Spring Rain

by Lizzy Ford

The fog and water parted for them, and she held onto his hand tightly as they made their way out of the gutter to the road leading down the hill. Morgan glanced at Beck’s features more than once and saw his resolve, the determination of the Protector of Light to perform his duty. That he wanted her there, accepted her help, made her feel the Light inside her for the first time, the joy of knowing she’d found her place after a lifetime of being lost.

  However short term it may be.

  A quick look around the café and strip mall confirmed Dawn and her people weren’t present.

  “I can sense the Light witchlings,” Beck said. “Probably Biji and Noah. This way.” He led them around the buildings to a path leading into the forest.

  The earth solidified the muddy trail before they reached it and kept her feet warm while her fire flowed around her and into Beck to warm them. “Is Decker with Dawn?”

  “Yes.” Beck’s voice was tight. “I did some scouting around.”

  “How strong is Bartholomew?”

  “I don’t think he’s at full power until he’s in his human form. But he knows things we don’t about the Dark and Light and how to use the magick.”

  “All five elements, you and Decker, and the equinox. We can bind the stone and your baby. I can’t figure out how to get him out. Is it a spell, like the ones Amber taught us in school? Where we took part of our element and put it in a ball?”

  “The one day you paid attention in class?” he teased.

  Morgan rolled her eyes. Before she faked her death, she’d managed to turn in all of two homework assignments over the course of two months, both of which were meant to teach her how to control and contain her fire in small glass balls. Amber had gone easy on her, giving her credit for doing it, even though she clearly demonstrated no control over the element and couldn’t make her fire take on the shapes dictated by the homework.

  The fact it stayed in the ball took enough of her energy to accomplish. “What if we can do that with Bartholomew?”

  “It might work,” Beck went on. “Actually, I think if we can incapacitate Dawn, it might be easier to push Bartholomew out then use binding spells on the soul stone. The problem initially will be disarming Dawn without hurting her so we can focus on containing Bartholomew.”

  They reached the entrance to the ravine, and he froze so quickly that she ran into him.

  “What? What’s wrong?” she asked anxiously.

  “All right. Game’s up,” he said loudly. “Summer, you’re not wandering in there alone.”

  Morgan whirled. She hadn’t sensed the air-earth witchling counterbalance to Decker, but Summer was only five meters behind them on the trail. The dark-haired girl offered a small smile.

  “Can I convince you to go back?” Beck asked and faced her.

  “No,” came the firm response.

  He rubbed the back of his neck. “Look, both of you. I have no idea what we’re about to walk into.”

  “Together!” Morgan shot back before he could tell them not to follow.

  “I know,” he said with an amused smile. “I’m not going to ditch you. I’m going to say to be careful and at the first sign of trouble, you need to book it out of here.”

  “I think I speak for both of us when I say no,” Summer replied and crossed her arms. “I want Decker back and I heard you say you need all five elements to cage Bartholomew. I can help.”

  “Decker’s going to kill me,” Beck said. “But come on. I’d rather have you with me than caught by Dawn’s witchlings. And if something bad happens, Summer …”

  “I know,” she said quietly. “I can do it.”

  “Do what?” Morgan asked.

  “Pull him back from the Dark.”

  Morgan shivered at the calm words. After her limited experience with a piece of the Dark in her pocket, she didn’t want to know what that entailed or how much effort it took to accomplish. The small girl before her was tougher than she looked if she could manage such a feat.

  “No heroics from any fireballs.” Beck said in an even tone. “Let’s go.”

  For the first time in her life, Morgan didn’t feel like rushing in alone to save the world. If anything, she was excited to be working with him to save the Light and protect people.

  They began walking. Summer moved closer, crowding Morgan on one side enough for her to feel the earth magick ripple through her. She sensed fire magick as well from some point ahead of them. Beck’s features grew hard, his gaze wary, as the Master of Light prepared himself for what was coming.

  “I got your text,” Summer told her. “We can talk about what I went through after this. It’s kind of a long story.”

  Morgan nodded, more interested in what was about to happen.

  A strangled cry reached them. Morgan’s breath caught. She didn’t want to envision anything happening to Biji or anyone else innocent caught in the crossfire.

  Beck released her hand and started towards the sound, alternately sliding and leaping over boulders and ice. Morgan followed as fast as she could, and she and Summer gripped each other’s hands to steady themselves. Beck disappeared around a bend while the two of them struggled with the ice. Neither had worn snow boots.

  You’re not ditching me that easily! Morgan vowed. Tired of the ice, she pulled forth her magick and blasted fire ahead of them along the path to melt the ice.

  “I can help,” Summer said. Moments later, dirt rose up from the earth to fill the puddles and cover what remained of the ice.

  They reached the point where Beck had disappeared, and Morgan stopped, panting, to observe the scene before them. A dozen Dark witchlings, Biji and Decker in a cave, Dawn lying on the ground in pain, and Noah being held back by the Dark witchlings. Beck faced off with six witchlings, lightning flaring in his hands. But nearly everyone was focused on the moaning woman at the center of everything.

  “Baby,” Summer breathed. “She’s having it now.”

  “No, no, no!” Morgan darted forward, too aware of Sam and Beck’s warnings about what happened if Bartholomew wasn’t contained before the baby was born. “Beck! We have to do something now!”

  “Morgan, stay back a minute,” Beck called over his shoulder. Lightning flared in the air around him.

  Morgan stopped, and Summer careened into her. The ground began to rumble while the air grew thick with magick as the Dark witchlings also drew on their elements for the battle to come.

  “Biji …” Summer trailed off and pointed towards the cave.

  Biji was waving frantically towards them.

  “Come on!” Summer started forward, skirting the edge of the mess before them and headed straight to the cave.

  Morgan’s skin crawled with magick, agitating her fire. Beck was about to do something only a Master could do, and she innately understood she was standing too close for whatever was about to happen. Backpedaling several steps, she bolted after Summer. Summer paused before the cave and stepped in, and Morgan followed.

  Silence and stillness greeted her, along with what felt like a punch to the gut. The Dark sensed the stone and smashed into her, cold tendrils swarming all over her to find the stone. Morgan landed on the ground of the cave hard.

  “No!” Decker barked.

  The Dark retreated sluggishly, as agitated as the fire magick that had engulfed her. Summer and Biji were clinging to one another, and the power of Decker was thick in the air. Morgan prayed he wasn’t about to let Summer calm him when he needed his magick to keep the Dark from attacking her.

  “You okay?” Decker held out a hand to her.

  Morgan nodded. Her back hurt a little but nothing worth complaining about at a time like this. He stared a little too long, and she moved away. He was as affected by the stone as the Dark was.

  “I hear you turned Noah Light.” Decker blinked and stepped farther away, lingering near Summer without touching her. “Tell me how you did it.”

  “Now?” Morgan looked outside the cave, where Beck was about to have a showdown alone.


  “Yes. And fast.”

  Morgan wrung her hands. “I just burned him. Hot as I could.”

  “Beck says you created Light. How?”

  “I don’t really know. My flames turn white when they’re super hot, and the Light forms and flies away.”

  “To where?”

  “Um, the school once and Beck once.”

  “So to whichever is the closest?”

  “Yeah, I think so. Why?” She glanced at him. “You want me to burn you?”

  “No. There’s Dark magick belonging to Bartholomew mixed with the air magick keeping us in the cave. If you can burn his influence out, Biji can lift the air magick.”

  “Biji.” Morgan gazed her. “Air magick. Summer is earth-air. Noah water. Decker, you’re fire and …”

  “Water, spirit.”

  “Don’t you guys see? Everyone’s here! We can face Bartholomew!” The thought electrified her.

  “Hold that thought. We need to get out of here first,” Decker told her. “Burn as hot as you can. Biji, give her air so we don’t suffocate.”

  The air witchling approached and rested a hand on Morgan’s arm. At once, her defensive flames began to expand, fueled by the direct supply of air magick. Decker and Summer stood back while Morgan placed her hands on the barrier.

  She released her hold on the anxious magick and fed it, drawing off Biji’s element as well. The flames billowed and gathered at the barrier like the Dark shadows had, slowly shifting colors as they became hotter. Blue turned to purple, black, rainbow and finally, white so blinding, she squeezed her eyes closed.

  Sizzling filled the air. Whitefire raced along the barrier, eating away at the Dark threads integrated into the magick. The barrier expanded and burst. Cold air and rain brushed by her, and Morgan lowered her hands. The Light she had created arched between her and Beck and slammed into him, knocking him back a step.

  Glancing towards her, he flashed a smile and began to glow brighter.

  “Ow,” Biji mumbled and shook her arms out.

  “You all stay here,” said Decker.

  Morgan shook from effort and turned when Decker spoke. He was holding Summer tightly while the shadows from the cave were absorbed into his body. He released her with a quick kiss and strode out to join his brother.

  “Wait here my ass,” Biji said. She started to step out of the cave when the tense situation before them exploded.

  Lightning and shadows began taking out the Dark witchlings present. Dark air magick whipped up a tornado while Dark water attempted to freeze the water in the air around the Masters. The twins worked as a team, Beck driving back the witchlings and crippling them with pure Light while Decker unleashed black fog that chased down and consumed the Dark witchlings.

  “My god,” Morgan breathed, horrified by the power of the brothers.

  “Yeah. It’s crazy,” Summer agreed. “At least they aren’t fighting each other this time. That was insane.”

  “Guys, I think we need to help Dawn,” Biji said. “There’s a lot of blood.”

  All three looked towards the semi-conscious woman. Morgan watched until a direct path to Dawn formed amidst the lighting, shadows, ice, and tornadoes. She bolted for the blonde woman lying on the ground. Morgan dropped to her knees beside her. There was blood on her legs and pooled beneath her. Dawn was pale and sickly, her breathing ragged.

  “Dawn?” she called hesitantly. Her eyes went to the baby bump. Without Beck, she couldn’t protect the baby with her fire without hurting them both.

  “What’s wrong?” Summer asked and sat. She placed her hands on Dawn’s belly without hesitation. “Baby’s okay for now but, Dawn isn’t. I have to stop the bleeding.”

  Morgan glanced at her then back. The area around them suddenly fell quiet. No Dark witchling remained, aside from Dawn.

  “Morgan!” Beck knelt beside her, breathing hard and radiating Light. “Everyone is here. We need to act now.”

  “What’re you talking about?” Decker asked as he joined them.

  “Binding spell. We have to have all the elements and us to bind the baby. Noah! We need a pentagram to focus the magick. Can you make one out of ice?”

  Noah nodded. Seconds later, rivulets of water ran around them.

  Morgan stood and stepped back, along with the others. Biji levitated Dawn into the air so the pentagram could form beneath her and lowered her after it had hardened. Each of them took up a position on a point, surrounding Dawn with all five elements while Summer crouched in the center, hands on the semi-lucid woman to stabilize her.

  “Hurry!” Summer said urgently.

  Beck reached for Morgan’s hand on one side and Noah on the other. The moment Morgan touched their hands, electricity flew through her, a combination of cool water and warm earth magick. Biji was on the other side of Noah between him and Decker while the two Masters held hands.

  “You all know what you’re doing? Binding spell?” Decker asked quietly.

  Everyone nodded, except for Morgan, who was starting to freak out about her magick.

  “Fireball, can you control your magick enough to focus?” Decker asked when she didn’t agree.

  “I can.” Beck smiled at her. “Team?”

  Please don’t let me hurt anyone, she thought.

  “Trust me, Morgan.”

  Morgan nodded and wetted her lips. Having never tried to work with anyone else and her magick, she feared burning them all to a crisp in the process.

  “Hurry,” Summer urged.

  “Everyone focus,” Beck said and closed his eyes.

  Morgan followed his lead. The sensations tearing through her didn’t hurt – but they were scary. Hot Light and cold Dark mixed with Noah’s water, Biji’s air, Beck’s earth and Decker’s spirit. She timidly unleashed her fire to join the other elements, aware of her magick joining the ring. It raced hot and bright, darting around the other elements as the five of them coalesced and joined. She tried to focus on Dawn, but felt the fire slip from her control, only to be caught and balanced by the other elements that weren’t about to let it escape.

  She relaxed when she realized no one was getting hurt and her fire wasn’t derailing the efforts of the others. As she did so, she began to see the image of Dawn in her mind, surrounded by the colors of the elements moving like smoke around her stomach while Light and Dark came between the Dark soul that was Bartholomew’s and Dawn’s. Everything worked in harmony to build a shield around Dawn’s baby so Bartholomew couldn’t get to her while Summer’s gentle earth magick stabilized Dawn’s body.

  Morgan watched in amazement as the shield closed around the child.

  “Okay. Stone,” Beck said. “I’m not entirely certain how this works, but Morgan, move quickly. The earth is telling me Dawn needs more help than we can give her. I’m going to heal Dawn. You focus on chasing down Bartholomew.”

  Her heart leapt. Morgan opened her eyes, and the vision of Dawn stayed in her head.

  Summer replaced her at the point of the pentagram, and Morgan went to Dawn’s side. She pulled the soul stone from her pocket, not at all certain what to do with it. Magick swam around her, easing her distress as she realized Beck was right. Dawn was too pale, the pool of blood around her too large.

  She shifted closer.

  “Burn him out, Morgan,” Decker ordered.

  “I can guide you,” Beck added.

  Suddenly, Dawn snatched Morgan’s wrist and yanked her close. “Give it to me!”

  Morgan caught herself on the ground. Coldness like that originating from the stone swept through her. Dawn’s eyes were inky black, her super human strength fueled by a former Master of Dark. She grabbed it with her other hand, but Dawn didn’t let go.

  The black flashed away from Dawn’s eyes, returning them to normal. A surge of air magick originating from Dawn fed Morgan’s fire. “Save her,” came the stricken whisper.

  Morgan gasped. Dawn was still there. “I’ll try.”

  “Burn … me.” Dawn’s magick flowed into
Morgan. She sagged, her eyes closing.

  Morgan began to burn. Her heat was absorbed by the cold of the stone and the Dark soul, and she struggled to burn brighter when they were sucking everything out of her.

  “Beck,” she called uncertainly.

  “Try now.”

  His calming influence had all but left her. Morgan’s fire erupted into a flame four meters tall and engulfed everyone around them. She frantically pulled her magick back.

  “It’s okay, Morgan,” Decker called.

  “You can do this. We’re fine,” Beck added.

  Bolstered by their support, she relaxed the guards on her magick and let the fire blaze. Dawn’s air magick continued to feed her. The Dark witchling had fallen unconscious, but Bartholomew remained strong. Dawn’s Dark magick was faint and threadlike compared to the thick, cold fog of Bartholomew. Morgan focused on him rather than Dawn’s magick.

  Uncertain what exactly to do aside from burn, Morgan focused on chasing down the tendrils of Dark in Dawn’s body, mentally watching her white flames rip through the woman to get to Bartholomew.

  Her flames bounced off the shield around the baby sustained by the others and chased Bartholomew’s cloud of Darkness through Dawn. Her excitement grew – she had him cornered. How to get him into the stone, she wasn’t certain about, but –

  If I can’t have her, I’ll take you. The distinct voice in her head jolted her.

  Morgan hesitated, and Bartholomew leapt. Cold like that she had experienced when she swallowed the soul stone swept through her while the sense of not being alone in her own body made her start to panic.

  Bartholomew was inside her, fighting her for control of the flames that could so easily destroy those trying to cage him, if he were able to wield them. Morgan released Dawn and opened her eyes.

  The world was black.

  “Beck!” Morgan cried, unable to see anyone or anything beyond the Dark Bartholomew thrust into her.

  “Burn, Morgan!” His arms went around her, and her whole world suddenly went quiet, dark, calm.

  I have you now, girl.

  Chapter Twenty Four

  “Shit!” Beck felt Morgan go limp in his arms and her fire start to subside as she fell unconscious. She was shockingly cold. He shoved as much earth and Light magick into her as possible. “Decker! She’s cold.”