Page 57 of From Frost to Flame

“I don’t have time to give you blood. Hold on to me and try to stay awake.” He pulled Lex on his back, shifted back into a wolf, and dashed out.

Stringy, black roots burst out of the piles of deepening snowfall and wrapped around Silas's paws, forcing him to tear out of their reach and duck from swinging branches.

“Wait! Stop!” Lex tugged on the fur on his neck.

Sliding on the slick earth, Silas came to a stop and looked back. Castor was hunched low with his hackles raised. A circle of possessed trees closed in on him. Roots erupted from the earth like greedy hands and snatched Julian right off his back. They didn’t drag him into the fog but instead began to pull him down toward the earth itself as if to bury him alive.

Mora’s electrified hand burned him free before they got more than his feet underground. Julian leapt back onto Castor’s back and curled around Mora like a shield just as a tree swung a heavy branch down on them. Julian’s cries rang out into the night as the tree pummeled his spine.

“We have to go back!” Lex demanded. His voice was strained as he struggled to speak. “They need help.”

Silas searched for an opening but there wasn’t a route that wouldn’t risk Lex’s safety.

Castor yelped in pain as a sharp branch stabbed into his leg, making him falter. “Go!” he barked. “We can handle this. Go get the soul so we can get out of here.”

Silas hesitated but darted in the opposite direction.

“What are you doing? We can’t leave them!” Lex gripped and tugged on Silas's fur as if that could force him to turn back.

They escaped the forest and stopped in a clearing, where the trees didn’t follow. In the center, a lone, gigantic black tree stood tall. Its thick, crooked trunk stretched so wide that if he hadn’t seen the branches, he would’ve thought it was a black wall in the middle of the island. It stretched high into the fog, and snow clouds churned like a brewing hurricane. The top of the tree was hidden behind fog and heavy snow clouds.

“Why did you do that?” Lex jumped off his back and glared at him with teary eyes. “I don’t understand why we aren’t back there with them.”

Silas shifted into human form and took Lex’s hands. “I had to. The trees would have gotten you if we went in.” The weight of failing Lex and his brother crushed his heart. “I didn’t want to leave them either, but it was for the best.”

“But what if we lose them? What if the trees beat them to death or they freeze in the blizzard? I can’t lose them.” He sniffled, wiping his eyes. “Last time we were in The Ravenous One’s territory, that monster showed up and attacked Arden. What if it comes back and we’re not there to help?”

“I trust Castor to keep them safe. If we can get the soul, I’m hoping the trees will stop like the statues. Even if they don’t, if I can destroy the soul, we’ll likely get teleported out again. We can all leave this awful place.”

Lex still looked back into the forest, unsure, but nodded. “Okay. I trust you. Let’s be quick so we can get back to them.” Lex looked at the spinning compass. He moved his wrist around in random directions trying to make something happen. Then he lifted his arm straight up into the air and the needle froze pointing towards the sky.

“Up. But where?” Silas muttered, squinting up into the clouds. Sharp snowflakes scratched at his cheeks as he tried to understand what they had to do.

Lex pointed up the trunk of the tree. “There!”

High above them, a black gemstone, embedded deep in the bark, glowed white like a beacon in a storm.

Silas nodded. “Looks like we’re climbing.” Before he could help Lex on his back, the sound of wings cut through the wind.

“Arden!” An angry scream cut through the fog.

A fae in emerald royal robes wielding a glowing green sword stood in the foggy blizzard. Dark blue blood spilled from his sliced throat and ran down his robes in ruby rivers.

The fae opened his wings and shot toward them. Silas pulled Lex into his arms, turned his back to the fae, and braced himself.

The cut of hot steel didn’t come.

Instead, the mysterious fae shot past them, kicking up snow in his wake, and swung his sword. It clanged against an invisible object.

Arden flickered into view. His eyes wild as he glowered back at the ghost fae as he stammered, “You can’t be here. You can’t.”

“How often did I make excuses for you?” The dead fae swung again and sent Arden stumbling back. “How often did I defend you? We were brothers. Did that mean nothing to you?”

“Let them fight among themselves,” Silas said coldly. “Get on my back for the climb.” Low growls from the fog made Silas go rigid. He looked back toward the ever-shifting trees. Slowly, the outline of two wolves prowled forward. One had all white fur, the other black. Both had gray eyes full of rage as they approached.

“Silas?” Lex tapped his shoulder.

I need to move. I need to get away from them.He told himself this, and still the fear and guilt paralyzed him in the snow.

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