Spring Rain (The Witchling #4)(74)

Morgan glanced at her then back. The area around them suddenly fell quiet. No Dark witchling remained, aside from Dawn.

“Morgan!” Beck knelt beside her, breathing hard and radiating Light. “Everyone is here. We need to act now.”

“What’re you talking about?” Decker asked as he joined them.

“Binding spell. We have to have all the elements and us to bind the baby. Noah! We need a pentagram to focus the magick. Can you make one out of ice?”

Noah nodded. Seconds later, rivulets of water ran around them.

Morgan stood and stepped back, along with the others. Biji levitated Dawn into the air so the pentagram could form beneath her and lowered her after it had hardened. Each of them took up a position on a point, surrounding Dawn with all five elements while Summer crouched in the center, hands on the semi-lucid woman to stabilize her.

“Hurry!” Summer said urgently.

Beck reached for Morgan’s hand on one side and Noah on the other. The moment Morgan touched their hands, electricity flew through her, a combination of cool water and warm earth magick. Biji was on the other side of Noah between him and Decker while the two Masters held hands.

“You all know what you’re doing? Binding spell?” Decker asked quietly.

Everyone nodded, except for Morgan, who was starting to freak out about her magick.

“Fireball, can you control your magick enough to focus?” Decker asked when she didn’t agree.

“I can.” Beck smiled at her. “Team?”

Please don’t let me hurt anyone, she thought.

“Trust me, Morgan.”

Morgan nodded and wetted her lips. Having never tried to work with anyone else and her magick, she feared burning them all to a crisp in the process.

“Hurry,” Summer urged.

“Everyone focus,” Beck said and closed his eyes.

Morgan followed his lead. The sensations tearing through her didn’t hurt – but they were scary. Hot Light and cold Dark mixed with Noah’s water, Biji’s air, Beck’s earth and Decker’s spirit. She timidly unleashed her fire to join the other elements, aware of her magick joining the ring. It raced hot and bright, darting around the other elements as the five of them coalesced and joined. She tried to focus on Dawn, but felt the fire slip from her control, only to be caught and balanced by the other elements that weren’t about to let it escape.

She relaxed when she realized no one was getting hurt and her fire wasn’t derailing the efforts of the others. As she did so, she began to see the image of Dawn in her mind, surrounded by the colors of the elements moving like smoke around her stomach while Light and Dark came between the Dark soul that was Bartholomew’s and Dawn’s. Everything worked in harmony to build a shield around Dawn’s baby so Bartholomew couldn’t get to her while Summer’s gentle earth magick stabilized Dawn’s body.

Morgan watched in amazement as the shield closed around the child.

“Okay. Stone,” Beck said. “I’m not entirely certain how this works, but Morgan, move quickly. The earth is telling me Dawn needs more help than we can give her. I’m going to heal Dawn. You focus on chasing down Bartholomew.”

Her heart leapt. Morgan opened her eyes, and the vision of Dawn stayed in her head.

Summer replaced her at the point of the pentagram, and Morgan went to Dawn’s side. She pulled the soul stone from her pocket, not at all certain what to do with it. Magick swam around her, easing her distress as she realized Beck was right. Dawn was too pale, the pool of blood around her too large.

She shifted closer.

“Burn him out, Morgan,” Decker ordered.

“I can guide you,” Beck added.

Suddenly, Dawn snatched Morgan’s wrist and yanked her close. “Give it to me!”

Morgan caught herself on the ground. Coldness like that originating from the stone swept through her. Dawn’s eyes were inky black, her super human strength fueled by a former Master of Dark. She grabbed it with her other hand, but Dawn didn’t let go.

The black flashed away from Dawn’s eyes, returning them to normal. A surge of air magick originating from Dawn fed Morgan’s fire. “Save her,” came the stricken whisper.

Morgan gasped. Dawn was still there. “I’ll try.”

“Burn … me.” Dawn’s magick flowed into Morgan. She sagged, her eyes closing.

Morgan began to burn. Her heat was absorbed by the cold of the stone and the Dark soul, and she struggled to burn brighter when they were sucking everything out of her.

“Beck,” she called uncertainly.

“Try now.”

His calming influence had all but left her. Morgan’s fire erupted into a flame four meters tall and engulfed everyone around them. She frantically pulled her magick back.

“It’s okay, Morgan,” Decker called.

“You can do this. We’re fine,” Beck added.

Bolstered by their support, she relaxed the guards on her magick and let the fire blaze. Dawn’s air magick continued to feed her. The Dark witchling had fallen unconscious, but Bartholomew remained strong. Dawn’s Dark magick was faint and threadlike compared to the thick, cold fog of Bartholomew. Morgan focused on him rather than Dawn’s magick.

Uncertain what exactly to do aside from burn, Morgan focused on chasing down the tendrils of Dark in Dawn’s body, mentally watching her white flames rip through the woman to get to Bartholomew.