Autumn Storm (The Witchling #2)(59)

She stopped at the edge of the path.

“I need to know which way, so I can clear a path,” she said to Dawn without turning.

“Miner’s Drop.”

Autumn’s heart slowed at the words. Was that Dawn’s plan? Shoot her and throw her into the canyon?

The air cleared a new path, and Autumn realized Dawn was an air magick like her. Their route wrapped around the dorms to take them to the forbidden trail. She made her limp worse than it was to stymie their progress and give herself time to think.

Dawn knew how to use her air magick, while Autumn was still learning. She doubted she’d be able to do more than catch the girl off guard. Which left her with earth magick. All she knew of the earth was its ability to heal and protect. How did she use it against Dawn without hurting either of them?

If not an option, she’d have to wait until Dawn was close enough that she could punch her. Autumn winced at the idea. She had no agility or ability to maneuver, and if Dawn kicked her bad leg, the game was over. Any sort of struggle might lead to one of them getting shot.

She didn’t know what to do. She couldn’t wait for a break and run, and she didn’t have her cane to use as a weapon. Despair crept through her. She pushed it away, needing her head clear of emotions. She hadn’t survived a horrific car accident to be shot by a jealous ex-girlfriend in a dark field!

They entered the forest, and her sense of urgency bloomed. Autumn crossed her arms, watching her breath rise in the stillness of the corridor. They reached the clearing. She made her limp worse and slowed as they left the woods.

The air cleared a different path than she expected, one that led to the center of the clearing instead of to the cliff.

“Follow it,” Dawn told her.

Autumn did. Her eyes fell to the strange specters in the center of the field, the memories of the air magick. The black and white clouds were as she remembered them, caught in some strange, repetitive dance. When she neared, they dissipated.

The path stopped at a large, flat stone in the center of the field. Confused, Autumn faced Dawn, who was looking at her watch. Autumn cleared a spot and sat on the stone, hoping to draw on the warmth of the earth to counter the cold.

“You can’t kill me,” she said. “Won’t you go Dark?”

“Technically, no. Only if you use your magick to break the Laws. But, I’m not stupid enough to try it,” Dawn replied. “Alexa’s already Dark.”

The calm words scared Autumn. So they were waiting for one of Dawn’s friends.

A buzzing came from Dawn’s pocket. She snatched the phone and looked at it for a second before answering. Stepping away, she faced the forest and whispered too quietly for Autumn to hear.

If she was able to run, she would. Autumn hated her weak body and felt tears of frustration burn her eyes. No. She wasn’t helpless, as long as she stayed in control. She had time to figure things out. Talk Dawn down. Escape.

She hoped.

A shadow at the edge of the forest drew her attention. Praying it was Beck, she squinted to see the figure clearly. Pale face, surrounded by black fog. Summer, the girl from the mirror, was watching. Something significant happened here. The air was showing Autumn another memory. Her temple pricked with pain. Was it possible this was her memory, too?

The earth warmed the stone beneath her, and she glanced down. Snow melted in the shape of an animal. As she watched, the shape became clear. A deer.

Tarzan.

The name emerged from the depths of her mind and made her head pulse. Autumn gripped it with both hands, breathing deeply. She stopped fighting herself and let the memories recede. The pain eased.

Dawn tucked the phone away and drew nearer.

“Will you tell me what happened here?” Autumn asked.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, why this place is so …” her eyes went to the figure at the edge of the forest “haunted.”

“Decker shoved his ex into Miner’s Drop,” Dawn said, appearing amused. “She went Dark, and he killed her.”

No. The dark-haired girl’s voice was in her head again. Autumn struggled not to try to remember, unable to juggle the pain and Dawn.

“I can’t see Decker doing that,” she said truthfully. “There’s got to be more to the story.”

Dawn shuddered. “He’s gone crazy. Alexa said he kissed you yesterday.”

Decker’s kisses weren’t something Autumn ever wanted to forget. She’d only walked away from him because he let her. His farewell kiss tormented her. How could she know what he was and hope with all her heart he wasn’t really going away?

“What do they see in someone like you?” Dawn asked, peering at her. “You’re crippled. Weak.” her eyes went to Autumn’s leg.

“Is Alexa dating Decker or something?” Autumn asked to keep from getting angry.

“She was. Summer came between them. She almost came between me and Beck, too, but I fixed it. Alexa couldn’t fix her issue.” Dawn rolled her eyes. “They’re together again now.”

Summer. Another pulse of pain. Autumn pushed the name away, mentally recording what caused her head to hurt. Air memories or hers, one of them was struggling to warn her.

“Beck likes blonds, so it was easy to pull him back to me. At first,” Dawn said, frowning. “Then … something happened. He went weird after Summer died. We still have a shot, if you’re out of the way.”