Winter Fire (The Witchling #3)(61)

Morgan kissed Beck’s cheeks, sobbing. He was alive-barely. If he didn’t survive, it was her fault. She’d brought the rock here, not knowing what it would do to him.

As always, she ruined everything good in her life.

“Morgan?” Amber’s voice was muffled. She knocked on the door.

Morgan gasped. She reached for the stone, wanting to protect anyone else from touching it. Or finding out what she’d done.

The door opened.

“Morgan?” Amber looked around, gaze falling on Beck’s still form. “What happened?” she exclaimed.

“I…” Morgan stopped. She saw Amber’s surprise, concern – and something else. Suspicion. “I didn’t mean to.”

“What did you do, Morgan?” Amber whispered. She knelt beside Beck and checked his pulse.

“Is he okay?” Morgan stood to give her space.

“He’s breathing and his heart is beating. Morgan, please. You have to tell me what happened!”

“He’ll survive?”

“I don’t know what’s wrong, but …” Amber felt Beck’s forehead “He seems to be sleeping.”

Morgan backed towards the door. Amber had barely believed Beck that Morgan had nothing to do with the tree incident. She’d never believe that Morgan hadn’t meant to hurt Beck. They’d try to send her home for sure!

Without Beck to calm her magick, Morgan was close to combusting. Tears blurred her eyes as she took in his still form. His chest was moving, and he certainly seemed to be sleeping.

But more was wrong. She knew it. It had to do with the stone clutched in her hand. It did something bad to the only person who reached out to her and was genuinely interested in her.

“I need to call his family,” Amber said. “Morgan, I want you to stay here. We have to talk about all the stuff that’s going on.”

Morgan was at the stairwell before Amber finished. The idea that Amber wanted her confined in the room was the last straw. Morgan ran.

“Morgan!” Amber called.

She ignored her instructor and fled down the stairs and through the main floor.

“Morgan?” The girl’s voice was soft and familiar. “Wait, Morgan!”

She ignored her and ran out the front door. Morgan ran down the driveway, not caring where she went. She had to escape, to take the rock away before it hurt anyone else, to just leave everything and everyone behind her.

Even Beck.

She stumbled, tears blurring her eyes. Someone was calling her name, and Morgan ran faster. Fire trailed her and made her fevered. She darted off the driveway into the forest, needing to be alone. She hurt so bad right now. She’d barely saved the only other person she ever cared about, and even her fire hadn’t been able to rid his body of the cold she put there.

She was a curse to anyone who knew her.

Suddenly, she tripped and landed hard in the snow. The fall jarred her out of her desperation. Her magick melted the snow beneath her, around her, and she sank further into the white pile beneath her.

“Morgan!” the girl’s voice was breathless.

Morgan scrambled up, or tried to, but a tree branch swept her legs out from under her. She twisted, staring at it.

“I’m sorry about the tree,” Summer said, stopping nearby. She gasped for air. Biji slid to a halt behind her. “Morgan, you can’t leave campus. Beck said –”

The mention of his name caused pain so sharp, Morgan gasped.

“Leave me alone,” she said. She pushed herself to her feet. “I’m not going back.”

“Morgan, whatever happened –”

“You’re not supposed to be off-campus without Decker, either,” Biji reminded Summer.

Morgan began running again. Summer didn’t trip her, but the girls didn’t listen to her either. The snow cleared behind her, at the silent command of Summer’s earth magick, while Morgan struggled through the snow and brush. Her mind swam with emotion and thoughts; she soon forgot about the girls following as she focused on placing her feet and fleeing.

“Morgan!” The shout penetrated her thoughts. It was frantic this time, conveying enough emotion that she stopped.

She turned. Summer and Biji had halted a dozen feet behind her and were staring into the forest. Morgan twisted to see where they looked.

Alexa had even more back up this time. Wanting a fight, Morgan faced the Dark girl. There were six others behind her. She started forward.

“Morgan, we have to go back,” Summer urged her.

Morgan stopped, thoughts on the two Light girls. She wasn’t about to let anything worse happen today, especially to two of the only girls who were nice to her.

“Run,” she said to them.

“Only if you come with us,” Summer replied quickly.

“This is perfect,” Alexa said, eyes sliding from Morgan to Summer.

“You think six is enough?” Morgan snapped. “Summer, Biji, go!”

“We’re not leaving you here,” Biji replied stubbornly.

Alexa stepped forward, trailed by the others.

“Morgan, please,” Summer said. “You’re coming with us or we’re not leaving.”

She hesitated. She wanted a fight, but she couldn’t let the others get hurt. Morgan started towards the two Light girls reluctantly, planning on taking them to the campus then running again, before Amber locked her up in some tiny closet.