Frosted Torment (Marked Mortals Saga #1)

Chapter 11

CHAPTER 11

T he temperature had dropped even lower, but as much as I liked the cold, I needed more than a hoodie outside. I rubbed my hands together and blew into them for warmth.

“Incredible,” I said, breathless.

Some moments in life surprise you in a way you never imagined. Outside of learning the truth about my friends, this was another one of those moments, and I had a feeling it wouldn’t be the last. The headlights revealed an enormous wooden swing gate.

Its height was equal to the top of a streetlamp. On each side of the gate, two hand-carved wolves angled toward each other, both howling up to the moon. No matter where I looked, their eyes of midnight blue followed me. I felt inferior to the world as they pierced into my soul.

Around the neck of one wolf, a white collar, with stars of ebony speckled throughout it as deep violet caressed the edges. The other wolf’s collar was an inverted replica of the first. I glanced between the wolves and noticed the moonlight made their eyes sparkle.

They were real gemstones. I stepped back and inhaled a sharp breath when my left foot caught on a rock. Jossy held his hand out for me, and I took it, thankful that the night hid my embarrassment.

“Please be careful,” he said.

I walked back and forth in front of the gate as I inspected the wolves while a camera followed each step.

I whirled my body back around to Lex. “Real gemstones sit in their eyes. Aren’t you worried about thieves?”

“No one could even get near them, and if they did, they’d get the life shocked out of them if they tried.”

“Figures,” I said.

I bounced in place on my toes and chuckled with a shiver. “It makes sense with warding and angels having abilities I’m still clueless about.”

Wolves began to sing in the distance across the Montana night and grew louder as a sharp twinge shot through my lip. Not again. Chills tap-danced down my spine, and for a brief moment, it felt like a mistake to go to the ranch.

Jossy reassured me, “Even though we aren’t inside yet, we’re safe here, Noa.”

I nodded as I watched Ivy talk on a phone attached to a call box in front of the gate. Her back was turned toward us, so I couldn’t hear the conversation.

“Why don’t you use your cell phone?”

“Protocol. When Vincent isn’t told we’re coming before we arrive, there is a security clearance check we have to go through.”

Ivy hung up and walked over to us. “The car is waiting on the other side.”

As I glanced at my three friends, I tilted my head when it dawned on me that none of them seemed to feel the chill in the air. “You’re impervious to the cold, too?”

Lex grinned and ran his fingers along his chin before sliding them into his front jeans pocket. He began to whistle as if he hadn’t heard me.

“This keeps getting more interesting, doesn’t it?” I asked them, my voice sharp with annoyance.

He paused and jabbed with a playful tone, “But you’re a fan of the cold.”

In that moment, the heavy gate creaked open to reveal two imposing guards standing on the other side. Twins. Identical, from their sharp features and piercing gazes to their thick purple braids that cascaded past their waists. Their eyes, a stormy shade of navy, held a hint of something more beneath their stony exteriors. I knew they were angels in their perfection.

“I’ll keep foot traffic,” Ivy stated, pulling me from my trance.

“Wait.” I reached out and took her hand, my grip on her fingers weak. “You’re not coming with us?”

“It’s safer if I help scout the area while you stay protected in the car.” She moved forward and hugged me, then ran ahead of us on the dirt road leading up to the house. The twins followed.

Once I situated myself in the front seat with Jossy behind the wheel, he instructed me to wear my seatbelt, which I ignored. As I turned around to see the gate close behind us, two white wolves paced across the road. My heart sank, wondering what I’d gotten myself into as I searched the dark for Ivy.

“Are you nervous?” Lex asked from the back seat.

“Yes,” I said. The admission felt heavy in the air between us. “I’m not sure this is a good idea anymore, and I’m tired of being stuck in a car.”

My nails dug into the flesh of my palms as I sought to ground myself. A familiar ritual that had accompanied me through countless moments of doubt. Now it felt more urgent than ever.

“What?” Jossy shook his head, loosening a few mahogany locks from his ponytail. “No turning back now, Noa.”

“Why are you so on guard if this place is safe and you have wards?” I rebutted, my voice laced with skepticism as I glanced between them both.

The shadows of the night danced against the glass. For a fleeting moment, I wished I could slip through them and escape from this suffocating uncertainty.

Lex’s eyes flickered to mine in the rearview mirror, searching for understanding. “We’re hidden from the general public, but the Baneful roam around here; they can’t touch the land.”

“If you say so,” I looked out the window again, searching the night for Ivy.

Jossy gripped the steering wheel tighter. “We aren’t taking chances now that you’re here,” he said, punctuating his words with a slight nod.

Lex leaned forward on the console, sandwiched between me and Jossy. “Now that you’re back on the supernatural grid, the Baneful and others will gather.”

Goosebumps sprinkled my arms at the thought of being hunted. “If you’re trying to make me feel better,” I replied with an edge in my tone. “That’s not it.”

“Don’t forget,” Jossy interjected, his voice cutting through my spiraling thoughts. “The Lurker’s master should know it’s dead by now.” His gaze drifted to the road ahead, eyes narrowing.

“You better pray Vincent has his shit together,” I shot back, anger tinged with fear bubbling beneath my skin. “Because if he doesn’t…” My voice trailed off as an aura flashed across my eyes—a kaleidoscope of colors swirling like storm clouds gathering above. A slow throb began behind my eyes, building like pressure before a storm.

“You found me.” A raspy voice coughed across my mind, jagged and broken like glass shattering on concrete.

It slithered through my thoughts and wrapped around my consciousness until it suffocated me. My eyes burned, and I could feel the tension in my head as my breaths came in shallow gasps. I squinted, trying to focus on anything but the bright, swirling crescents that danced across my vision.

I rubbed my eyes with the heel of my hand, desperate to see better. “I can’t see, guys. I’m getting a migraine.”

“Finally.” A coughing fit wracked his body, and the man in my head spoke, his voice familiar. “You won’t get away this time, Noa.”

It was the man infiltrating my mind while I slept, but I was wide awake now. Jossy’s face blanched white when he looked over at me and saw the fear I couldn’t hide anymore. His foot slammed on the gas pedal, kicking up rocks and dirt behind us on the winding road.

“All I need is two minutes, Noa,” Jossy announced .

Wind gusts became stronger, pushing the car back and forth across the gravel road, threatening to tip us over. The sound of wings above us, getting louder by the moment, sent chills down my spine.

“What is that?” I cried, my body jerking with every swerve of the car as Jossy swerved to avoid balls of fire that were now raining down on us.

“Demons,” Jossy spat, his knuckles white on the wheel. “Something must be wrong with the wards.”

“You can’t be serious!” I yelled above their unearthly wails.

I gripped the edge of my seat when Lex pounded the roof of the car. “It’s about to get exciting, Noa.”

He rolled down the back window and stuck out half his body. The sudden roar of what sounded like jet engines drowned out his words, and the ground heaved and buckled. Clods of dirt and grass spewed into the air around us. Jossy’s eyes narrowed to slits as he floored the accelerator one more time.

Lex spun around and perched in the open window, peering up at the inky sky. A blinding flash lit up the night, and for a split second, I saw the silhouette of a massive, bat-winged creature. An earth-shattering explosion followed, hot air buffeting us as flames erupted where the beast had been.

“Got that son of a bitch!” Lex whooped in victory, then leaned back in the car.

A bone-chilling screech assaulted our ears, like claws raking a chalkboard. I clapped my hands over my ears, shuddering and yelling through the pain. Jossy swerved and dodged through the chaos, maneuvering the car with precision and skill.

Demons swooped down from the sky, never touching the ground while fireballs exploded in all directions. The wind howled around us, carrying with it the stench of sulfur and decay. Sparks exploded against a nearby tree, and I ducked my head into my knees.

“Hold on, Noa!” Jossy shouted over the deafening racket of demonic squeals.

He swerved around a crumbling tree, avoiding a molten burst that erupted beside us.

Lex found his way back into the car, his breath heavy. “Why are the wards going down?”

Jossy’s voice was tight with concentration as he fought to keep us on the road. “I don’t know, but we’re almost there.”

As we sped down the road, I sat up and stole a glance at Jossy. His calm demeanor had transformed into a focused intensity. He seemed to be in his element amidst the anarchy.

I, on the other hand, wanted to puke again and again as I fought through the growing pain behind my eyes. I braced myself with one hand on the dashboard as Ivy materialized in front of us. Two other massive angels stood next to her, taking up the road with their size.

Ivy’s eyes sparked with intensity as she raised her hands, summoning a powerful gust of wind and then a flash of light. The demonic creatures shrieked in frustration and retreated into the night.

As I closed my eyes again to rub my temples, Jossy slammed to a stop in front of a cabin at the end of the road. My chest collided with the dashboard, and Lex clamored out of the backseat to open my door.

He bent down in front of me, concern etched in his eyes. “Are you all right, Noa? ”

I pounded on my chest, gasping for breath. “Water!” I wheezed.

Jossy grunted as he threw a bottle across the top of the car, and Lex reached up with one arm to catch it. Unscrewing the cap, he made me drink. He rubbed my back until I took steady breaths, and when I looked around, all signs of an attack had disappeared as suddenly as they had appeared.

Jossy turned to Ivy with a grateful wave. “I appreciate the assist back there, sister.”

Ivy gave a casual shrug as she placed her hands on her hips. “A few demons won’t be enough to take us down.”

Jossy nodded, and his eyes flickered as he assessed our surroundings. “We can’t stay out here for long. More will come.”

“They’re toying with us.” Lex shook his head, his dark eyes glinting with frustration, the muscles in his jaw tightening as he spoke. “We should get inside and talk to Nevaeh.”

Jossy shifted, his face flushed with anger. “Where’s Vincent?” he asked, scanning the perimeter.

“He bolted to check the wards and make sure they don’t fail again.” Ivy glanced at me, and her eyes sparked with unspoken fear. “Noa, are you sure you’re up for this?”

I took a deep breath, feeling the sharp ache radiate from my chest where the impact had struck me. My heart pounded with doubt threatening to engulf me, but this was more than survival. I had to claim this power in me to stay safe.

“I have to do this, Ivy,” I confirmed. “Hiding me won’t keep any of this from happening.”

Lex placed a hand on my shoulder, offering silent support. When I turned to look at him, he raised one finger to his lips.