Winter Fire (The Witchling #3)(72)

“Forest,” his twin agreed.

They moved off the road, following a deer trail into the woods. Beck tested his magick. It was there, just outside his reach. The earth was waiting for him. He was accustomed to the warm magick moving within him. Without it, he felt cold. Empty.

“What happened yesterday?” Connor asked. Walking behind Decker with Beck trailing, Morgan’s brother glanced over his shoulder.

“I’m not sure,” Beck replied.

“You said you were going to take her somewhere safe.”

“Really?”

Connor glared at him, as if uncertain if Beck was serious.

“I’m serious. I don’t remember,” Beck replied.

“You don’t remember the tree? Morgan getting blamed for it?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Someone burned down the Christmas tree in the Square. The fire damaged the dorms and the forest,” Decker supplied. “Morgan is the only fire witchling on that campus.”

“She didn’t do it,” Beck replied quickly.

“Well, she threatened to burn it down in class and wouldn’t tell me where she was last night,” Connor grumbled. “I want to believe her, too, but it’s hard.”

“She spent the night with me,” Beck said. “She didn’t leave my side.”

“She what?” Connor spun so fast that Beck had to take a step back. “Didn’t I tell you not to get involved?”

“Didn’t I tell you to keep your pants zipped?” Decker added. “Can’t you just not sleep with every pretty girl you meet?”

“I don’t sleep with every girl,” Beck replied. He could feel how tense Connor was. “I didn’t sleep with Morgan. We were at my cousin’s wedding ceremony, surrounded by people, the whole night.”

“Stay away from my sister, Beck,” Connor snapped.

Beck was quiet for a moment. “No. Unless she tells me she doesn’t want to see me, I don’t care what you guys think.”

Decker snorted. Connor mumbled something.

“Case closed,” Beck said firmly. “Let’s go. I promised I’d take care of her, and I will.” He brushed by both and moved into the forest.

“You’re finally growing a backbone,” Decker observed. “Maybe this new Beck will turn the other cheek and let me do what should be done with Dawn.”

“I’ve had a backbone, Decker,” Beck replied. “I still believe we can resolve issues in the Light way, not the Dark way.”

“What’s the Light way? Hugs and kittens for everyone?”

“The same way Summer keeps you and the Darkness in check.”

Decker was silent. Beck knew he’d scored a point with his brother – which was difficult to do – but didn’t gloat. His mind was on Morgan. And Dawn. And what might happen, if he didn’t reach them in time.

Decker’s phone rang, the sound unusually loud in the otherwise silent forest. Beck heard him answer.

“So you can’t bring food or use magick but you can bring a phone?” Connor asked, amused.

“I think they’re making one exception,” Beck replied, stopping.

Decker was still, speaking too quietly for Beck to hear. Impatient, Beck knocked snow off a tree branch then shifted feet.

His twin hung up then cursed loudly. “You had to pick this week for our rite of passage!”

“Who was it?” Beck asked, ignoring the outburst.

“Biji,” Decker answered. “She’s completely panicking. Says they’re at one of the abandoned resorts, but she doesn’t know which one. I told her to climb a tree and find the lake then go towards it.”

“Oh, god,” Beck breathed. “Is she okay?” Biji had become like a little sister to him. Sweet, loyal and fiery, she was one of the few people who befriended Summer when she first arrived.

“She is, Summer is. She said she doesn’t know about Morgan.”

Beck’s breath caught.

“I guess she fell through the flooring in the resort. Summer shoved Biji out a window into a snowdrift before she could see what happened.”

Connor was silent. Beck’s heart felt like it had stopped at the idea that Morgan was seriously hurt. He couldn’t let himself think about something worse happening.

“We have to go,” he whispered.

“We need to find Biji. She’ll freeze to death otherwise,” Decker said.

Beck took it as a sign that Morgan was alive. He wasn’t going to let himself read into the fact that Morgan fell. She had to be all right, or he wouldn’t be. He turned back towards the direction they were headed and started walking.

“You’re sure Biji’s okay?” he asked.

“She’s scared but yeah,” Decker answered. By his distracted tone, his thoughts were on Summer. “She says she’s going back for Summer and Morgan.”

Urgency descended over them, and they quickened their pace. Beck glanced towards the sky. It was going to snow soon. He stopped.

“With all due respect, dad and elements, we aren’t walking around the damn lake.”

“I tried to start the snowmobiles before we left. They wouldn’t start,” Decker said.