Winter Fire (The Witchling #3)(24)

Morgan recognized the glow in her gaze. She’d spent the past four years in fear of it, hiding from the man who beat her when his mood turned sour. She hated that look and hated more that someone like Beck was on the receiving end of it.

The bigfoot was right. Beck didn’t just need help. He needed rescuing.

With her fire magick sizzling off the ends of her hair and clothing, Morgan drew closer to Dawn.

“I know what you are,” she said slowly. “You’re a coward with the ability to use magick to hurt those you can’t control.”

Fire flared around Morgan, edging her body in yellow and orange flames. Heat and warmth whipped through her. Dawn took a quick step back.

“You’re a bully who preys on the fear and pain of others,” Morgan continued. Her flames stretched towards Dawn, who inched away. “Stay away from Beck.”

“Beck is mine. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep him.” Dawn was both angry and uncertain, eyeing the flames that licked too closely to her.

“Not anymore,” Morgan said calmly.

There was a fury and crazy gleam in Dawn’s eyes.

Morgan felt Beck grip her shoulder, and the earth’s calming, gentle power swept through her. Her magick yielded to the Master of Light at once, the flames dying instantly. Morgan was expecting the cowardly bully to act and wasn’t surprised that Dawn waited until her magick was subdued to do so.

The blonde stepped forward one more time with a hand raised to slap her, and Morgan braced herself for the blow, unwilling to back down.

Beck snatched Dawn’s hand before it reached her.

“Stop,” Beck ordered in a hard voice. “Both of you.”

Dawn looked up at him in consternation then yanked her hand back.

“If you don’t want another Tanya on your hands, you’ll dump the guard dog,” Dawn hissed at him. She whirled and strode away into the crowd.

Morgan waited until she was gone then shifted away from Beck. He took her arm and pulled her to face him, gripping both of her arms. The tension of his body scared her. He wasn’t hurting her, but she didn’t want him touching her, not when he was so upset.

“Morgan-“ he started.

“Let me go!”

His hands dropped, and he paced away from her, rubbing the back of his head with one hand then gripping his head with both.

“You have no idea what you just did,” he managed at last.

“Incurred the wrath of a bully.”

“She’s not just a bully, Morgan.” Beck was beyond distressed. He stopped pacing at once, back to her.

She wanted to storm away and walk home, but his pain … it was driving her crazy. Her fire magick was stretching for him even while she silently ordered it to stop. As hurt as her own feelings were, she understood what it was to feel as he did now, without anyone there to help.

She wasn’t going to let him experience what she had every day for four years.

Morgan walked to the teen struggling to control his own emotions. She rested a hand on his arm and pushed more of her candy flames into him. His magick accepted hers readily, and the strange ache she felt to do something faded. His warmth settled her agitated fire, while her fire eased his pain with its comforting heat.

Beck was still, accepting her help. When he was calm enough, she lowered her hand. She was trying hard to focus on him and not her own emotions, but the fire burned wildly within her, outside her control. Its influence on her feelings was hard to counteract.

Right now, she wanted to cry.

“Can we go back now?” she asked.

“Yeah. Good idea.” Beck gave her a weak smile. He was normal again, not the angry, tense stranger. “Thank you, Morgan.”

She shrugged and turned away. Beck caught her arm again.

“No, really. Thank you,” he said, moving to face her.

She didn’t look at him. “Let’s go.” She pulled away and jammed her hands into her pockets, walking quickly towards the car.

Beck drew abreast of her, but said nothing. They reached the car a few minutes later, and he opened the door for her.

She sank into it, resting her head back for a moment.

She’s just a new girl at school. Besides, you know I only go for blondes.

She didn’t want to like him, so why did his declaration hurt badly enough that she fought back tears?

Beck got into the car and started it, weaving carefully through the crowded streets, until they reached the empty, two-lane road leading north, towards the Light campus.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“Fine.”

“Oh, god. That means the opposite in chic-speak,” he half-joked.

Morgan said nothing. She stared out the window at the dark forest whipping by. In the close confines of the car, earth magick was moving through her, calming her. It was all that kept her from crying.

“I’m sorry about all that,” he tried again. “But really, Morgan, you don’t want someone like Dawn in your life, hounding your every move, sending you angry text messages. She’s a nightmare.”

Morgan glanced at him, hearing the pain again.

“I’m obligated to deal with her,” he added. “I’m afraid you might be a target for her, after tonight.”

“I can take care of myself,” she assured him. “I’m not afraid of people like her.”