Spring Rain (The Witchling #4)(27)

“Her fiancé is in town anyway,” Beck added.

“Her what?” Noah looked at him sharply, not expecting the jolt those words gave him.

Summer and Beck exchanged a knowing look.

“Stop messing with him,” Decker said, a faint smile on his features. “The man said he’s not interested.”

Noah resisted the urge to speak out. Biji really was better off without him, and she had admitted to him that her parents wanted her to marry someone they chose. Besides, he had to get to his sister before the Master of Dark did and try one more time to convince Dawn to stop this madness, however fruitless the effort might prove to be. He had cleaned up her messes more than once since she became possessed, but he wasn’t yet ready to write off his sister or the niece she carried.

If he survived another confrontation with her, if Biji didn’t want to marry her fiancé and could tolerate being with a Dark witchling …

Don’t be stupid. There was no way of them working out. Noah pushed the thoughts out of his mind, even more agitated than he had been before. His only satisfaction: watching Beck frown as his gaze followed Morgan and some guy down the hall.

“Chill, Beck.” Decker leaned forward to punch his brother’s arm.

“Like you don’t get jealous?” Summer asked, gazing up at him sweetly.

“Good girl,” Beck said to her with a quick grin. “Now, Noah, let’s talk about you accompanying Morgan.” He turned his attention to Noah. “You understand Dawn wants her dead and you might be the only one who can stop that from happening.”

Noah hesitated. There was a small part of him that didn’t comprehend how much Dawn had changed in the past six months or so. He had seen her do horrible things – and still didn’t want it to be true. “Yes, I do,” he answered, troubled.

“We’ll be checking in with you every day.”

“Understood. I’ll let you know if I need help.” Noah rubbed his face, wired and anxious. “Do you think she can be salvaged?” This he addressed to Decker.

“Don’t ask him,” Beck replied. “Decker has wanted her dead for months. I’m the reason she’s alive.”

“Because of her baby,” Noah said stiffly.

“Because I want to believe she’s fallen under some great evil that might leave her alone one day,” Beck replied. “Our history and my flaws aside, Noah, as the Master of Light, I want to help and save people.”

It was hard for Noah to remember the two boys his age before him were charged with immense responsibility in managing the Light and Dark forces of the world, along with their own lives.

“Then do you think she can be saved?” he asked Beck quietly.

“I don’t know.” Genuine worry creased the skin beneath Beck’s eyes. “I want to think anyone can be, but the problem is that we don’t know how to deal with Bartholomew’s hold on her or the soul stone Morgan carries. If Dawn gets her hands on it …”

“Darkness,” Decker said, his face haunted.

They were quiet, the weight of the threat heavy in each one’s minds.

Noah grappled with the panic building inside him at the realization he might not be able to save his sister. He had narrowed down her location to a four-block radius. He needed to find her fast and try to reason with her one last time. Itching to leave and track her down, he began to pace.

Morgan returned alone and sat heavily on the bench.

“You ready?” he prodded.

“Hungry.”

“If your coworker found you, a witchling can, too. We need to go.”

“I want to take a look at the soul stone first.” Decker left Summer’s side. His shadows sprang to life, and Noah inched away from them as they crept towards him, the only other source of Dark in the vicinity. Decker motioned for Morgan to follow him into the hospital room.

“Stubborn men,” Summer said, eyes on him. “Call Biji, Noah.”

“And say what? That I’m still Dark, still not coming back to Idaho, and still broke?” he retorted.

“I was thinking you could just tell her you’re okay and you hope she is, too,” Summer replied with a shrug. “What do you think, Beck?”

“Leave me out of this,” the Master of Light raised his hands. “I am the last person to give advice about women.”

“Definitely,” Noah muttered. Still, when he thought of Biji, he got butterflies of excitement. The air witchling had been a bright spot in an otherwise dark time of his life. His family’s circumstances, Dawn’s path to Darkness … Biji made him feel like there was something good in a world that seemed so bleak. “I’ll call her, Summer.”

Summer grinned.

Beck was eyeing him as if he suspected Noah knew where Dawn was. Noah glared back, not about to give an inch to the person who helped push Dawn over the edge and whose brother wanted her dead. He wasn’t certain whether or not to believe Beck could separate his emotions from his duty as a Master with regards to Dawn. He wanted to believe it possible that Dawn might be saved.

Even if he himself didn’t think so.

Decker and Morgan emerged from the room. Morgan was pale, her lips pursed. Noah sensed her weakness; her magick was calmer than usual, and she looked beat.

“I need to head home,” Decker said. “I gave her my credit card, so you guys should be covered.”