Winter Fire (The Witchling #3)(22)

There was no other reason she just happened to be there at the same time he was. He knew very well that she had someone at the Light campus feeding her information about what he did. He’d told a few guys at dinner he was coming here tonight, though he left out with whom.

Her movements traced by Darkness, Dawn spotted him and moved through the crowd to reach him. Her stomach was showing the signs of being in her second trimester, though she still wore the tight, designer clothing she was known for. Her hair was up in a bun, her chiseled features done up in makeup.

“You didn’t answer my text,” she started out, stopping in front of him.

“We have court orders requiring us not to contact one another,” he reminded her.

She ignored him. “If you had, I would’ve told you what the lawyers are bringing up tomorrow.”

“I’ll find out tomorrow.”

“What is wrong with you, Beck?” she demanded. “Don’t you care about any of this?”

He sighed. At one point, he had born through the verbal barrage he knew was her way of trying to manipulate him out of guilt. After everything she had done to those he loved, she had the nerve to accuse him of not caring?

“It’s not like we’re having a daughter together or something,” Dawn snapped. “You act like you care in front of the judge and then you totally ignore me.”

“Because that judge told me to,” he said with patience he didn’t feel. “You were there. You heard him.”

“You’re making more excuses for not doing what you should. As usual. I thought you’d learn a few things, but you were born to be irresponsible.”

Beck clamped his mouth shut. He drew a deep breath. She was right about him being irresponsible. It was how he ended up here.

“Anyway, daddy’s attorneys are seeking full custody.”

“I’ll let the lawyers figure that out,” he said. “But we both know that won’t happen.”

“The courts up here almost always rule in the mother’s favor.”

“Almost,” Beck pointed out. He stopped himself from saying more, suspecting she wanted him to slip up so she could run to her lawyers and say he was being a dick.

But god it was hard! As long as she kept her anger focused on him and didn’t threaten any more Light witchlings, he was able to bear the brunt of her craziness. In fact, he made himself that deal recently. He was sacrificing himself for the Light witchlings.

She was an air element, and her Dark magick flared in the air around her. She wasn’t able to do anything to him, even intimidate him. The Master of Light was beyond the reach for Dark witchlings to hurt. Even if they could, they wouldn’t try. Decker’s rampage of killing Dark and Light witchlings left the witchling society as a whole far more respectful of the Laws of Magick.

Dawn was at the top of Decker’s list. Beck suspected his twin had told her as much with his normal candidness.

“I didn’t see you at Tanya’s funeral,” she said.

Beck blinked, not expecting her to mention the girl she helped kill. Dawn’s mood changed so fast, he wasn’t sure how to react.

“I really am sorry for what happened,” Dawn said, sadness on her pretty face. “I didn’t know Alexa was going to kill her.”

He said nothing, tense. He had seen exactly how Dawn contributed to Tanya’s death through the magick of her memories -- that is, before he was forced to claim the soul of the dead girl. Accessing the memories of a dead Light witchling was another of his gifts as the Light Master, a fact Dawn didn’t know.

“You know I’ve always loved you, Beck,” she continued. “I got jealous. Yes, I wanted Tanya kidnapped, but it was meant just to scare her off. Like a joke. Nothing more.”

“I read what you said in the police reports,” he managed.

“Then you know I’d never hurt anyone.”

“Unless you wanted to hurt me through them. You said as much a few weeks ago.”

“I was upset. I mean, it isn’t fair that you get to go off and sleep around while I’m stuck with a kid.”

“You can’t hurt others, Dawn,” he said, his protective instinct kicking in, despite his own angst at confronting her. “Your issue is with me, not with innocent people like Tanya.”

Surprise crossed her features at his calm, firm tone. He’d had this discussion with his twin at one point, too, when Decker started killing Light witchlings. Beck’s personal life – and his duty to the Light and the witchlings – were two different matters.

“Oh now you try to do the right thing,” she said, recovering. “Where was that trait when I first told you about the baby? You know it’s your fault you’re dragging her into this court mess. All you had to do was give us a second chance.”

Never. He vowed silently. “You chose to go Dark,” he reminded her. “A Light master can’t be with a Dark girl.”

“Then you’ll be with no one, Beck.” Dawn’s blue eyes flared, and red crept up her face. “If you won’t even put your daughter first, you shouldn’t be with any woman. You’ll never understand how to treat someone right. Maybe I did Tanya a favor by taking her away from you.”

“You will. Not. Hurt. Witchlings.” His normal depths of control were slipping with the idea that Dawn had killed his girlfriend out of spite and thought herself in the right. It went against everything he believed in, as both a human being and the Master of Light.