"You cared for him, didn't you?” he shouted over the gale force of the storm.
She frowned and tried to retreat farther into the castle to get away from the cold. “What? Who? Curtis, what are you doing here? It's the middle of the night!"
He shoved his way inside and pushed the door closed, then turned to her with a flabbergasted expression. “The statue! You woke him up, didn't you?"
She gasped and her eyes widened. “You knew about him? You know what he is?"
He ran his fingers through his drenched hair a couple times and shook the excess water off of his coat sleeves. “He's an Elemental.” he cried. “Nice and safe while in statue mode, but completely dangerous for our world while he's moving and breathing. We have to get him out of here."
He started for the staircase, but Autumn grabbed a hold of his arm. “Hold on, wait a second! Where are you going to take him? How did he even get here?"
Curtis shook his head. “I don't know. I had no idea Professor Jasper even had one, and I have no clue as to where he could have acquired one, but he can't stay in the human realm, Autumn. Look at the weather!” He stabbed his finger back toward the door. As if on cue, thunder rumbled ominously.
"You mean Gabriel is causing the storm?"
He snorted. “Oh, so it's Gabriel, is it? Yes, Gabriel is causing the storm. It's like if you took a compass and went into the middle of, let's say, New York City. There's so much magnetic activity that all the compass does is spin around. It's the same with him being here. He's made up of the elements. He can control them. They react to him. Our world does not support the kind of creature who can do that. Therefore, his abilities are making our entire weather system completely wonky. If he stays here long enough, we'll have typhoons in the Sahara and ice storms in the Bahamas!"
He tried to stride away, but Autumn caught his arm again. “Well, what are you going to do, Curtis? Do you know how to get him home?"
He stared at her for a moment before his brows drew together. “Well, no, not exactly. But I was hoping that I could have some time to figure out what to do with him before you went and brought him to life. Elementals thrive on companionship. When they are alone and isolated, they turn to stone. It's like a kind of hibernation. I was trying to take him from you earlier to prevent something like this from happening."
She sucked in a horrified breath and started at him, aghast. “So, you were just going to stick him all alone in a corner like my uncle did? He's a living creature!"
"He was unconscious! He wouldn't have known any better!” He reached up and tangled his fingers in his hair with a groan. “Seriously, Autumn, this is really bad. We have to get him out of here."
"And do what with him? Curtis!” She barreled after him as he started up her staircase. She grasped onto his sleeve, but he shook her off. “Curtis! Just hold on a second. Stop freaking out."
He continued to ignore her protests and flung the door to her room open. Autumn screamed and stumbled back as an enormous fireball shot through the doorway. Curtis shielded his face with his sleeve and avoided the flames, but no sooner had he stood back up then a spear was swung full force at his head. He managed to duck to evade it, and Autumn ran into the room, shoving herself in between Curtis, who was now hunched in a ball on the floor, and Gabriel, who had apparently remembered how to fight while she'd been gone. He stood like a warrior, clutching the spear tightly in his hand, poised to throw it. His face was grim, determined, and every muscle in his body seemed coiled tight and ready for action.
"Whoa!” Autumn screeched, holding out both of her hands. “Whoa! Just stop! Everybody stop!” She put her hand to her chest, panting as her heart hammered. She turned her shocked gaze to Gabriel. “What are you doing?"
His eyes never left Curtis, who had managed to uncurl himself enough to stand in more of a crouch, and his face barely belied any emotion. “You sounded distressed."
She stared at him in bewilderment for a second before she huffed and stood tall. “I'm not distressed, I'm pissed off!” She grasped hold of the spear handle and yanked it out of Gabriel's hands. “Gimme the spear!” She spun and pointed it at Curtis, who was advancing again. “Back off!” He stumbled backward a few steps, and Autumn turned to point it back at Gabriel, shooting him a warning glower. He held both of his hands up in a sign of peace. His glowing skin now looked as if he had flames dancing across the surface.
Autumn flung down the spear and it hit the floor with a clamor. “What is wrong with you people?” Curtis started to wheeze and she looked over at him. He placed one hand on his chest and braced the other on his knee as he bent over and tried to catch his breath. When that didn't work, he reached into his back pocket and pulled out an inhaler.
Autumn rolled her eyes. “Oh for crying out loud. Curtis, here.” She grasped his arm and led him over to the edge of her bed, where she shoved him down to sit. “Calm down."
She let out a long, slow breath and turned back to Gabriel. What kind of chaos had she fallen into? She'd gone to sleep in cold silence and had awakened to complete bedlam. “Gabriel, this is Curtis. He's not going to do anything to you."
Gabriel scowled and folded his arms across his chest. “I wasn't worried about myself. I was trying to protect you."
Autumn stared at him, stunned, while her heart did something funny.
Curtis sniggered. “Oh, how sweet,” he grumbled and took another puff of his inhaler.
Autumn ignored Curtis and went over to Gabriel. She placed her hand on his forearm, and he instantly uncrossed his arms so that he could take her hand in both of his. He stared down at her, his smoldering eyes holding a thousand unspoken things. She closed her eyes for a moment as the warmth enveloped her once again, and she marveled over the fact that his skin flamed but did not burn. When she met his gaze again, his eyes had grown warm, tender.
"Gabriel, you don't need to protect me from Curtis. He's my friend. He was very close with my uncle, the one who somehow managed to bring you here."
Gabriel shook his head slightly. “I am not safe for your world,” he said softly.
Curtis snorted. “Well at least you recognize that."
Autumn shot a sinister look back at Curtis. “Shut up,” she snapped. “I thought you were supposed to like supernatural creatures."
His eyes widened. “I do. But I generally like them in their own environment! Not posing as Armageddon for our world!” He stabbed his finger at Gabriel. “You see? That's what I'm talking about."
Autumn turned her attention to Gabriel and noticed that the flames licking along his skin were larger and burning brighter. Outside, violent lightning split the sky. She took one of Gabriel's hands and rubbed it soothingly between both of hers. “You have to calm down,” she said gently. She looked at Curtis over her shoulder. “That'll work, right?” Like she freaking knew what she was doing.
He sat with a disgruntled expression. “It'll help."
She smiled in spite of herself and glanced up at Gabriel. “I have to go talk to him for a second. Can you refrain from trying to spear anyone while I'm gone? And no fireballs, avalanches or earthquakes, either."
His dark expression vanished as a smile lit up his face. The fire slowly receded back to its warm glow and he nodded. She grinned and patted his shoulder reassuringly, then hauled Curtis up by the front of his shirt, and dragged him out of the room.
She shut the door, turned to face him in the hall, and folded her arms. “Stellar move, Einstein,” she muttered.
Curtis huffed. “He's the one who tried to kill me!"
She held her hands out to try to calm him. “Listen, all right, so this situation is weird, and insane, but we're stuck with it now, so let's start thinking like rational adults. We have no way to get him home because we don't know how he got here, correct?” He nodded dismally. “All right, then, what would my uncle do?"
Curtis met her eyes and heaved a sigh. “Well, he had him here, so he had to have known about him. And he had to have gotten him from somewhere. Mayb
e he had something written in his notes?"
Autumn nodded. “All right, that's a start. Do you know where my uncle kept his notes? His journals? Stuff like that?” She hadn't come across anything like that in her sorting yet.
He nodded. “Yeah, they're hidden in a secret compartment in his desk. I'll go rifle through them and see what I can find.” He turned wearily and headed down the hall.
"Curtis.” She jaunted after him and he turned to face her. She frowned in contemplation. “What should I do with him in the meantime? He said his head was cloudy."
Curtis rolled his eyes. “Well, sure, I would imagine. He's been basically in a coma for who knows how long.” He sighed again in a defeated kind of way. “Just give him some food ... and some clothes."
She nodded and started to head back down the hall.
"Autumn?"
She glanced back at him.
His shoulders moved in another, rather large, sigh of surrender. “And stay with him. Elementals thrive on companionship, and he ... seems to like you."
Autumn tried not to smile at the note of irritation in Curtis’ voice, but she couldn't help it. She nodded.
"If you need anything I'll be in here, slaving away.” He waved his hand airily.
She grinned. “Can I get you anything?"
He snorted. “An Irish coffee. Heavy on the Irish, if you know what I mean."
She giggled and turned back down the hall. She ran her hand through her messy hair as she headed toward the kitchen and tried to wrap her mind around everything that had just happened. Thunder clapped outside in a deafening cacophony, and she jumped a little, her nerves just about shot. Maybe she would have an Irish coffee too. Heavy on the Irish.
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Chapter Three
When Autumn finally made her way back into her bedroom, several things were in order. She was much calmer, considering she'd had time to think while she'd sifted through her uncle's clothing in search of something suitable for Gabriel to wear and while she'd made him some of the teriyaki chicken and rice that was left over from the night before. She'd also taken a brief moment for herself in the bathroom, brushing her teeth and combing out her hair so she looked slightly more presentable. It was bad enough that she was wearing a pair of beat-up, faded pajamas with sheep all over them. She didn't need to make her sexiness score go down even further with her bed head and dragon breath.
She padded softly up the staircase and pushed her door open. Gabriel was sitting in front of the fire, cross-legged, staring into the flames. He glanced up at her and smiled broadly.
His grin was contagious, and she winked at him playfully. “I brought you clothes and food,” she declared. “You can decide which you want first.” She set both the pile of clothing and the plate down in front of him on the floor.
He picked up the clothing and stood. “I believe I will dress first,” he said. “I feel ridiculous in this thing."
You shouldn't, she thought to herself, but she was grateful she had managed to censor that before it came flying out of her mouth. She cleared her throat, embarrassed by her own bold attraction. “Yeah, what's with the loin cloth anyway? Do all your people dress like that?"
An impish smile crossed his features, and he shook his head. “No, I was robbed, actually. While I slept, if you can imagine."
She arched an eyebrow. “Are you serious?"
He nodded. “That is one of my last memories.” He looked up at her and met her gaze with mischief reflected in his eyes. “I was lucky, and so were you. I usually sleep naked."
Her cheeks burned and she was thankful for the dark of the room.
"I'd been hunting that night and was exhausted. I don't wear much when I hunt because my body serves as good camouflage when I choose earth as my element. I wore only this while hunting and just left it on when I slept. When I awoke the next morning, vagabonds had taken all of my things. Shortly after that was when I fell into my deep sleep."
She rolled her eyes and folded her arms. “Geez, that sucks.” She chewed on her bottom lip in contemplation, then took a step forward. “Hey, before you change. You said you could choose which element you represent in your appearance?"
He nodded.
"Can you show me?” She was hopelessly curious, and she'd just keep wondering about it if she didn't ask.
He grinned and set the pile of clothing down on the chair. He came to stand before her and held his arms out to the sides. “Fire."
"Obviously."
He chuckled, and before her eyes, the glowing of his skin began to diminish to a whitish, frosty sheen. His hair turned from red hues to light blue, dark blue, and white, and his eyes turned a deep turquoise color. His wings, likewise, turned cobalt blue. “Water."
She stared at him in awe, for he was just as striking in a different way.
The colors began to change again until his skin was dark tan and his hair was brown, green, and green-yellow. His wings turned a mottled brown and green, and his eyes became an intense pine color. He looked primal and wild. “Earth."
She stared in fascination as he shifted once again. The browns melted away and everything turned white. His hair, his wings, his eyes. Even his skin became pale, almost translucent. “Air."
Her gaze roamed over him, and a small sigh escaped her lips. He really did look like an angel in this form, but the white eyes were highly unnerving. She nodded. “I think I like fire best too, but earth was kinda cool."
His soft laugh was rich and warm and, slowly, the familiar orange and red coloring returned. He looked through the pile of clothing before selecting an item and untying his loincloth in one, smooth, unabashed motion. Autumn's eyes bulged, and she spun back to the fire to give him privacy, even though he didn't seem to need any, and to give herself the chance to tame the wild flush that assaulted her face.
"Autumn?"
Her name on his lips, spoken in his sultry voice, made her shiver. She glanced back tentatively.
"I need some help with this."
At least he had his pants on now. A pair of her uncle's relaxed-fit jeans. She was glad Uncle Sal had been fit and decently in shape. Otherwise, there would have been absolutely nothing for Gabriel to wear, and he would have had to continue running around like a caveman. Autumn didn't think she would have been able to handle that, especially given his apparent lack of modesty.
He held up the gray, long-sleeved shirt she had chosen and gave her a questioning glance.
"It's a shirt,” she stated.
His expression turned bland. “I know what it is, but how do you suggest I put it on?” He gestured to his wings.
She shook her head. “Oh! I hadn't even considered that.” She frowned in thought for a moment. “What does your clothing back home look like?"
"They usually lace up in the back, with two openings for my wings."
She blew out a breath. “Well, that isn't going to work. I'm far from a seamstress. Here, let's try this.” She went to her nightstand and grabbed a pair of scissors that was in the drawer. “All right, pull it over your head. I'll see if I can slash you some wing openings."
He looked skeptical but did it anyway. The material bunched up above his wings, which made it impossible for him to pull it down. He tugged it over his head, but the rest of the fabric gathered around his chest, right underneath his armpits, which caused him to not be able to lower his arms all the way. He narrowed his eyes at Autumn, and his lips drew into an unamused line.
Autumn burst out laughing, unable to help herself. He looked completely pitiful. She shook her head and started forward with the scissors. “All right, just hold on a second,” she giggled.
"I'm glad you find this situation so hilarious,” he grumbled as she tried to find the best place in the material to cut a hole. “You know, I was a warrior when I was back home. I was fearsome and powerful. I learned different styles of combat from the different peoples I encountered in my travels. I could conquer both beast and man. Now I find myself bested by
a scrap of material and a woman with a mean fist."
Autumn laughed again as she carefully tore open a hole for his right wing. “Well, if it's any consolation, you almost murdered Curtis. And I'm pretty sure he had to go change his pants after he left, so that's something."
His rich chuckle rumbled through him once again and reminded her of the thunder outside. “I am sorry about your friend. I was very disoriented. All I knew was that you had helped me, were kind to me, and I did not want you hurt. You sounded upset. I only desired to protect you."
Her stomach flipped at his soft words, and she shook her head as she cut open a hole for the left wing. “It's all right. I know it must have been really confusing for you. Are you feeling better?"
"Yes, much. I remember myself again. My past, where I have been, what I know. And my ability to think and speak clearly came back to me, which makes things much easier."
She smiled softly and set the scissors down on the end of the bed. “Okay, let's see if this works. Hold still.” She stretched the material down to try to position the holes over where his wings were, but she came to realize why his clothing had laced up the back. His wings were large and fanned out to the sides. How was she supposed to pull them through? The shirt would only stretch so far. Biting her bottom lip, she attempted to pull one side out to capture the right wing. The material protested, so she tried to maneuver the wing in a way that would help her get it through.
"Ow!” He recoiled. “That is attached, you know."
She grimaced and rubbed her hand across his shoulder in consolation. “I'm sorry. This is ... difficult.” She grasped the material once again and yanked with gusto, which caused him to lose his balance and stumble. The material ripped free from her hand, and she fell on her butt, stunned.
Gabriel turned to look at her with an expression that said very clearly, Gimme a break! The right side of the shirt had been torn all the way down, and it hung in two limp shards of cloth. The other side was still bunched up underneath his arm. Autumn started to laugh heartily, and she shook her head. “All right, this isn't going to work."
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