Page 36 of Frosted Torment

“Akta wasn’t angry with you.” Vincent rested his eyes on me with a half-smile. “The chaos wound him up, then after you fell and had your episode, it concerned him,” he clarified.

I wasn’t sure I believed his explanation, but it seemed plausible. “Where did they come from?” I asked.

Vincent’s voice hinted at a sound of regret. “Some of us begin to die as soon as we touch the earth,” he said. “We don’t know why, exactly, but there’s a ceremony we can perform that allows us to save them. The wolves are fallen angels, too.”

My skin prickled with goosebumps as I tried to process his words. “Although I’m not surprised, that’s amazing.”

Vincent’s brows crinkled between his eyes. He eyed my wrist, his gaze lingering on my bracelet. His eyes flickered with a million fireworks as they searched mine for an answer I didn’t have.

Air seemed to catch in his throat, and he blinked the colors away. “I haven’t seen that in ages.”

“You’ve seen this before?” I held up my wrist, and Vincent reached out to touch it. He inched closer, then pulled his hand away.

“It was your grandmother Sasha’s,” he confirmed as his lips formed a tight smile. “It’s ancient. Someone gifted it to her many years ago.”

“I’ve always wondered where it came from.” I stroked the etchings with my finger and smiled. “My mom gave it to me before she died.”

Vincent’s shoulders tensed a fraction, his focus shifting from the bracelet to my eyes. His throat bobbed when he swallowed. “It’s nice to see it has stayed in the family.”

My eyes narrowed as I watched him lean back against the couch. I was happy to know the bracelet had meaning and wasn’t something my mom found at a yard sale. That it meant more than junk.

I hunched forward, adjusting the sleeves of my flannel shirt, ready to dive into my past. “Can we discuss what’s going on here, please?”

“Straight to the point. I like that.” He placed one foot over his knee and stretched his arms across the back of the couch.

My voice trembled when I addressed him. “Vacation doesn’t last forever.”

Vincent’s gaze softened as he spoke. “This will be over soon.”

Jossy placed his cup on the serving tray in the middle of the coffee table, then sat in a recliner next to me. “We hope.”

“You’ll stay for a couple of weeks,” Vincent began.

I shook my head and waved my hands. “No way. I have responsibilities.”

“Your safety is a top priority,” Vincent said as he inclined his head sideways. “Ours too, for that matter, so you can’t leave until this is all sorted.”

My heart felt like it was about to beat out of my chest. “Nothing was safe about the demons penetrating the wards last night,” I insisted.

“All fixed up.” He smiled, but his eyes seemed to hide something when I looked at him.

I looked over at Jossy, then at Lex. They both nodded in agreement before I said, “How do you plan on fixing me?”

Uncrossing his legs, Vincent edged forward. “It won’t be easy, Noa, so patience is key.”

Despite the turmoil inside me, I held my voice steady. “I know there’s power locked inside me, and there’s a demon master looking for me.”

“His name is Maros.” He rubbed his eyebrows with his finger and thumb.

“I killed one of his Baneful Lurker demons.” My breath shuddered, but pride swelled inside me at the thought.

“He’s a typical demon thug who wants your world for his own,” Vincent remarked. “Maros and my brother Vallen plotted this together.”

A heavy awareness settled on my chest. “But they’ll torture me if they find me,” I said after a moment.

CHAPTER 15

Vincent’s mood quickly shifted to aggravation.

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