Spring Rain (The Witchling #4)(20)

“My life is not yours to toy with.”

“One word: Autumn.”

“You know why that had to be,” Beck snapped. “You don’t get to take Morgan away from me!”

“Omigod. Way too much … testosterone in here,” Morgan complained faintly as she pushed herself up. “And for the record, I’m eighteen and I choose where my life takes me. Decker just paid the bills and was a pain in the ass about everything.”

“Good girl,” Summer agreed.

Beck met the gaze of the girl meant to be his counterbalance, unable to identify if he was elated to see her or terrified or too shocked and angry to believe this wasn’t a dream. He reached out towards her instinctively.

“No!” she snapped and recoiled. “I swallowed the soul stone!”

“We figured that out,” Decker replied drily.

Beck continued to look at her, unable to summon anything to say directly to her. He’d thought her dead for three months and now … she wasn’t. His feelings and thoughts were reeling, and he couldn’t shake his disbelief.

“How are you feeling?” Summer asked and stepped beside Morgan.

“Good. Chilly.” Morgan sat. “What’re you doing here?” She eyed Decker.

“The hospital called me,” he replied.

“And me,” Beck added. “I guess we were in your phone.”

She flushed as red as her hair, and he recalled with some tenderness that she’d listed him as home. Was she thinking of that now? “You can’t be here, Beck,” she mumbled.

“For the record, I, too, am eighteen and choose where my life takes me,” he replied. It took effort to subdue the overpowering urge to touch her. Her fire magick was pinging around, agitated by his nearness and her spiking emotions. His earth magick had always loved the liveliness she brought it. It yearned to reach out to her and calm her as much as his heart did.

“Whatever, but I can’t be here. Dawn found me.” The fiery, stubborn side of her was betrayed by the shake of her hands as she pushed off the thin sheet covering her. “I have to go. Passing through.”

“Like hell,” Beck said with more heat than he intended. “There are people who care about you, Morgan. You can’t run away from me or your brother!”

“Beck, I think she means …” Summer cleared her throat and pointed to the bathroom in the corner.

Beck’s mouth snapped shut.

“Too much testosterone,” Morgan repeated. “Summer, will you kick them out for me?”

Summer smiled and lifted an eyebrow at Decker in a silent order, her subtle power nonetheless strong. He rolled his eyes and went to the door. She turned her attention to Beck.

“No,” he balked and crossed his arms. “That won’t work on me.”

“You can talk to Decker about what’s going on,” she suggested sweetly.

Dammit. Beck didn’t want to relent, but he did, grappling with his emotions and the fury building in his chest at the thought of his brother keeping secrets.

“Peacefully,” Summer added.

Beck went to the door and exited, joining Decker in the hallway. The two squared off as they sometimes did, the tension and magick surrounding them palpable enough to passing humans for them to turn the other way rather than cross paths with the powerful twins.

“I’m not sorry,” Decker started defiantly.

“I get that. But you’re … you’re a dick sometimes, Decker.” Beck sighed, resisting the urge to wring his brother’s neck. He reigned in the feelings that felt like they were almost to the point of bursting. After struggling for several long moments, he managed to speak through clenched teeth. “Start from the beginning.”





Chapter Seven





Morgan was torn up. Her insides were icy one moment, fiery the next from the combination of the soul stone and foreign magick, and she was shaky. She didn’t recall what happened after sinking into the water and assumed she’d been rescued at some point, maybe by Noah, and taken to the hospital.

Summer supported her as she wobbled with her first step. Gentle, warm earth magick soothed her physically, but did nothing for her flying thoughts. It reminded her too much of Beck’s magick and how incredible it always was for it to flow through her. He was the only person she knew who could soothe the agitated fire magick and help her feel grounded, balanced.

She had hoped, if she ever crossed paths with Beck again, she would remain completely unaffected, and everything that might’ve been between them stayed in the past.

The moment she opened her eyes and saw his strong profile, athletic frame and concerned teal eyes, her fire magick had surged and begun to sing, begging to flow to him instead of salvaging her life by fending off the soul stone. Redirecting it required energy, but it was focused once more now that he was out of sight.

She hadn’t known what to say to him and still didn’t. Her heart was tumbling in her breast while adrenaline stemming from more than magick flew through her. Fire fueled her emotions, sending them tumbling in every direction. She’d wanted to know he was safe and well since leaving him after the soul stone attacked him.

His presence here … it was a mistake. A huge one. She had left to protect him. He was in danger if he was anywhere near her, more so now that Dawn had found her.