Spring Rain (The Witchling #4)(73)

Morgan stopped, and Summer careened into her. The ground began to rumble while the air grew thick with magick as the Dark witchlings also drew on their elements for the battle to come.

“Biji …” Summer trailed off and pointed towards the cave.

Biji was waving frantically towards them.

“Come on!” Summer started forward, skirting the edge of the mess before them and headed straight to the cave.

Morgan’s skin crawled with magick, agitating her fire. Beck was about to do something only a Master could do, and she innately understood she was standing too close for whatever was about to happen. Backpedaling several steps, she bolted after Summer. Summer paused before the cave and stepped in, and Morgan followed.

Silence and stillness greeted her, along with what felt like a punch to the gut. The Dark sensed the stone and smashed into her, cold tendrils swarming all over her to find the stone. Morgan landed on the ground of the cave hard.

“No!” Decker barked.

The Dark retreated sluggishly, as agitated as the fire magick that had engulfed her. Summer and Biji were clinging to one another, and the power of Decker was thick in the air. Morgan prayed he wasn’t about to let Summer calm him when he needed his magick to keep the Dark from attacking her.

“You okay?” Decker held out a hand to her.

Morgan nodded. Her back hurt a little but nothing worth complaining about at a time like this. He stared a little too long, and she moved away. He was as affected by the stone as the Dark was.

“I hear you turned Noah Light.” Decker blinked and stepped farther away, lingering near Summer without touching her. “Tell me how you did it.”

“Now?” Morgan looked outside the cave, where Beck was about to have a showdown alone.

“Yes. And fast.”

Morgan wrung her hands. “I just burned him. Hot as I could.”

“Beck says you created Light. How?”

“I don’t really know. My flames turn white when they’re super hot, and the Light forms and flies away.”

“To where?”

“Um, the school once and Beck once.”

“So to whichever is the closest?”

“Yeah, I think so. Why?” She glanced at him. “You want me to burn you?”

“No. There’s Dark magick belonging to Bartholomew mixed with the air magick keeping us in the cave. If you can burn his influence out, Biji can lift the air magick.”

“Biji.” Morgan gazed her. “Air magick. Summer is earth-air. Noah water. Decker, you’re fire and …”

“Water, spirit.”

“Don’t you guys see? Everyone’s here! We can face Bartholomew!” The thought electrified her.

“Hold that thought. We need to get out of here first,” Decker told her. “Burn as hot as you can. Biji, give her air so we don’t suffocate.”

The air witchling approached and rested a hand on Morgan’s arm. At once, her defensive flames began to expand, fueled by the direct supply of air magick. Decker and Summer stood back while Morgan placed her hands on the barrier.

She released her hold on the anxious magick and fed it, drawing off Biji’s element as well. The flames billowed and gathered at the barrier like the Dark shadows had, slowly shifting colors as they became hotter. Blue turned to purple, black, rainbow and finally, white so blinding, she squeezed her eyes closed.

Sizzling filled the air. Whitefire raced along the barrier, eating away at the Dark threads integrated into the magick. The barrier expanded and burst. Cold air and rain brushed by her, and Morgan lowered her hands. The Light she had created arched between her and Beck and slammed into him, knocking him back a step.

Glancing towards her, he flashed a smile and began to glow brighter.

“Ow,” Biji mumbled and shook her arms out.

“You all stay here,” said Decker.

Morgan shook from effort and turned when Decker spoke. He was holding Summer tightly while the shadows from the cave were absorbed into his body. He released her with a quick kiss and strode out to join his brother.

“Wait here my ass,” Biji said. She started to step out of the cave when the tense situation before them exploded.

Lightning and shadows began taking out the Dark witchlings present. Dark air magick whipped up a tornado while Dark water attempted to freeze the water in the air around the Masters. The twins worked as a team, Beck driving back the witchlings and crippling them with pure Light while Decker unleashed black fog that chased down and consumed the Dark witchlings.

“My god,” Morgan breathed, horrified by the power of the brothers.

“Yeah. It’s crazy,” Summer agreed. “At least they aren’t fighting each other this time. That was insane.”

“Guys, I think we need to help Dawn,” Biji said. “There’s a lot of blood.”

All three looked towards the semi-conscious woman. Morgan watched until a direct path to Dawn formed amidst the lighting, shadows, ice, and tornadoes. She bolted for the blonde woman lying on the ground. Morgan dropped to her knees beside her. There was blood on her legs and pooled beneath her. Dawn was pale and sickly, her breathing ragged.

“Dawn?” she called hesitantly. Her eyes went to the baby bump. Without Beck, she couldn’t protect the baby with her fire without hurting them both.

“What’s wrong?” Summer asked and sat. She placed her hands on Dawn’s belly without hesitation. “Baby’s okay for now but, Dawn isn’t. I have to stop the bleeding.”