Playing with Magic (Elemental Trilogy Book 2) (12 page)

“Are you ready?” Shantaina whispered as she walked over to him. She flicked something off the robe.

“I’m nervous.”

“You’ll be fine,” she said. Their eyes locked, and he knew he would. His chest swelled at the sight of her. How could he love someone so quickly? Could this be real love? Had he ever felt this way about anyone, ever? She bent in and laid the quickest of kisses against his lips. Light, like butterfly wings, and she smelled of sunshine and flowers.

****

Autumn had been watching the two. The small kiss and the intimate eye contact. She moved away, feeling she needed to give them space. Stefan would have done the same for her. She looked at the gathering town’s people in their robes. They talked with each other friendly enough, but when they glanced her way, or at Anatha or their brothers, she noticed the fear.

Why would they fear us? What have we done to make them look at us that way?

The town’s people formed a circle around a huge oak altar as the sun finally went down. It was covered with a brown cloth to match Stefan’s robe. Autumn took her small wrapped gift to the altar. She placed it among the green oak leaves and other gifts scattered around it. Pyrus had told them that they were to bring something magical, with meaning. For the longest time she couldn’t figure out what to give him. But she finally found something that she didn’t realize she had brought with her. A silver key. A key that had not only saved his life, but the others too. River, Rowan, and the other guys, when she and Anatha had saved them from the infected outside the mall. The memories rushed through her as she took her place in front of the green candle, which matched her robe, only a shade lighter than her own green eyes.  Pyrus had them all in their magical colors.

“Hold hands,” Pavana said loudly, so everyone else could hear as she stood before the altar.

A clammy fat hand grabbed Anatha’s. She looked to see who it was, and her eyes met Dack’s. She controlled the urge to pull her hand away and wipe it on her red robe. She looked around and saw that everyone wore robes of family colors. Bunches of blues, reds, greens, and oranges, but only one purple, which was worn by their grandmother.

A strong hand took her free one, and she looked over to see who it was. Davies stared at her with his light eyes and gave her a warm smile. He was so stable, so sturdy. A feeling swam around inside her, making her think of the other night. She blushed. She hadn’t talked to anyone about what had happened. She had come close to telling Autumn, but she knew her cousin would bring up Jaime. She turned her confused eyes in front of her and met Autumn’s. She looked down quickly. Eye contact made their telepathic abilities easier. And now, as they were creating a giant circle of power with so many people, they didn’t want to chance anything.

Aarawn stood by the elders, sending funny images across to Mabon, who held hands with Pyrus and Shantaina. Aarawn sent him a picture of Pavana’s butt, the shape of a moon, but frowning not smiling like the moon does. Mabon laughed out loud, getting angry glimpses from others in town, including the elders. He bit his lip and focused on Stefan.

Stefan picked up the silver sword that lay across the table. He paused, looking at the stag horns, which were in the center. Gripping the hilt tight in his hand, he pointed the tip to the sky. The blade sparkled with the light from the white candles around the altar.

“I conjure thee, O Circle of Power, to be a guardian between the world of humanity and the realms of the Gods. A ring of fire to contain the power we shall raise here tonight.” He shoved the blade into the ground. The candles around the altar went out as a wind blew across everyone. The candles outside making the boundary flame higher.

“Element of Air, are you here?” He asked, turning to Aarawn.

“I am, Stefan,” he said, feeling his power stir in his body, moving like the wind rushing around the circle.

“Element of Fire, are you here?”

“Yes, I am,” Anatha said. Her power burned like the candles making the circle. She liked the way the flames licked her skin.

“Element of Water, are you here?”

“Yes, Stefan,” Mabon said. He heard the distant call of ocean waves breaking along the moist beach sand, and the slight taste of sea salt lingered in the back of his throat.

Finally he turned to Autumn. “Element of Earth, are you here?” He gave her a small nod.

She nodded back. “I’m here, Stefan.” The earth hummed with so much life as her body hummed along with it. Life, all around her, she could feel heartbeats, big and small. Everything, but she could feel death too. The decay stunk around this town, struggling to let the life live. Autumn’s eyebrows furrowed as she pulled away from it to focus on Stefan. But the power. Oh, it was so tempting. She could make lives stop with a quick move of her will. That thought made her heart beat with fear.

That’s not me.
She thought.

Pavana walked to Stefan and crossed her arms over her chest, making an X. “I call upon you, Cernunnos, horned hunter, forest guardian. Let your love, your magic, your wisdom, and power fill Stefan as he begins his life as a magical being.”

She put her arms down to her sides. “We gather tonight to celebrate Stefan, who now begins his journey into the realm of magic. Let us all welcome, love, and guide him.”

He and Pavana both took their place in the circle of town’s people. With hands united, a loose rope was tied to everyone, binding them closer on this night. When the Sage had finished with the ropes, he walked out to the middle and said, “As magic beings, we are linked together always.” He took his place back in the circle. “Welcome to this circle.”

A great power from each element reached out, bringing a gasp from each member in the circle. The ties on everyone’s wrists broke loose and threw everyone backward from the circle. Only they stood, and Stefan. A purple egg fell from the sky, landing gently at his feet.

“I think it’s your familiar,” Mabon whispered. He and the others were reeling in the power high that was in the circle.

We have to finish it
, Autumn thought to them, watching Pavana sitting, staring at them outside of the circle. The dazed look on her face made her want to smile. She walked to the altar and grabbed up the silver chalice. She dipped her finger into the wine and holy water mixture. She traced a pentagram on Stefan’s head as he knelt before her. “You are a power like us. Welcome.”

Power rose from each of them, leaving them all momentarily bodiless. Stefan’s power mingled with theirs, as powerful, yet different.

They re-entered their bodies, breathing hard, eyes glowing, their power lighting the night. “End it, Stefan,” Autumn whispered. “I don’t know how much more I can take.”

He could see the colors in her aura and knew who they belonged to. Autumn somehow attached herself to Rowan and River. How he knew, he had no idea. He reached out and touched her aura.  He swirled his finger. The two auras, both different shades of green, swirled around his finger. Autumn closed her eyes and let out a small gasp as he took his finger and stopped above her heart.

“I lock it into place,” He whispered to her, and she nodded. “They are where they should be now, and it should cause you no more illness.”

“Thank you,” she whispered, and the dull throbbing headache she had had for weeks finally stopped.

“Thanks to all who have visited the circle,” Stefan said as he turned, looking at everyone.

“We have raised too much power,” Aarawn said.

Autumn smiled at him, and he smiled back. They knew exactly what was going to happen. “Break it, Stefan,” she said and stumbled. He grabbed her, but power flared around them even more at their touch. The power stung like bee stings.

“Let me go,” she said. She sat down on the green grass, hands positioned firmly on the ground, waiting for the escape.

Pavana was on her feet, shouting through the circle at them. “What have you done, you insolent children?!” She tried to walk in, but the force of the circle knocked her back.

“What do I do?” He asked, looking down at Autumn.

“Break the circle and hold on to something,” she said, breathing hard. The power felt like a giant hand crushing her. Her skin tingled, and the energy felt better than … well, it felt amazing.

Stefan grabbed the sword, pulling it from the ground. His skin felt as if it wanted to dance off his body. The sword vibrated in his hand. Aarawn grabbed the table.  Mabon and Anatha sat down. Stefan picked the sword up with one hand and sliced it back down to the ground.

“The circle is open. Forever here, waiting to be conjured again.” He let go of the sword and grabbed the table with both hands. The circle blew open like a bursting bubble. Their power washed over everyone and extinguished the boundary candles.

Autumn felt dizzy, and then all went black. She woke up some time later in her room. The doctor was talking to someone. And for a brief moment she had a flashback to the mall. She was still there, and everything she had gone through was a dream. She was still being eaten alive by the disease, and instead of surviving like she had in her dream, she was going to die. She was going to become infected. She sat up quickly, realizing the doctor was different, and Pyrus was at the door. She leaned back, breathing hard.

The doctor closed the door and came over to the bed. He sat down beside her, watching her as she watched him. “Are the others okay?” she asked.

“Aarawn hit his head on the table. Not hard, but he hasn’t woke up yet. Mabon and Anatha are just rousing. Your friend Stefan was the only one unharmed.”

“I’m glad they are okay.”

“Yes. That was some show. I had no idea how dangerous it would be to have you five together in a circle. They haven’t figured out what Stefan is, but he is a little more witch folk than most of us.”

The doctor left and a soft knock on the door made her push herself into a sitting position. “Come in,” she said.

Stefan opened the door, peeking in. “Can we talk?”

“Sure. Sit down,” she said and motioned to the chair the doctor had been sitting in.

He sat, holding a shiny purple oval. She held out her hand, and he handed it over. It was much lighter than it looked. She brought it up close to her eyes as she examined the shell. Not a single flaw on its surface. “I wonder what’s in it?”

“Look.” He shined a light on it. She saw something inside moving around. “No one knows when it will hatch.” She gave it back, and he took it, holding it in both hands as if keeping it warm. “What am I?” he whispered.

“I don’t know,” she said, “But you seem almost as powerful as us.”

“They are trying to research my stars to get a better reading. But so far no one has been born on the day I was born.”

Her eyes went to his egg. “You know, maybe we will know what you are when it hatches. It can’t stay in there forever, right?”

He gave her a smile and leaned into her. “I believe, like some others, that we make our own path. Stars are astrology, and when has your daily astrology reading ever been right?”

She shook her head. “Never.”

He sat back. “See.” He got up on his feet. “We all need some sleep. I am tired from what happened tonight. You look tired. I’ll see you in the morning.”

Autumn nodded. “Tell Shantaina goodnight for me.” His eyes went wide, and his face turned deep red.

He paused at the door. “How did you know?”

She gave him a knowing smile. “I’m not blind, plus I know how it feels to find someone who you click so well with. When you find something like that, don’t let go, Stefan, no matter what.” Tears started to fall from her eyes. “I can’t breathe some days when I think I can’t see their faces. I miss them so much.” Before she realized it, he was holding her. “I need them.”

“I know,” he whispered.

“I feel like I’ve lost a part of myself here. I’m the element of Earth. With them, I am me.”

****

Rowan and River played cards, watching the storm outside. “I heard some weird noises last night,” Rowan finally said.

“Maybe it was all in your head,” River said, laying down three aces.

“It wasn’t.” He picked up a card from the deck.

“Maybe it was the storm.”

“I know what a storm sounds like.”

River’s mom came in with a plate of cookies and brownies. “Eat up, boys. You still look too skinny. I don’t know what those people in California eat, but here we like our boys big and sturdy.”

They exchanged glances. River looked down at himself. “Ma, I, well, I think that I am big and sturdy.”

She laughed. “Silly, River. I don’t mean that way. I mean like …,” she stopped.

“Farmer John big and sturdy,” Rowan said, only half joking.

She nodded her head. “I need to find you a girl, River. I want grandchildren.”

“Mama, I sort of have a girl back in California.” He had mentioned Autumn briefly, not sure how she would react to the news. And the two weren’t sharing their feelings about each other with her. She had regressed backwards in an old fashioned way. He wasn’t ashamed of his feelings for Rowan or Autumn, he just didn’t want to freak her out.

“Don’t be silly, boy,” she said sternly. “You are home now, and it’s going to stay that way. I don’t think I can lose you again.” She walked out, slamming the door.