Page 65 of Frosted Torment

“Unique as it is,” Lex acknowledged as he walked back toward us with a slice of bannock bread slathered in jelly, “I don’t put things under a microscope like Joss.”

With a sigh that seemed to carry the weight of long-held regrets, O’Neil shook his head. “Vincent wasn’t one to explain himself,” he remarked.

“He lied to us,” Lex stated, then swallowed his last bite of bread. “About everything.”

“And the symbols,” I interjected. “What do they signify?”

I rubbed my wrist and realized the bracelet was one of the things Vincent would return to claim. The other was me.

“They’re angel runes,” Jossy explained. “But, with any language, their order means something different for everything, like hieroglyphics.”

“What if they’re protection runes?” I posed as I tapped each one.

Baz grumbled with skepticism as he settled onto the floor inthe living room. He crossed his paws, then laid his head down while we tried to decipher the runes.

“Can I take a better look at it?” Jossy asked me.

“Sure.” I gestured with a casual flick of my hand as I moved to remove the bracelet from my wrist. “It has to mean something to Vincent if he needed to lie about where Sasha got it.”

Jossy extended his hand, waiting for me to place it in his palm. “You and Baz need to get going, Noa. Come on.”

“I’m trying,” I chuckled, feeling a flutter of anxiety as I met his ocean gaze. “It slid on easily the other day, but it’s like my hand is too big now or something. It won’t come off.”

“I guess that’s a good thing. Later then,” he commented.

I watched as Jossy walked over to Nakoma, planting a light kiss on his lips. Nakoma closed his eyes and relaxed as Jossy pulled his forehead to his. “Are you ready to canvass the area, babe?” asked Jossy.

“Let’s do it,” Nakoma answered. He pushed Jossy’s fiery hair behind his ear, then kissed him back. This time with more force.

My eyes lingered on their tender moment, and a wave of happiness washed over me. Jossy deserved this love, this companionship that seemed to fit him like a glove. And the way Nakoma held Jossy, it was clear he cherished him. As they parted, Nevaeh cleared her throat behind me and brought me back to my reality.

The front door opened, and Ena walked in with a backpack and a snow jacket. She held the door open for Jossy and Nakoma, and once they left, she placed the backpack at my feet. I took the jacket with a forced smile.

Stepping toward Lex, he placed a hand on her lower back, and she breathed, “I still can’t believe Vincent and Ivy did this.”

“I can,” said Dawson as he loaded bullets into a magazine. “Always walkin’ around irritated with her nose in the air.”

“I don’t think it was that, honey,” Nevaeh countered and holstered another gun at her side. She looked at me with a soft smile.

“Oh yeah? What then?” Dawson asked, and, placing his hands on his hips, waited for a response, but he added, “The nonsense about Noa being unable to love Ivy is ridiculous.”

It stung me to my core to think I was the reason for Ivy’s betrayal. It also pissed me off that she chose to fall here to help, then went off and joined Maros because she couldn’t have a human.

She couldn’t haveme.

Bullshit!

“Let that anger fuel you because you’re going to need it,”Baz interjected as his warm gaze met mine.

“Not right now, Baz,”I snapped in frustration.“Besides, I thought you couldn’t read my thoughts?”

“You said that out loud in your head to me.”He stood and tipped his head back. A gesture for me to come stand with him by the garage opening.

I groaned, but hoisted the backpack over my shoulders and joined him anyway.

“I’ll enlighten you on how to shield your thoughts so they don’t come out as a spoken voice in your head,”he offered.

I laid the jacket on a small end table next to him.

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