War of Elements

One

"C'mon Autumn. Go to sleep." I murmured, tucking some hair behind her ear. "I'll be right here if you need anything."

"Can't I just see Uncle Avi? Please? I promise I'll be real good, momma. I'll clean my room and I'll eat all my vegetables on my plate. Can I see Uncle Avi if I do that, momma? Can I, please?" Autumn's voice was sleepy and rough, and I knew she wanted to sleep but wasn't letting herself.

It broke my heart to hear her bargain like that. She was tough. She adapted quickly to new situations, more than ever now. But she still didn't understand what Heat wanted with us and I didn't have the heart to explain that we wouldn't see them until the fighting was over, and that was assuming we won. She was a little girl. She shouldn't've seen half the things that she already had.

"Soon, baby, okay? I'll try to work something out. Will you sleep now Autumn. C'mon, baby, please? Please get some rest."

She nodded and rolled onto her back, closing her eyes and relaxing. I watched her for a while until the door being creaked open drew my attention. I figured it was just Mitch coming to say goodnight, and I was right. "She asleep?" He whispered through the darkness.

"Yeah. Hey, Mitch? I was thinking... maybe we should tell the others about... y'know, the war. Zima said we would have to recruit mortals and I know that we can trust our friends to keep our identities secret, whether they choose to be converted or not.

"I don't know, Kirst. It seems kind've risky. Are you sure Zima wouldn't have them killed if we told them about us and they didn't switch over?"

"I'd have to talk to her to be one hundred percent, but I know that we're too valuable for her to lose, and she knows that we'd desert if she touched any of our friends. You trust Scott and Kevin and Avi to keep our lives secret, don't you?"

"Of course I do, Kirst," he said, sounding exhausted. I knew he was probably tired, and I knew I shouldn't've brought it up when I did, but I wanted to ask him before I lost the nerve. "It's just that I'm still not sure about Zima."

"I told you her reasoning for siding with Heat, Mitch. And had I not had Autumn, I wouldn't trust her. I wouldn't understand like I do. But when you love someone like I love Autumn, or like Zima loved Heat, or her son, you can be blinded to imperfections. She's changed, Mitch, and I trust her completely. I wouldn't bring it up except... well, Autumn misses them so much and she's at a stage now where if we let her see them she'll say something about us or about what she's been through and I'd rather they not find out about our magical powers through our six year old daughter."

Mitch sighed heavily, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand. "Listen," he mumbled, "let me sleep on it and we can talk in the morning, alright?"

"Okay..." I murmured. He kissed the top of my head and then kissed Autumn's forehead. "Goodnight."

"'Night," he whispered, and he eased the door shut and I was alone with my thoughts.