Page 103 of Frosted Torment

“You are awakening,” Vallen murmured, his voice filled with both awe and concern.

“I’m scared,” I confessed. My throat constricted in terror. “What if I can’t handle it? What if I hurt someone?”

“Hey.” Vallen’s soothing voice echoed in my mind like a lifeline, pulling me back from the edge. “Trust yourself, Noa, and come back to me.”

It was difficult to tear my gaze away from the infinite possibilities that had embraced me, but with one last glance, I turned away and followed the sound of Vallen’s voice. My eyes fluttered open, but he held me tight, as if afraid that I might slip away from him again. I looked up and saw his intense green eyes, flickering entirely with gold now.

“Do you feel any pain?” he asked, his voice steady.

It was the first time he’d ever asked me a question. I took a deep breath and shook my head, feeling dazed but unharmed. “No, I…I don’t think so.”

His touch was reassuring as he retracted his wings. “Everything will be all right,” he promised, his eyes never leaving mine. “We’ll have to start training your human side to block out that angel side sooner rather than later.”

I chuckled and raked my hands through my tousled hair. “What do we do now?” I asked.

“Now,” he replied, his tone low and intense, “let’s take the fight to them for a change. I have a plan, but I need to know, Noa. How far are you willing to go?”

My gaze swept over him as the power surging through my veins urged me forward. I had only one choice left.

“To the death,” I told him.

And I meant it.

CHAPTER 36

Once I had painstakingly cleared one of Baz’s wooden drawers, I nestled Dust Bunny into her new home. Then I changed into clothes more suited for facing demons and fallen angels. As we all gathered around the campfire waiting for Vallen, Jossy extended his arm toward me, holding a worn leather satchel.

I reached for it tentatively, fingers grazing over the worn leather’s rough texture before carefully flipping open the tarnished brass clasp. My hand delved into the bag’s depths and brushed against a cold, hard object. Drawing out two gleaming new daggers, their polished surfaces caught the firelight. Unlike the wolf hilts of my other daggers, these bore a single angel wing design and fit into my palm with ease.

A flood of gratitude washed over me; my breath caught as my hand flew to my mouth. I threw my arms around him in a tight hug.

“Thanks, Jossy,” I murmured, still clutching one of the new daggers.

Jossy shrugged as if it were no big deal. “We noticed you didn’t bring yours back with you,” he said, his eyes flicking toward my empty holster.

“I appreciate this.” I smiled warmly, feeling the weight of the angel-wing dagger in my hand.

“Maybe you can zap a demon with lightning as you stab it! Fry it right up!” Jossy laughed and wrinkled his nose before heading off to find Nakoma.

“Don’t be nervous,” I teased before he got too far. “If it weren’t for you guys finding me and exposing me to this, we’d all be doomed.”

Jossy’s grip on my shoulders tightened slightly. “Tell me you’re sure about entering this fight, Noa.”

“We have the upper hand.” I smiled confidently and put my hand on his shoulder in return. “Don’t back out on me now, Joss.”

“Never,” he promised.

As I secured the daggers into a sleeveless leather bodice Ena supplied me with earlier, approaching footsteps broke the momentary silence in camp. We all turned instinctively towards Vallen’s looming figure. His presence cast a shadow over us—his beauty was impossible to ignore—as everyone moved toward the edge of camp. Vallen reached out for my hand, and I accepted it willingly.

“It’s time to go,” he whispered, keeping us a few feet behind everyone as they began their walk. “You know what you need to do.”

I nodded and squeezed his hand, then gestured for him to lead the way.

The journey toward Dawson’s field was unsettlingly quiet, broken only by the crunch of our footsteps on twigs and leaves. It wasn’t until we reached the edge of Dawson’s property that Vincent or Maros came into view. My heart pounded against my ribs as I spotted their figures moving around freely.

Maros barked orders to his army, and like clockwork, his soldiers snapped to face us. Their grotesque faces twisted into snarls, accompanied by eerie screeches from above. Vincent quickly noticed the shift and signaled for his troops to merge with them.

I clung tightly to Vallen’s hand as Dawson and Nevaeh continued along the perimeter toward their house. They stayed just behind the tree line with two wolves flanking them for protection. Jossy moved like a shadow through the open field, attacking fiercely from every angle to clear a path for Nakoma. Their synergy was breathtaking.

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