Autumn Storm (The Witchling #2)(63)

Dawn didn’t move.

Alexa pulled the knife free then rose and ran. The teen guy glanced at Dawn then at Autumn, as if uncertain whether or not to finish their business with her. Autumn felt the heat of fire and cold shadows creep over her seconds before the Master of Dark appeared.

The teen bolted.

Autumn stumbled forward to Dawn and sank beside her. Black fog darted around her. Autumn checked for a pulse. It was weak. Blood leaked from Dawn’s body into the snow.

Autumn pulled the earth magic and pushed it into Dawn, assessing what was wrong. The knife had sliced her across the chest when they wrestled, and she’d hit her head against a rock when she fell. The blood was from these two wounds, though there was a lot of bruising in her limbs and back. Afraid of what the earth might tell her, Autumn rested a hand on Dawn’s abdomen.

The baby was okay.

She released a breath. Dawn needed to go to the hospital, fast, before she lost too much blood.

A sickening crunch drew her attention to the direction the boy had run. Autumn glanced up and froze.

Decker had lifted the teen off his feet then snapped his neck. He dropped the Dark teen. Autumn’s throat tightened so fast, she could hardly breathe. Shadows and fire surrounded Decker in a pulsing halo, radiating power. He wasn’t even trying to control it, and the hot-cold combination reached her across the clearing.

The air was terrified. It made it even harder for Autumn to breathe. She knew before she saw Decker’s face that it wasn’t him. It was that thing, the Darkness, that possessed his body.

Her eyes went to Dawn. He was here for her. The trio that tried to stab her and leave her was child’s play compared to the Master of Dark. The earth was warm beneath her as she urged it to comfort Dawn. Its distant grumble was worried, and air magick clung to her, afraid and sensing her danger.

“You need to leave, Autumn.”

She jerked, surprised. Beck crouched beside her, gaze on the form of his twin across the clearing. His magick was loose as well, and he glowed with white.

“Dawn needs help,” she replied.

“You can’t fight this battle.”

“I won’t. I’ll ask-“

“Autumn, Decker’s gone. Whatever that is, it’s not him,” Beck said softly. He glanced at her before returning his eyes to Decker. “He’s gone. You need to get out of here.”

His words hurt more than the wounds Dawn caused. Beck had given up on Decker, but Autumn couldn’t. She’d seen a part of him no one else had. She knew his pain and what he’d done. It wasn’t too late. It couldn’t be!

Decker faced them. Autumn paled. His eyes were filled with shadows, his face like a mask. There was no trace of humanity in either.

Fight it, Decker, she willed him silently.

“Go. I’ll deal with this.” Beck rose, pulling her with him. He pushed her towards the forest then leaned down, slicing Dawn’s amulet free.

Decker strode towards them. Beck took a few steps forward to meet him, and Autumn was still, unable to leave. Air magick was nudging Dawn, trying to wake her. Beck and Decker stopped feet from one another. Their voices were too low for her to hear. Decker started past Beck, but the Master of Light stopped him, holding up the amulet.

Decker snatched it and crushed it with his hand before tossing it. Shadows crept from where the amulet landed, skating across the snow back to him. His gaze was on Dawn. Autumn read his intentions; whatever he’d turned into, he wasn’t going to let anyone leave the field alive.

Her eyes went to Beck. She saw the resolution there before the pulse of magick filled the air. The silent challenge stopped Decker in his tracks. He whirled, fire and shadows flaring around him.

The earth rumbled beneath her feet, and the air grew hot as the two faced off. Autumn glanced at Dawn, realizing she needed to get the girl out of there somehow. She moved forward and lowered herself to the ground, touching Dawn. The pregnant girl was in shock. Autumn pulled earth magick up through her legs and pushed it into Dawn.

With a flash, the battle between the twins began. Autumn shielded her eyes. The air sparked with magick. She looked down at Dawn and rose. Autumn looped her arms under Dawn’s and began pulling her. She willed the air to clear a path for her. Frantic, the air kicked up snow as it obeyed.

Relying mainly on her good leg, Autumn concentrated on moving step-by-step, dragging Dawn towards the forest. She’d learned to walk this way. One leg. Then the other. It was like the early days of rehab: weak, hurting from wounds that hadn’t yet healed, inching along because she wasn’t willing to give up. She’d made it through that. She’d make it through this.

Step, pull. Step, pull.

The field was filled with lightening, fire and fury. Autumn choked down her tears and forced herself to focus.

Step, pull.





Chapter Seventeen





Sam’s summons woke Rania from her place on the couch, where she’d spent the past week sleeping. She sat quickly, sensing the urgency. She yanked on her boots and stood to snatch her coat. She had just released her shadows when she heard Michael’s quiet step in the hallway behind her.

“I’m going with you,” he said.

She faced him. He was dressed to leave, his dark eyes on her. Rania hesitated. For days, she’d largely avoided her husband as much as possible while they lived in the same house. Michael never pressed her, but her conscience was killing her.