Page 90 of Frosted Torment

I looked at him, a sudden fear gripping my heart. “Is it possible to get the secrets out of me without...” I swallowed hard, then finished the thought. “Without killing me and Baz?”

Vallen’s eyes met mine, and for a moment, I saw a flicker of emotion cross his face. He knew I had a full understanding of the signati bond.

“We need to get off this mountain first. That’s our priority,” he instructed.

CHAPTER 32

None of us slept well. Baz and Lex took turns keeping watch on Vallen, unconvinced he wouldn’t try to kill me. Or kidnap me, then kill me. I sat up and rubbed the back of my neck with a yawn.

“Any ideas on how to get to Noa’s apartment once we get out of here?” Baz’s skepticism was evident in his questioning as he stood gazing up at the small openings of the cavern.

Lex rose, excitement lighting up his face. “You can teleport us, Noa.”

“Teleport?” Baz’s eyebrow arched, showing his intrigue at the possibility. “She’s done it one time.”

I shook my head, dismissing the idea, “And that was by accident,” I reminded them.

Vallen trained his eyes on me with unnerving curiosity that sent shivers down my spine. Uncertainty clouded my mind. What was he thinking? I would usually dismiss such intrusive scrutiny, but a prickly awareness heightened my senses. It felt asthough he was dissecting me like a science experiment. A sickness he was determined to cure.

If I didn’t hate him for screwing up my life, stealing my soul, and killing my mother, he’d be the epitome of what I’d take home from the bar to quench my desires. And gods, did I need some quenching. But sex, along with everything else in my life, was on an indefinite hold.

Fucking angels.

Vallen’s entire body changed like magic once he took back his essence. Not something easily ignored, even if I wanted to gut him where he sat. He caught my eye, and a smile tugged at one corner of his mouth.

I instantly averted my gaze and offered Baz a polite smile. “It was a fluke. I don’t even know how it happened unless Vallen had something to do with it.”

“Your lineage has something to do with it,” Vallen stated, his observation of me unwavering.

He would need to stop staring at me, or I would consider stabbing him before we left the cave.

“You broke through the shield I created and,” Vallen declared with assurance, “if you were wearing the bracelet when you teleported, then it absolutely helped.”

My eyebrows furrowed as I examined my skin, trying to make sense of how a rusty nail from the cross had chosen me. “But it wasn’t fused to my bones the other day.”

“Even better,” Vallen chimed in. “It makes you stronger along with mine and Callum’s essence flowing through you. But those will wear off. And when they do, princess—” He cocked his head sideways, not needing to say it.

Vallen’s tone was lethal, and I couldn’t help but feel satisfiedthat Callum gave me something to help save my life for the time being. I didn’t want to acknowledge that Vallen had anything to do with it. The more it angered him I got to live, suited me fine.

He shoved the chains lying next to him against the stone and stood. My eyes widened at the sight before me. What was once a thermal blanket had transformed into thermal… pants.

“How the hell did you manage that?” I inquired, turning to Vallen with a look of curiosity. I nudged Lex’s arm playfully, urging him to join the conversation.

Lex swiveled around, adjusting his backpack with practiced ease. “Well done,” he praised Vallen with a smile.

“I have my ways,” Vallen replied, his voice smooth and confident.

His eyes held a spark of mischief that made me wary. What other tricks did he have up his sleeve that he hadn’t revealed yet?

Baz snorted, unimpressed. “Can we focus on getting out of here instead of playing dress-up?”

I shot Baz a warning look before turning back to Vallen. “Is there a way for us to leave this cave without alerting anyone outside of our presence?”

Vallen’s voice remained steady as he considered the question. “They can’t track you, but Vincent knows where I am, so I’m sure someone is checking around the mountain,” he cautioned. “We’ll need to move fast and work together.”

I exchanged a wary glance with Lex and Baz, but took a breath. “Alright,” I managed to say. “Let’s hear the plan.”

Vallen tilted his head back once more and peered up into the opening where water dripped into the cave.

---