Authors: Lizzy Ford

Autumn Storm (29 page)

BOOK: Autumn Storm

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Show me what happened tonight,
he
ordered the earth magick.

Fear trickled through him at the vision of
Beck lying on the stone, unconscious. Decker counted on Beck being
able to protect the world from the Darkness while blocking the
knowledge that Beck didn’t know how. Tonight, Decker abandoned his
twin to face the Darkness alone, and the result was that his
brother was dying. Beck wasn’t going to survive, if Decker didn’t
help him.

What did you think it took to free
you?
Bartholomew was calm.
If they live, you will always
have a reason to return. We cannot let them live.

“No! I won’t let you hurt them!”

Decker gave a frustrated cry as the reality
of what Bartholomew said sank in. He’d gone blindly down this path,
wanting nothing more than the pain to end. He’d killed Dark
witchlings then Light witchlings. As a finale, the Darkness wanted
him to kill what remained of himself: those he loved. Bartholomew
was right. Without Beck and Autumn, Decker had no reason to
challenge the Darkness for his body.

His vision clear for the first time since
Summer died, Decker didn’t believe what he’d done. He’d never meant
for either of them to get hurt. He’d been vulnerable after Summer’s
death, and the Darkness pounced, convincing him the path to eternal
peace was simple, that no one else he loved had to get hurt if he
surrendered. It offered to protect the world from him, when he
needed to protect the world from Darkness.

Furious, Decker strained, but the earth
wasn’t done with him yet.

The earth’s memories expanded. He saw Dawn
bring Autumn to the field at gunpoint. The earth showed him how
Autumn had used air magick to defend herself and how she was
injured. He saw Dawn go Dark and himself appear soon after,
followed by Beck.

Decker watched with apprehension as Darkness
fought his brother. Pride filled him at the sight of Beck stepping
up to protect Autumn and Dawn, though he knew he was outmatched.
Beck fell, and Autumn took his place to defend those who couldn’t
defend themselves.

Even
him.
She sought to protect him
from himself.

And he’d hurt her.

Near frenzied with emotion, Decker thrashed
in place, unable to move. Summer was gone. Autumn was his second
chance. Although he wasn’t certain he was ready, he knew he
couldn’t forsake her and Beck to the Darkness. He’d failed Summer.
He wasn’t going to fail Autumn. He had to fight the Darkness at
least long enough to save them.

With a sob, he realized Summer’s memory was
best honored by doing what was right, no matter how hard it was or
how much it hurt. Hadn’t Autumn told him the same?

Chapter Twenty

Autumn’s body was hurting, her vision
blurring. How much blood had she lost? Or was this hypothermia?
Wobbling, she made her way to Beck and sat beside him on the stone.
Her hands quivered as she touched his face. He was alive. His
breathing was steady, if shallow.

“Beck?” she called, tapping his face.

He didn’t awaken. Autumn tried to pull earth
magick to help heal him, but the magick within her was depleted.
She went through his pockets. He didn’t have a phone … Dawn
did.

“Hang in there,” she whispered and stood. In
a half-hobble, half-trot, she made her way across the clearing to
Dawn.

The earth rumbled. She froze, scouring the
field for a sign that Decker escaped. She didn’t see him. She bent
over Dawn. The girl’s face was clammy. Autumn’s hands went to the
pocket where she’d seen her place the phone.

It wasn’t there. Frantic, Autumn patted down
Dawn’s jeans and jacket. She looked towards the blood-streaked snow
marking the place where they’d rolled. The phone had fallen out at
some point. She hesitated. She had to go for help. It was her only
option.

Hot-cold magick washed over her.

Autumn straightened, her heart stopping. The
ghost of Summer was at the edge of the forest again. Autumn wanted
to scream at her to help. She turned to face Decker and
involuntarily took a step back at the intensity of his magick. She
couldn’t see his eyes to tell if his trip into the earth had done
anything to make him become human again.

She’d wanted time to get help or a miracle.
She’d gotten neither. And now, she didn’t have the strength to
protect anyone. She’d made the wrong choice. She’d failed. She was
too weak to save either of the twins. After all she’d been through,
her pain conquered her, like Decker’s had defeated him.

She sank to the ground, exhausted. When
tears rose this time, she didn’t fight them.

The Darkness crouched in front of her. His
hand went to her throat.

“Please let him go,” she whispered.

“You plead for his life instead of yours.”
The voice was soft, lethal. The inhuman edge was still present, and
her hope tumbled.

“Some things are more important than what
happens to me.”

“Like Decker.”

“Yes.” She thought he heard a human note in
his voice and sought his gaze. It was too dark. “He deserves a
second chance.”

“There are no second chances.”

“Yes, there are. He ... he has one now.” The
desperation in her voice made her tears flow more. Was he able to
hear her, wherever he was? “Beck is hurt. He needs his
brother.”

His hand remained on her neck, tight enough
to terrify her without constricting her breathing. His magick
flowed through her unchallenged. She willed herself not to beg for
her life. She’d fought too hard the past few months to go out
pleading.

The Darkness was silent. Her strength began
to slip. She wiped her tears then reached out with shaking hands.
Autumn touched him tentatively with her fingertips. He didn’t move.
She took his face in her hands as she had after the long walk up
the driveway. He’d returned to her then. Was there enough of him
left to return to her now?

“Please come back,” she whispered.

“He hurt too many innocents. He hurt
you.”

“I know. But I know he can do it. He just
needed to know there’s another way out.”

“What way?”

She hesitated. “With me. We’ll walk it
together, like we did the driveway.”

“It’s not too late for … me?” His hand
dropped from her throat. He was struggling. She felt his body
trembling.

“I’ll help you, Decker, if you let me,” she
said.

“How can you say such a thing after
tonight?” This voice was purely Decker’s: Hushed, low, husky. “I
could’ve killed you.”

“That wasn’t you. I knew if I could reach
you, you’d come back.”

“You were a fool to stand up to the
Darkness.”

“What happens to me doesn’t matter. I chose
you” she fought back tears of relief “long before tonight.”

“I know.” He took her face in his hands and
wiped her cheeks. “It scared me. It still does.”

“Me, too.” She closed her eyes at the light
caress of his thumbs. He was warm, and she was so cold. He wrapped
his arms around her.

“What happens to you
does
matter. I
lost someone once …” His words were barely audible, even whispered
next to her ear. “This … thing between us…”

“I know.” She sank into him. He was solid,
warm and strong, his scent and heat filling her senses with nothing
but him. His body shook from his internal battle. She didn’t resist
his shadows this time. “One day at a time.” Silently, she thanked
Michael Turner for the advice. “Right now, Beck and Dawn need to go
to the hospital.”

“So do you.”

“They’re in much worse shape. Please,
Decker. Take them first. Beck and his baby are in danger. I’m
tough.”

He hesitated. Though she didn’t want to, she
leaned away from him.

“You won’t lose anyone else, Decker, if you
hurry. I’m not going anywhere.”

He kissed her forehead. “Didn’t I tell you
I’d keep you, if I found you in my forest after dark again?”

“I made you a deal.”

“I intend to collect,” he assured her.

She gave a half-laugh, half-sob. The idea of
belonging with him …
to
him was overwhelming. Could she
really help him walk out of the Darkness? He was taking the first
step, but she knew from experience that the true test of his
willpower was yet to come. It was how he dealt with failure that
would determine if he was able to recover.

But she wanted him to. She needed him to.
She didn’t know who she was before her accident, but she knew they
were meant to walk the path together.

“Decker, you have to keep fighting. It’s not
going to get easier,” she said. “Please, keep fighting.”

“I’ll do my best. I’m not sure ... Autumn, I
can’t do it alone.”

The raw emotion in his voice tore at her.
She understood that feeling. She’d fought her way back from a wall
of pain that wanted to consume her as much as his Darkness did
him.

“We’ll help you,” she said. “Beck and I and
your father and Grandpa Louis.”

“It might take all of you.” Decker kissed
her forehead again, rose and stepped away, his warmth going with
him. Autumn opened her eyes and watched him approach Dawn. He
paused for a long moment before kneeling and lifting the
unconscious girl.

His shadows closed around him, and he
disappeared.

Autumn slumped. She huddled the best she
could with an injured body numbed from cold and exhaustion. Her
gaze went to Beck. A few minutes later, Decker returned to heft his
brother over his shoulders.

When he’d gone again, she gripped her head.
She was dizzy from blood loss and pain. A migraine was coming on
fast. The amulet grew warm against her chest. She glanced down,
surprised to see the amber glowing, but her head hurt too much for
her to focus. The last of her strength gave. She sank into the snow
and closed her eyes.

“Stay with me, sweetheart.” A woman’s voice
pierced the blackness settling in her mind.

The words were familiar. Autumn had heard
them before. A moment before fire tore through her, she almost
remembered where.