Page 12 of From Frost to Flame

“The great warrior king running with his tail between his legs. Pathetic.”

The compass on Lex’s wrist glowed a blinding white and forced Silas to stumble to a stop. Disoriented, he swiveled his head in search of Castor or The Ravenous One.

There was a thunderous bang as her claws ripped off his mind. The next thing Silas knew, he was tumbling head over heels from a silent starry sky.

With a thud, he crashed into a field of blue poppies. Seconds later, Lex’s limp body landed on his back. A shockwave of pain shot up his spine, but he was too relieved to care.

He shifted back to human, rolled over, and pulled Lex into his arms. The lavender scent of Lex’s skin eased him. “I have you. I got you,” he whispered. He thought of The Ravenous One snatching Lex away and buried his face into the crook of his neck. “I won’t let her hurt you. I promise.”

“Ahem,” Castor coughed to get his attention. “We need to figure out where we are. You in one piece?”

Silas pulled away from Lex, embarrassed to be caught in such an emotional, instinct-driven state.

I have to hold it together.

“Yeah, I am.” He got to his feet, cradling Lex in his arms, and spotted his family. Their elemental powers ran wild. Angry winds shook the petals off the poppies. White static danced around Mora’s hands, glinting off her polished nails.

“Lucky for us, one of them grabbed Lex before you were teleported away without us, but things aren’t great,” Castor said in a low voice. “I talked to them a bit so they wouldn’t attempt to kill you on sight, but they still aren’t happy.”

“Send them home,” Silas said coldly. “I’ll return Lex to them later.”

“From what I gathered, there’s no way that’s happening.” Castor glanced at the couple. “Looks like we have two more vampires joining us on the journey.”

Chapter Four

Lex

“Lex? Lex?”

The low voice beckoned him from the dark, but a tired grunt of acknowledgment was all he could muster.

“Can you open your eyes for me?”

He groaned as his mind slowly woke. Instead of the fresh blankets on his bed, muscular arms were wrapped around him. He forced his heavy eyes open. “What? Where am I?”

Lex gazed up into silver eyes, and his heart slammed into his chest. They reminded him of turbulent storm clouds as lightning illuminated them from the inside. For fifty years, he dreamed of those eyes. “Silas?”

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