Winter Fire (The Witchling #3)(91)

His warmth at her back took away the frozen feeling she hadn’t been able to shake. She couldn’t think about the fact that he just killed someone, not when she needed to focus on saving her friends.

Biji closed her eyes and drew a steady breath. She was so tired … but she dug deep to summon her magick and control it this time. It whipped through the mausoleum again. This time, Noah kept it from knocking her over. His grip around her tightened.

She needed every bit of strength she could muster to lift something as heavy as the stone lid of the coffin in the small space of the mausoleum, where her magick was largely cut off. Biji relaxed and let the magick take her. The air’s movement built to a gale that roared through the tiny space, whipping snow and her hair around her body. Noah hugged her closer without moving or speaking.

Biji envisioned the air lifting the stone lid from the coffin. The gale built. Wind slammed into walls, and the ricochet nearly cost her what control she had on the wind. Gritting her teeth, Biji focused hard.

“You’re doing it!” Noah’s voice was almost lost in the wind. “A little more!”

Encouraged, she concentrated harder, ordering the wind to move the lid. The low sound of stone scraping stone reached her beneath the high-pitched wail of the air.

“Hold it there!” Noah said.

Biji shook from effort and exhaustion. Accessing her magick wasn’t the problem; channeling and controlling it quickly depleted what energy she had.

“Ok, stop!”

She hesitated, uncertain about trusting Noah.

“I braced it with ice,” Noah said.

Biji risked her concentration to open her eyes. Amidst the snow and wobbling light of the flashlight, she saw Noah’s water magick had jammed a foot of ice between the coffin and its lid. The ice barrier made up three sides, with the fourth side open.

She carefully sent her magick away, afraid the ice wouldn’t hold. It did, and she released her hold on the air, gasping. It swirled out of the mausoleum, and silence fell.

“We’re a good team,” Noah said.

Except you killed someone. She said nothing out loud, but tugged free of his grip.

Biji took the flashlight from him and went to the crypt, peering into its depths. What she saw made her shriek in excitement.

“Summer! Morgan!”

The two girls appeared dazed and pale, but they were alive. Summer’s hair was matted with blood from a gash across her head while Morgan’s eyes glowed unnaturally from fever.

“Hi Biji.” Summer smiled.

Biji’s heart swelled. She started crying, unable to help the tears of relief.

“C’mon, girls,” Noah said. “The ice is strong, but I’m not taking any chances tonight.”

“Take Summer,” Morgan murmured. “I almost fried her.”

Noah stretched an arm into the crypt. Trembling too hard to help, Biji stepped aside. It took some maneuvering, but Summer was soon free. Biji helped balance her. The Light witchling was glassy-eyed and wobbly.

Biji peeled off Noah’s coat and wrapped it around Summer. Summer hugged her hard.

Morgan gave a strangled cry.

“I’m so sorry,” Noah said hastily. “I need to get you out of there.”

“Her leg is broken,” Summer murmured to Biji.

Morgan was sobbing by the time Noah pried her out of the crypt. He lifted her awkwardly and carefully set her down. Biji and Summer sat with her, the three of them hugging. The fire witchling’s magick spread through all of them to keep them warm, and she calmed.

“Water magick,” Morgan said. “Like Connor.”

“Noah is,” Biji replied. “I’m air.”

The fire witchling glanced up at Noah, who lingered far enough away to give them some privacy. Biji didn’t feel ready to look at him. She didn’t know what to think about what he did to save her friends. Without him, Summer and Morgan would’ve been lost this night.

But he beat someone to death. Normal, healthy, stable people didn’t do that!

“Thank you, Biji,” Summer said.

“We have to leave before they come back,” Morgan said, struggling to stand. She whimpered.

Noah moved forward to help her.

“They already did. Noah took care of them,” Biji said.

“I have to leave,” Morgan repeated.

“She’s out of it, Biji,” Summer whispered. “She needs a doctor fast.”

“So do you,” Biji replied, eyes caught by the blood trickling down Summer’s head.

“I need air.” Morgan hopped on one foot.

“I’ll take her to the car,” Noah said. He caught her around the waist and carefully moved her outside.

With her fire magick gone, Biji pulled the jacket around both her and Summer. The sound of the SUV started reached her. The other air witchling’s eyes closed.

“No, Summer. Stay awake,” Biji urged. “We have a car. We’ll take you and Morgan to the hospital.”

Summer’s eyes opened. She sighed.

Biji waited for Noah to return. Five minutes passed, then ten. Noah didn’t return, but neither did the SUV leave. She wondered what was wrong, if Morgan fell or something. Another few minutes passed.

To her surprise, it wasn’t Noah who entered, but Decker.