Frosted Torment (Marked Mortals Saga #1)

Chapter 25

CHAPTER 25

W ind bit at my face, and I could feel the temperature dropping as we made our way across the property and into the woods. Branches of the trees slapped against our backs, and I was never more grateful for the backpack protecting me. Baz knew his way through the undergrowth, but it wasn’t until we were deep inside that he began to slow down. Once he thought we were safe, he turned back to make sure nothing followed us.

A strange sense of relief washed over me as we escaped, or fear had numbed me. Either way, we were out of reach of Vincent and Maros. It didn’t stop the rumbles of the fight from easing into the woods around us.

Baz reached out to me and said, “Almost there, Noa.”

“Please tell me they’ll be okay.” I touched my thigh, making sure the daggers were still strapped to my leg.

“They’ll be fine,” he assured me. “It was a distraction to see if we were prepared to fight. ”

He turned in another direction and began walking at a steady pace. I lifted my head and noticed it had to be well after midnight the way the darkness took over. I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face.

We finally reached a hidden opening in the trees where the flickering light of a small campfire beckoned against a wall of bedrock. The muffled sounds of voices and laughter carried through the trees, as did the intoxicating scent of burning cedar. We walked by at least ten tents lined along the camp’s edge.

Baz stopped in front of a large round one with blue canvas walls. They remained unmoved as the cold wind blew, holding steady against its force. Baz lowered his body to the ground, and I climbed down, removing the jacket and backpack from my shoulders.

He used his teeth to untie a thick leather rope to the left of the entry. Then, using his head, he pushed open the flaps of the tent, and I followed him inside. The space was well-lit by candlelight, casting a golden glow on the wooden beams that formed a perfect circle around the tent.

The flickering flames from the wood stove provided a cozy ambiance. Two rectangular plastic windows on either side of the entryway revealed glimpses of trees and moonlight. The wood flooring had some give, and when I bent down to inspect it, I noticed it was interlocking rubber mats.

A king-sized bed with a fluffy comforter invited me over, and I sighed in relief. When I glanced left, a chest-high iron table with a mosaic top sat in the center of the room. The assortment of cheeses, fruits, meats, and breads on display made my mouth water.

Baz nudged me toward the food with a gentle push, his eyes full of concern that I’d missed out on eating some of Nevaeh’s bread. Coffee was the only thing I’d had since breakfast the day before. I dropped the backpack and jacket on the floor and hesitated with my choices.

My mind was still reeling from the past two hours, and the worry for my friends grew. There weren’t any wolves back at the house and no way for Baz to communicate with them, so I had no idea if everyone was okay.

“I don’t think I can eat yet. We don’t know—,” I started out loud and turned back to him.

“You need your strength, then you need to sleep. They know what they’re doing,” Baz assured me with another nudge toward the table.

Trusting him, I looked over the food again, then took a deep breath. I picked up a chunk of homemade cornbread and a slice of smoked cheddar cheese. I devoured it, savoring the creaminess and saltiness of both in my mouth.

Next, I grabbed an apple from the table. As soon as I took a bite, the flavors and juices satiated me. It wasn’t until I swallowed that I realized how hungry I had become.

Baz watched me with intense focus, his black fur glowing in the dim light. I smiled, uncertain of how much longer I could hold it all together, and swallowed another piece of cheese.

A deep sigh escaped Baz, and it ruffled my hair as it brushed past me. “Finish eating and get comfortable,” he said.

I picked up a croissant next, and buttery flakes fell onto the floor, but I didn’t hesitate. With my mouth full, I asked, “You wouldn’t happen to have some wine or whiskey around here?”

“No,” Bazz huffed.

I bit into what remained of the croissant and then grabbed the backpack and jacket. After tossing both onto an armchair next to the bed, I continued eating, but frustration bubbled up in my chest.

“So no one drinks around here?” I complained, pulling out some drawstring sweatpants and a long-sleeve t-shirt.

The name of Ena’s nursing school was on the pocket of the front left, and the worry returned. When I twirled back around with the shirt in my hand, Baz stalked toward me, but I didn’t budge. His large head loomed over mine as he peered into my eyes.

“I’m telling you,” he warned, “now that you’re full of essence and our cosmic secrets, if you drink, you are susceptible to demons getting into your head. So, if you’re thirsty, drink water.”

I raised my palms in a gesture of understanding, then tossed Ena’s shirt onto the bed. If I was honest, I loved his protection. Even if he scared me a little. Walking over to the table, I grabbed the filtered pitcher and poured myself a glass of water, then another. My body sang with relief.

“I wouldn’t call needing a good shot of whiskey because of all the shit I’ve dealt with thirst, Baz,” I complained with a roll of my eyes. “Besides, I’ve never been susceptible to anything getting in my head before, and I was born with some of the secrets.”

He turned to leave the tent, refusing to engage with my protest, but he looked back. A softness filled his eyes.

“The bed is yours,” he announced.

“You’re leaving?” My brows furrowed in confusion.

“I need to check in with the others, but I’ll be back.”

I set the glass down and walked over to him, finding comfort as I rested my head in the middle of his chest. Hugging him in a way that let him know I was sorry for acting like a pain, I asked, “ Where will you sleep?”

He turned his head, brushing the top of mine to return the hug. “At your feet. Just as I’ve always done.”

I stepped back in awe of him. He fell for me, and as I contemplated his sacrifice, guilt enveloped me. I didn’t deserve that kind of loyalty, compassion, or protection.

Baz had been by my side since the beginning of time. I couldn’t help but feel disappointed in myself for how little I’d done with my life. Always obsessing over who killed my mother and hell-bent on finding her killers plagued me.

How could it not when I could talk to Uno and Dos? The spirits always knew it was murder, and so did I. If I were being honest, knowing that information brought me enough comfort to push me to attend college.

At least for me, getting a degree in criminology helped so I wouldn’t end up in a complete downward spiral. It occupied my time, and I worked to save money. Then I planned to go home to Texas and investigate.

But now, I knew who killed my mom. I could make her proud once I killed Vincent and Maros; then, I would take Vallen’s wings with pleasure.

“Thank you, Baz,” I said, and squeezed him hard again.

“No problem,” he said and chuffed. “Try to get some rest.”

He left through the tent opening, then I scanned the room, seeing two quilts and a fleece blanket folded inside a metal bin. I craved sleep now, so I walked over and chose one of the quilts to sleep with.

My body thanked me as I undressed, pulled on the t-shirt and sweatpants, then placed all the daggers into my backpack. I wrapped myself in the quilt, not wanting to get under Baz’s covers. Something about it felt strange to me. As I settled into the cocoon of warmth, exhaustion washed over me.

When I woke, it felt like I’d slept for a thousand years. I flipped over when I heard chatter outside of the tent and rubbed my eyelids. I sat up and slid out of the bed, placing my feet onto what was supposed to be the ground.

Then, I tripped over someone, hitting both of my knees on the floor. A sharp pain vibrated through my kneecap as I screamed and woke the naked man in front of me.

A man and a woman ran into the tent, swords drawn like they were preparing for battle. Except the man wore only jeans and the woman a black unitard. They looked down, mouths wide open in shock, and lowered their weapons. I stood and limped toward the table without assistance.

“Get him out of here! Where’s Baz?” I yelled while searching the tent in a panic.

The door flap opened and Lex stepped inside, and seeing me, he offered his arm to help me regain my balance.

“Thank heavens,” I said and grabbed his shoulders. “You’ve gotta get that guy out of here. I don’t know how he ended up in this tent, but please find Baz,” I pleaded.

The human tree with blonde hair looked at us, stunned, then grabbed a blanket from the bed to cover himself. He gestured to the others to leave before he stood up.

“Noa,” Lex chuckled as the disheveled man walked toward me. “Meet Baz.”

I ran my fingers through my tangled hair with a free hand as I clung tightly to Lex for support with the other. Swallowing hard, I examined the man who stood towering over us. Intricate tattoos and symbols covered his entire body, stopping below his collarbone. Some of them replicated the runes on my bracelet and Nakoma’s arrows.

The most prominent tattoo that I couldn’t take my eyes off was the face of a wolf that covered most of his chest. Its mouth was open as it bared all its teeth against his bulging muscles. They tightened even more as he reached out his hand to shake mine.

“How is this possible?” I whispered as I shook Baz’s hand.

Then I took a quick look at Lex, confusion evident in my expression. He let out a hearty laugh, showing his amusement at the situation.

“It more than likely has something to do with your current predicament,” Lex reasoned.

Baz cleared his throat, his eyes warming as he glanced at me. “I didn’t mean to scare you, Noa.” His voice was deep and soothing when he spoke.

I felt the heat rising to my cheeks as he kept a tight grip on the blanket that had inched its way down when he stood. He was a Greek god. I licked my lips and tore my eyes from his to find the right words.

“I’m okay now,” I lied. “But I need a minute.” Unhooking my arm from Lex and placing one hand on the table, I dropped the other to my side.

Lex eyed the food, now covered with a mesh lid to protect it from bugs. He lifted the lid and piled strawberries into his free hand. I peeked at Baz, who opened drawers from a canvas dresser and pulled out jeans along with a short-sleeved shirt.

I remembered the wolves’ and angels’ body temperatures were higher than humans’. Baz dropped the blanket so he could get dressed, and I turned away .

“When did you get here, Lex?” I whispered, hoping to take my mind off of the insurmountable male beauty in the tent.

“A couple of hours ago,” he said with a nonchalant expression, then ate a cube of cheese. “Ena’s here too.”

“So everyone’s okay?” Relief spread through me with that information.

“Yeah, and there’s been a development,” Lex shot me a quick smile. “But we were waiting for you two before discussing it.”

“You should’ve woken me, brother,” Baz said as he walked up behind Lex and squeezed his shoulders with both hands.

“I peeked in,” he admitted, “but I wasn’t about to miss Noa finding you like this.”

I gasped and slapped Lex’s arm. “Jerk!”

A flicker of emotion flashed across Lex’s eyes, then a smirk pulled at the corner of his lips. He was beautiful, but so were all the fallen angels, which, in all honesty, unnerved me. Since they were damned to spend eternal life here, I suppose they deserved that much ethereal beauty.

“Where’s the coffee?” I groaned and pulled at my hair.

“I’ll make you a cup,” Lex offered with a laugh.

Folding my hands and resting them on the table, I said, “That’s the least you can do.”

Shaking his head, he walked to a small area across from us where a single-serve coffee brewer sat. After placing a pod inside, then a paper cup underneath it, he pressed start. I watched him for a moment, then turned my attention to Baz. He inhaled a banana, then walked back over to the bed and sat down. He pulled on a pair of hiking boots with a huge smile plastered on his face .

When I tried to put weight on my foot to walk to him, pain shot through my kneecap. Leaning my back against the table seemed like the better option until I had my coffee and Ena could look at my knee.

“What’s with all the human clothes?” I asked, ignoring the throbbing eruption down my shin.

“They’ve been here,” he said while tying his laces, “in case we stay human.”

But you didn’t, and you’ve been stuck as a wolf. What idiot angel does that for me? I thought to myself.

“This idiot angel.” He winked and stood, walking over to me.

I pointed my finger at him. “No. No way,” I declared. “You don’t get to do that now. Talk to me like a regular person.”

Lex’s eyebrows furrowed as he took huge bites from a chocolate muffin while waiting for my coffee. “This ought to be fun with you two,” he snickered.

“Noa, you and I are what’s called signati,” Baz’s tone was firm as he met my gaze.

“ Signati ?” I asked, my eyes darting between him and Lex.

My knee screamed for me to sit down, but I wasn’t sure if I could make it to the bed without falling on my face and embarrassing myself.

“It means you’re sealed for life,” said Lex with raised brows as he poured two packets of sugar and one single creamer into the cup. “It’s a covenant,” he added, setting the cup in front of me on the table.

“Our bond sealed when you were born,” Baz added, placing his arm around my shoulder. “But when I fell, I couldn’t be with you all the time like a guardian angel should, which damaged that seal. So for us to be signati here is epic. ”

“How nice for me,” I mocked. I hated this gorgeous, intrusive angel in my space. “If there’s any other way for angels to torture me, tell me now, please.”

Baz pulled me into him and rested his chin on my head. “I would never have fallen if it hadn’t been for you in this situation,” he stated with regret. “You need me.”

“How does this even happen?” I propped my elbow on the table and rested my head in my hand.

Baz’s hand rested softly on my shoulder. “It might be due to the secrets,” he said. “Or that bracelet, now that we know Vincent has a need for it.”

“Or Callum’s essence could be a factor,” Lex proposed with his mouth full of grapes. “He juiced you up good.”

He chuckled, and my hands slapped the table. My coffee splashed over the edge of the cup, and I grabbed a napkin to wipe it up.

“Sorry,” I grimaced. “But I can’t believe you’re acting like this is funny, Lex.”

He placed a hand over mine and shook his head.

“It’s amazing for you and Baz,” he acknowledged. “Signati represents everything to a guardian angel and provides significant benefits for a human.” Lex smiled and took a proud breath. “Who else gets an angel that can shift into a wolf at will and offers unwavering protection?” This guy is yours until you die, Noa.”

My mind scrambled to make sense of something I would likely never understand. Right then, Baz wrapped one arm around my waist. Cradling my legs, he hoisted me up in his strong arms, and my stomach dropped at his closeness. He placed me on the edge of the bed, then touched my knee, careful not to inflict any more pain.

“I can see it hurts you, but it doesn’t feel dislocated,” he offered with a reassuring smile.

I shut my eyes, feeling uncomfortable with him fussing over me. “I’ll be okay if you get me an ice pack.”

“That won’t do it.” Baz shook his head. I watched as he brushed his forefinger against my knee. A tickling sensation ran through me, followed by a warmth that spread across my kneecap. “Done,” he said.

“You fixed it?” I rubbed my knee, and the pain was gone.

“I did. Now, you should get cleaned up.” He stood and stretched his arms over his head, then shook them out by his sides.

“Thank you, Baz,” I said, then stood up, dying for a shower.

“There’s a bunkhouse up the path on the other side of camp.” Baz gestured with his thumb toward the door of the tent. “We’ll take you and Ena up there. She can stay with you while Lex and I get our packs ready to go.”

“I can shower and dress without a guard.” I folded my arms and glared at Lex, who shook his head at me.

“We’re not letting you out of our sight,” Lex confirmed. “We have no idea what Vincent or Maros have planned next.” He took the top off the filtered water pitcher and drank the entire canister. “It’s too dangerous for you to be alone, Noa,” Lex added. “Even in places with extra security.”

Annoyed with so much protection, I yanked up my boots from the floor and put them on. Placing my hands on my knees, I gave them both a fake smile. “Fine, but at some point, dads, you’re going to have to let your little girl venture out on her own.”

“We’ll see,” Lex said, patting my head. I pushed his arm away, but all he did was laugh.

Baz reached for my hand and I let him take it. “Let’s walk, Noa.”

“What about these clothes?” I hesitated and went to grab my backpack so I could change.

Lex snatched my backpack before I could reach it, then slung it over his shoulder. “You change after you bathe, but you should put your jacket on.”

The corners of my mouth lifted and I inhaled a deep breath through my nose. “I don’t need the damn jacket,” I stated, shaking my head. “But thank you.”

“Okay, then. My mistake,” he said, a doubtful tone in his voice. “How are you not freezing to death?”

“Maybe it’s all the angel juice.” I hissed, and Lex quirked a brow at me, unamused.

Baz led me out of the tent with Lex close behind. A circle of angels and wolves had gathered outside. As they clapped and cheered as we emerged, I saw Ena standing front and center, a warm smile on her face. Every ounce of tension in me melted away as she embraced me.