Winter Fire (Witchling Series)

by Ford, Lizzy

  Beck missed his twin. Decker was in the dorm in the Dark Campus, about sixty miles south of Priest Lake. It wasn’t far, but it felt that way. Especially today, when Beck’s thoughts were so scattered. The one he wanted most to push away – of kissing Morgan – just wouldn’t leave him alone.

  He changed into workout pants and a t-shirt then trotted down the wooden walkway to the gym entrance. Low and long, the gym was loaded with cutting edge equipment, two wrestling mats, a free weight area and men’s and women’s locker rooms, each of which had Jacuzzis and saunas. Mirrors lined one wall, and the ventilation system kept the air fresh and cool.

  A self-made billionaire and fanatic marathon runner, Michael Turner wasn’t about to build a gym with anything but the best.

  The guys were gathered at one end of the gym. Beck assumed someone challenged someone else to a wrestling or kickboxing match. It happened sometimes in winter, when tension between students confined to campus by snow got too high. Fighting was forbidden – mostly because of Beck and Decker’s huge fight from a year ago – but wrestling and kickboxing were permitted.

  His gaze went to Connor. Even the sight of Morgan’s brother made Beck feel more frustrated. He wasn’t going to think of her today or even talk to her if he did. No matter how much he enjoyed kissing her, he was going to do what he should have yesterday: walk away.

  Determined, Beck strode towards the end of the gym. It was a good day for wrestling matches.

  “Beck, c’mon.” One of the guys motioned him forward, grinning. “You gotta see this.”

  Beck joined them, hoping no one was bloodied up. It was hard enough to convince the pacifist Amber to let them wrestle, let alone defend the program when one got the occasional bloody nose.

  His breath caught when he was close enough to see who was wrestling.

  “Shift your weight, Morgan,” Connor instructed.

  Her hair in a ponytail, Morgan was working on breaking a hold that one of the other guys had her in. Her face was flushed, her eyes down as she concentrated.

  “I so want to be next,” Isaac whispered.

  “Not me,” Beck said. “I don’t want Connor kicking my ass if I mess up.”

  There was no way he could touch Morgan without wanting her more. He watched her move, irritated to see some other guy’s arms around her and also relieved it wasn’t him in the ring. Then irritated that she was there in the first place. He was trying to avoid her, not see her shapely legs in shorts or let his eyes linger on her breasts.

  Fire crept up the arm of her attacker. He jerked back. Morgan slammed her elbow into his chest, shifted her weight like her brother had told her and flung him over her hip.

  The boys laughed.

  “Morgan,” Connor sighed. “You’re not supposed to cheat.”

  “It’s not cheating if I win,” she retorted.

  “What happens when someone doesn’t fall for it?”

  She rolled her eyes at him then smiled at the guy she’d thrown down. She offered her hand and pulled him up.

  “You have the advantage of a low center of balance. Use that,” Connor told her. “For someone tall, that lets you use their weight against them.”

  “She’s beat the past three guys, Connor,” Adam said. “Maybe she should be teaching us, not you.”

  “Not until she does it right,” was the snappy reply. Connor’s gaze shifted to Beck.

  Beck waited to see if the elder brother gave any indication that he knew about last night. Connor smiled, which Beck took as a negative.

  “One more, sis,” Connor said.

  “Fine,” Morgan said.

  “Beck.”

  Morgan went rigid. Her back was to him, but Beck couldn’t help the side of him that wanted to see her face that moment. He loved the idea of teasing her, even if it ended up with him getting his ass kicked by a girl.

  “No, I’m done,” Morgan said carefully.

  “He’s taller than the others. Maybe you’ll listen when I tell you to use your lower center of gravity instead of fire,” Conner returned.

  “No worries, Connor,” Beck said casually. “If she’s done, she’s done.” Every fiber of his being told him to stop there, but he couldn’t help but want to get a jab in while he had the chance. He was far too frustrated – and attracted to her – not to want to see her flush. “Besides, I don’t want you kicking my ass, Connor, if I mess up.”

  Connor laughed. “Yeah, true.”

  Morgan whirled.

  Beck smiled, loving the look on her face and the spark in her eyes.

  Your turn. He mouthed to her. She sneaked a hasty glance at Connor, and he realized she was afraid to tell her brother about last night.

  “So you won’t fight me, because you’re afraid of my brother,” she said, planting one hand on her hip.

  “I’ll be moving out of the way,” Isaac said, shifting away.

  Beck shrugged, reminded of a similar conversation from yesterday. It was a button, and yes, it felt good to push it. In a public setting, nothing was going to happen, especially with Connor there.

  “Go ahead, Beck,” Connor said. “You’re the only one I trust here.”

  “Beck?” Morgan raised an eyebrow at him. “He sleeps with every girl at school.”

  “Only the blondes,” Beck corrected and winked.

  She flinched physically before her face flushed deep crimson.

  “I’ll go one more round,” she said.

  “You sure?” Beck asked.

  “I insist.”

  “Nice knowing you, Beck,” Adam said quietly.

  Beck stepped onto the mat. He really didn’t mind the thought of putting his hands on her again.

  “Don’t worry,” he told Connor. “I’ll go easy on her.”

  Conner smiled. “I’m not worried about her.”

  “Hey, Beck, watch out. She has a killer – “

  Smack! Beck was driven back a few steps as Morgan’s first kick landed at his temple. His ears rang.

  “ – roundhouse,” Isaac warned. “Sorry.”

  “Morgan! You don’t use full force!” Connor barked.

  “His head is hard enough. He’ll be fine, Connor,” she replied.

  “No, no, I deserved that one,” Beck added quickly. He met Morgan’s gaze. She was smiling proudly.

  Connor looked at him quizzically.

  “I wasn’t expecting someone so small to kick so high,” Beck said and shook his head. He squared off with Morgan, whose hands were up in a ready position. “You hit hard.”

  “I have to. People like to take out their issues on me,” she snapped.

  “You should probably stay away from people like that.”

  “I’m trying.”

  “You’re here in the guys’ gym this morning why?”

  “For picking a fight with one of the girls in dance class,” Connor answered.

  Beck forced himself not to smile. “So my talk yesterday didn’t work?”

  “Which one?” Morgan challenged.

  “Am I missing something?” Connor asked warily.

  As if also afraid of Connor finding out about last night, Morgan launched at him. Unaccustomed to sparring with girls, Beck didn’t want to make the first strike for fear of hurting her. Even if she held nothing back on him, he planned to pull his punches and let her win.

  She hit hard and well, her stature and size giving her the advantage of speed. Beck blocked one kick only for her elbow to land in his ribs. He snatched her wrist and spun her, but before he could pin her against him, she slammed her heel into his instep and threw her weight, the way her brother told her to. Beck lost his grip, and she slapped him hard enough that he laughed, feeling her frustration with him.

  “Good, Morgan, good!” Connor cried.

  Fire magick was creeping into Beck. Decker was right; the element made Beck want to engage her rather than retreat, as he planned. Their brief touching lit his blood on fire in a way he’d never felt before. He wanted her in a way that he didn’t t
hink possible: more than physically. Her fire and her wit were total turn ons as well.

  “Alright,” he said, flashing a smile. “Now, I’m ready.” His cheek burned from her slap.

  The guys laughed.

  He assessed her stance. He had a feeling that – on their feet – she’d win. She was quick and able to maneuver quickly, with a repertoire that relied upon kicks and punches. Those required distance. No, he wasn’t going to beat her on their feet.

  On the ground, however, where his size became an advantage he could use it to overpower her; He reasoned that her ability to kick or punch would be nullified. Of course, he had to get her on the ground, first. He might end up black and blue.

  Suddenly, he wanted to win. He wasn’t sure why, except that it mattered to him that she saw he wasn’t going to back down. Whatever her issue was with guys, she clearly was accustomed to them running from her or her brother. Her two hits hurt. He really wasn’t too keen on being a punching bag today. He dealt with enough of that from Dawn.

  Morgan kicked at him again.

  Beck kept his blows gentle and his blocks even gentler, not wanting to hurt her, even accidentally. He wanted to win – his way. The way that his brother and mother and everyone else seemed to think was the wrong way. He wanted to win without anyone getting hurt.

  He knew better than to put a hold on her when on their feet. She knew how to use her body weight, even if she cheated with magick. Instead, he waited for an opening to put her on the ground. It took a few minutes, but finally, she overextended on a kick. With her balance off, she was vulnerable. Beck swept her front leg and snatched her as she pitched forward, rolling backwards with her to keep her from hitting the ground and getting hurt.

  Her smaller frame landed on top of his and froze for a tiny moment. No doubt, his magick zipped through her the same way hers did him. Morgan leapt up, or tried, but he swept her feet before she was solidly standing and snatched her wrist, yanking her back down again.

  He rolled her beneath him, struggling to grip her wrists.

  Fire crept up his arms. Instinctively, he released her and jerked away, his natural response to move. The distraction and shift of his weight was enough for her to jam her knee between them and push him away with one leg and her hands.

  “Omigod!” he muttered. “I can’t believe I fell for it!”

  The others laughed.

  Morgan rolled onto her stomach, out from under him. Recovered, Beck stretched forward and snatched her hips, pulling her back down again. This time, he rested his entire weight on her. It took a moment, but he finally managed to grip her wrists and pin them above her head. She wriggled beneath him, unable to throw his weight.

  “Come on. Tap out,” he said, his lips close enough to almost touch her ear.

  Fire crept up his arms again.

  “Not gonna work this time,” he whispered.

  “You’re a jerk, Beck!” she hissed.

  “Tap out.”

  “You tap out! Or I’ll tell my brother.”

  “What? That we kissed?”

  Her breath caught. “I was going to tell him you treated me like crap last night!” There was actual pain in her voice. He hadn’t realized how much his comment to Dawn really did hurt Morgan.

  “Go ahead, and I’ll tell him we kissed.”

  The flames grew hotter, brighter.

  “Fine. If you’re going to cheat …” he murmured. Beck pushed his earth magick into her, subduing the flames. His magick took hold and soothed her agitated fire.

  She sighed. Her body went limp beneath his.

  She tapped out. Beck almost wished she hadn’t. He liked the feeling of her body beneath his, the sound of her ragged breathing and her womanly scent. Her hair tickled his nose.

  “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry I hurt your feelings,” he said and then pushed himself up.

  “How’s it feel to beat up a little girl?” Isaac teased.

  Awful. He held out his hand to her. She ignored him and climbed to her feet, face red and eyes angry.

  God, she looked so beautiful. His ear still rang and his cheek stung, but it was worth the pain to put his hands on her.

  Catching himself staring, Beck shook his head and faced Connor, who was frowning.

  “You got a minute, Beck?” the protective brother asked.

  “Sure.”

  “I’m going to change,” Morgan said and breezed by them. The guys parted for her, almost every one of them turning to watch her walk towards the door.

  Connor appeared too worried to notice. He was walking away from the mat. Beck followed, unable to tell what troubled the witchling.

  “So,” Connor said and turned. “You’re not going to let Amber call our parents about this, are you?”

  “About …”

  “Her picking a fight.”

  “Do you know what happened?” Beck asked.

  “Not really. I guess she … I don’t know what she was doing,” Connor sighed. “She wasn’t fighting in dance class. She was wandering around the forest after breakfast or something and got into a fight there.”

  “With who?” The only person in the forest that Beck knew of was Sam, the yeti. He doubted Sam would fight with anyone, especially a feisty little fire witchling.

  “She won’t say. She was late for dance class, and Amber asked me where she was. I kinda, um, lied and said she was here with the guys sparring,” Connor continued. “Then I went to her room and found her washing blood off her hands and trying to scrub it out of her coat.”

  “At least she won,” Beck murmured. “But why …” didn’t I feel it? He trailed off. If a Light witchling was in danger, he should be alerted by his magick. His brother, Decker, got call-outs when a Light witchling went Dark or a Dark one broke the Dark Laws. Beck received the same sort of alerts whenever something threatened a Light witchling.

  Connor shook his head in disapproval – and concern. Beck’s attention returned to him, and suddenly, he knew why he didn’t sense Morgan in danger.

  It was the same reason he wouldn’t sense Connor in danger and hadn’t been able to know when Summer was in danger, when she was stuck between Light and Dark. They weren’t Light witchlings. They didn’t have the same protection as those who had chosen or were born into Light.

  “It’s a lot to ask,” Connor said with a deep breath. “But can you keep it between us? I’m afraid of Amber calling home.”

  “So is Morgan,” Beck replied. “At this point, I need to know why home is a worse solution than here for her.” He was tired of the strange secrecy around the brother and sister. He was also disturbed by the idea that he had not only placed Morgan in possible danger last night after the Dawn incident, but wouldn’t be able to help, if Dawn did something stupid.

  Morgan couldn’t be another Tanya.

  Connor ground his teeth loud enough to hear.

  “That’s the deal,” Beck said, unwilling to back down. “You both are stuck between Light and Dark. If she’s in trouble here and won’t try to fit in, then I can’t help. Removing her from the school seems like a good option.”

  “No.” Though firm, Connor was also torn.

  “Beck, you want to wrestle?” Isaac called over to them. A glance revealed the boys were waiting.

  “No, go ahead,” he said, waving.

  “Can we talk somewhere else?” Connor asked.

  “Sure,” Beck answered.

  Connor led him out of the gym and around to the back of the dorms, stopping in the gravel driveway, kept clear of snow by a layer of salt. He stopped, paced and stopped again, green eyes on the pine trees of the forest.

  Beck waited. He folded his arms across his chest, the earth’s warmth keeping him warm as it flowed up his legs and into his body. A water element, Connor was drawing snow from the sides of the road. Beck watched the emotions play across the teen’s face.

  “She would kill me if I told anyone,” Conor said. “It took me a year to get her here, after all the messes we went throu
gh. My mom always wanted to send us when we turned thirteen, but our father wouldn’t let us. They got divorced when we were fourteen. Mom’s goal was to pack us up and send us here, but the court prevented it, and then granted Dad custody of Morgan with some sort of lame-ass excuse about how it was fair to both parents, if each got custody of one of us. I mean, seriously? It wasn’t fair to us!”

  Beck listened.

  “Morgan went to live with him and I went with Mom. I couldn’t come here without her. Mom never stopped trying to get Morgan back, but it’s not easy to fight a custody battle when you’re on minimum wage. I used to work as a busboy then as a waiter to help her raise the money. Anyway, Morgan went to Dad’s. It took almost three years for Mom to get an injunction, but then we couldn’t prove anything, and Morgan wouldn’t testify. The judge –“

  “Wait. Go back,” Beck said, frowning. “Couldn’t prove what?”

  “Dad has a temper. He used to hit our mom, and when I was fourteen, I mouthed off, and he decked me good. It’s why Mom got a divorce finally – to protect us. But then the judge gave Morgan to Dad, and he took it out on her. She showed up with bruises on Mom’s weekends,” Connor said in a hushed tone. “I knew what was going on, but she kept saying it wasn’t him.”

  Someone Dark hurt her. Decker had said.

  Beck’s anger unfurled within him. He didn’t want to imagine Morgan at the hands of someone abusive. Her behavior made sense in that light: What she said to Dawn, how she knew Beck’s pain. Why neither sibling wanted anyone to call home.

  “Anyway, Mom petitioned to let us go to boarding school here. We got a sympathetic judge, and he sided with Mom. For once,” Connor sighed. “It took four lawyers and almost four years to get her out of there, and a year of that was in court.”

  “I’ll protect her,” Beck said. “We won’t call your parents. I promise.”

  “I know how difficult she is,” Connor added. “I am so sorry. I’ve done everything I can think of to get through to her how important it is that she just tries.”

  “So, did the custody battle go sour at Christmas?” Beck asked. “It’s why she hates the holidays?”