Page 56 of From Frost to Flame

“Julian and Mora, come closer. Castor’s going to take up the rear so you’re in between us. Now, Julian’s right. The voices aren’t real. They are voices of the dead, and the dead don’t do much but haunt. You have to ignore them.”

“Julian,” Lex rasped from Silas's back. “Can you make us a barrier of wind to muffle the calls?”

“Right. I can do that.” Julian nodded. He pulled away from Mora and laced a hand into hers. He raised the other, and a cyclone of harsh wind full of snow swirled around them. Its roar muffled the angry screams.

“Great idea,” Silas said, shifting to regain his hold on Lex. “You with me?”

Lex nodded and nuzzled into him. “Thank you for taking care of my family.”

“Of course. They’re important to you, so they’re important to me.” With every step deeper into the foggy night, the voices became louder. The snow poured relentlessly, making their line of vision even smaller. Soon, the snow came up past their knees, forcing them to take laborious stomps and reducing everyone in the group but Silas to chattering teeth, freezing sweat, and violent shivers.

The voices on the other side of Julian’s snowy barrier screamed. The vampires were still protected by the artificial winds, but Silas's sensitive ears kept picking up clear snippets. Unfamiliar voices not meant for Silas wailed their accusations. Every word was laced with hatred.

He shifted through the screams, trying to hear a hint of what lay ahead in the fog. Nothing useful pierced through, until he heard one voice he recognized and knew wasn’t meant for any of them.

“How could you put Wisteria in so much danger? We were brothers. Does that mean nothing?”

“Castor, you hear that?” Silas yelled over the howling wind and vicious voices. “I think a voice for Arden is in the wind, which means he’s close by.”

“I did. He can’t be flying in this storm with those flimsy wings. Let’s look for footpri—” Castor fell face first into the snow with a grunt. “Something has—” He was ripped backwards and disappeared into the fog.

Without wasting a second, Silas sprang into action chasing after him and weaving through the scattered charcoal trees.

There was a loud bang, and Mora teleported ahead. She clutched Castor’s hand and shrieked as she was pulled off her feet. She slammed onto the ground and was dragged through the piles of snow.

Another bang rang out as Julian chased after Mora. He wrapped his arms around her waist and snatched her out of the snow. He stayed on his feet but slid rapidly across the frozen earth.

Whatever had them was strong. Silas shifted into his wolf form, pausing only to make sure Lex was gripping onto his fur. His sharpened vision was able to track Castor’s outline through the fog. He snapped his jaw down on the shoulder of Castor’s toga and sank his claws into the frozen sand beneath the snow. Castor came to a rough halt which sent Julian stumbling forward. Castor screamed as whatever had him pulled harder, jerking him back.

What on earth has him? I don’t smell anyone new.

“My legs,” Castor grunted, trying to pull himself forward, to no avail. “Something has them. Like a snare.”

“It’s the trees,” Lex said into Silas's ear over the howling screams and snowstorm. “They’re moving.”

All the black trees tore their roots out of the frozen earth and lumbered toward them like giant spiders. Black roots shot out of the snow and snaked further up Castor’s leg, reaching his thigh. They tugged harder and lifted Castor off the ground. He growled through gritted teeth as he tugged back.

“I need you to get down, take your family, and go,”Silas pleaded, using his connection to Lex.“Get out of the trees before they get here. I’ll come for you as soon as I can.”

“I’m not leaving you.” Lex hopped off his back and ran toward Castor. “I can help.”

“This isn’t the time to argue.”

Ignoring him, aimed his hand at the roots. “I can do this. I did it in the garden somehow. I just need to focus.”

“Don’t!”Silas pleaded, but it was too late.

Blue flames shot from his hand. The roots burst into flames and shrank back with a high-pitched shriek. Castor fell face first into the snow. His ankle, where the roots had held tight, was stained red with his blood.

Silas shifted back to his human form and rushed to catch Lex’s limp body right as he fell backward. “What were you thinking? You can’t keep using your powers with the compass on. You’re already sick.”

“I was helping,” Lex said, swaying. “Castor’s safe now, that’s what matters.”

“You did help, but still.” Silas smiled a little as he held him tight in his arms. “I can’t stand you sometimes.” Silas looked out into the forest. The trees gained speed as they ambled toward them.

“Castor,” he said, looking at his brother.

“Already on it.” He shifted into a wolf and nudged Julian and Mora to get on. Blood still poured from his ankle, matting his fur, but it didn’t deter him.

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