Page 8 of From Frost to Flame

An ambush. I bet he’s not alone.

He flicked his eyes to every corner in waiting. He expected the sound of wings rushing toward him or the pierce of a blade in his back. Instead, that painfully familiar magnetic pull in his chest bloomed and the low beat of a heart that wasn’t his own hammered in his rib cage. Arden didn’t halt him. The stars did.

He’s actually here?

Sure enough, Lex strolled around the opposite corner, taking a gulp straight from a vodka bottle.

From his pouty lips to the curve of his cheek, Lex was delicate. His skin was a warm russet, and the ends of his raven dreadlocks were decorated with golden clasps that glinted in the moonlight. As always, he wore a corset that highlighted his hips. His frame was slight compared to the warriors Silas spent his days with. He was so unnaturally gorgeous that, on more than one occasion while lounging around the castle with a book, he was mistaken for a doll. Onlookers were always startled when he came to life and flicked a page.

Lex’s drunkenness was evident in the wavy path he took down the alley. Instead of watching where he was going, he admired the tall building. There was a soft smile on his lips, as if the dirty bricks, crooked chimneys, and rusted balconies were lovely works of art.

Just seeing Lex’s face took his breath away. Silas stared at the man he had yearned for every day for fifty years. The man who was the only person in the world that could distract him from a hunt. The man who was his soul-bound mate, chosen by the stars.

A dull pain spread in his chest as he reminded himself Lex didn’t know they were mates. No one did.

For a moment, he thought Lex was going to walk by without noticing him at all. But as if reading his mind, Lex glanced over and froze midstride.

“Silas?” he slurred. The bottle slipped from his hand and smashed to the ground, making him jump and mutter a curse before he looked back at him. “What are you doing here?”

“Hello to you, too.” His ears strained for the sound of Arden, but there was only silence. “I’m just out enjoying the festivities.”

“Great. That’s great. Have fun,” Lex said, rushing off as fast as his wobbly legs could take him. In his haste, he tripped over his feet and nearly fell on his face.

Silas hurried to his aid on instinct. “Whoa there. I’ve got you.” He caught Lex in his arms and pulled him close to steady him. The metallic scent of vampire blood filled the air and Silas spotted his palm full of glass.

So that’s why my hand hurts.

“How did you even manage this?” From the moment he bonded to Lex, he shared his pain. Even from his kingdom, he’d get the occasional phantom aches. He’d hoped it was harmless clumsiness, but now that was seeming unlikely. “Why are you in the streets, drunk and alone? You know better than to be reckless on festival night.” He caught a whiff of a scent that wasn’t vodka, blood, or the irritating, forever-present sugary scent of Mora and Julian that stopped his heart. It was honeysuckle with the faintest dash of bergamot. “Why do you smell like Vega?”

“Who I spend my time with and how much I drink isn’t your business. Now let me go,” Lex snipped, trying to twist away from his embrace.

“You can’t show up tripping over yourself and expect me not to worry.”

“You don’t get to care about me anymore!” Lex broke away and glared at Silas with teary eyes. “Will you just leave me alone? I...I don’t want to see you. Not now. Not ever.”

Each word was a dagger to Silas's heart. Lex’s hate for him was palpable and radiated through the night. The worst part was it was deserved. “Right. I’ll let you be on your way.” Just as he moved to step aside, he spotted a transparent, blurry figure creeping toward them. He snatched Lex and stepped in front of him protectively.

“Why aren’t you listening to me?” Lex huffed. “I said, let go!”

Silas held him firm despite his struggle and kept his eyes on the blur. “If you touch him, I will kill you where you stand. Do you hear me? He’s not part of this.”

“Who are you talking to?” Lex asked, confused.

“You were always less alert when the pet was around,” Arden said as he dropped his cloaking magic. He held a bow with a glowing green string. When he plucked the taut string back, an arrow of matching color sizzled into existence and aimed right at Silas's chest. “I was hoping to shoot you through the back, but the heart will do just fine.”

Lex willingly huddled behind Silas now and clutched his arm. “Arden, what are you doing?”

“Royal business.” Arden flicked his eyes to Lex and gave a lascivious smile. “Shame such a pretty face has to die tonight. You should’ve left when you had the chance.”

“Lex, when I let go, teleport as far as you can. I mean it.” Silas was certain he could beat Arden, but he wouldn’t let Lex get hurt in the crossfire. “You need to get somewhere safe.”

“He’ll make it a few blocks, judging by his state,” Arden said, amused. “I’ll pick him off when I’m done with you. I bet he’ll look cute going mad under some illusion spells.”

Silas gripped Lex tighter. He knew Arden was attacking his focus and he couldn’t let him win. “Countless warriors before you perished trying to use Death’s Compass to track down the pieces of The Ravenous One’s soul.” Silas's eyes were trained on his arrow, determined to shield Lex. “You won’t be any different. Even if you find all the pieces, do you really think you can wield her power? It’ll consume or kill you. Give it to me and walk away.”

“Why? So you can conquer Vela instead? Do you take me for a fool?” He sucked his teeth at the suggestion. “My people were revered once. Feared by many. The war decimated our numbers. When the dust settled, your dogs stole the land and prestige that should have been ours. Now we share lands with the pathetic Nymphs.”

“Fate was less than kind to your people after the war, but this isn’t the way to fix it.”

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