Page 22 of Frosted Torment

“Like that bird creature?” I asked, recalling the grotesque image seared into my memory.

“Mhmm,” she nodded, her expression grave. “And sometimes they’re gifted a human form if they were evil enough when alive.”

Lex turned back toward Jossy. “We should focus. You realize that was a Lurker, right?”

Jossy pivoted on one heel, his voice growing louder with each word. “Yes, I know it was a Lurker!” The frustration radiating off him was almost tangible.

“We can’t rely on your wards indefinitely, brother,” Lex shot back. He paced the confines of the road. “The longer we stay here arguing, the more vulnerable we are to another attack.”

I let out a hollow laugh, the sound brittle in the heavy blanket of silence. “Why is this happening?”

Jossy paused and turned to me. His expression softened as he realized how lost I felt amid their revelations. “Noa,” he began, “you’ve been part of something for much longer than you know. Your mother’s death wasn’t an accident—it was part of something bigger.”

Lex stepped closer to me, his eyes earnest now. “You have powers that you don’t know or understand. And those powers have drawn attention—both good and bad.” He glanced at Ivy before continuing, “We’re not here because of your energy; we’re here because you matter.”

A lump formed in my throat as their words sank in like stones dropped into still water.

“What do you mean by that?” I asked softly, vulnerability creeping back into my voice. My hands trembled, and I felt pressure build in my head as the beating of my heart grew louder in my ears. “I don’t have any powers.”

Jossy stepped forward again, and this time, his presence felt protective. “You have plenty of power.” He lifted my chin to his eyes with one hand, then placed a finger against the side of my head with two gentle taps. “Because of that, our kind wants to get their hands on you. Your existence could tip the balance between good and evil—and that’s why we need to keep you safe.”

My world tilted, and I was certain I wouldn’t recover. “Can we stop them?” I pleaded as my shoulders tensed.

Jossy hesitated, a flicker of uncertainty crossing his features. “We believe we can.”

“Reassuring,” I bit back as I dragged my hands down my face.

“Do you trust me?” Jossy asked and held out his hand.

Doubts swirled within me, but I gave in and placed my hand in his. “If you promise to be honest with me,” I told him.

His expression softened, and he released me. “As much as I can. Some of this they’d have my wings for if I explained it all.”

“Then who can?” I sighed, a weight anchoring my shoulders as I let out a breath that felt heavier than the air around us.

Jossy’s voice broke the quiet. “An older and more powerful angel, Vincent.”

There was a hint of reverence in his tone, a tangible respect that made me glance at him sideways. Did Vincent embody the same noble characteristics as Jossy? I folded my hands in prayer, pressing them against my lips.

I watched how still everything had become. Even the wind and trees followed the angels’ lead. It seemed as though each blade of grass stood at attention, waiting for an order.

The world outside our cocoon faded into an eerie hush; I couldn’t hear a single car in the distance. It was nothing but dead silence—a silence so profound it felt like an entity in itself.

Jossy moved toward me. I leaned back by instinct, shaking my head to ward off both his offer and the ominous truth hanging over us. But then I met his wide blue eyes brimming with sincerity.

His brow arched in playful challenge. “Come on, Noa,” he urged. “We don’t bite.”

With a groan that spoke volumes of my hesitation—yet also my need for answers—I placed my hand in his and relented.

CHAPTER 9

My heart fluttered. Jossy’s touch warmed me, sending tingles across my skin. I realized in that moment he had only revealed a fraction of his true self during all the time I’d known him. They all had.

“How does this work?” I asked, my voice wavering. “Help me understand, Joss. Angels, demons, end-of-the-world prophecies... are not something I’m prepared to handle. Putting killers away for arson, that’s doable.”

His eyes turned sad. “You don’t want to face it because you can’t explain what your senses can’t confirm. You can rationalize ghosts because you can hear them and sometimes see them.”

“They were once human, with physical bodies before death,” I argued.

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