Autumn Storm (The Witchling #2)(65)

“We can’t help them,” he said in his calm voice. His jaw was clenched and his eyes on his sons.

“I can!”

“No, Rania. This isn’t your battle.”

“It should be.”

“But it’s not,” he said, meeting her gaze.

Something within her broke. He was as scared as she was, but he looked at her with the same compassion and love he’d always held for her. He’d known what she was from the start. She didn’t know how he accepted what she’d done without question. She deserved nothing but his anger.

“I did this, Michael. I gathered so much Dark, Decker can’t fight it. I let Beck trade his soul for Decker’s mate to have a second trial after she went Dark, and she can … she can hardly stand, let alone pass another trial,” Rania choked out the words. “If we lose our sons, it’s because of me.”

He took her face in his hands and kissed her forehead. His body shook.

“Watch, Rania,” Sam urged.

She felt the elements battling and pulled away from Michael’s gentle touch. When she faced the clearing again, she saw her sons trying to kill each other. Tears started down her cheeks. Michael’s arms wrapped around her, his own attention riveted on the clearing. His earth magick battled with her agitated shadows.

It was when the boys went to physical blows that Rania dropped to her knees. All she’d done over her lifetime had led to this moment, when she’d be lucky to have one surviving son when the night was over. Decker was Darkness now and Beck unprepared. Both were her fault.

Pain filled her. Decker’s pain, Beck’s pain, the girl’s pain. It made her nauseous. She was as linked to their lives as they were one another, and the magick from the clearing swept through her as if she stood among them. Their emotions ran through her mind, too, blurring her vision.

Michael knelt behind her, his arms circling her again.

A glance at Sam showed him holding his head. Her breathing was ragged and hard, her body straining under the influence of magick that wasn’t hers.

“I’m here, Rania,” Michael said. “I believe in all of you. We’ll make it through this.” His voice was strained but filled with conviction.

She leaned against him, numbness falling over her as his earth magick cleared her mind. Helpless to do anything, she did as Sam bid her and watched.





Chapter Eighteen





Autumn’s injured shoulder was shaking, the blood streaming down her arm and making her hands slippery. She paused to wipe the warmth away then linked her hands and began again.

Step, pull. Step, pull.

Gritting her teeth, she continued the small steps. It felt like she’d been dragging Dawn forever. Her breathing was ragged, her body losing what strength it had. Her anger and fear weren’t going to give her enough energy to save them. Autumn paused once more to wipe her hands and glanced back.

She was almost to the forest. If she made it there, she might make it to the school next. Hope sprang within her, until she risked a glance towards the twins.

The clearing was as bright as day from Beck’s white magick and Decker’s fire. The two had been locked in a silent battle of the elements. The balance between them snapped as she watched, and they slammed into each other physically. Blows fell without restraint, often aided by sparks of magick.

They’d fight until one of them was dead.

Autumn stopped, cold despite the heat of exertion. She didn’t want to lose either of them. The world couldn’t afford to lose Light, and she refused to believe Decker was gone. He’d been there a day ago, gazing at her in a way she couldn’t get out of her head. He was there. He had to be.

Decker slammed Beck to the ground. Autumn flinched. The Light twin landed on the flat boulder. He was still. Decker started forward.

She breathed in the air magick then released it.

It flung Decker away from his twin. He landed a half a dozen meters away. Autumn released Dawn and stepped forward. Her eyes went from Decker to Beck, who was unconscious on the rock. Blood ebbed from beneath him.

The Darkness in Decker’s body shook himself off, unaware of what flung him. He strode towards his twin again, the air around him sizzling with magick waiting to be unleashed.

“No,” she whispered.

Once more, he was sent tumbling away. This time, when he rose, his eyes fell to her. She paused in place, swallowing hard. She’d just challenged him to a match she’d never win. But she had to try. She had to reach him. They weren’t going to survive otherwise.

He knelt and touched the ground.

Fire leapt from his hand, broke into three streams, and tore towards Beck, her and Dawn. It moved almost too fast for Autumn to see, and she pulled more air magick into her, desperate to protect the three of them.

The fire fell short of all three, held back by her air magick.

“You can’t sustain it.”

She almost cried out at his voice. It was low, inhuman and seemed to come from all around her. Autumn whirled, staring up at Decker. He reached for her, and the air pushed him back. He gave a faint smile.

Autumn searched his gaze. His eyes had melted into the shadows. There was no sign of the teen who kissed her so gently yesterday. The air between them was hot, as if she stood in front of a bonfire.

“Yes, I can,” she replied.