Page 50 of Fire & Ice

I stalk across the balcony, ice crackling under my boots with every step. I stop before her, close enough to feel the warmth of her skin in the frozen air. Close enough to breathe her in, cinnamon and ash and something indefinably Tempest.

"You froze the entire castle," she says incredulously. "All those people—"

"Will be fine once I release the ice," I say impatiently. When will she understand that her safety is my priority? That I would lay waste to kingdoms and freeze oceans for her sake? "You're mine," I growl, reaching out to grip the necklace at her throat. The ice retreats from my hand, leaving bare skin against bare skin. "You always have been."

Her pulse flutters under my fingers. I yank hard on the necklace, shattering the delicate chain. It falls away in pieces, clattering to the floor at our feet.

Rage and triumph war within me as I clutch her close. For a moment, Tempest stiffens in my arms, her eyes widening. Then she sags against me with a soft sigh, all the tension draining from her body as she starts to regain back her emotional control and memories.

Chapter 47

Beau

Charlie's rage boils over as I hold Tempest against me, her body trembling.

"She was meant to be mine!" he fumes—eyes wild.

I push Tempest behind me. Before he can summon his fire, I clench my fist and ice forms around his throat. He chokes, clawing at the frozen collar, his face turning blue.

Triumph surges through me, cold and sharp. He will never touch her again.

But then flames erupt over his hands, melting the ice. He sucks in a ragged breath and the fire in his gaze ignites into an inferno.

The ice in my veins answers the challenge.

This is not over.

He will freeze, as he intended Tempest to be frozen within her mind, consumed by a power greater than his own.

My ice.

The ice of vengeance.

The ice of possession.

The ice of love.

Charlie lunges, a blast of flame erupting from his hands. I deflect it with a shield of ice, but the heat sears my skin.

He won't get the better of me that easily.

I hurl an icicle at his chest and am rewarded with a grunt of pain as it pierces his shoulder. But he wrenches it free and flings it back at me, followed by a fireball.

I dodge, but my sleeve catches fire. I beat out the flames, gritting my teeth against the agony, and surge forward to meet him in close quarters.

He throws a punch crackling with flame and connects with my jaw. My teeth rattle as I stumble back, vision swimming. But I rally and grab his arm, frost creeping over his skin. He howls as his limb goes numb and limp.

One down.

He kicks out with his good leg, catching me in the stomach. The air leaves my lungs in a pained gasp. Before I can recover, he headbutts me, splitting my brow. Blood trickles into my eye as I struggle to remain standing.

But I won't fall. I can't. Not when Tempest's safety depends on my victory.

I blink away the blood and glare at Charlie through my one good eye. "Surrender, and I'll kill you quickly."

He bares bloody teeth in a sneer. "I will never surrender to the likes of you."

"Then you'll suffer a slow, cold death." I lunge again, ice and rage lending me strength. He tries to blast me with flame, but only a few sputtering sparks leave his hand.

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