her
decision.

“You’re not telling me to back off.”

Should I?

“I don’t know.”

From what I’ve seen, Autumn is much
stronger than Summer. If she does not want you, she will tell
you.
Sam was grinning.

“And if what she wants sends her over a
cliff again?” Beck challenged.

That is the risk you took when you made your
deal with me.

“It is, isn’t it?” Beck growled in
frustration. “When does her trial start? How soon until I know if I
have to turn over my soul?”

It has started.

Beck met his gaze. “She doesn’t even know
how Light and Dark work.”

I warned you it would be harder the second
time around.

“Am I allowed to know what it is?”

No. But it will target her weakness.

“Well, no deer’s showed up on her doorstep
yet,” Beck muttered. “So I assume it’s different this time.”

Sam shrugged.

“My dad would’ve made a great Master of
Light. He wouldn’t screw up like I have.”

You are very much like him. He was your
age once, you know.
Sam chuckled.
He learned how to balance
your mother and his magick.

“I can’t imagine them young,” Beck said.
“He’s so strong and smart. I feel … helpless. He wouldn’t be
flipping out right now. He’d find a way to save everyone before he
had his morning coffee.”

You will learn, Beck.

“I’d rather learn before everyone around me
is killed off and you’ve got my soul in your pocket.”

Sam laughed again.
We do not have
pockets!

Beck sighed. “Alright. I guess I’m done.
I’ve got to find my mom, protect Autumn and talk to Decker. If I
survive all three, I’ll let you know how it goes.”

I’ll be watching.

“Did you see her at the cliff last night?”
he asked suddenly, recalling Decker’s words.

Yes.

“How does she know about what happened?”

She doesn’t. But Summer does. Summer led her
there.

Beck considered the information, not
understanding.

I heard what she said to Decker.
There was fondness in Sam’s voice.
Sometimes, I think you made
the right choice.

“Only sometimes?” Beck raised his
eyebrows.

I cannot see the future. The forest loved
Summer. It loves Autumn, too.

“What did she say to him?”

She reminded him he was not alone with his
pain, much like she did you.

Beck nodded, pensive. He recalled his night
with her asleep in his arms. She’d known that what he felt was much
deeper than any words could soothe.

“I wish she had a twin. I think we both need
her. And twins are hot, especially blond ones.”

Sam shook his head, entertained.

“I’ll check in later. Are there blond
Sams?”

The yeti laughed and waved him towards the
door. Beck left. He had a long day ahead of him and the feeling it
wasn’t going to go remotely well.

“Autumn!”

She froze in the middle of her shower. The
shout was accompanied by a pounding at the bathroom door. Dawn had
hogged the bathroom for three hours this morning. Autumn couldn’t
imagine the girl needed it again so soon.

“Autumn, what’s the name of that blond skank
you came here with?” Dawn demanded, opening the door.

So much for the lock
. Autumn rolled
her eyes.

“Tanya,” she replied.

“Kay.”

She poked her head out to see Dawn hadn’t
bothered to close the door. Was she wearing another of Autumn’s
sweaters? She couldn’t help thinking the pregnant girl would be too
big soon to steal her clothes.

Autumn finished up and dried off then braced
herself as she wiped away the mirror.

The dark-haired girl was there. For the
first time, Autumn wasn’t scared. She understood why the girl’s
eyes looked so sad. She offered a supportive smile then closed her
eyes. The girl was gone when she opened them. Leaving the bathroom,
Autumn glanced at Dawn’s side of the room. Sonya was lying on
Dawn’s bed, texting on her phone.

“Dawn borrowed another sweater. And the
black jeans,” Sonya said without looking up.

Autumn gritted her teeth. She’d slept
fantastic, aided no doubt by Beck’s magick. When she awoke, he was
gone, and the scents of Sunday morning brunch had lured her to the
dining table before she returned to her room.

Beck’s pain. Decker’s incredible kiss. She
stood in front of her closet, not seeing her clothing. The night
hadn’t gone anyway she predicted.

There will be a next time.

She barely remained standing as she recalled
Decker’s intensity and steady gaze. And yet, Beck warned her away
from Decker with concern that left her beyond confused. Beck seemed
certain Decker would hurt her. She knew he was dangerous, but
someone who kissed her like that … she wasn’t sure she cared how
dangerous Decker was.

Autumn shook her head.

“Sonya,” she said, turning to the girl. “Who
is Decker?”

“Only the hottest, craziest Dark witchling
in the world. He’s Beck’s twin, the Master of Dark. Did Amber cover
that with you yet?” Sonya asked.

“A little,” Autumn said, alarmed. She
thought of the mini-lesson Decker gave her on the cliff. “So, he’s
like the devil?” He’d definitely failed to mention that at any
point before or after their kiss.

“More like the grim reaper lately.”

This he had mentioned. Autumn’s heart was
flying, her hands trembling. He’d been surprised at her defiance.
She understood why. What was she thinking? Something about him made
her say and do things she wasn’t sure she should.

“Did you sleep with him?” Sonya asked
curiously.

“No way,” Autumn replied.

“He’s slept with pretty much everyone. No
big deal if you did.”

“Well, I didn’t. He scared the hell out of
me.”

“God, he’s so sexy.” Sonya’s face was
flushed, her eyes bright. “I went home with him a few weekends ago.
The things he can do in bed … wow. I never …”

Autumn tuned her out and returned to her
closet, irritated to feel a flare of jealousy. Beck had told her
his twin slept around. It wasn’t a surprise. She shouldn’t care,
especially since Decker ran around
killing
witchlings.

And yet she did.

At least she had a new weapon to use against
him, the next time their paths crossed. Anger and pain were good
motivators. She had enough of both right now to level him if he
came close to her. She wasn’t going to be the latest in his
collection of witchlings he’d slept with.

Mine.

Was it her thought or his? She didn’t know.
It made her blood quicken and heat. Maybe it was hers, aided by his
magick. She wasn’t stupid enough to think his shadows were innocent
of influencing her and every other girl at the school. His pain,
though, wasn’t something she’d expect him to share. She was touched
by it in a way she didn’t think anyone else was able to understand.
Not many people felt that deeply.

He was an enigma. Beck was right; she
couldn’t trust Decker. The Master of Dark. Apparently, the Master
of Seduction was a better title for him.

Autumn put on her brace then dressed, angry
at herself for melting at his kiss like every other girl probably
did.

“You going home for Thanksgiving?” Sonya’s
question broke through her self-berating.

“No.”

“They have a big banquet here every year. I
went last year. It was pretty cool. I’m staying this year.”

“Where are you from?” Autumn asked and sat
on the bed.

“Mexico, originally. My family moved to
Phoenix when I was six.” Sonya managed to talk while simultaneously
typing with her thumbs on the phone.

Autumn’s gaze went to the pile of clothing
on the bed beside her. Dawn had tried on a ton of outfits before
stealing hers. She spotted one of her sweaters in the pile and
limped forward to shake it free.

“What is this?” she asked, holding it up and
peering at the stain on the dark sweater. “Ranch?”

Sonya looked up, startled. She was quiet for
a moment. Autumn lowered the sweater to see Sonya laughing with her
hands over her mouth.

“Omigod, you did not just…” she fell into
the laughter, unable to talk.

Autumn slung the sweater in her dirty
clothes hamper. She thought she’d liked Sonya, but now, she wasn’t
so sure. Irritated, Autumn rifled through the clothing to find her
other sweater that Dawn borrowed.

“Do you really not get it?” Sonya managed at
last. Her mascara was blurred by tears from laughing.

“I get she ruined my sweater,” Autumn
replied.

“It’ll come out,” Sonya assured her. “You
know anything about the birds and the bees?”

Autumn stared at her.

Sonya began laughing again. “I love you,
Autumn! You’re so sweet!”

“Are you serious?” Autumn asked, face
skewing as she realized what Sonya was saying. “That’s disgusting.
On
my
shirt?”

“Stay innocent. You’re adorable.”

Autumn flushed. She knew nothing about her
pre-accident life. Was she even a virgin? She had no idea. Last
night was the first kiss she recalled. Was it also her first kiss
ever?
Had she wasted that honor on a guy who slept with
everyone?