Page 81 of Frosted Torment

Lex unfurled his wings and handed me a tiny flashlight from the backpack. “You’ve got this.”

“You’re lucky it’s not that far up.” I scowled at him as he wrapped his arms around me. “Also, I want my vape back since I’m doing this,” I advised.

He laughed knowing he’d never agree, then hovered above the ground. Lex lifted me to a small tunnel in the side of the mountain, and I crawled inside. I took off my sling pack, handing it to him, then placed the flashlight between my teeth.

Climbing inside the crawlspace on my stomach, I searched for the opening to Vallen. Pulling the flashlight from my mouth, I pointed it down the tunnel and to each side. “There’s nothing here, and I’ve touched everything with my wrist.”

“You sure?” Lex sounded skeptical as he hovered outside the entrance.

“Yes!” I yelled, irritation coating my tone. “Do you want to get in here?”

I moved further into the tunnel to where my feet were no longer visible. It grew wider, and I was able to turn over onto my back. Taking a deep breath, I scanned the walls, but still nothing. Looking up, I noticed a small hole above me, and I had an idea.

“Anything?” Lex called in after me, his voice sounding anxious.

“I’m probably going to regret this, but hold on!” I called out to him.

Keeping the flashlight in one hand, I raised my other armwhere the bracelet sat beneath my skin and placed it in the open space above me. I prayed that nothing would eat my hand or rip my arm off.

Feeling around with my fingers, there wasn’t a lever or any type of button, but there was an odd groove in the rock. Taking a deep breath, I set my wrist inside, and a needle-like pain shot through my arm.

I squeezed my eyes shut, only to pitch forward as the stone beneath me gave way. The world tilted and I slid down, then tumbled forward hard on my hands and knees, loose gravel biting into my palms. Beside me, Baz and Lex stood startled as I looked up at them, water misting into my face.

Breathing hard, I raised my head, hardly daring to hope. My eyes widened as I turned around to see the mountainside open. I scrambled to my feet as Lex picked up his hiking pack and then handed me mine. Baz looked around to see if anyone was watching us, but he pointed forward, and we hurried inside the small doorway.

“Where’s the flashlight?” Lex asked as he swiftly searched the area.

“Lost it at some point,” I said, “but it has to be here somewhere.”

Placing my back against the entryway, I leaned forward, using the light from outside to help. Bending down, the cylindrical blue glint caught my eye, and I pointed.

“At your feet, Baz,” I said and pointed to the floor.

Baz picked up the flashlight and tapped it in his hand to get it to turn on again. “Shall we?” he asked, using the light to guide us forward.

I placed my arm on the wall for support, and the mountainbegan to grow dark. The roar of the waterfall had faded to a muffled hum; the air around us was still and musty. Darkness pressed in from all sides, thick and disorienting as the flashlight flickered. I blinked rapidly, trying to make out my surroundings, but it was like staring into a void.

“Let me see it,” Lex muttered. I heard him rummaging through his pack, then with a click, he turned on the flashlight. “Extra batteries for the win.”

The beam cut through the cavernous shadows, illuminating rough-hewn walls of black stone. We were in a tunnel, narrow and winding, disappearing into the depths of the mountain. Lex moved forward, the flashlight bobbing with each step.

Baz and I followed, our footsteps echoing in the confined space. As we walked, I noticed strange markings etched into the walls, angular letters that seemed to shimmer in the dim light. They were angelic runes, but they looked as though they were a different language altogether.

“I’ve never seen anything like this.” Lex traced his fingers over the symbols, his brow furrowed. “Some kind of ancient angelic language I’ve never been privy to.”

Baz leaned in for a closer look, his eyes narrowed in concentration. “And these words here look like a different version of Latin. I recognize some of them, but I’m not sure what they all mean.”

I struggled to hear him as my attention focused inward. With each step deeper into the mountain, a growing sense of unease coiled in my gut. I could feel the weight of the stone above us, crushing and immovable. Each breath came in short, ragged gasps, echoing in my ears as my heart pounded a frantic rhythm against my ribcage.

“Noa?” Lex’s voice seemed to come from far away. “Are you breathing?”

I shook my head, struggling to form words. “I can’t—I don’t think I can.”

The tunnel expanded into a wider path, and Baz stopped. He unscrewed the cap of a water bottle and handed it to me. “Here, drink this. Try to take slow, deep breaths through your nose and out of your mouth.”

Taking small sips, I fought to calm my racing heart. Gradually, it slowed, leaving me drained and shaky.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, embarrassed by my moment of weakness. “I don’t know what came over me.”

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