Page 17 of Frosted Torment

It had reddish-yellow hair resembling a woman with a facehalf human, half pterodactyl. Baring rows of jagged teeth, she lunged toward me. Her hollowed-out eyes filled me with terror as her claws sliced through the air. One ripped through my hoodie, grazing my shoulder.

I fell to the ground as the creature towered over me, teeth oozing with brown saliva, and ready to strike again. As the monster’s claws came down for me a second time, I threw my arms up, crossed in front of my face. A deafening explosion sent us all hurtling through the air. Shards of glass and tires whizzed past us as we tumbled through the air.

Enveloped by a rush of wind, the abrasive symphony of twisting and scraping metal echoed in my ears. The smell of burning rubber and gasoline filled my nose, turning my stomach. My back cracked before I slammed into unforgiving asphalt, having the wind knocked from my lungs. I rolled over and retched. Violently. Then, I fell back and hit my head on the concrete.

A snarl in the back of my mind, followed by a sinister laugh, taunted me. I jolted into a sitting position, but steely arms held onto me. I couldn’t tell if they intended to save or imprison me. Disoriented, I struggled to escape.

“It’s me, Noa,” breathed Lex, loosening his grip. “I can’t believe you’re alive.”

“I’m not sure I am,” I coughed as I looked around.

Brilliant sunlight streamed through a stained glass window of a church across the street. The snow had even stopped. Where the hell were we in the middle of the day? A few minutes ago, black painted the night sky. I lowered my gaze, then rubbed my eyes with the palms of my hands.

When I looked again, I noticed two wooden doors that formed an archway to the entrance of the church. I scrambled to my feet and spun around. I tried to find where I had landed after whatever had happened.

My head throbbed with questions and confusion. Other than the church across the street, waves of farmland surrounded us. I stood on a two-lane road in the middle of nowhere, not sure how any of us got here.

My eyes hunted for Ivy and Jossy, but my vision blurred. Was this Judgment Day? A hand gripped my shoulder, and I screamed. But it was Jossy, his voice soothing as he folded me into his arms. Fiery pain seared my shoulder.

“You’re okay, Noa,” Jossy said.

“Oh, Jossy,” I choked out, trying to catch my breath. “Are there scratches?” I asked, turning to raise my hoodie up over my shoulder for him to inspect.

“It’s not as bad as it seems. They’re already healing.” His fingers tilted my chin up. Dizziness washed over me as he scanned my face for other injuries.

“Healing from what?” I managed.

“Venom. And your bones are mending.” Jossy checked my pulse. “Teleporting can do that.”

I shook my head in confusion. “Who the hell teleported?”

He took my hands and took a deep breath. “We did.”

My throat bobbed. “Explain that monster and the claws, Joss. You’re way too calm.”

“I can’t believe you survived,” he said, confused.

“Why did I? Why did any of us?” I blurted.

For once, he had no words. Then, Ivy burst from the church and engulfed me in a crushing hug, relief etched on her face.

“You’re okay!” She set me down gently.

With my feet back on the ground, Ivy squeezed me hard enough to crack a walnut, but I felt nothing. I should’ve been full of cuts, broken in two, besides the wound on my shoulder. I should’ve been dead, but I wasn’t. None of us were.

I placed my hands on her shoulders and steadied myself. “I might get sick again.”

She pulled out her phone and checked the map. “We’ve landed on Highway Eighty-Seven between Stanford and Windham.”

Lex sprang up from the road, brushing off his jeans. “At least we’re still in Montana,” he called out.

Jossy turned my face back to him. “Lex saved you. It took a lot out of him, but he’ll recharge.”

My words spilled out in a gush. “What do you mean? What’s going on?”

“It’s time for the truth,” Lex admitted. “We planned to tell you after dinner, but here we are.”

Before I could respond, Ivy said, “Let’s go inside. Someone might drive by.”

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