Page 96 of Frosted Torment

Moments later, he emerged carrying Ivy’s limp body in his strong arms. He laid her gently on the couch, his expression fierce.

I shook my head grimly. “She’s not going to make it.”

“I know,” Vallen said, agreeing that there was no hope for her.

I wanted to hold my friend and let her know that everything would be okay. Fear of her crumbling in my hands prevented it. “Why is she here?” I asked.

“Maros could’ve brought her here,” he stated plainly.

I shook my head. “What? That’s ridiculous,” I argued.

“Demons are known to do worse. Even to their own kind, Noa.” Vallen shook his head in frustration. “She joined them, but she loved you, Noa. She didn’t feel there was anotherchoice. They see her as a traitor regardless, and they used her.”

A thousand thoughts raced through my mind as I saw my once-confident and vibrant friend now shattered both physically and spiritually. I knelt beside Ivy, tenderly brushing a strand of hair away from her face. Despite the pain etched on her features, there was a flicker of recognition in her eyes when she gazed up at me. It was a silent plea for forgiveness, understanding, and perhaps even redemption.

“We should try to clean her up,” I forced out as Vallen retrieved some water and towels.

Together we began to carefully wipe away the crusted blood that covered Ivy’s face and head. I was determined to give my friend as much respect as I could before she died.

“Is there anything you can do to heal her?” I asked hesitantly. I didn’t know if Vallen was even willing, but I had to try.

He looked at Ivy with a pained expression, shaking his head. “I’m sorry, but once an angel falls for good, there’s no helping them with the essence of another who hasn’t.”

“Fucking Maros,” I cried under my breath as I took Ivy’s hands in mine and kissed them. The anguish in her eyes mirrored the pain gnawing at my own heart. “This is a warning. He’s baiting me.”

As Vallen wiped away the last traces of dirt and blood, I couldn’t help but remember all the good times Ivy and I shared – the laughter, the late-night talks, and dumb drinking games. Now, all that remained was a shell of the person she once was, and it tore me apart.

The soft glow of the evening sun filtered through the window, casting a melancholy light on Ivy’s pale face. Herbreathing slowed, her chest rising and falling in a weak rhythm. Then, her eyes fluttered open, unable to focus as they found mine.

“Noa... I’m so sorry,” she rasped, tears shimmering in the corners of her tired eyes.

“Sh, sh, sh,” I whispered. “Don’t talk.”

“I didn’t want it to end like this,” she pressed. “But I had nowhere else to go. I just... I hope you can forgive me one day.”

“Of course. I forgive you, Ivy,” I told her kindly, choking back more sobs.

In the quiet of that moment, she released one last breath and was gone. The little essence that remained left her body, and as it did, her flesh turned to ash, scattering across my couch and the carpet. All that remained was her skeleton.

Tears flowed freely down my cheeks, each drop carrying the weight of unbearable loss. A surge of disbelief gripped me as I whispered, “Where are her wings?”

Vallen turned her bones slightly, his gasp echoing the horror in my own heart. Ivy’s wings were cruelly absent, severed from her in a despicable act.

“That sick fuck sawed off her wings,” I sobbed, my voice faltering. “While she was still alive!”

“Most don’t survive past the first wing if it’s done,” Vallen added. “She was strong, Noa. She held on for you.”

I batted away my tears, but the sight of Ivy’s mangled form twisted my stomach. The stench of death was suffocating, and a bitter taste surged up my throat, bile threatening to spill. How could it have come to this? My thoughts spiraled as I tried to piece together what was left of my shattered world.

My breath came in ragged gasps as I tried to make sense ofwhat had just happened. I fled to the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind me and locking it. The cold tile floor beneath my bare feet grounded me, a small comfort in the face of overwhelming grief. But I couldn’t stay in there forever. I couldn’t outrun reality.

I stripped off my clothes and turned the water on, rinsing away Ivy’s blood. Then I let the hot spray wash away the ash that clung to my skin, each droplet feeling like a tiny lifeline in a sea of despair. In my cocoon created by the steam and white noise, I forced myself to think about how to move forward, how to survive.

Pulling on the clothes, my body began to feel even hotter now, the secrets pleading to go home. When I emerged, Vallen had changed his clothes, leaving the last remnants of his prison in a pile on the floor. He stood over Ivy’s bones, staring at the ash, his face a clear picture of vengeance.

“We need to get her back to the ranch.” I swallowed hard, my voice barely above a whisper. “She needs to be buried in the valley.”

“You’ll need to teleport us again,” Vallen murmured beside me, his breath warming my ear as he extended his hand.

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