Page 75 of Frosted Torment

One was a hiking pack for Lex and a sling backpack for me. The other was a saddlebag that one of the angels secured to Baz, along with an even bigger neck strap than the one Lex had secured to him last night.

“Did you call for them?”I questioned Baz.

“I did,”he divulged with a grunt as the angel tightened the saddle on him.

I raised my eyebrows as I swapped backpacks with an angel who had tattoos covering her entire body, making sure to keep Vincent’s dagger with me. Her all-seeing eye tattoo glared at me from the middle of her throat. The delicate cherry tree design inked onto her skin extended up to her jawline, adding to its beauty.

“How long are you expecting us to be gone?” I dared to ask, unable to avert my gaze from the angel’s neck.

“Overnight,” Lex confirmed. “It’s better that we’re prepared.”

“Especially with the uncertainty of the wards remaining intact,”added Baz, now lying next to me, his back level with my shoulder.

As I stood next to Lex, waiting for him to finish securing his pack, I slung mine over my shoulder. An unusual sensation ran through my body like a live power line. It was a strange feeling, almost as if something had awakened inside me. Maybe I would be useful and have a shot at fighting off Vincent and Maros since I seemed to have my own enhancements like Ena.

I still felt guilty for shocking Baz, but whether it was thebracelet or Callum’s essence, I was grateful for it. But what did the bracelet fusing to my bones mean? The uncertainty almost made me sick, wondering if it needed the last remaining person from my family who held the secrets to complete the transfer back to the veil.

My thoughts drifted to the inscription on my wrist, the words that had appeared when the bracelet fused to my bones.

The blood forgave. The line remains. The one He loved forever stayed.

They had appeared without explanation, a permanent reminder of something I couldn’t understand. It taunted me every time my skin twitched, and I felt like ripping off the bracelet even though I couldn’t. My thoughts turned back to Vincent and what he might know about this.

He had given the bracelet to Sasha—but why? Was there some deeper meaning behind his actions? Or did he not realize the power it held at all?

Regardless of the circumstances, it was crucial to uncover the truth behind the jewelry that had bonded itself to me. Especially if we had any chance of saving me and everyone else. And as we prepared for our next move, my mind was buzzing with questions and theories about its true nature and purpose.

“Ready to ride?” asked Lex, bringing me back to the present, and Baz nodded for me to climb up onto his back.

I secured Vincent’s dagger inside one of Baz’s saddlebags, then readied myself on top of Baz.

“Are these supposed to be reins?” I laughed as I inspected two additional leather bands attached to the belt around Baz’s neck.

“They’ll work for now,”Baz assured me with a huff.“We’ll get O’Neil and Nakoma to make something more suited to you later.”

“I’ve never ridden a horse, so how the hell do I ride a wolf?” I asked both of them. The inflection in my tone was skeptical as I fiddled with the handles.

“The same way you did last night.” Lex glanced at me with a smirk. “Hold on.”

I rolled my eyes, then slid my hands through the middle of each one and held the straps with my palms. Baz’s powerful legs propelled us forward at an incredible speed, and Lex kept our pace while running alongside us. The wind whipped through my hair as we raced across the terrain, leaving the bunkhouse and the camp behind.

As we emerged from the shelter of the trees, my breath hitched in my throat. Before us lay a vast meadow, filled with lilac bushes in full bloom. The sight was breathtaking and ethereal, as the delicate purple flowers swayed in the gentle breeze.

“Pit stop,”Baz murmured, indicating for me to dismount.

My eyes lit up at the beauty of it all. “How is this possible?” I whispered in surprise. “It’s not even spring yet.”

Baz answered me as he stretched his legs out in front of him.“The lilacs are the land’s way of giving back to us when we lose one of our brothers or sisters.”

I walked forward, my fingers brushing against the silky petals of the flowers. The scent was intoxicating, a sweet perfume that filled the air. For a moment, I let myself get lost in the beauty of it all and forgot about being hell-bound once it was over.

“Is this where you bury the fallen?” I stopped to smell the flowers.

Lex’s tone teemed with honor as he removed his pack. “Thevalley is on the other side of the fence ahead,” he pointed toward a roped-off part of the fence not too far away, “but our bones and feathers fertilize this field.”

“It’s gorgeous,” I announced.

The aroma of vanilla and roses enveloped me in its lush embrace, and I smiled. But my peaceful contemplation was interrupted when my wrist began to tingle, and the etchings on my skin glowed with intensity.

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