by Lizzy Ford
So much for the red-head. This wasn’t going to be pleasant for anyone. Dawn was Dark now, a threat to his newfound dedication to Light and protecting his witchlings. She was also carrying his daughter.
Which made life interesting.
“Do me a favor and stay here for a minute, okay?” he said to the teens in the SUV. “I’ll find one of the head instructors to show you around and issue rooms.”
He got out and closed the door.
“Hey, Dawn. Let me get these guys settled,” he said as he walked past her.
She followed. He knew she would. He held the door to the foyer of the main school house open.
At least whatever scene she wanted to make was going to be in the privacy of the school and not in front of the new kids. The last thing he needed was for the new kids to doubt the legitimacy of the Light Master on their first day.
“We’re still not supposed to be talking without our lawyers in the room,” he reminded her.
“I’ll be quick,” she replied with a cool smile.
He waited, not liking the edge in her voice. It held cold fury, the kind that ended up with people getting hurt. Now a member of the Dark, Dawn no longer needed her Dark henchmen to do her dirty deeds. She was free of any restraint she showed when she was Light. Next time, she would kill whoever got in her way, like she almost did Summer and like her friends killed Tanya, the girl Beck found in the abandoned resort across the lake.
Knowing she was behind such evil, Beck warred between anger and regret with frustration. His fate was bound to hers and that of their daughter. He loathed the woman before him who hurt so many people, but he wasn’t able to send her away.
Not yet, at least. If the baby she carried was his, he had already spoken to his father about suing for full custody to keep someone like Dawn out of his daughter’s life.
“How are you feeling?” he asked in the tense silence.
“Well. Thank you.” Her expression softened. “And thank you for making sure the baby is okay.”
“It’s the least I can do,” he said. “I want you and her to be happy and healthy.”
“Funny, considering you won’t do what it takes to make that happen.”
“Look, we’re both violating the agreements of the first out of court settlement by talking in private,” he reminded her gently, but firmly. “I am beyond thrilled to help you in any way you need. We’ve been over this. You and I are over. I’m here for the baby and to help you raise her. That’s it.”
Dawn’s features flushed and her blue eyes glittered with fury.
“I know that,” she snapped. “I came to tell you something, Beck. You made your choice, and I’m making mine. If you want anything to do with your daughter, you’ll keep this in mind: you might refuse to do the right thing and be with me and your daughter, but I’ll make damned sure you’re never with anyone else. If I even suspect you’re looking at anyone else, I’ll take our child far away from you. I’ll use all my new Dark power to hide her from you forever, and I’ll make certain that you never, ever see her again!”
Beck said nothing.
“If you do what I want, you’ll see her. It’s that simple,” she added. “I will never let you forget you did this to me, and I will turn her Dark before you or your brother can find her.”
Heat crept into his face at the thought of Dawn twisting his daughter’s world enough to turn her Dark, before he was able to rescue her. With a look of triumph on her face, Dawn was waiting for him to explode or plead or somehow react. For the first time in his life, Beck wanted to kill someone. He couldn’t. He wouldn’t. He cherished all life, no matter how undeserving.
He didn’t know what to do, but nothing would come between him and protecting his daughter. He failed in his first trial as the Master of Light. He wasn’t going to fail again, especially not with his little girl. For a split second, he almost understood the blinding fury his mother felt when she saw Decker suffering, after Summer went over the cliff.
His decision made -- to do whatever was necessary to keep his daughter safe -- Beck withdrew and released a deep breath.
“I’ve got to get these new kids settled. Have a good night, Dawn.”
It took every ounce of his strength to turn and walk away. He strode down the hallway and around a corner, out of her sight, before he leaned against a wall.
He needed the results of the DNA test fast. If they confirmed him the father, it was going to take him the few months remaining before she was born to position himself to take his daughter away. He didn’t know enough about the legal angle of it all, which left him even more frustrated. He whipped out his cell and texted his father.
We need to talk about Dawn, he typed then clicked send and rested his head against the wall. He tried to calm himself through deep breathing for a few minutes, pensive. Losing control was not the right answer. It was what got him into this situation in the first place. He had no idea what to do, though.
“I would’ve set her shoes on fire.”
His eyes opened. Flame-haired Morgan stood a few feet away, frowning. Her husky voice, clear green eyes and peaches-and-cream complexion added to her element’s natural ability to mesmerize those who looked too long. Morgan was small, the opposite of Dawn. She didn’t reach his chin, and her body was shapely rather than slender. Her amber musk reached him again, stirring his blood in a way he didn’t welcome. She was the opposite of every girl he’d dated. Why, then, couldn’t he pull his attention away from her?
“People don’t normally need to see things burst into flames twice to get the point,” she said, oblivious to the affect she had on him.
Beck laughed. “You’re sweet, but no. That’s something I’ve got to deal with.”
“Like you just did?” she asked doubtfully, her arms crossed. “If anyone threatened me, my father would skin them alive.”
“Sometimes, it’s worth thinking before acting, a lesson I’ve learned recently,” he replied. “Thank you, though.”
“I’ll protect you from her,” Morgan said firmly.
“Really?” He straightened, smiling. “You think I need a protector.”
An athletic six-foot-two, he had never heard anyone doubt his ability to take care of himself. He wasn’t about to allow a little girl like Morgan to assume that role, not when he was charged with protecting her from people like Dawn. Any embarrassment he felt at knowing Morgan overheard the conversation was replaced by amusement that she didn’t regard him poorly. If anything, she was angry at Dawn.
Morgan tilted her head, gazing up at him.
“What are you?” she asked, puzzled.
“You’ll find out soon enough,” he said with a wink. The power of a Master of Light was visible in the air around him, and she was too new to recognize why he glowed.
She flushed.
“Not flirting. Tell your brother not to kill me,” he joked.
“I can take care of myself,” she replied. “I know karate and jiu-jitsu.”
“Great. We can spar one day.”
After a quick head-to-toe assessment of him, her expression turned uncertain.
“I’ll be gentle,” he said.
“I can take you!”
“Oh, really?” The idea of wrestling with her was far too appealing, and her quick temper made him want to tease her, if only to see her face flush. “I think you just challenged me to a match.”
“I did. Whenever you’re ready.”
Beck clenched his jaw. He swore off girls in the morning and challenged the most beautiful one he’d ever seen to a wrestling match before night fell. Even after the mess with Dawn, he didn’t learn.
This girl, however, managed to snag his undivided attention and make him laugh after Dawn threatened him. She had to be different, right? Or was he an absolute fool?
“The two little sisters in the truck are tired enough to cry. We have to get them taken care of.” Morgan said. Her gaze roamed the hallway, as if trying to figure out where to put the girls.
“I’m on it,” he said, using it as an excuse to move away from her. “Does your brother know martial arts, too?”
“He was All-State for martial arts the past two years.”
Great. Beck was attracted to someone whose brother was able to kick his ass. He had the worst luck with girls.
“Welcome to the school,” he said and stopped in front of the closed door to Amber’s office. He knocked.
“It seems interesting so far,” Morgan replied. “Do you know where I can get some cookies? I haven’t eaten since lunch.”
Beck almost slammed his head into the wall in frustration. A beautiful girl who wrestled, wanted to help him and liked cookies?
“No,” he replied firmly. “There are absolutely, positively no cookies anywhere near the school. At all. Ever.”
Morgan appeared taken aback by the vehemence with which he spoke. Beck almost felt bad. If he didn’t push her away now, he was going to do something stupid. Like wrestle with her, fall for her and get his ass kicked first by her brother then probably by his twin.
The door opened, and Amber beamed a smile at them. The head instructor for the Light Arts was dressed brightly in a yellow sweater and jeans, her hair in a bun. She was barefoot, the bracelets, necklaces and anklets she wore all jingling.
“Michael said you were bringing new students!” She all but sang. “I grabbed you some of your favorite cookies as a thank you for picking them up!”
“Hmmm,” Morgan said from behind him.
Beck felt her glare. She probably was as pretty angry as she was blushing, but he wasn’t about to confirm the instinct. He was too aware of her soft footsteps as she entered the room.
“Thanks, Amber,” he mumbled.
Amber looked away from him to smile at Morgan.
“Beck, this will be a good chance for you to practice mentoring,” Amber said. “You can take the new guys under your wing and help them learn their way around and which elements are theirs.”
“Uh, about that. I –“
“It’ll really help me out.”
Beck sighed, seeking a kind way to turn down his favorite instructor.
“Please?” she pushed. “I have my hands full with the Summer issue.”
“Okay, I get it,” he said grudgingly. “I gotta go get their luggage. Morgan, you can stay here.”
He left fast, before either could speak to him. He hurried down the hallway. Just when he thought he was going to get a break, things got interesting again. At least he no longer worried about Summer and Decker. The urgency of their situation was over. They still had challenges ahead of them, but they were together once more.
Beck shook his head. They weren’t the only ones facing a new set of obstacles. He had to grow Light, learn more about his duties, manage Dawn, find a way to get his daughter away from the crazy woman and now, mentor the new girl he wanted to avoid..
There aren’t enough cookies in the world to prevent the next few months from being hell, he thought to himself.
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Witchling Saga
#1, Dark Summer (August 2012; Available at Amazon, Amazon UK)
#1.5, Summer Night (Novelette – Nov 2012; Available at Amazon, Amazon UK)
#2, Autumn Storm (Nov 2012; Available at Amazon, Amazon UK)
#2.5, Autumn Night (Novelette)
#3, Winter Kiss (2013)
#4, Spring Moon (2013)
ALSO CHECK OUT THESE EXTRAORDINARY AUTHORS & BOOKS:
Alivia Anders ~ Illumine
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Cambria Hebert ~ Recalled
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Angela Orlowski Peart ~ Forged by Greed
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Julia Crane ~ Freak of Nature
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J. A. Huss ~ Clutch
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Cameo Renae ~ Hidden Wings
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Alexia Purdy ~ Reign of Blood
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Tabatha Vargo ~ On the Plus Side
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Tiffany King ~ Meant to Be
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Beth Balmanno ~ Set in Stone
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Lizzy Ford ~ Dark Summer (Witchling Saga #1)
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Ella James ~ Stained
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Tara West ~ Visions of the Witch
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Heidi McLaughlin ~ Forever Your Girl
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Melissa Andrea ~ Flutter
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Komal Lewis ~ Falling for Hadie
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Melissa Pearl ~ Golden Blood
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L.P. Dover ~ Forever Fae
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Sarah M. Ross ~ Awaken
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Brina Courtney ~ Reveal
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Table of Contents
Chapter Four