Winter Fire (Witchling Series)

by Ford, Lizzy

  “Welcome back,” Beck said and offered his hand.

  “Thanks,” Noah said and shook it.

  An awkward silence fell. Noah shifted, and Beck waited, at ease despite the situation.

  “Look, I, uh, just wanted to talk about my sister for a minute.”

  Beck nodded and crossed his arms.

  “She doesn’t know I’m here, and our parents would kill me for telling you this,” Noah started. “I guess I’m hoping … I don’t know. Anyway, I spent the past year working on Dad’s board. The company is a disaster right now. Hemorrhaging money, borrowing money, losing money … it’s always about money.” Noah paused then shook his head.

  “I did an internship with my dad’s company two summers ago. Definitely not my thing,” Beck agreed.

  “Not my thing, either, but it’s the family business. I think you get that.”

  “Oh, yeah,” he said, mind on the magick Master titles he and Decker inherited.

  “I don’t know how else to say this, but Dad is broke. The company is about to file for bankruptcy, which means his assets will be frozen,” Noah continued. “Which, in turn, means –“

  “The court issues between Dawn and me are at risk.”

  “I’m excited about being an uncle,” Noah said. “My sister is a little crazy, but she doesn’t deserve to have her daughter taken away from her. I wanted to ask you if you’d consider working out an agreement outside of court -- joint custody.”

  Beck listened. His decision was already made; he’d never leave his daughter with Dawn. Noah had no idea what his sister had done. Beck didn’t fault him for wanting to make things fair. If anything, it showed that someone in their family had a good head on his shoulders.

  “Or put things on hold, until we’re solvent again,” Noah added at his silence.

  “That could be years,” Beck said.

  “We have a plan and an investor who will buy us out, if we liquidate everything. It’ll take a year, if things go well.”

  His daughter would be born in four months. She didn’t have a year.

  “I’ve always respected you and your family, Noah. But I can’t do that,” Beck said slowly. “I’m sorry.”

  Noah stared at him hard. “That’s it? You’ll just take her baby away?”

  “I don’t have any other choice.”

  “Is this because you’re angry at her? Revenge for whatever happened between you?” Noah’s voice rose.

  “Nothing like that,” Beck said. “I have an obligation to protect witchlings, including my daughter.”

  “And Dawn? She’s just screwed?”

  “Noah,” Beck paused. If ever he needed to be careful choosing his words, it was now. “Some things happened while you were gone that prevent me from dealing with this any differently. I’m not doing this for revenge. This has nothing to do with how I feel about your sister. I don’t want to take her baby away. But, I have a responsibility as the Master of Light, and I can’t overlook what Dawn has done. She crossed a line that I can’t ignore.”

  Noah’s face grew pink, and his blue eyes shot fire. But he drew a deep breath.

  “Is this about Tanya? Because Dawn said it was meant to be a joke,” Noah pursued. “You can’t hold an accident against her!”

  “It’s partially about Tanya and partially what happened to make Dawn choose Dark. Tanya wasn’t an accident,” Beck replied calmly.

  “How do you know? Are you just assuming the worst about my sister, because you’re upset with her?”

  “I know, because one of my gifts as the Master of Light is the ability to see the memories of Light witchlings who died,” Beck replied with patience. “I know exactly what happened. I know it can happen again. I found Tanya’s body, Noah. I’m not going to risk that the next girl I find is my daughter.”

  Noah appeared taken aback.

  “I’m sorry. I appreciate you coming to me, but I can’t and won’t change my mind.”

  Dawn’s brother said nothing. With jerky movements, he yanked on his helmet. Beck stood back as the angry water witchling released the kickstand and started the motorcycle. Noah left fast, gravel spitting from the back tire of his bike.

  “He’s a good brother,” Morgan’s quiet voice came from behind him.

  Concentrated on Noah, Beck hadn’t heard her approach. He faced her, saddened by the interaction.

  “Yeah, he is,” he said. “You have a way of sneaking up on me.”

  “Just making sure no one else does.”

  Beck laughed. She was so serious about protecting him. Morgan watched him closely.

  “You need to stay on the Light Campus,” he said with mock sternness.

  She lifted an eyebrow at him then held out her hand. He saw the small flame. She sensed when he needed the comfort only she seemed able to create. Beck took it. It left him feeling energized and cheerful.

  “Now, back to campus,” he ordered.

  “You’re a good person, Beck,” she said.

  “So are you,” he replied. He started back towards the schoolhouse, nudging her arm as he passed. “Did you overhear everything?”

  “Yeah.”

  He waited for her to say something. Did she think he was mean for wanting to take away Dawn’s baby? Had her impression of him as being a good Master of Light changed?

  What she thought of him mattered, and he wasn’t sure why. He would do what he had to either way. She was unusually quiet. Sad, even, and Beck didn’t like that at all. He wanted to sweep her up for a kiss, just so she’d be pissed enough to talk to him. He wondered if her thoughts were on her own family and the pain at least one member caused. It infuriated him to think of anyone hurting her.

  “I’m sorry for threatening the tree,” she said at last. “I didn’t know it was alive like that.”

  “Everything is alive in some way,” he replied. “You wouldn’t burn it down anyway.”

  “You don’t know that. Sometimes I get angry. Fire happens.”

  “I do know that,” he countered. “Another of my gifts is the ability to see the good in people. I see it in you, too.”

  Morgan glanced up at him, the emotion on her face one he couldn’t fully decipher. Yearning maybe, as if she wanted to believe him, but couldn’t. He wondered why she wouldn’t let herself trust him.

  “I believe in you,” he said with a smile and nudged her arm again.

  “Like I said before. You have poor judgment in girls,” she retorted.

  They climbed the stairs to the schoolhouse. Beck said nothing, sensing she was distressed again without fully understanding why.

  “Bye Beck,” she said and left him standing on the porch. The screen door closed loudly behind her.

  “Bye Morgan,” he replied. The more he was around her, the more he wanted to be around her.

  His gaze went to the forest. He was too restless to return to class. Instead, he went to the woods, in search of peace and a friend. Beck waited until he was far enough away that the companion he had in mind wouldn’t be seen from the road.

  “Sam,” he called.

  A path parted for him through the trees. He walked down it, until he found the large alcove at the bottom of an ancient tree. It was one of the yeti’s many homes in the forest. Beck walked through the dark entrance and saw Sam seated by a small fire, drinking cider.

  The ugly bigfoot looked up at him with an equally ugly smile.

  “Hey, Sam,” Beck said. He sat, making himself at home in the forest creature’s house.

  Greetings to the Master of Light, the yeti replied into his mind cheerfully.

  “How’s life out here?”

  Very quiet. Summer brought me chocolate. I like it. If you see her again, ask her for more.

  “The last thing we need is a fat yeti rolling around the forest,” Beck warned, chuckling.

  Sam shrugged.

  Beck grew quiet, thoughtful.

  What troubles you today?

  “The usual, I guess. Light, Dark, life.”

&nbs
p; Is the fireball taking care of you?

  Beck looked up at him curiously. “How do you know about Morgan?”

  She found me in the forest. Offered to take Beck’s pet bigfoot home to him. Sam laughed hard.

  “Yeah, that sounds like her,” Beck said ruefully. “You only talk to girls who end up trashing my life. Please tell me that’s not the case.”

  The impact she will have on your life has yet to be determined.

  Beck sat up straight, alarmed by the vague answer.

  She has heart, but fire witchlings tend to be a little emotional in their decision making.

  “You’re talking about her trial, aren’t you?” he asked, hushed. “Will it be bad, like Summer’s?”

  Bad? They are never bad by nature.

  “You know what I mean!”

  Sam smiled.

  “Ugh, Sam!” Beck exclaimed. “I need some good news.” He remembered the notebook in his pocket and whipped it out. “The earth has been giving me some cryptic messages. Can you help me interpret them?”

  Maybe.

  “The first one was Sunday. It showed me Darkness eating away the Light source from its center. I checked it but didn’t find anything wrong.”

  Sam cocked his head to the side, listening.

  “The second was really weird. Fire then a rock.”

  Rock?

  “I don’t know how to describe it. It was a rock, but not a normal one. It was black. Cold. Dark.”

  Soul stone.

  “What?”

  Long ago, some Masters of Dark and Light figured out how to distill Dark souls into a physical form. We called them soul stones.

  “Why would anyone do that?”

  Initially, the Darkness was too strong. Nataniel-the-Darkbringer, the first Dark Master of your line, faced an incredible challenge. He did not live long enough to completely corral the Darkness. His son, Horus-the-Peacebringer, was just as strong and ruled for forty years. The third in your line, Bartholomew-the-Terrible, fell to the Darkness during a critical period that would determine if the Darkness could be vanquished. He grew Darkness for over fifty years, destroying much of the progress made by his predecessors.

  Beck listened, intrigued by the history he’d never learn in school. Sam had lived for at least a thousand years and known each Light and Dark Master personally. Decker learned much of their history from their mother when he transitioned to his position. Beck transitioned alone, learning later that the Mistress of Light who should’ve helped him had been dead for twenty years.

  The fourth in your line, Tranin-the-Restorer, never would’ve been able to withstand the Darkness, if he didn’t find a way to remove Bartholomew’s influence from his mind. His twin, the Master of Light, Tyron-the-Bright, helped him distill the soul for temporary keeping, in hopes that a few generations of strong Dark Masters would contain the Darkness and the soul would be returned to its rightful place.

  “Was it?”

  It was, but they discovered that the stone itself could not be destroyed. It is like a shell that can be filled with a new soul. It has the potential to destroy Light, if not safeguarded. They entrusted the soul stone to a line of fire witchlings for safekeeping. Only fire can withstand the coldness of the Dark. The soul stone wasn’t able to influence fire witchlings, but it could every other element. This is also why the Dark Masters are known as the Masters of Fire and Night. Dark Masters must be fire witchlings. Light Masters who are not fire elements cannot handle the soul stone. It will destroy you.

  “That’s why I saw fire in the vision,” Beck said thoughtfully. “The earth wants me to know our history?”

  Maybe. Maybe not. The Darkness is at the place now that it was when Tranin-the-Restorer lived. The immediate crisis may be over, now that Decker is stable, but the Dark remembers how it nearly took over before. It is still strong enough to try again.

  “I need more Light. Sam, I’m losing ground at the school,” Beck said quietly.

  I felt it.

  “I have to figure out how to stop it. Is there a way for me to access Light memories, the way Decker can Dark memories?”

  I don’t know. You will have to ask the earth. It has been showing you Light witchlings?

  “Yes, and I’m rescuing those I find.”

  Ask it to do the same with Light memories. It might take you awhile to learn to understand them, though. Perhaps the two visions you had are memories.

  “They felt more like warnings.”

  Sam frowned. If so, you must find out what they mean.

  “If fire witchlings can withstand the Dark, can they help me protect the Light?” Beck asked, mind drifting to Morgan.

  In theory. There has not been a Light fire witchling in over five hundred years. Fire repels Darkness and is one of the two purifier elements. It would be a perfect complement to the strength and power of your earth magick.

  “But fire witchlings and their hot-headed decisions tend to make them go Dark.”

  Fire feeds from and to emotion. It does not understand logic or rational thought. It simply reacts. It’s instinctive, pure and primal.

  “That’s the problem.” Beck felt a tremor of fear slide through him. He didn’t want Morgan to go Dark. Seeing her temper, he realized there was a possibility she would. If Dawn pushed her too far, and Morgan used magick in response …

  Her heart was so good. Didn’t that count for anything?

  If she chooses Light in her trial, she will help you save the Light.

  “If she doesn’t?”

  Sam shrugged. Decker can stop the Dark from growing. You must stop the Light from retreating.

  “It sounds so easy when you say it that way. But it feels impossible,” Beck said with a frustrated sigh. “I’ll chat with the earth about Light memories.”

  Remember. Earth is the oldest and most powerful of the elements. Fire is the only element that cannot exist in isolation. It needs a foundation. It needs earth and air. Likewise, earth cannot purify like fire and water can. You can overpower Dark and create new Light, but fire can help you turn Dark into Light.

  “Decker needs Summer to stand between him and the Darkness. I need Morgan to create Light. Is she … if she passes her trial, I mean … my uh, counterbalance?” Beck asked the dreaded question.

  That depends on her.

  “So I do have a counterbalance?”

  Every Master has the potential for a counterbalance. It does not always happen that way, though.

  “I understand...but I have faith.”

  Your faith holds your family together.

  Beck smiled. “Like my dad.”

  You’re slow but you can be taught. Sam laughed.

  “Slow!” Beck exclaimed. “Bad yeti!” He grinned at the ugly creature and rose, wanting to talk to the earth about Light memories. “Thanks, Sam. I’ll tell Summer to bring you treats.”

  Chocolate, Sam corrected him.

  “Chocolate,” Beck repeated with a snort. “Take care.” He left the cozy alcove and went back to the forest. His thoughts grew heavier as he walked. He wanted to believe that Morgan was able to choose Light in her trial, but he was afraid of what happened if she didn’t. It wasn’t just because she couldn’t help him create Light, it was because he didn’t know how he’d be able to walk away from her, if he had to.

  He centered his thoughts. It was impossible to guess how a trial like hers would go. It was likely going to be rough, if Summer’s was any indication of what an in-between soul went through. He didn’t ask, but he guessed by the way Sam was talking that Morgan’s had already began.

  Morgan didn’t believe in herself. She was damaged, and Beck didn’t know how to change that. He’d learned from watching Decker spiral into Darkness that someone who didn’t believe they had a chance would find a way to make their reality match their hopelessness.

  Beck leaned against a tree, taking comfort in the tiny voice of its spirit. The tree was happy. It eased his worry.

  Morgan needed him, if she was going
to have a chance to choose Light. He had no idea how to help her. When he figured it out, though, he’d know how to help his daughter, when the time came for her trial.

  He was looking forward to seeing Morgan tonight at the fundraiser dinner while dreading the idea of her leaving campus. Alexa had tried twice to hurt her. Unable to know when she was in danger, he was afraid of what happened if he didn’t find a way to keep her safe.

  Beck made his way through the forest and returned to the dorms. He walked by Adam’s room, stopped then retraced his steps and knocked.

  Adam opened the door.

  “Hey, how’d it go?” Beck asked.

  “She’s funny but she said yes,” Adam said. “Morgan’s going to the fundraiser with me.”

  “Awesome, thanks. I owe you one.” Beck started away, happy his plan worked.

  “Wait, Beck,” Adam followed him onto the wooden walkway that ran down the front of the boys’ dorms. “Can I ask why you want me to take her?”

  Beck hesitated. “I’m worried about her.”

  “You couldn’t ask her?”

  I’m not taking the chance someone dimes me out to Dawn. Beck kept his initial response to himself while trying to figure out what to say. He was afraid of leaving Morgan alone on campus and even more afraid of Dawn discovering he’d asked the fireball out on a real date. Too many people would be at the dinner for them not to mention him arriving with Morgan on his arm.

  “You’re awesome, Adam. I appreciate it. Someday, I’ll tell you,” he said and smiled. He left before Adam could ask him anything else about it.

  How bad was it that he didn’t feel like he could trust anyone on campus anymore? He didn’t know what Dawn’s plan was in sending Alexa twice to confront Morgan. Decker said there were three other Dark teens with Alexa the second time.

  What happened if there was a third encounter?

  Beck entered his room, troubled.

  No one was going to hurt his Morgan. She was already in danger. Maybe pushing her away was no longer going to work. Embracing how he felt about her was difficult.