Page 93 of From Frost to Flame

“I’m certain.” He nodded, determined. He was already limping for the door as they followed him. “I have an idea, but I have to get close to him. Whatever she’s done to him has made our bond weaker at this distance. If I can get closer to him, I’m sure I can bring him back.”

“Slow down!” Mora demanded, grabbing his hand. “So, he’s alive. Let us help you. You can’t walk down there.”

“Really?” he said, surprised. “I don’t want to ask you to do this. It’ll be dangerous.”

“Family sticks together.” Mora smiled at him. “Even when it’s terrifying.”

“Let’s go save your grumpy king,” Julian declared, holding out his hand.

In a bang, Lex was in the middle of the battlefield between his family. The deafening sound of swords clanging, anguished screams, and buildings crumbling to dust filled the air. He forced himself to stay focused. He spotted Silas whose growl made the city tremble. His pack was trying and failing to lasso him with glowing golden ropes.

“I need to get closer!” he yelled over the chaos. “I don’t think teleporting in is a good idea. He’s too unpredictable.”

“You got it,” Julian said. He wrapped them in a dome of hurricane wind to shield them from the debris and arrows raining from the sky.

Lex kept his eyes on Silas as he ran. The pull that told him Silas was still in there was faint. It wavered as if, at any moment, it would break away entirely.

He pleaded with the stars.Don’t take him from me. Don’t let it end like this.

They were closing in on Silas when one of the wolves leaped through their shield of wind and pounced on him. Lex groaned in pain as he looked up at an angry, sandy-haired wolf with a dusty crown on his head. His breath was hot on his face as he gave a low growl.

“Vega, get off of me!”

Reluctantly, Vega shifted back into his human form, gripped Lex’s shirt, and hoisted him to his feet in a swift motion. “What do you think you’re doing down here? Are you trying to get yourself killed?”

“I have a plan. I need to get to Silas.”

“Silas wanted us to protect you if he fell, so that’s what we’re going to do,” Vega snipped, cutting him off. “Castor, get them out of here! This is no place for you and your family. And...what is that on your shoulder?” His eyes locked onto the bite mark exposed by his twisted shirt. He stared in disbelief, then he looked back at Silas rampaging through the streets. “How is this possible?”

Lex pulled away from Vega’s loosening grip. “I don’t know, but it’s true.”

Castor came over from his place on the battlefield. His eyes were red with tears that were still falling. He reached for Lex, but Julian and Mora immediately stood in the way. “Come on. I don’t have the energy to fight with you two right now.”

“We trust Lex. He wants to be here,” Mora said, firmly. “He thinks he can help.”

Castor looked up at Silas with mournful eyes. “I don’t know if anything can fix this. He seems far gone.”

“Take them out of here,” Vega said, already turning on his heels. “I want them as far away from Orion as possible. I’ll find you once he’s contained.”

“Vega, wait!” Lex said quickly. “I can bring him back. I can fix this.”

Vega paused in his tracks. He looked at Silas, who toppled another building with a crack of his tentacles. Warriors scattered to avoid glass and chunks of once pristine white bricks.

“Let’s hear him out,” Castor demanded. “If he thinks he can bring my brother back, I want him to try.”

Vega muttered to himself and turned to face Lex with crossed arms. “I’ll bite. What’s your brilliant idea? Talk quickly. I have an army to deal with.”

“We’re bonded, but our connection is fragile. The last time he was in this form, I was able to calm him down. It’s like he gets lost or something. Talking to him helped before he claimed me, and everything is deeper now. I’m sure I could do it again if I get close enough.”

“That’s not the worst idea,” Castor said.

“You can get close to him when he’s not agitated,” Vega countered. “We’ll capture him, and then maybe once he’s chained down, you can try to bring him back.”

“His mother won’t let you take him,” Lex challenged. “The last time he was this close to her, I saw her almost drag him to Tartarus. If that happens, we’ll never see him again, unless she’s using him to cause chaos to feed on.”

“I say let’s do it,” Castor said, determined. “I’ll take him in myself. You can make sure we have cover.”

Vega shook his head. “He asked me to keep you both safe before we entered battle.”

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