Page 29 of Frosted Torment

Lex grinned and ran his fingers along his chin before sliding them into his front jeans pocket. He began to whistle as if he hadn’t heard me.

“This keeps getting more interesting, doesn’t it?” I asked them, my voice sharp with annoyance.

He paused and jabbed with a playful tone, “But you’re a fan of the cold.”

In that moment, the heavy gate creaked open to reveal two imposing guards standing on the other side. Twins. Identical, from their sharp features and piercing gazes to their thick purple braids that cascaded past their waists. Their eyes, a stormy shade of navy, held a hint of something more beneath their stony exteriors. I knew they were angels in their perfection.

“I’ll keep foot traffic,” Ivy stated, pulling me from my trance.

“Wait.” I reached out and took her hand, my grip on her fingers weak. “You’re not coming with us?”

“It’s safer if I help scout the area while you stay protected in the car.” She moved forward and hugged me, then ran ahead of us on the dirt road leading up to the house. The twins followed.

Once I situated myself in the front seat with Jossy behind the wheel, he instructed me to wear my seatbelt, which I ignored. As I turned around to see the gate close behind us, two whitewolves paced across the road. My heart sank, wondering what I’d gotten myself into as I searched the dark for Ivy.

“Are you nervous?” Lex asked from the back seat.

“Yes,” I said. The admission felt heavy in the air between us. “I’m not sure this is a good idea anymore, and I’m tired of being stuck in a car.”

My nails dug into the flesh of my palms as I sought to ground myself. A familiar ritual that had accompanied me through countless moments of doubt. Now it felt more urgent than ever.

“What?” Jossy shook his head, loosening a few mahogany locks from his ponytail. “No turning back now, Noa.”

“Why are you so on guard if this place is safe and you have wards?” I rebutted, my voice laced with skepticism as I glanced between them both.

The shadows of the night danced against the glass. For a fleeting moment, I wished I could slip through them and escape from this suffocating uncertainty.

Lex’s eyes flickered to mine in the rearview mirror, searching for understanding. “We’re hidden from the general public, but the Baneful roam around here; they can’t touch the land.”

“If you say so,” I looked out the window again, searching the night for Ivy.

Jossy gripped the steering wheel tighter. “We aren’t taking chances now that you’re here,” he said, punctuating his words with a slight nod.

Lex leaned forward on the console, sandwiched between me and Jossy. “Now that you’re back on the supernatural grid, the Baneful and others will gather.”

Goosebumps sprinkled my arms at the thought of beinghunted. “If you’re trying to make me feel better,” I replied with an edge in my tone. “That’s not it.”

“Don’t forget,” Jossy interjected, his voice cutting through my spiraling thoughts. “The Lurker’s master should know it’s dead by now.” His gaze drifted to the road ahead, eyes narrowing.

“You better pray Vincent has his shit together,” I shot back, anger tinged with fear bubbling beneath my skin. “Because if he doesn’t…” My voice trailed off as an aura flashed across my eyes—a kaleidoscope of colors swirling like storm clouds gathering above. A slow throb began behind my eyes, building like pressure before a storm.

“You found me.” A raspy voice coughed across my mind, jagged and broken like glass shattering on concrete.

It slithered through my thoughts and wrapped around my consciousness until it suffocated me. My eyes burned, and I could feel the tension in my head as my breaths came in shallow gasps. I squinted, trying to focus on anything but the bright, swirling crescents that danced across my vision.

I rubbed my eyes with the heel of my hand, desperate to see better. “I can’t see, guys. I’m getting a migraine.”

“Finally.” A coughing fit wracked his body, and the man in my head spoke, his voice familiar. “You won’t get away this time, Noa.”

It was the man infiltrating my mind while I slept, but I was wide awake now. Jossy’s face blanched white when he looked over at me and saw the fear I couldn’t hide anymore. His foot slammed on the gas pedal, kicking up rocks and dirt behind us on the winding road.

“All I need is two minutes, Noa,” Jossy announced.

Wind gusts became stronger, pushing the car back and forth across the gravel road, threatening to tip us over. The sound of wings above us, getting louder by the moment, sent chills down my spine.

“What is that?” I cried, my body jerking with every swerve of the car as Jossy swerved to avoid balls of fire that were now raining down on us.

“Demons,” Jossy spat, his knuckles white on the wheel. “Something must be wrong with the wards.”

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