Page 100 of Kingdom of Shadows and Wings

Once Thorne is certain Olive and Helene are following his orders, he resumes his threatening posture. “Where were we?”

Elijah bristles, and Mark’s jaw drops, but they remain silent.

Smart decision. If I were them, I might need a change of pants right about now.

Thorne’s voice seethes with barely contained malice. “Care to explain what happened?”

Elijah shrugs. “We headed to the beach to unwind,” he narrows his eyes at Mark, sending him a silent message, “and Axton just decided to pull this little stunt out of nowhere.”

Thorne’s gaze shifts between the two remaining attackers, the smile that peels back his lips pure poison. “I was hoping you would lie.”

Ice encases their feet, rendering them in place. Mark opens his mouth, but Elijah shoots him another not-so-subtle warning glare.

Slower this time, the ice travels up their bodies, forming an ice cocoon from their boots to their knees.

“Let’s try this again.” Thorne lowers his hands. “Anyone care to talk now?”

Mark’s throat works on a swallow. Beads of sweat break out on the bald spots peeking through his patchy hair. “There’s nothing to say, sir.”

“Ah.” A wicked grin spreads across Thorne’s face. “And I was hoping you’d say that.”

The ice tombs climb higher, reaching their thighs in slow motion. Horror flashes across Mark’s face, and he starts to hyperventilate.

His lip curls into a snarl, and the hatred in his eyes chills me to my core, as if I’m the one whose body is encased in ice.

Thorne flicks his wrists, speeding up the torturous freezing process.

He’s enjoying this. And he’s doing this on my behalf. That fact does funny things to my insides.

There’s got to be something wrong with me.

The ice travels to each fledgling’s chest. Thorne’s long yawn gives off the impression that he finds slowly freezing people alive simple child’s play.

They have to be extremely uncomfortable, and a small part of me—a very small part—feels a little bit sorry for them.

“Well,” Thorne sends the ice trailing up to their shoulders, “you can tell me the truth or hang out here for a while. Your call.”

Sheer terror flits across Mark’s face. “Okay.” He shoots an apologetic look at Elijah. “I’ll…talk.”

Thorne’s mouth tilts up in a lazy smile. “Just when things were getting…interesting.”

Mark struggles to take a breath, teeth chattering when he speaks. “We were just trying to root out the traitor and make Holte tell us about the Kamorian.” Words tumble from his mouth as he rambles on about their ploy.

Elijah nods his agreement as his lips pale to a lovely shade of blue.

A pang of concern shoots through me. Thorne nailed it when he called these guys assholes, but that doesn’t mean they deserve to die. And that’s what’s going to happen if this interrogation continues much longer.

I step forward, laying a hand on Instructor Thorne’s arm. “You need to let them go. They’re going to get hypothermia.”

For several heartbeats, he remains silent. Just when I’m scared he’ll let these recruits freeze to death in front of me, he releases a beleaguered groan. “Must you always be such a killjoy? But fine, if you insist.” The ice blocks shatter, sending glittering shards flying. “You’re both out of chances. Pull a stunt like this again, and you won’t be so lucky next time.”

Nick and Theo return, along with a few other fledglings. While Thorne orders everyone around, telling them to take Elijah and Mark to the infirmary, Theo rushes up to me and grips my shoulders.

“You’re okay? I was worried about you for a while there.”

I manage a shaky smile. “Me too, but yeah, I’m okay.”

After giving me a once over, he whistles. “Damn. Who knew that all this time, you’ve been holding back that kind of power? And to think, I liked you even before I knew what a magical badass you were.”

---