Read Playing with Magic (Elemental Trilogy Book 2) Online
Authors: Ellie Potts
Playing with Magic (Elemental Trilogy Book 2) (22 page)
He shook his head. “Surprisingly strong.”
“Oh,” she said as tears welled up in her eyes. “You’re sure?”
He took her hand. “Autumn. I checked you out, and everything is fine.”
“I need to get up,” she said.
He pushed her back into bed. “I want you to lie here. You just woke up after five days. I need to see if you are going to stay awake.”
Shantaina came in. “You scared the hell out of us. You screamed and when I found you on the ground, I nearly had a heart attack.”
“Pyrus is dead,” Autumn blurted out, her tears falling faster as she sobbed.
Shantaina held her as she cried. “It’s okay, Autumn. She was a good lady. She will be missed. You changed the stars,” she whispered. “Because of the baby, which is not Aarawn’s.”
“Eww,” she said, sobbing.
Shantaina looked down at her. “How do you know about Pyrus?”
“She told us.”
“You and Mabon? That would explain why Mabon passed out too.
Hazel came in. “Hey,” she said, smiling at her friend. “I am glad you’re awake. You gave us all a scare.”
“Thanks.” She handed her a coffee cup.
“Rinsland said you might want some tea.”
****
Jaime pulled into town. “I can’t wait to see Anatha.”
“And Autumn,” Rowan and River said at the same time as they sat together in the back as close to the door as they could.
They parked and saw Stefan grinning at them. “Stefan!” River shouted. They got out of the Winnebago and jumped on him. “How are you?”
“It feels good to be home,” Drake said, coming over and clapping Stefan on the back. “So you’re not a dog anymore?”
Stefan shook his head. “I see you couldn’t ditch him,” he said, joking with the others.
“Where are the others?” Rowan asked.
Stefan looked down. “Autumn’s in the clinic, and well, let’s go talk to her.”
“Why is she in the clinic?” River asked, concerned.
“She’s okay, right?” Rowan asked.
“Is Anatha with her in the clinic?” Jaime asked.
“Yes, she is okay. No, Anatha is not with her, but Autumn will tell you where she is.”
Chapter 18
Autumn sat chatting with Hazel and Shantaina when Stefan, Rowan, River, and Jaime walked in. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying. Everyone stared at each other as if time stood still.
“Hey,” Rowan said, not really sure what to say. She got out of bed, legs wobbly, and ran to him and River. They held her as her legs gave out, and she started crying again.
“I missed you guys so much,” Autumn said through giant sobs, and then her eyes fell on Jaime.
“Where’s Anatha?” he asked.
Shantaina swatted Stefan hard on the arm. She grabbed on to Jaime’s arm. “Come on. You must be Jaime. Stefan has told me a lot about you and your other friends. We need to talk.”
As they left, Hazel looked around. “I think I’ll leave too,” she said in a whisper and walked out the door. As the door closed, Rowan, River, and Autumn touched foreheads. She closed her eyes, taking in their smell, their warmth, and everything about them she loved.
“Did you get hurt?” River whispered into her ear.
Startled from her thoughts, she opened her eyes. “Yes.”
“What happened?” Rowan asked.
She never wanted to let them go. She got wrapped in the moment and brushed her lips over each of theirs. Hungrily, Rowan pulled her closer, wanting to kiss her. River could see something on her face.
“Autumn,” River whispered. “What’s happened?”
“We have to talk,” she said and let them lead her to the bed. She sat down as each of them pulled chairs over to her.
Rowan sat down in the chair. “So tell me of your adventures.”
“Adventures?” She turned so she could see him. “Have you been reading again?”
“Ha-Ha.” River said. “If only, it might make him smarter.”
“Hey now!” Rowan said.
“So how did your visit go with the other witches?” River asked.
“Terrible,” she replied bitterly and explained to them what she had gone through. She got to the part about the pregnancy and paused.
“Baby, what’s wrong?” River said.
She turned back, looking at them. Taking a deep breath she continued on with her story. She told them every detail. From being trapped in the cave to the battle they had. She didn’t leave anything out, not even the loss of Anatha and Pyrus. She stopped, noticing them staring at her belly.
“Shantaina says it’s a boy.” Her hands protectively held her stomach.
River and Rowan reached out to touch the baby bump. “A boy,” Rowan whispered, started crying, and looked at River. “We are going to have a baby.” He kissed River, and the two told her their story. She wanted to know every detail. They sat down and told her everything, including the cannibals, the river of fire, Misty, what happened to Rowan’s son and River’s baby brother. Being saved by Pops.
She ruffled Rowan’s hair. “I’m glad you weren’t eaten.”
“I’m glad you’re not stuck in a cave,” Rowan said.
“You had no doubts between us?” River said reluctantly, “I mean about you and Aarawn.”
“Eww.”
“If he wasn’t your cousin, I mean,” River said.
She got up and laid a small kiss on each of their foreheads. “I love you both.” She looked away. “And it makes it much harder to tell you what I have to tell you.”
****
“Don’t worry, Jaime, we will get her back,” Mabon said as they walked down the hall. They stopped, looking at some drawings on the wall. The clinic had been a children’s clinic, but now it was the only clinic in town. Shouting turned their attention back down the hall. They walked absentmindedly to the yelling.
They stopped by Shantaina and Stefan. She looked at them. “Autumn must have told them.”
“Told them what?” Jaime asked.
“That she’s going after her cousin,” she said.
“Yeah, so, I would think she would want to anyway.”
“They don’t want to let her go,” Stefan whispered.
Autumn opened the door. “Stop whispering. You all might as well come in,” she said angrily. “Has Aarawn woke up?”
“No, still snoring,” Mabon said.
“Autumn, please calm down,” Shantaina said. “It’s not good for the baby.”
“What’s going on? Did she say baby?” Jaime whispered to Mabon. He saw Rowan sitting on the bed with his fingers messaging his temples and River pacing before the window.
He got up after a while of silence. “Fine, if you go, I’m going,” Rowan said. River stopped, nodding.
She placed her hands on her hips. “No.”
“Why the hell not?” River asked.
“Because I don’t want you hurt!”
“Well, we don’t want you hurt any more than you already have been.”
“I know what I’m getting myself into! I have Mabon, Stefan, and Shantaina.”
“And me,” Crystal said.
“Sorry, and Crystal. Everyone, by the way, this is Crystal Carolas. She has been working with
Py
our grandmother.”
“We are going to help you!” River said.
“Fine!” She said. “If you want to go, then fine!”
“Thank you,” Rowan said.
“Well if Rowan and River are going, then I am too,” Jaime said. Everyone looked at him. “Anatha is my girlfriend.”
Autumn sat down. “Fine. I don’t want to argue anymore.”
Rowan squatted by her chair. “I wouldn’t do anything to upset you. But I’m just ...”
“I know,” she said, interrupting him. “You have to understand. I don’t know what’s going to happen.”
“As long as I can try to protect you,” River said, running his fingers over her arm.
She smiled, reaching out and grabbing his hand. “I know you will try. It’s just that I might have to protect you.”
“You know we are stronger than you might give us credit for. I mean, we did avoid getting eaten, twice,” River said.
Autumn couldn’t help laughing at his smugness. “I missed you guys so much.”
****
“I can’t touch it either. It’s meant just for your hands,” Shantaina said.
Autumn looked down at the old book. She picked it up and shook it. “It doesn’t want to open. I’ve tried everything, and I know it has something that can help us,” she said, irritated. Rowan and Stefan walked in just as she slammed the book on the ground. “Screw it.”
“But you haven’t tried everything,” Adair said.
“Don’t tempt me, monkey.”
Her hostility made him cringe. “Did you tell the book to open yet?” he asked in a small voice.
She shot him a shut up look and looked down at the book. “Well, have you?” Shantaina asked.
“No.”
“It’s worth a try.”
She crossed her arms. “Fine.” She picked up the book and slammed it on the table. “Open!” The front cover sprang open. “Well, look at that.”
“I don’t get this stuff,” Rowan said.
“Magic is so cool,” River whispered as he sat next to Autumn. “The pages are blank though.”
“No, they’re not. It’s written quite nicely.”
“Well, I see blank pages.”
“I do too,” Rowan said over her shoulder.
“I see writing,” Mabon said. “What’s that in the cover?”
“A dagger.” She pulled it out.
“Not just any dagger,” her brother said, taking it from her. “An obsidian ruined dagger.”
“No way.” Shantaina came over to look at it.
“What am I missing, guys?” Autumn said.
Aarawn walked in with bags under his eyes, and his skin looked pale and sickly. “It’s the only blade that can kill a god.”
Also Out By
Ellie Potts
Stand Alones
(Coming Soon)
Island of the Zombie King
The Opposite Side
(Coming Soon)
Blood Father
Blood Feud
Elemental Trilogy
Playing with Magic
(Coming Soon)
Seducing the Soul
Collections
Somebody told Ellie Potts you had to be rich to be eccentric otherwise you were plain crazy. She set out to prove them wrong doing things she was told she couldn’t do like dressing for pirate and renaissance faires, get her stories published, playing video games, planning to survive a zombie apocalypse, and other antics most women stay away from.
She’s also a Whovian, Browncoat, Star Wars addict, and collector of arcane knowledge. Now she lives in California’s Central Valley where most of her stories and books take place. She and her husband are owned by their attack Bugg, and many backyard animal minions including a turtle, bunnies and chickens.
Visit her at her blog:
https://authorelliepotts.wordpress.com/
Snippet of Seeing Stars by Ellie Potts.
Chapter 1
“I understand,” Alisa said into the speakerphone in her car as she pulled into her driveway. “I can be there.”
“Then we will see you tomorrow,” the secretary said.
“That’ll be great! Thank you so much!”
They said their goodbyes, and she turned the car off.
She looked at her husband’s car in the driveway.
Odd, he’s home early. Well, that works. We can pack and leave tonight for sure then.
All the hard work she had put into her writing was now paying off. She had been noticed. Me! Someone wanted to make a movie out of my book.
She grabbed her small purse, but something kept her from getting out of the car, some feeling she couldn’t quite place. She finally stepped out, knowing she would surprise Kurt. She noticed the car in the driveway next door and checked her watch. Her widowed neighbor was home early as well. She had lost her common-law husband about two months earlier.
Alisa made her way to the house, forgetting to beep the car to lock it as she fumbled to get inside. The kitchen was clean, always a plus after a long work week. She walked to the dining room, dropping her purse on the table, and looked around. She opened her mouth to call out but then hesitated. Squeaking noises were coming from down the hall. She ventured into the hall, and the squeaking grew clearer and louder the closer she got to the bedroom.
Her hand slowly reached out and pushed open the door. To her horror, her husband’s bare ass faced her from the bed. In his hand, he held petite feet that belonged to very skinny legs. A small euphoric cry escaped the woman underneath him.
Cold filled Alisa. Not anger, just bitter cold.
“I guess I’ll come back when you guys are finished,” she said, glad her voice sounded steady. She turned and walked to the living room. Looking around, she was dazed, not sure what to do next.
She heard the bed springs give and feet hit the floor. Soon her husband stood before her, a sheet wrapped around his beer gut. “Alisa ”
“You promised.” She rose from the couch, she didn’t even remember sitting down, and headed toward the bedroom. He talked as she walked past him, but she heard nothing as a great roar filled her head. She passed her pretty neighbor scrounging around the floor for her clothes, and felt the urge to throw up.
Inside the closet Alisa grabbed her suitcase and threw it on the bed. She opened her dresser drawers and began shoving clothes in, taking clothes from the closet and off hangers as well. She zipped it, and then disappeared into the bathroom to grab toiletries, all the while listening as Kurt talked on and on, giving her nothing but lame excuses. Finally she went to her office where she packed her laptop, flash drives, along with some other things she thought she might need. Heading for the door, she felt weighed down with the suitcase, her purse, the computer bag, and travel kit all strung around her.
Kurt grabbed her arm. “Alisa, sit down, and let’s talk about this.”
“Don’t touch me ever again.” She warned and pulled free from his grip.
“You can’t just leave! Where are you going to go? Your mother’s?”
“I have somewhere else to be.” She stormed out, throwing her stuff in the back of her car. Kurt called out to her as she jumped in and took off.
At the stop sign, she looked left. Yes, she could go home to her mothers. She looked in the rearview mirror; behind her was nothing she wanted. She looked into her own hazel eyes, made a decision, and turned right.