Spring Rain (The Witchling #4)(75)

Her flames bounced off the shield around the baby sustained by the others and chased Bartholomew’s cloud of Darkness through Dawn. Her excitement grew – she had him cornered. How to get him into the stone, she wasn’t certain about, but –

If I can’t have her, I’ll take you. The distinct voice in her head jolted her.

Morgan hesitated, and Bartholomew leapt. Cold like that she had experienced when she swallowed the soul stone swept through her while the sense of not being alone in her own body made her start to panic.

Bartholomew was inside her, fighting her for control of the flames that could so easily destroy those trying to cage him, if he were able to wield them. Morgan released Dawn and opened her eyes.

The world was black.

“Beck!” Morgan cried, unable to see anyone or anything beyond the Dark Bartholomew thrust into her.

“Burn, Morgan!” His arms went around her, and her whole world suddenly went quiet, dark, calm.

I have you now, girl.





Chapter Twenty Four





“Shit!” Beck felt Morgan go limp in his arms and her fire start to subside as she fell unconscious. She was shockingly cold. He shoved as much earth and Light magick into her as possible. “Decker! She’s cold.”

His twin crouched and peered into Morgan’s face. “Bartholomew,” he said, his gaze haunted. “I’ve been here before. She has to fight him.”

Summer knelt beside them and took Morgan’s hand.

“She needs her fire,” Beck said, his heart dropping into his stomach as he realized he’d damned his counterbalance to becoming a vessel for Bartholomew. Morgan was clutching the soul stone hard, even in her crippled state, and he pulled her into his body. “Decker – fire.”

His twin nodded and reached for Morgan.

“No,” Summer said and caught his hand. “The Dark is a drug, Beck. Bartholomew can’t ever be in contact with Decker again.”

Beck hesitated, his urgency screaming at him to hurry, and thought fast. “Okay. Take her hand, Summer. Decker, feed the flames through Summer.”

Summer obeyed quickly, though Decker appeared less than certain about torching his counterbalance.

“I’ll be fine,” she told him with a smile. “Beck’s magick will protect me.”

Decker wrapped an arm around her.

Summer burst into flames – but didn’t burn. Beck felt her draw off her own earth magick as well as his and helped guide the flames into Morgan.

“Come on, Morgan. Fight him,” he whispered. Closing his eyes, he loosened his restraint on the Light and sent bolts of lightning into her as well.

Roaring filled his ears, the intense combination of ice cold and blazing hot ripping through him. He didn’t try to balance the two and instead, waited for Morgan to begin pulling on the combined magick of Light, Dark and fire to protect herself. His heart raced, and he refused to let himself think about what happened if he failed to bring her back or expel Bartholomew.

Gradually, she began to tug at the lightning and Decker’s flames, to pull them into her. Beck felt the shift, but it was faint, and the cold was gaining ground.

“Decker … spirit,” he said to his brother.

Unable to hear any response above the roar of magick, Beck trusted his twin to help him and waited for the connection between Morgan’s spirit and his to form.

Silence was followed by the sounds of someone crying.

“Morgan?” Beck said. Everything was dark, cold, quiet. “Are you here?”

“B… beck?”

“I’m here,” he said, relieved. “What is this place?”

“This is where Bartholomew sends you when he claims your body,” Decker’s whisper was faint, scared. “I spent so long here.”

“How do we get out?” Beck asked.

“You fight.”

Morgan’s crying had stopped. Unable to see her in the darkness of her mind, Beck ached to touch her, to hold her and tell her everything would be okay. “I can’t leave. How do I fight?” she asked.

“Magick. Burn the darkness away,” Decker replied.

“Summer, you here, too?” Beck called.

“Yeah,” was the soft response.

“How did you help Decker when Bartholomew had him?”

He felt a tingle of earth magick in response, the first magick he was able to identify in the confines of Morgan’s mind.

“Move towards me, Morgan,” Summer said. “I can block the Dark in Decker. I might be able to do the same for you. Can you feel it?”

“Yes.”

“Now fight.”

Silence fell, and Beck began to worry that Morgan wasn’t responding. A spark lit up one corner, and he was able to see they were trapped in a square room.

“Decker,” he whispered.

“Got it.”

Morgan tried again, and this time, two sparks flickered and joined into a sickly flame.

Earth magick surrounded the flame, protecting it. Summer’s air magick fed it, and the flame grew stronger and brighter.

“It’s working,” Morgan breathed.

“Burn, Morgan,” Beck whispered. “As hot as you can. I’ll focus you.”

The flame turned colors, struggling in the darkness, but growing hotter and hotter until finally, it blazed brilliant white.