Page 77 of These Witches Don't Burn
“There’s a degree of swelling in his brain. We have him sedated, but we don’t know yet what will happen when we reduce the drugs. For now, we’re giving his brain time to recover before we try.”
“Swelling? How did that happen?” My knees go weak, and I stumble. Morgan is there in an instant, catching me by the elbow and keeping me on my feet.
Dr. Perez glances at her clipboard. “It looks like he hit his head when he fell.”
I think of the Hunter at Veronica’s house.Or someone knocked him out. That would explain why the fire spread. How it overpowered him.
Explanations and timelines continue, but I don’t hear them. I know I’m right. The Witch Hunter did this. He must have realized you can’t kill Elementals with fire, at least not while we’re awake.
“Your father will likely be unconscious for a few days. Maybe a few weeks. We’ll continue to monitor the swelling, but he might need surgery to relieve the pressure.” The doctor gestures to a closed door. “You can go in and see him if you like.”
I stand there, staring at the door like I haven’t the slightestclue how to open it. Dad made chocolate chip pancakes for me and Gemma this morning. I don’t know how to reconcile that man with the one waiting for me in this room.
“Thank you, Doctor. We can take it from here.” Gemma reaches for the door and opens it. “We’re right behind you.”
My heart lodges itself somewhere in my throat. I can’t do this. I can’t go in there. Even from the doorway, the room is too bright. Florescent lights glint off thin tubes that run from Dad’s arm to the IV bags.
Morgan reaches for my hand and squeezes. The pressure of her touch grounds me. Blinking back tears, I take the first tentative step into the room.
The air weighs heavy with death. Thick and stagnant. A ringtone chimes. My pulse quickens, and I check my phone. Not mine.
“Shit. Sorry.” Gemma pulls out her phone and presses it to her ear. “Mom? I’m at the hospital with Hannah. I’ll talk to you later.” She hangs up and puts the phone in her pocket.
“You should call her back. Make sure it’s okay if I stay over tonight.” I take another step forward but stop shy of the bed.He looks so pale. I wrap my arms around myself, trying—failing—to hold it all together.
“Are you sure?”
“It’s okay, Gemma. I’ll keep her company.” Morgan holds the door open for Gem and then slams it shut behind her.
“What are you doing?” I turn and find Morgan leaning against the door, blocking the exit.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to close it that hard.” She holds up her hands. “I just need to ask you something. In private. This is the first chance I’ve had since you said it.”
“Said what?” Panic threads through my veins, and my magic stirs. I reach for the air, absorbing its strength, ready to use it in an instant if I need to.
“I’m not going to hurt you, Hannah. I just want to talk.”
“So talk.”
Morgan shakes her head, and there’s this gleam of hope in her eyes that throws me off balance. “You said something at your house, somethingfamiliar. I’ve been spinning it around in my head since we got here, but I need to know if you meant it.” She pauses and runs a hand through her hair. “You said you could stop the fire. How?”
I never should have said that.I press my magic down, releasing my hold on the air. “I don’t know. It was the heat of the moment.”
“I considered that, but you were so sure. And then I thought about the woods and the stream and the candle. You seemed so at home.” Morgan steps forward, her hands still raised in surrender as if I’m the one holdingherhostage. “Please tell me you meant what you said about the fire.”
Wait. Is Morgan...I shake the thought away. No. There’s no way. I would have sensed her magic the first time we met if she were an Elemental. “I didn’t,” I lie.
But I’ve never been very good at lying.
Morgan’s eyes narrow. She lowers her hands and tilts her chin up, a challenge. She holds my gaze, the blue of her eyes shining in the artificial light. “Three Sisters blessed the world.”
Impossible.My heart beats so loud I’m sure she can hear it. I step forward, meeting her dare. “And were banished for defying their Mother.”
A slow smile spreads across her face. “You meant it. You could have stopped the fire.”
I nod, even though there’s still a hollow feeling in my chest that tells me I would have failed. That I wasn’t strong enough for a fire that out of control, that hungry.
“You’re an Elemental, aren’t you?” Morgan says the words with such awe, such kinship, that I’m about ready to burst from the relief of it all. She can help me. With her and Gemma, there’s no way the Witch Hunter will get away with this.
