Spring Rain (The Witchling #4)(72)

“How strong is Bartholomew?”

“I don’t think he’s at full power until he’s in his human form. But he knows things we don’t about the Dark and Light and how to use the magick.”

“All five elements, you and Decker, and the equinox. We can bind the stone and your baby. I can’t figure out how to get him out. Is it a spell, like the ones Amber taught us in school? Where we took part of our element and put it in a ball?”

“The one day you paid attention in class?” he teased.

Morgan rolled her eyes. Before she faked her death, she’d managed to turn in all of two homework assignments over the course of two months, both of which were meant to teach her how to control and contain her fire in small glass balls. Amber had gone easy on her, giving her credit for doing it, even though she clearly demonstrated no control over the element and couldn’t make her fire take on the shapes dictated by the homework.

The fact it stayed in the ball took enough of her energy to accomplish. “What if we can do that with Bartholomew?”

“It might work,” Beck went on. “Actually, I think if we can incapacitate Dawn, it might be easier to push Bartholomew out then use binding spells on the soul stone. The problem initially will be disarming Dawn without hurting her so we can focus on containing Bartholomew.”

They reached the entrance to the ravine, and he froze so quickly that she ran into him.

“What? What’s wrong?” she asked anxiously.

“All right. Game’s up,” he said loudly. “Summer, you’re not wandering in there alone.”

Morgan whirled. She hadn’t sensed the air-earth witchling counterbalance to Decker, but Summer was only five meters behind them on the trail. The dark-haired girl offered a small smile.

“Can I convince you to go back?” Beck asked and faced her.

“No,” came the firm response.

He rubbed the back of his neck. “Look, both of you. I have no idea what we’re about to walk into.”

“Together!” Morgan shot back before he could tell them not to follow.

“I know,” he said with an amused smile. “I’m not going to ditch you. I’m going to say to be careful and at the first sign of trouble, you need to book it out of here.”

“I think I speak for both of us when I say no,” Summer replied and crossed her arms. “I want Decker back and I heard you say you need all five elements to cage Bartholomew. I can help.”

“Decker’s going to kill me,” Beck said. “But come on. I’d rather have you with me than caught by Dawn’s witchlings. And if something bad happens, Summer …”

“I know,” she said quietly. “I can do it.”

“Do what?” Morgan asked.

“Pull him back from the Dark.”

Morgan shivered at the calm words. After her limited experience with a piece of the Dark in her pocket, she didn’t want to know what that entailed or how much effort it took to accomplish. The small girl before her was tougher than she looked if she could manage such a feat.

“No heroics from any fireballs.” Beck said in an even tone. “Let’s go.”

For the first time in her life, Morgan didn’t feel like rushing in alone to save the world. If anything, she was excited to be working with him to save the Light and protect people.

They began walking. Summer moved closer, crowding Morgan on one side enough for her to feel the earth magick ripple through her. She sensed fire magick as well from some point ahead of them. Beck’s features grew hard, his gaze wary, as the Master of Light prepared himself for what was coming.

“I got your text,” Summer told her. “We can talk about what I went through after this. It’s kind of a long story.”

Morgan nodded, more interested in what was about to happen.

A strangled cry reached them. Morgan’s breath caught. She didn’t want to envision anything happening to Biji or anyone else innocent caught in the crossfire.

Beck released her hand and started towards the sound, alternately sliding and leaping over boulders and ice. Morgan followed as fast as she could, and she and Summer gripped each other’s hands to steady themselves. Beck disappeared around a bend while the two of them struggled with the ice. Neither had worn snow boots.

You’re not ditching me that easily! Morgan vowed. Tired of the ice, she pulled forth her magick and blasted fire ahead of them along the path to melt the ice.

“I can help,” Summer said. Moments later, dirt rose up from the earth to fill the puddles and cover what remained of the ice.

They reached the point where Beck had disappeared, and Morgan stopped, panting, to observe the scene before them. A dozen Dark witchlings, Biji and Decker in a cave, Dawn lying on the ground in pain, and Noah being held back by the Dark witchlings. Beck faced off with six witchlings, lightning flaring in his hands. But nearly everyone was focused on the moaning woman at the center of everything.

“Baby,” Summer breathed. “She’s having it now.”

“No, no, no!” Morgan darted forward, too aware of Sam and Beck’s warnings about what happened if Bartholomew wasn’t contained before the baby was born. “Beck! We have to do something now!”

“Morgan, stay back a minute,” Beck called over his shoulder. Lightning flared in the air around him.