Autumn Storm (The Witchling #2)(43)
Chapter Eleven
She awoke early for her workout Monday then ate a quick breakfast. It was her first day of class with the other students, and she was anxious about being late. She’d hoped to beat Dawn to the shower and groaned when she reached her room.
Dawn was just entering the bathroom when Autumn walked in. It was half past seven and her first class was in an hour. She sat down to rest her body then waited. A quarter after eight, she gave up and changed clothes before walking down to the main floor.
Jenna waited for her, along with Tanya. They were talking and giggling. Autumn joined them. Tanya beamed, her dark eyes sparkling.
“Hey!” Jenna said, grinning. “You ready for the first real day?”
“I hope so,” Autumn replied.
Tanya danced in place, clutching her iPad to her chest.
“We’ve got a double date tonight, so she’s ready for the day to be over,” Jenna said and rolled her eyes. “We’re headed to the mall after class. You want to come?”
Autumn shook her head. “I’m still adjusting.” It wasn’t entirely a lie. She really didn’t want to be a fifth wheel on their dates. She wondered who Tanya had met this weekend. There were a lot of guys at the school, but Autumn hadn’t ventured out to meet any of them. She had enough issues with the twins.
“Come on, girls!” Amber called cheerfully from down the hallway.
Autumn trailed them. They entered one of the classrooms with a few other girls their ages, including Biji. Autumn sat beside her new friend.
“This is for you,” Amber said and handed her a new iPad.
Biji giggled, and Autumn’s face grew warm.
“We’re going to do a review,” Amber started.
Autumn listened intently as Amber began to review the history of elemental magick, starting with the Darkness that took over the world long ago. She strained to remember as much as she could, once again surprised at the importance of the roles Decker and Beck played. Neither fit the description of what she thought a Master of Light or Dark would be link.
The day passed quickly. After class, she limped to the front door, surprised to see the late afternoon sun had melted away a lot of snow. The gravel road was almost clear while the banks on either side rose over four feet.
Her gaze lingered on the gravel, and she was struck by a new idea for therapy. The gravel made her struggle more for balance. If she started walking there instead of the treadmill, it might build her muscles back faster. She went to her room to change into workout clothing. After a brief hesitation, she unfastened the brace from her leg. It felt stronger today than usual.
She left her cane behind, too. For some reason, the sight of it made her angrier this day than any other day. Balancing herself against the railing, Autumn walked carefully down the stairs to the porch then out into the afternoon.
To her surprise, Tanya and Jenna were getting in Beck’s car with Adam. Adam waved. Autumn forced herself to wave back, agitated at the Master of Light who seemed to flutter from girl to girl. He didn’t see her, and she was glad for it. He held Tanya’s hand.
She shouldn’t feel jealous, but she did. The night she’d spent with Beck on the couch was a friend thing, but she’s still felt her pulse quicken at his touch.
Maybe he really was taking pity on her.
Frustration and shame made her look away and wait until they were headed down the road. When they turned onto the main road and disappeared from view, she began walking. Anger clouded her mind for a short distance, blocking her pain.
She slowed when she stumbled the first time and forced herself to pay more attention to where she stepped. There were patches of ice, shallow pits and fist-sized rocks in the gravel road. She twisted her ankle twice, stopped and continued on more carefully. She placed each foot with care and tried keep her hips level so as not to limp. Her bad leg ached and complained, but she forced herself not to give up. The whispers of the elements were quiet enough that they didn’t disturb her.
Before she knew it, she was at the end of the gravel road. Thrilled, Autumn stood at the edge of where the gravel met the asphalt. She was breathing hard from a walk that might’ve taken her ten minutes and no effort long ago.
Proud of herself, she turned and started the long journey back. She focused on placing her feet for a short time, until the sounds from the forest distracted her. Pausing, she gazed into the thick pine woods. The trees creaked under the influence of a mild breeze, and she heard snow collapsing from high branches to the ground. Somewhere, birds were arguing.
Movement from the corner of her eye made her gasp. She turned to see a small doe at the edge of the forest, gazing at her. Autumn stared back, marveling at the long legs, large ears and delicate features of the doe’s wide face. Its tail flickered, and the splash of white pulled Autumn’s gaze to the deer’s body.
She took a hesitant step forward. The doe didn’t move. Autumn heard the elemental whispering grow a little louder. She wondered if it told the deer to flee or stay. Two more steps closer, and she began to believe they asked it to stay. Two more steps, and her excitement was barely contained.
A final step, and she reached out carefully to the doe. It inched away, tail flickering again. Autumn touched the downy fur of its neck, enthralled by the warmth and softness. The deer’s muscles bunched at the tickle of her touch. She marveled at the animal’s body, at once graceful and muscular. The hooves were half the size of her hand, and the body was much thicker than she was. She took in every inch of the doe, from the huge eyes to the tawny fur and slender legs.