Autumn Storm (The Witchling #2)(23)

Learning about you. You are strong enough to wield it. You’ll be stronger with air, and the two will balance each other. You must only take care what you ask of them and use their magick for what they were intended: to protect and bring peace.

“Wow,” she murmured. “That’s amazing. I can really do that?”

It is potential only. The magicks can be used for good or evil, Light or Dark, for selfish reasons or to help others. The earth can protect or destroy. The air can obscure or enlighten. It is up to you how you use them.

“The orientation book doesn’t talk like you do. Do you teach at the school?”

I advise those who do, though. His gaze turned concerned. You are tiring.

She nodded, sensing the same from her body. Autumn stood with some difficulty. The pain relief faded and was replaced by a familiar, achy throb.

“How do I feel the magick of the air?” she asked as she reached for her cane. “I can hear it.”

Breathe it in. Let it flow through you.

Autumn took a deep breath. Magick tingled in her chest. The air pushed at her, and she balanced herself against the log, not understanding what it wanted.

Later. Sam’s voice was kind. You may be too tired to focus it right now.

“Yeah,” she agreed. “Will I see you again when I come to the forest?”

Sometimes.

The enigmatic response made her roll her eyes. Sam was like everything else at the school: a little bit different.

“Thank you,” she said.

He smiled. With a shake of her head, she turned to the direction she thought led back to the school. As before, the forest and air cleared a path for her. She limped down it, her skin chilled by the time she reached the road. Her leg was swollen. She made her way back to the main house of the school and inside, pausing at the bottom of the stairs.

With another deep breath, she started up the stairs. It took a long time, as usual, and her leg was throbbing by the time she reached the top. The door to her room was open, and she groaned silently. Dawn had friends over. She heard the voices before she reached the door and braced herself for a miserable morning.

Dawn, Sonya and another girl were on Dawn’s bed, doing their nails. Sonya was nice to her. She smiled. Autumn returned the smile with effort and sat heavily on her bed for a quick rest.

“Dawn,” she said. “I need to hop in the shower. You want in the bathroom first?”

“No.” The blond girl didn’t even look at her.

Autumn looked twice. Dawn had borrowed another sweater. Irritated, Autumn said nothing and hurried into the bathroom before Dawn changed her mind. She took a long shower, until her skin was no longer chilled and the air was filled with steam. Content, she dried herself and stretched her leg. Cringing, she wiped away fog from the mirror.

The dark-haired girl wasn’t there today. Autumn wondered why briefly before deciding she preferred not to see some strange ghost in the mirror.

Dawn beat on the door. “Autumn! Hurry up!”

Autumn bit back a response. She dressed quickly in a shirt and underwear and exited to see Dawn waiting impatiently, her eyes on the streak of blue polish that had missed her nail and ended up on her fingertip. Autumn stepped aside as Dawn pushed into the bathroom before waiting for her to leave.

“How’s your leg?” Sonya asked as Autumn limped to her bed and lowered herself.

“Sore. I had to do my rehab exercises today,” Autumn said.

“Where does it hurt?”

Autumn looked up as Sonya sat on the bed beside her. The gorgeous girl was looking critically at her leg.

“Um, around the knee is the worst,” she replied.

“I learned a trick last week,” Sonya said. She placed her hand on Autumn’s knee. “Let me know if it works.”

Autumn waited. There was a tingle of warm magick, indicating Sonya was an earth element. The swelling eased.

“Yeah, it does,” Autumn said, surprised.

“It doesn’t last long,” Sonya said with a shrug. “But I figured –“

“Sonya, little help,” Dawn called from the bathroom.

“Coming.”

Autumn watched her go then strapped on the brace, cheered that the girl had thought to help her. The pressure helped the ache, and she pulled on pants before glancing over at the third girl. She didn’t remember seeing this girl with Dawn. She was a little older, with bright blue eyes and … different. Autumn cocked her head to the side, curious. There was something faint tracing the girl’s movement, a delayed shadow.

“Alexa, come here!” Dawn barked from the bathroom.

Alexa.

Autumn paused as she pulled on her boots. When the headache pricked her temple, she released the memory. Whatever it was, it wasn’t worth the pain. She took her iPad and left the room for the picnic tables in the Square.

It was quiet at the dorms. There were a few teens out in the Square, two at the other picnic table and three around a bonfire. She didn’t know any of them and sat at the other picnic table to read more about the school.

The midmorning turned cloudy quickly. Autumn looked at the sky a couple of times. The fluffy clouds were white with gray bellies, not rain clouds but maybe … snow? She’d never seen snow before.

She shook her head. She hadn’t lived in Idaho her whole life and never seen snow!

Agitated by the sense of not being a part of her world, she starting reading again. The air tickled the back of her neck and settled around her. It felt like it was sitting on her. Uncertain what to do, Autumn took a deep breath, as Sam had told her. This time, magick filled her from the inside out. It moved fast inside her body, unlike the warm creep of the earth.