Frosted Torment (Marked Mortals Saga #1)

Chapter 22

CHAPTER 22

L ex’s hands slid down his face. “This is unexpected,” he acknowledged.

“Let’s move closer to the house,” Baz advised as he strode ahead.

“Follow, Baz,” I said with a slight smile and nodded in his direction.

We reached the porch, and Lex leaned on the rail. Baz settled close to me, and I rubbed his shoulder, knowing I would never get used to how massive he was or the comfort he brought me.

“Explain this connection to me,” Lex urged, his voice heavy with contemplation.

“I figured if anyone would understand, it would be you,” I stated with a shake of my head. “He’s my guardian angel and you’re an angel. Demons and magic roam here. This was bound to happen, Lex.”

His brows knotted together as I retreated into the maze of my own thoughts. I’d now become the sun around which our worlds turned, like a soap opera. The weight of universal survival now rested on my shoulders, which disturbed me.

Baz rustled beside me, a subtle intrusion pulling me back into reality, and I looked at Lex. His eyes lingered on the bracelet on my wrist, a shadow of realization crossing his face.

“What?” I raised my brows, unsettled as unease skulked across my skin.

Lex stepped closer, gesturing for my hand. He traced the etched designs, then cleared his throat. “Your bracelet has something to do with this,” he said.

My eyes turned to slits as I pointed to the bracelet. “This piece of junk?”

He stroked his forehead with his thumb. “Think about it. You killed the Lurker and sent us through a portal. That happened when you shielded yourself while wearing the bracelet.”

My disbelieving chuckle echoed around us before I fixed my eyes on Lex’s, stating each word with utmost certainty.

“Vincent and Vallen disrupted the order, and because of that, and the secrets in my head, I can talk to Baz. Also, I’m walking around soulless.” I nodded and glanced at each of them. “This bracelet means nothing.”

“Maybe.” Lex elongated the word and shook his head like he didn’t agree with me. He lifted his chin toward Baz as skepticism crossed his face. “Why did Noa wait to tell me about you two?”

“Don’t take offense.” I scrunched my nose and placed my hands together in prayer in front of me. “It was a measure of precaution, Lex. ”

Lex grumbled in annoyance as his jaw ticked. “Could Callum talk to Sasha?” he asked.

I glanced at my feet, then back at Lex, and nodded. “Yes,” I murmured.

Lex moved forward, poking Baz in the chest. “Tell me you didn’t know Sasha was alive, brother,” he challenged.

Baz snarled and tossed his head. Lex retreated, a disappointed look crossing his face. My eyes grew wide as I looked at Baz with fear in my heart.

“Did you know, Baz?” I probed further so Lex could hear.

“No,” he confirmed as he bowed his head and looked into my eyes. “Callum didn’t either. His connection with Sasha severed on the night she died.” Baz exhaled and lay down on the ground next to me.

My head swung back toward Lex, and my eyes pleaded with him to forgive Baz. “None of them knew,” I stated. “Until today.”

Lex stepped back as relief crossed his face, and he swept his hands through his hair.

“Is that what you were going to tell us before Maros showed up?” he asked me. “This connection.”

My lip twitched, and I shook my head. “No. That was something different.”

Baz shifted his weight and craned his neck in my direction. “What was it?”

Lex cocked his head, noticing Baz’s shift toward me. “Go on because he,” Lex said, pointing at Baz, “doesn’t know everything that’s going on in your head, does he?”

I thought about it for a brief moment, then fixed my eyes back on Baz. “You don’t read my thoughts, right? ”

Baz now towered over me, staring down at me suspiciously. “No,” he confirmed. “That’s offensive.”

Reassured, I relaxed my shoulders. “No listening in. We talk with our minds.”

Cold air stung my cheeks as the wind picked up. The temperature had dropped even more as the sun set over the mountains, but I felt comfortable without a coat. Which was unusual, even for me loving the cold.

I rubbed my arms for comfort, hoping it would distract Baz and Lex so we could go inside the house. I was wrong. Gingerly licking my dry lips, I winced at the sting from my cut, but their eyes never left me.

“Don’t be mad,” I warned them, holding up my hand.

A low rumble escaped Baz’s throat. “Don’t count on it.”

“Let’s get one thing straight,” my tone irritated as I placed my hands on my hips. “You have known about me since the beginning of time, but I barely found out about this in the last couple of days.” I shook a finger at both of them. “Shame on you for expecting every detail from me while I navigate this supernatural shitstorm. I’ve needed a few minutes to wrap my head around it.”

Baz’s glacier eyes shifted down at me, and pride flashed across them. “Understood,” he said.

“We get it.” Lex shrugged, then squeezed my shoulder for assurance. “Take all the time you need. All we ask is that you don’t make decisions that could put you or us in danger.”

My brows pinched together, and I dropped my hands to my sides. “That’s it? Nothing else?” I asked, puzzled.

Lex leaned in, lowering his voice. “We don’t expect you to skip around here like we live in a land of rainbows and sparkles.”

“Yeah.” A smile slipped onto my lips as I waved my hand dismissively at them. “Exactly. Thank you.”

“All of this,” he gestured toward the vast open field, “is way cooler.”

My shoulders dipped. “Glad my soulless secret-keeping vessel amuses you,” I murmured.

“No, no, no. Don’t do that.” Lex reached for me and took my arm. “We’re getting your soul back and you’re not just a vessel housing our destinies.”

My eyes flicked to his beneath my brows. “You mean that?”

“Of course.” He smiled and pulled me into him for a hug. “You’re family, Noa.”

“I’ve been wondering about it,” I admitted, burying my face in his chest.

Leaning back, Lex gripped my chin and tilted it, forcing me to look at him. His moody gaze almost dropped me to my knees, but I shook away the thought, knowing it was nothing more than his angelic presence.

“Humans come first and you’re the key to saving them,” Lex smiled. “But we’ll protect you and keep you.”

Baz interrupted us and said, “We need you to tell us what happened in the woods before Maros showed up, or I’ll drag Ena out here myself.”

The front door slammed open, and Ena stepped onto the porch. I groaned and threw my head back in resignation. “Great.”

“Perfect timing, Ena.” Lex’s eyes brightened at the sight of her .

Ena smirked and bounded down the stairs. “Sounds intriguing. What are we planning?”

A revelation shot through me as she took Lex’s hand and he helped her down the steps. When I thought about the feelings I once held for him, seeing them together made me happy now. Clarity emerged that Lex was the one who gave Ena angel essence. He deserved someone good, and from what I’d seen of her, Ena was worthy.

“We were asking Noa what happened in the woods with you,” Lex began as Ena joined us.

“We? You and Baz?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

“It’s not that serious,” I scoffed, rolling my eyes.

“Noa and Baz can talk with their minds,” Lex divulged. Then he looked at me and ordered, “Start talking.”

Ena crossed her arms and flashed me a hard gaze. “Tell them, Noa.”

No longer able to suppress the truth or hide it from my friends, I gulped down the lump forming in my throat and decided on honesty.

“The day after my birthday,” I mumbled and glanced up at them, “and it’s only happened a few times, but a strange man showed up while I was asleep.”

Lex balled his fists by his side. “I’ll kill him,” he fumed.

An involuntary laugh escaped me. “Interesting that you say that, but you can’t.”

He looked at me like I’d forgotten who he was and shook his head as he pointed to his chest. “Fallen angel, remember?” he reminded me.

“Yes,” I replied with a sigh. “But he’s in my head. Lex—he got through somehow last night too on our way to the cabin.” Those last words fractured under pressure as my emotions threatened to spill over.

Lex’s eyes darted between everyone before landing back on mine. Those stormy clouds flickered within them again, and I knew he was preparing for a fight. His jaw set tight. “No. He’s out there. Once we figure out how to find him, then I’ll kill him.”

“Why didn’t you say anything earlier?” Baz’s stern voice broke in as he began pacing the yard.

“I wanted to,” I said through unshed tears. “But when we met this morning, you said it was the first time we’d spoken.”

Ena studied my interaction with Baz, concern etched on her face. “What’s happening with them?” she whispered to Lex.

“Baz and I are linked together in our minds,” I blurted, and pushed away a tear from my cheek. “And we can communicate with each other.”

She stuttered, trying to find the right words. “That’s amazing! But he’s not the one in your head?”

“No,” I sighed as tension settled at the base of my skull. “When Maros showed up, I thought it was him, but he’s just… repulsive.” Taking a deep breath, I confessed, “I don’t know who it is.”

“Do you know what he looks like?” Lex pressed with urgency.

Baz sat down in a flash beside me, and his focus sharpened on my next words. “Describe him,” he instructed.

With a casual shrug, I began recalling fragmented details. “Dark hair and wild green eyes… He comes to me while I sleep—showing me visions…” I hesitated before continuing; memories swirled like leaves caught in a storm. “…My scar burns like someone is holding a match to it right before he appears.”

“Visions of what, Noa?” Ena interjected, her eyes narrowing at me.

I racked my brain trying to sort through the jumbled images. “There’s a field,” I said, struck by clarity. “And the tree. Lex, your tattoo!” I exclaimed and pointed at his thigh. “It’s the same tree, and he insisted I find him there. Do you think he’s waiting for me?”

Lex stroked his chin, his voice tinged with contemplation. “No,” he said, shaking his head. “Doubtful.”

Baz remained silent for a moment, seeming to wrestle with the question. He glanced at me, a look of struggle in his eyes. “There’s nothing at the tree for you, Noa,” he agreed.

But what if there were? Something more lurked beneath our conversation. Why ask me about the man, then tell me I’m wrong when the clues are there? A nagging instinct told me to push harder. I couldn’t let them decide for me. Especially when it was my mind under attack.

I hugged myself, desperate for a breakthrough. “What if he’s been trying to warn me about this?”

“Why would he do that?” Ena’s forehead crinkled with confusion as she glanced at Lex.

“Why not?” I shook my head, my hair whispering against my back. I looked at each of them in turn. “I have all this stuff going on inside me, so he’s trying to tell me I’m in danger.”

Ena’s tone carried a weight of sorrow as she explained why my idea was wrong. “Two angels remain at the tree. One guards it while the other nourishes the tree to sustain its life. So, if someone kills the guarding angel and injures the nourishing one, then it’s possible.”

“Nourishes the tree? With what?” I questioned, feeling a sense of dread sink into my bones.

Lex cleared his throat before answering me. “Angel essence,” he answered.

My stomach churned in turmoil. “But they will die!” I exclaimed.

“Over time, yes,” Baz acknowledged. “But it’s to keep the portal open and the wards intact, Noa.”

“Why is the portal still open?” My mind reeled at the gravity of the situation, and I rubbed my temples. “Let me guess, Vincent’s idea.”

Ena stepped forward, her jaw tight, trying to get me to understand. “It took years to figure out how to keep it open,” she confessed. “And the lower-ranking angels are the ones who feed the tree.”

I shivered with displeasure at what I was hearing. “I don’t see how any of you are okay with this.”

“The angels choose to fall, Noa. They know it comes with responsibilities,” Lex said. “And with the portal open, we can return the secrets and gain access to your soul.”

“Having the portal open and warded is saving our world too, Noa,” Ena emphasized as she looked in my direction.

“I get it,” my tone soft as I nodded. “And that’s exactly why I need to get to it and talk to this angel.”

Baz yelped in disagreement. “It could be a trap.”

I turned to him and leaned my head on his shoulder. “Do you believe that? ”

“Of course I do,” he insisted. “Vincent and Maros could’ve faked the wards failing earlier to lure you there and kidnap you. When you didn’t go, Maros got impatient with Vincent.”

I rolled my eyes, then withdrew from him, stepping back to face Lex and Ena. “Baz thinks Maros is trying to kidnap me. He makes a good point. However, I disagree because Maros already showed up here.”

Dawson leaned out the front door with a scowl on his face. “Y’all comin’ or what? Weapons aren’t gonna prepare themselves.”

“We’ll be right there,” I called back and smiled before he disappeared inside again.

As soon as Dawson was out of earshot, I turned back to my friends. “So, who’s coming with me to check out the tree?”

Lex started climbing the stairs to the porch. “Absolutely not,” he objected with a raise of his hand.

“Listen to him, Noa.” Baz’s body tensed, and he stood tall in agreement.

“Isn’t Callum’s essence providing me protection?” I asked, raising a hand in question. “Ena has enhancements,” I said. “So it makes sense I would too.”

“We’re all targets now,” she nodded, agreeing slightly.

Lex turned back to face me, ready to counter, but I shook my head.

“I’m not waiting for trouble to show up here again and drag me to hell,” I insisted. “Vincent and Maros don’t know what Callum did, and we can use that to our advantage.”

Ena tapped her chin as she nodded. “If it’s an angel at the tree warning, Noa, we can get answers to help with the ceremony to retrieve her soul. ”

Lex’s fingers tightened around the cool iron railing, the other hand sweeping across the rough stubble on his face.

“We’ll go, but we need a logical plan,” he said in a measured and deliberate tone. His eyes shifted to Baz. “You know damn well she’ll go off on her own if we don’t help.”

A smirk tugged at the corners of my mouth. I pulled my shoulders up to my ears with a grin. “I’d rather you go with me, Baz, but Lex isn’t wrong,” I sang.

“Fine.” Baz released a deep, irritated growl. “But get inside before I change my mind,” he ordered.

“He’s in.” I gave Ena and Lex a thumbs-up, then I sauntered up the steps with them.

Baz trotted to the corner of the house, pausing as if weighing his next steps. “You’ll need a weapon,” he declared.

Giddy with anticipation, I clasped my hands behind my back. “And I get a weapon.”

“Don’t get too excited, Noa.” Lex leaned in with a teasing expression. “The tree is warded, so we’ll need to find it first.”

“I’ll go around and come through the back,” Baz sighed, done with the conversation.

I cast a doubtful look at Baz, but before I could ask how, he was gone. Lex opened the door for Ena and me, ushering us inside.

“Besides,” Lex added. “You might get a dagger at most.”

Dagger.

I turned and ran back down the steps toward the empty field. Smoke curled upwards from the remnants of the totem pole, reducing Sasha’s body to ash. Tears blurred my vision; I needed the dagger—the one Vincent had forced me to wield against Sasha .

There was no sign of it anywhere. Not even the glint of a hilt. I sprinted into the house, shock painted on Ena’s and Lex’s faces.