Page 10 of Frosted Torment

The best birthday I’d allowed myself in years faded into the background in a pile of ruin. What was looking more like a vivid hallucination plagued me. Now, sandwiched between Ivy and Lex in the back of the car, my skin felt like fire and ice bursting from within. I rubbed my arms as Ivy held me close.

Watching streetlights stream past the window, Crystal Wings disappeared in the distance. Our driver earned his pay as he screeched to a halt in my apartment parking lot. We tumbled out, one after the other, and I lost my balance when a writhing pain clawed through my top lip.

This time, I knew something was wrong. Doubled over, the entire night of drinks splattered onto Lex’s cowboy boots. Then everything went black.

CHAPTER 5

My eyes fluttered open to an unfamiliar beeping sound. A firm hand, unfamiliar to me, clasped mine. Comfort intertwined with strangeness, its touch both soothed and startled.

“Where am I?” My voice was a parched whisper.

A rich, husky voice met my ears as he tried to soothe me. “Easy there, Noa. You’re all right.”

My throat felt raw and dry, like sandpaper, and I struggled to take in my surroundings. As my vision cleared, I realized that medical equipment filled my apartment - a blood pressure cuff encircled my arm, and an IV was in my hand. Panic gripped me as I scanned the room in vain for familiar faces, but my friends weren’t there. I steadied my breathing with slow, measured breaths.

“Please, may I have some water?” My plea emerged in a fractured rasp, louder than intended.

The man sitting beside me nodded and handed me a bottle from a nearby tray. Water flooded my mouth, refreshing my taste buds with its crispness. I examined his refined features, finding them both luminous and unsettling.

Tailored jeans and a crisp button-down shirt donned his frame as he uncrossed one leg over the other, his feet clad in loafers. No socks. He stood, and his gentle touch eased me upright to track my breathing.

Yet, his emerald eyes unsettled me. They were arresting. Each time they peered down at me, I felt a mix of unease and familiarity. Something about him set my nerves on edge, but before I could question him, his hand brushed my throat. My pulse quickened under his lingering fingertips.

He chuckled and asked, “Do you know who I am?”

I shook my head as a small flashlight grazed across my eyes, following his gesturing finger. “No,” I managed.

Sound from the hallway seeped into the living room, and I faced the door.

“Are my friends out there?” I leaned forward, straining to see if Ivy or Jossy were near.

“Yes,” he confirmed, his expression unreadable. “But I need you to listen, Noa.”

I shielded my face with trembling hands. “Something’s wrong with me, isn’t it?”

He settled next to me on the sofa and tilted my chin back as darkness filled his eyes. “Not exactly, no.”

My eyes fixed on his, and I bit on my bottom lip. “What does that mean?”

The man rose to check the machine’s blinking lights andnumbers next to me. As he turned, I opened my mouth to call for Jossy. He flashed a piercing look over his shoulder at me. “Don’t bother screaming. You aren’t awake,” he cautioned.

“Huh?” My eyes widened, uncertain of his implication.

“If your friends looked in now, they would see you in a deep sleep.” He walked to the door, opened it, and gestured outside. “See?” he said as he returned to my side.

My fidgeting hands worried the blanket as I tried to conceal my escalating dread. “Why act out checking my vitals, then?”

“You caught me there.” He chuckled and settled next to me, grasping my hands in his. “I wanted you to feel at ease, Noa.”

Every hair on my body bristled when he uttered my name. His voice was hypnotic yet ominous, concealing something sinister. I swallowed hard. “But you don’t. This is anything but comforting.”

Disregarding my concern, he continued, “Do you remember what happened last night, Noa?”

I inhaled a quivering breath before answering. If I didn’t, I feared what he might do. “I was on the terrace with friends, did a reading, then blacked out. Does that cover it?”

Being rejected by Lex had cut deeper than I cared to admit, and now here I was, trapped in a nightmare with a stranger. He watched me like a lion stalks its prey. Then, he inclined his head. His warm breath brushed my neck as his cedar and vanilla aroma enveloped me.

“Your mother was right,” he murmured. “The Baneful will come for you.”

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