Beck’s
life was a mess and Decker was going crazy. He brushed his mother’s
face with his fingertips. Her shadows inched away from the Master
of Light. Earth magick confirmed what he thought.
“You okay, son?”
Beck glanced towards the recliner. His
father was sitting with an electronic reader, wearing jeans and a
t-shirt. He removed his glasses.
“Not really,” Beck replied. He sat down in
front of the blazing fire in the stone hearth, the source of the
light he’d seen. He met his father’s gaze, thoughtful. “Dawn told
me it’s a girl.”
His father lowered the e-reader and turned
on the light beside his chair. Beck sprawled out on his back,
staring at the log ceiling.
“Am I being irresponsible?” he asked.
“That’s a hard question to answer, Beck,”
his father said. “Do I think you should be involved in your
daughter’s life? Yes. Do I think you should consent to a shotgun
wedding for the sake of a child? Not necessarily. If the
environment you’d create is unhealthy, no.”
“I keep praying the kid’s not mine. Then I
feel awful, because she’s someone’s daughter, stuck with a mother
like that,” Beck said. “I think with me as a father …” He couldn’t
say the words.
“She’d have a chance?”
“Yeah.”
“You’re right. You’ll make a great
father.”
“How can you believe that?” Beck asked.
“Look at this mess! I never thought twice about sleeping with her.
How can I be a good father, let alone protect the Light witchlings
when I’m so stupid? It’s insane!”
His father smiled. “You’re aware of your
weakness. You’re working on it. That’s most of the battle,
son.”
Michael Turner always had the answers. Beck
sighed in exasperation. He wished he was half as calm or confident
as his father.
“You’ll make a strong Master of Light. It
takes time, though.”
“I don’t have time,” Beck said, thinking
about Decker and Autumn. He turned his head to see his mother. “I
can’t protect my own family. How can I add a kid to the mix?”
“One day at a time. First, we need to
confirm the kid is yours. If so, she and her mother will never want
for anything.”
“I know. I’m not worried about the financial
stuff. I feel so guilty leaving Dawn on her own, but I want a
relationship like yours and mom’s. Do Light Master’s have a mate
like Dark Masters?”
“Not sure. Sam probably knows. Either way,
you shouldn’t marry someone you have doubts about.”
“There’s no doubt,” Beck said. “I don’t want to marry her. If I listened to Decker or stopped to
think before sleeping with her…” He shook his head. “I won’t do
that again.”
“Thank goodness.” His father was amused.
Beck’s face grew warm. He didn’t know how
his father took everything so calmly.
“Why is mom sleeping on the couch?” he asked
suddenly.
“Interesting question. I noticed you didn’t
ask why she’s washing down drugs with alcohol.” There was quiet
concern in Michael’s voice.
Beck sat up but didn’t meet his father’s
gaze.
“I hoped the secrets stopped once Decker
became Master of Dark.”
“I’m sorry, dad,” he said. “You’re not
getting a divorce, are you?” The irrational fear at the thought of
his foundation crumbling made his breath hitch. He was barely able
to handle his life as it was.
Michael chuckled. “No, son.”
“I think it’s the last secret,” Beck said,
wanting to offer some comfort to the person who knew what to say to
him.
“She’s hurting and won’t let me help her.
That’s what frustrates me.”
“I know that feeling. God, do I know that
feeling!”
“Sometimes, you have to let them come to
you, as much as it sucks.”
The chances that Decker asked for help
before sinking into the Darkness weren’t good. And Autumn was too
stubborn. Beck’s gaze lingered on his mother, who was just as
likely to crack as his twin. He didn’t like the worry in his
father’s voice, though he was struck by how much
life was a mess and Decker was going crazy. He brushed his mother’s
face with his fingertips. Her shadows inched away from the Master
of Light. Earth magick confirmed what he thought.
“You okay, son?”
Beck glanced towards the recliner. His
father was sitting with an electronic reader, wearing jeans and a
t-shirt. He removed his glasses.
“Not really,” Beck replied. He sat down in
front of the blazing fire in the stone hearth, the source of the
light he’d seen. He met his father’s gaze, thoughtful. “Dawn told
me it’s a girl.”
His father lowered the e-reader and turned
on the light beside his chair. Beck sprawled out on his back,
staring at the log ceiling.
“Am I being irresponsible?” he asked.
“That’s a hard question to answer, Beck,”
his father said. “Do I think you should be involved in your
daughter’s life? Yes. Do I think you should consent to a shotgun
wedding for the sake of a child? Not necessarily. If the
environment you’d create is unhealthy, no.”
“I keep praying the kid’s not mine. Then I
feel awful, because she’s someone’s daughter, stuck with a mother
like that,” Beck said. “I think with me as a father …” He couldn’t
say the words.
“She’d have a chance?”
“Yeah.”
“You’re right. You’ll make a great
father.”
“How can you believe that?” Beck asked.
“Look at this mess! I never thought twice about sleeping with her.
How can I be a good father, let alone protect the Light witchlings
when I’m so stupid? It’s insane!”
His father smiled. “You’re aware of your
weakness. You’re working on it. That’s most of the battle,
son.”
Michael Turner always had the answers. Beck
sighed in exasperation. He wished he was half as calm or confident
as his father.
“You’ll make a strong Master of Light. It
takes time, though.”
“I don’t have time,” Beck said, thinking
about Decker and Autumn. He turned his head to see his mother. “I
can’t protect my own family. How can I add a kid to the mix?”
“One day at a time. First, we need to
confirm the kid is yours. If so, she and her mother will never want
for anything.”
“I know. I’m not worried about the financial
stuff. I feel so guilty leaving Dawn on her own, but I want a
relationship like yours and mom’s. Do Light Master’s have a mate
like Dark Masters?”
“Not sure. Sam probably knows. Either way,
you shouldn’t marry someone you have doubts about.”
“There’s no doubt,” Beck said. “I don’t want to marry her. If I listened to Decker or stopped to
think before sleeping with her…” He shook his head. “I won’t do
that again.”
“Thank goodness.” His father was amused.
Beck’s face grew warm. He didn’t know how
his father took everything so calmly.
“Why is mom sleeping on the couch?” he asked
suddenly.
“Interesting question. I noticed you didn’t
ask why she’s washing down drugs with alcohol.” There was quiet
concern in Michael’s voice.
Beck sat up but didn’t meet his father’s
gaze.
“I hoped the secrets stopped once Decker
became Master of Dark.”
“I’m sorry, dad,” he said. “You’re not
getting a divorce, are you?” The irrational fear at the thought of
his foundation crumbling made his breath hitch. He was barely able
to handle his life as it was.
Michael chuckled. “No, son.”
“I think it’s the last secret,” Beck said,
wanting to offer some comfort to the person who knew what to say to
him.
“She’s hurting and won’t let me help her.
That’s what frustrates me.”
“I know that feeling. God, do I know that
feeling!”
“Sometimes, you have to let them come to
you, as much as it sucks.”
The chances that Decker asked for help
before sinking into the Darkness weren’t good. And Autumn was too
stubborn. Beck’s gaze lingered on his mother, who was just as
likely to crack as his twin. He didn’t like the worry in his
father’s voice, though he was struck by how much
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