Winter Fire (Witchling Series) (15 page)

“Hey, Morgan, wait up.”

She turned. Summer smiled brightly, dressed in a fluffy pink jacket that matched the pink tint in her cheeks. Her eyes glowed; they always did, and Morgan envied her. If she had to guess, Summer glowed because someone loved her. Beside her was another girl Morgan vaguely recognized from class.

“This is Biji,” Summer said. “She’s an air witchling like me.”

Biji grinned. The small girl was beautiful, with long, dark hair that reached her waist and a darker complexion that marked her Indian heritage. She wore bright teal, and her dark eyes danced. Her features were delicate and small, her petite frame wearing clothing nice enough to be in a magazine spread.

“Morgan,” Morgan said.

“I like your fire project,” Biji said. “Mine is so boring!”

Morgan smiled at her overdramatic sigh. Biji smiled again.

“We’re going to see Decker!” she said cheerfully.

“I know!” Summer flushed.

“Is your brother coming?” Biji asked Morgan.

“Connor?” she asked blankly. “I don’t think so. I have no idea.”

“He should come, just so I can stare at him,” Biji said.

Morgan laughed.

“Summer got Decker, but I still got a chance with Connor, right?”

“Uh, sure.” Morgan exchanged a look with Summer.

“She’s always like this,” Summer said. “She talks big but she won’t actually go talk to any guy.”

“I haven’t found the right one,” Biji said defensively.

Summer rolled her eyes. Their air magick was as playful as the two girls, and it danced around Morgan, lifting her hair. Her fire magick was curious, shy. Her family consisted of fire and water witchlings.

“On the van!” Amber called from near the door. She opened it and counted each student as they went out. “Twelve. Perfect.”

Biji claimed a row for the three of them. Sonya climbed in last, and Morgan felt the cold shoulder the others gave her. She waved Sonya to their bench at the back of the van.

Summer and Biji glanced at her, a little uncertain, while Morgan patted the spot beside her. One day, she would ask why people treated the soft-spoken girl the way they normally did her.

The girls on either side of her were quiet during the trip to Priest River. By Summer’s smile, she was texting her boyfriend, while Biji was playing Angry Birds. Morgan watched the scenery go by, thoughts on Beck. She was almost glad for the trip. Campus seemed too small for the both of them. At least at the Dark Campus, he wouldn’t be there.

Less than an hour later, the van pulled up in front of a modern building on a small campus and stopped.

“Everyone remember why we’re here?” Amber asked.

“Remember that Dark does not mean bad,” a few students replied.

“Right. Witchlings live at peace with one another. Dark or Light is one of many personal choices. We don’t want the separate campuses to upset the relationship between us all,” she said cheerfully.

They piled out of the van and gathered on the sidewalk. Morgan wasn’t surprised to see Decker waiting.

“You our tour guide?” Amber asked him with a smile.

“Yep,” he replied. His eyes found Summer.

Morgan smiled, a familiar yearning filling her. The way they looked at each other, how comfortable they were together…she wondered what it was like.

“Omigod,” Biji said from beside her, rolling her eyes. “I’ll hang out with you for this tour, Morgan. And Sonya. If she wants.”

Morgan glanced at the other girl then back. Sonya appeared surprised by the inclusion. She joined them, though, and Morgan was pleased to see her hesitant smile.

The students walked into the lobby of the schoolhouse for the Dark Arts. It was cheerful and pristine, the condition of the building confirming Amber’s explanation about the campus being completely new. 

Amber led them through the building, talking about Dark magick, while the others trailed her. She took them to the magick lab, and even Morgan stopped in place to stare around her. The modern lab was nothing like she’d seen at the Light Campus. It looked like a cross between a kitchen with stainless steel counters and a science lab with containers of students’ projects. Each wall of the lab was painted a color representing an element: red for fire, brown for earth, blue for water, and green for air. The ceiling was grey, the color of spirit.

Each of the elements had its own section of the lab. The students gravitated towards their elements. Fire burned in a glass container that stretched from the floor to the ceiling. A small waterfall flowed in the corner near it. Morgan went to her fire. It sensed her and pressed itself against the glass.

“Why don’t we have one of these labs?” one of the students complained.

“The plan is to bring everyone down here weekly during spring semester,” Amber replied.

Morgan touched the glass and smiled. The flames danced for her.

“Amber says you have problems controlling them,” Decker’s voice was quiet.

 Morgan nodded, uncertain how to behave around Beck’s brother.

“There are only two other fire witchlings at school, both Dark. I’m one and the other is Troy, another guy here,” he said. “When she brings you all down in spring, I can help you.”

“You can control it?”

“Yeah. It took some practice, though. It’s instinctive. It reacts,” he replied. “Beck’s earth magick is the calmest. Fire is a purifier like water without the stability.”

“It comes when I ask it to but it wants to do what I feel instead of what I ask it to,” she said.

“It’s a powerful element. It’s easier to learn to use it here than in those stupid little balls Amber gives you,” he said, motioning to the tall flames before them. “You ever combust?”

She smiled and nodded. “It freaks people out.”

“I used to terrify my nanny when I was little. She’d walk in and I was on fire.” Decker grinned, reminding her of Beck’s open smile. “It’s also good for um, relationships. Your fire will drive Beck insane. I’m happy about that.”

“I don’t think so.” Morgan flushed deeply. Her mother’s fire magick ensnared men when she walked down the street. Morgan had no idea how to do it, and she didn’t plan on seducing anyone. Especially Beck, who she couldn’t figure out if she wanted to like or not.

“No?” Decker faced her. “Because …”

“I’m not here to date anyone.”

“That’s why this is funny. You’re both so determined.” He winked.

She rolled her eyes.

“Look, when you passed me the flame last night, I was able to see well, your thoughts,” he said, growing serious. “Glimpses of your memories  -- of someone who hurt you.”

Morgan ducked her head.

“Beck will never do anything like that to you. I just wanted you to know that my brother is one of the best people I know.”

His words only confused her more. Some part of her knew that about Beck, as much as she wanted the opposite to be true.

“He needs someone like you.”

“To protect him,” she replied instantly.

“Yeah. We fireballs need the earth elements in our lives to keep us sane.”

She followed his gaze and saw he was looking at Summer, across the room at the earth station.

“They need us to keep their lives interesting.”

Morgan returned her focus to the fire, but her thoughts were on Beck. Wrestling with him in the morning had given her a glimpse of what her fire could do to her. It spun her attraction to him into full-blown passion that made her want to invite him behind the boys’ dorm for another kiss.

“Hey Decker, is Beck here?”

She glanced over at the approaching Dark teen. He was tall and lean with blue-grey eyes and medium length blond hair tucked behind his ears. He looked twice at Morgan.

“He didn’t come down,” Decker replied.

“Fire element. Nice,” the newcomer said with a quick smile. “Not many of you.”

His sharply cut features were familiar, though she was certain she’d never seen him before.

“Morgan, this is Noah.” Decker had grown tense. “Dawn’s brother.”

Morgan stared at him, at once recognizing the familiar features. Where Dawn radiated dangerous instability, her brother seemed calm. Nice.

“He’s a water element,” Decker added.

“Is that Biji?” Noah’s gaze flickered towards the air element section of the lab.

“Yeah.”

Noah was quiet for a moment. Decker rolled his eyes at Morgan, and Morgan stifled a laugh. Biji’s delicate features and slender frame gave her an exotic beauty she was completely oblivious to.

“I’ve been gone for awhile,” Noah said. He shook his head. “If you see Beck, can you have him call me?”

“Yeah, sure.” Decker held out his phone in his fist. Noah mirrored his movement, and they bumped fists to exchange contact information.

Noah checked his phone.

“Got it,” he said. “Nice to meet you, Morgan.”

“You, too,” she replied. She watched him start towards the air element students then shift his direction. “He seems so different than his sister.”

“He is. He’s a good guy. Horrible family. They’re nearly bankrupt, which means Beck just has to outlast their funds, and he’ll win custody of the kid,” Decker said. There was no remorse in his tone, just satisfaction.

Morgan was unsettled by the hardness with which he spoke. She knew there was a history with Dawn, but she didn’t know how taking away her child would help. Then again, Beck was more likely to raise the kid right, if what she heard about Dawn was true.

“Let’s gather at the door, please!” Amber called. “Time to move on!”

“Talk later,” Decker said and moved away, towards Summer.

Morgan watched him. Summer’s face lit up when he took her hand, and Morgan wondered how the sweet girl and Master of Dark managed a relationship when they were located on two different campuses.

She trailed the group down a hallway, another thought crossing her mind. She’d seen a few Dark students. None of them were the girl she beat up in the forest earlier that day. It was a complete accident; someone grabbed her arm, and Morgan simply reacted the way she was trained.

She felt badly, but wasn’t sure how to find the girl she’d beat up. She kept an eye out for her as they toured the rest of the schoolhouse, dorms, common areas, cafeteria, and gym. After a short lunch, they continued their tour before gathering for the ride back to the Light Campus.

Amber dismissed them early when they got back to the school, and Morgan was almost proud of herself at the end of the day. She won a fight with some Dark girl she stumbled upon in the forest, wrestled with the guy who made her heart fly, did her homework, and didn’t get in the trouble she expected for fighting.

It was a bizarre day, all the way around. Of everything that happened, she couldn’t stop thinking about Beck. Lying on top of her, his breath tickling her ear.

Wow.

“Morgan!”

She blinked, realizing she was standing in the middle of her room, staring into space.

“What, Connor?” she replied.

He opened the door.

“You okay?” he asked, closing the door behind him.

“Good,” she replied. “I didn’t get hauled into Amber’s office about my fight.”

“I asked Beck not to say anything. You know I won’t.”

She nodded, unsettled by the idea that Beck knew. She wasn’t certain why, but she was afraid of him knowing more about her. Maybe because the wall she kept between herself and everyone else wasn’t quite as solid around him.

“You want to tell me what happened?” Connor asked.

“No.”

“Did you win at least?”

“I did!” She smiled. “I almost beat Beck, too, but he cheated.”

“Serves you right.”

“I know.”

Connor was smiling. “I’m proud of you. You won’t ever have to worry about … things happening again.”

She nodded, eyes on the floor. The only one who knew her secret, Connor had pushed her into self-defense training when she turned fourteen and didn’t let up on her, until she proved she could protect herself. She was grateful to him for helping her rebuild her confidence after The Incident.

“Okay. No more fights,” Connor said.

“Believe it or not, I didn’t pick this one. It was self-defense,” she replied.

She could tell he wanted to ask her more about it, but he didn’t. She was just as stubborn as he was, when she wanted to be.

“If you need help, let me know,” he said at last.

“I can take care of myself.”

“Omigod. Some days, Morgan, I just want to strangle you!”

“The feeling is mutual,” she said with a sweet smile.

He turned to leave, shaking his head.

“Connor,” she said quickly. “Thank you.”

“Whatever. You don’t need me looking out for you.”

“Not anymore,” she agreed. “But I meant, thank you for bringing me here.”

He paused at the door.

“I know how much you and Mom did,” she added.

“Not enough,” he said in a quiet voice. “We should’ve saved you earlier.”

“But you did save me. That’s what matters, Connor.”

He smiled and nodded. Her brother left her room. Her smile remained. They fought like cats and dogs, but she loved her brother and everything he’d done to help her over the past few years.

She wasn’t about to tell him her final secret, though, that she was planning on making sure she never had to go home again.

Morgan withdrew the black rock from the top drawer of her dresser. She’d been walking through the forest before dance class this morning, looking for the elusive heart of Light. A Dark girl happened upon her close to the road. Morgan still wasn’t certain what happened or why. Someone grabbed her, and she reacted the way she had been trained.

After the second punch, the girl scrambled away.

Morgan felt horrible. She needed to apologize, but had no idea who the girl was. She knew the rules about fighting and was afraid of Amber finding out, when the Light Arts instructor was already on the verge of calling her dad.

Once again, Connor covered for her. He’d done it at school in New York, too, whenever she showed up battered and bruised.

Morgan pushed those thoughts away. She knew how to get away, now. She wasn’t going to dwell on it.

The rock was too cold to hold for more than a few seconds. She replaced it in her drawer then glanced at the clock. She had two hours until dinner; she could look for the heart again. Allegedly, it was somewhere on campus. She’d been everywhere she could get to and wondered if the snow was preventing her from reaching the point she needed to find.