Winter Fire (The Witchling #3)(23)

“I meant the kidnapping part,” Dawn added. “Alexa hurt her.”

“Both are offenses to the Light.”

“Did you ever love me?”

Beck wanted to scream. He turned away from her and leaned against the railing, closing his eyes to gather his patience.

“Even if you didn’t or don’t, can you love your own daughter?”

“Yes,” he said without hesitation. “I will do whatever it takes to protect her and give her a good life.”

“Hmmm. But not the woman who’s carrying her,” Dawn observed. “You’re some piece of work, Beck. Maybe they should call you the Selective Protector of Light.”

God, Light, Great Spirit, whoever is out there, give me strength. Beck gripped the railing harder.

“Stop. Now.” The third voice made him jerk.

No, Morgan! He cried silently.





Chapter Seven


Morgan stopped mid-sentence and cocked her head to the side, sensing something she didn’t like. At all.

Pain. It wasn’t hers, but it was strong. Strangely so. It stirred her fire magick in a way that left her agitated.

“You okay?” Summer asked with a curious look.

“Yeah.” Morgan glanced over her shoulder thoughtfully, towards where they’d left Beck.

“No, Morgan,” Decker spoke just as her eyes settled on the tall blonde standing with Beck near a dock.

Morgan looked at the eighteen-year-old Master of Dark, who was tense, despite having one arm around Summer. He reminded her of Connor, except he was surrounded by shadows that made her want to edge away. The couple looked so comfortable, so natural together. She felt a pang of yearning; would she ever be able to trust someone as much as they seemed to trust one another?

“I have to go,” she said. “It was nice to meet you.” She turned and started back towards Beck.

“Morgan, be careful,” Summer called, worry in her voice.

Morgan was too distracted to respond. She couldn’t remember ever feeling someone else’s pain so strongly. And his? She’d been thinking of ways to tell him she couldn’t go on another date with him, while also keeping an eye on him to help Connor with his trial and fulfill her promise to the bigfoot.

She didn’t know how to do both. Right now, she wasn’t able to think more about it, not with her fire’s need to transform pain to something that left her in peace.

Beck’s appearance was calm while the Dark girl’s was angry. The look on his face was hard, his eyes intense, and not in a way Morgan ever wanted him to look at her. Morgan almost stopped, familiar fear fluttering through her.

She didn’t know him. Like, really know him. What if his niceness was a front?

His pain was real.

“Stop it, Morgan. Not everyone is a bad guy,” she lectured herself quietly, her step quickening once again. As she drew near, Beck turned away. His agitation was as clear as his attempt to control it.

Morgan didn’t think twice about interfering in their conversation. The Dark girl was the worst kind of person – a bully. Morgan’s fire magick stirred for a different reason when she was close enough to hear them talking. Fire wanted to take Dawn, to destroy the cold, Dark shadows around her.

Dawn was hurting Beck in a way Morgan recognized intimately. She almost let her magick loose, but stopped herself, aware of the Light Laws Amber had taught them and the warning the bigfoot gave her about obeying them.

“You’re some piece of work, Beck,” Dawn was saying. “Maybe they should call you the Selective Protector of Light.”

More pain. And anger.

“Stop. Now,” Morgan commanded.

Beck went rigid at her voice while Dawn glanced over her shoulder at Morgan. Uninterested, the blonde’s attention returned to Beck.

Morgan wasn’t about to be ignored, not with her fire burning through her blood. She circled the two and planted herself between Dawn, who looked quizzical, and Beck, who went suddenly pale.

“Leave him alone,” Morgan said in the firm tone her self-defense instructor had taught her.

Dawn appeared startled, then laughed. “You have a guard dog now, Beck?”

“He needs one with people like you around.”

That got the arrogant girl’s attention. The blonde glared at her, smile fading.

“Morgan,” Beck said, hushed. “You –“

“Wait a minute,” Dawn interjected. “You’re with this … girl?” Her gaze swept over Morgan.

Morgan crossed her arms. She didn’t care at all what the bitch before her thought of her; she knew how to weather through people like this.

“Oh, no,” Beck said quickly. “She’s just a new girl at school. Besides, you know I only go for blondes.”

His words stung. The blonde girl seemed to be trying to decide if Beck was telling the truth or not. Though it hurt, Morgan didn’t dwell on Beck’s hasty declaration.

“Yeah,” Dawn said. She looked hard at Morgan. “This is between us. Go for a walk or something.”

“Absolutely not,” Morgan replied. “He’s my ride, and we’re leaving now.”

“Stupid little bitch,” Dawn said with a cunning smile. “You have no idea who you’re messing with.”