Page 25 of From Frost to Flame

Lex only nodded, not sure what to say as his confusion swallowed him whole.Did he mean it?

“Are you alright?” Silas frowned. “Did I upset you?”

“Just tired.”

“We can talk about the feeding, if that would help.” He went into the bathroom, snatched a towel, and tossed it to Lex. “Your comfort matters to me. If I overstepped, you can tell me.”

“Silas, it’s fine. You didn’t do anything wrong. I’m fine.” Silas's kindness only made Lex more confused and more frustrated. He had walked into this with his head and heart in alignment. Now they battled, and he couldn’t pick a side. “Drop it.”

Silas looked wounded but didn’t press further. Instead, he turned on his heels and headed back into the bathroom.

The moment the door clicked closed, Lex hopped out of bed. He cleaned himself off and got dressed in the plain black blouse, pants, cloak, and boots his family stole for him. As Silas ran the faucet in the bathroom, Lex tiptoed downstairs into the kitchen to gather his thoughts.

The kitchen was small and rustic with dark stone counters and a white tiled floor. A window let the moonlight shine in. Nymphs ate flowers and fruits, so jars full of pickled dahlias, figs, and foxgloves lined the shelves of glass cabinets. On the counter were a few canvas bags of dried banana chips, mango slices, and daisy petals.

He leaned back on the slate kitchen countertop and slowly lifted his right arm and examined his hand. It still stung as he slowly curled his fingers into a fist. A low sting of blood-fueled healing ran throughout his body.

At least Silas thinking I’m a premature ejaculator was marginally worth it.

A creak hinted at light footsteps, and he looked to the darkened living room, expecting Silas. No one came. He slumped his shoulders in disappointment.

He closed his eyes as the past plagued him. Deep down, he always wondered why Silas had never shown up at his door. Right after the breakup, Lex had thought Silas was body snatched or cursed by witches. It was the only way he could rationalize the drastic change. One night they were discussing a commitment ritual and the possibility of raising pups in the countryside. The next, Silas sent him away, saying he didn’t love him anymore. Lex begged for an explanation, but Silas gave him nothing. Ten years together and Lex found himself tossed aside, clutching a box of his things as he teleported out of the castle.

He wrote half a dozen letters pleading for answers and received nothing in response. Julian and Mora locked his parchments and pens away after they kindly told him he looked pathetic.

The only reason he hadn’t withered away completely was his family leaving kidnapped humans in his bedroom once a week. All that pain, and yet the words “I missed you” ignited a spark of hope that maybe he was right all those years ago. Maybe something had gone wrong during the daylight hours Lex didn’t understand.

When he opened his eyes, he wasn’t in the kitchen anymore. He was back upstairs in the corner of their bedroom.

So, the visions are real.His heart sank to the floor. All those nights with Vega at his side were real, too.

Silas walked out of the bathroom and scanned the room for him. When he tossed the towel on the bed and headed for the door, Lex’s heart flipped.

He’s coming down for me?

Silas froze with his hand hovering over the handle. His eyes narrowed, and he slowly backed away, shifting into his wolf form. His long, bushy tail flicked, and all the candles snuffed out in an instant, causing him to vanish into the shadows, aside from his silver eyes that remained locked on the door.

Danger. I need to help.

Lex fought to pull himself back into his own body, but he was firmly stuck watching the darkened room.

The doorknob slowly twisted.

The moment the door creaked open an inch, Silas lunged and tackled a fae into the hallway with a deafening crash that shook the walls. Two more fae materialized out of thin air. They jumped on Silas with daggers that glowed green and made streaks of light in the dark. One of the bright blades disappeared into his black fur and Silas roared in pain. His scream threw Lex back into the kitchen with such force, he stumbled.

Once he regained his footing, Lex bolted toward the sound of gnashing teeth and growls upstairs. He made it about three feet, then crashed into an invisible wall that sent him tumbling backward onto the cold white mosaic floor tiles.

He squinted, confused at the archway to the living room, not understanding what he’d hit. He realized the space under the archway was blurry and his heart stopped. He wasn’t alone.

A large fae guard dropped his cloaking spell and looked down at Lex. He towered over him. His thick mauve hair was slicked back with pomade, and he had a lecherous smile on his pale pink face. “Hello there.”

“Get away from me!” Lex scrambled backward and out of habit focused on teleporting, but he only flickered in place.

“So, the powers really are gone.” The fae strolled closer, licking his lips. “That makes you human, doesn’t it?”

“Silas!” Lex called as loud as he could. Only crashes, growls, and his family’s screams came in response.

“You’re welcome to yell again.” His heavy boots thudded as he walked closer. “It’s always more fun when the humans scream.”

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