Frosted Torment (Marked Mortals Saga #1)

Chapter 26

CHAPTER 26

“ H ow are you?” Ena examined me, her eyes brimming with genuine concern.

“I’m not sure,” I whispered, trying to push aside the whirlwind of emotions churning inside me.

A cluster of people gathered around Baz as the brisk mountain air nipped at my cheeks. I rubbed my hands together for warmth, waiting for him to weave through the crowd.

“I’m relieved you made it out of there last night,” she said softly.

I slapped a hand against my forehead in frustration. “I’m sorry, Ena. I’m a twit for not thanking you for saving my ass.”

She chuckled, biting her bottom lip while sneaking glances at Baz. “You have bigger fish to fry. Besides, uprooting trees and summoning gale-force winds is another Tuesday for me.”

“Right.” I raised an eyebrow and fixed my gaze on Baz. “What’s the story behind those tattoos? ”

“They’re etched during the ceremony I perform,” she replied matter-of-factly.

“That’s mind-boggling! How does that work?” I leaned closer, lowering my voice so we wouldn’t be overheard.

Ena squinted against the rising sun. “When I utter the incantations during the ceremony, Lex’s essence ignites something within me. Tattoos materialize on the angel before he transforms into a wolf.” She inhaled a deep breath, then exhaled gradually. “They connect him to both his wolf form and his celestial nature. But I can’t believe he’s standing here as a human.”

“Stop drooling,” I nudged her playfully with my shoulder.

She beamed and giggled. “Do you blame me? He’s mesmerizing, Noa.”

“But don’t you have your own angel?” I teased, nodding toward Lex.

“Maybe,” she sang with a wide grin and tossed her long black hair over her shoulder.

“What do you know about the signati bond?” I asked.

“He’s tethered to you in every conceivable way now,” she explained, emphasizing its importance.

“Wait.” I raised a hand to halt her words, as my brows shot up. “Not every way, right?” I asked, terrified with raised brows. Even if Baz had a level of gorgeousness that hurt my eyes, we were linked for life, and that would be strange.

Ena shook her head in amusement. “Not at all. You can have a relationship; he won’t.”

“That’s unfortunate,” I sighed as I watched him embrace his family, then my shoulders sagged in concern. “Oh no, please tell me he isn’t a eunuch.”

Ena erupted into laughter so hard she doubled over. I turned my head to avoid drawing attention to us, but it was too late—Lex shot us a disappointed glare, resembling a parent disapproving of children interrupting a serious meeting. We both turned away, keeping our backs to them.

“Look,” Ena said between gasps of laughter, “guardian angels don’t crave romantic connections. You are his world and his sacred duty to protect,” she added with a hint of envy lacing her voice.

“Wonderful,” I muttered, and wrinkled my face.

“Are you honestly going to hate having that delicious piece attached to you?” She fanned her face and laughed.

“You’re killing me, Ena! Focus, please.”

I looked over my shoulder and Baz’s eyes flickered with concern. He and Lex broke off from the group and walked toward us, both with questions dancing in their eyes. I tapped Ena’s arm with the back of my hand before we turned to face them together.

“Everyone okay over there?” I asked, rocking back on my heels.

Baz reached his hands out to guide me up the path. “Everyone knows what to do when the time comes.”

“What are you doing?” I protested, trying to pull my hand away from his firm grasp as he continued to lead me forward.

“Protect and guard—remember?” He looked down at me with an endearing softness I’d never seen before as I stood still, refusing to budge.

“You were okay with being close to me when I was a wolf.”

“I need some time to adjust, okay?” I smiled at him with a soft expression, and he nodded, understanding my desire for space. “I’m going to walk with Ena. ”

Baz and Lex moved ahead while Ena fell into step beside me with a light elbow poke in my arm.

“Swoon.” She laughed as we made our way down the path toward the bunkhouse.

“Stop.” I hugged myself for comfort while keeping my eyes straight ahead. “How’s everyone back at Dawson’s?”

Ena zipped her jacket closed and looked at me as though she were noticing for the first time that I wasn’t wearing one myself. “You aren’t cold, Noa?”

I turned my head and shrugged. “No idea why, but more than likely it has to do with Callum’s essence flowing through me. That’s my guess, anyway.”

“Maybe,” she said, then put her eyes back on Lex as we kept walking. “There isn’t much damage at my grandparents’ house. Vincent’s angels knew when you left.”

“Figures, but I thought we’d have more time to plan.” I bit my bottom lip as I tried to think of a way to save my life and everyone else’s.

“Yeah, but my grandmother and Dawson are pretty badass with Jossy’s help. And of course, Nakoma and Lulu.” Ena laughed with a shake of her head, as if she were remembering their efforts from the night before.

“I’m glad you’re all safe.” I nodded, then I adjusted my pace to catch up with Baz and Lex. I tapped Lex’s arm. “What’s the new development you were talking about back there?”

Lex’s eyes shifted to Ena, then back to me, and we all stood motionless on the path. A wry smile crossed his lips as he said, “Dawson and two other angels saw the tree.”

Baz stopped on the trail and grabbed Lex’s shoulder with one hand. “You’re certain?” he asked .

“Yes,” he confirmed. “They took off in the wee hours of the morning and radioed back from the edge of the burial grounds.”

“We need to go now,” I urged, grabbing Lex’s arm. “That angel showed me the tree and the damn mountain with the icy river.”

Baz stepped closer to me. “You didn’t say anything about water.”

A shiver crawled down my spine, and I rubbed my face in irritation. “Yes,” I said with certainty. “I told all of you.”

Baz shot me a skeptical glance before turning his questioning eyes to Lex. “No,” he countered, his tone soft yet sharp. “You only mentioned the tree.”

Lex nodded in agreement before meeting my eyes head-on. “He’s right, Noa.”

Frustration simmered beneath my calm facade as I retorted with a biting tone, “Why does that matter? The tree is what’s important.”

Baz sighed with a deep breath before placing a guiding arm around me. “It is,” he agreed. “But it’s better if someone else checks it out before us. In case it is a trap.” His voice softened with an edge of caution. “Deep breaths, Noa.”

Each step seemed heavier than the last as we continued our ascent up the path.

My eyes drew together. “So, Dawson or Father O’Neil gets to die because of me?” I argued.

Baz pulled me into him as we walked, but I clenched my fists and stormed ahead, furious. I knew they meant well because I needed to stay alive, but not at the cost of others dying. The thought twisted something deep within until I halted mid-step—facing back toward them all.

“How much further?” I called out, my tone edged with impatience. “I’m ready to shower and brush my teeth.”

Baz pointed ahead to a shipping container, painted red and transformed into a house. It even included a built-on deck. “Fortunately,” Baz announced as he caught up with me. “We have arrived.”

“Charming,” I offered with indignation coating my words.

“Noa, hold on,” Lex said before we stepped inside the house. “You walked away before I could tell you, but Dawson and the angels only saw the tree from a distance. Something is keeping them from crossing the fence line.”

My face brightened with excitement and I clapped my hands together. “A barrier! So, that means we’re still going?”

“I don’t think you should be too thrilled about it,” Lex stressed with a shake of his head. “But, yeah, we’re going.”

I fist-bumped the air as Baz opened the metal door with a ceremonial flourish. As we stepped inside, the one-room structure radiated a surprising coziness. The smell of aged wood mingled with a faint hint of lilac sprinkled the air.

To the left was a small living space. Two oversized chairs faced a small electric fireplace that cast flickering shadows across the room. The kitchen to the right had a short, worn wooden counter.

It had a mini fridge, an ice machine, and a microwave. Nothing more, not even a stove. A foldable card table with four fold-out chairs around it was the dining area.

One bathroom across from where I stood in the entryway had a stand-up shower, sink, and toilet with a small shelf above it holding a few towels. I didn’t say another word to my friends as I grabbed my backpack from Lex and left them to their own devices. Grateful for the opportunity to escape into a few minutes of privacy, I locked the door and then turned on the shower.

I grabbed my toothbrush and toothpaste out of my bag, then stepped into the cascade of liquid heat, brushing my teeth first. The tension melted away with each passing minute, and the steam created a cozy sanctuary within the small area.

What I wanted most was to find Vallen, but the visions of the cherry tree meant something. Whether it was about me or the angels, I wasn’t sure, but I pushed that aside as I pulled the curtain back and tossed my toothbrush into the sink. I poured soap over every inch of me and began to scrub.

My grandmother’s bracelet bounced along my wrist, and I noticed a different inscription, in another language, on the inside of the band. I tried tugging it over my hand again to get a closer look, but it refused to budge. Once more, I loaded my hands with soap and rubbed my wrist, making it as slick as possible.

I pulled at it again and again, but still had no success. The water splashing around my face made it difficult to read the cluster of letters. I lifted my wrist to the light, letting it catch the engraving when there was a knock at the door.

“Lex and I are headed back down to camp, Noa,” Baz announced to me through the door.

“Okay... yeah... sure,” I mumbled, my eyes glued to the inscription as I struggled to focus.

Then the letters began to rearrange themselves. I rubbed my eyes as the water continued to run across my body. When I opened them, I could read the quote .

My entire body jolted in shock as I whispered them out loud. “The blood forgave. The line remains. The one he loved forever stayed.”

In the span of a single heartbeat, the ancient bracelet bit into my wrist like a too-tight rubber band. Struggling against its iron grip proved pointless. My tendons and muscles writhed beneath my skin, appearing eerily bloodless. A hot tremor tumbled down my spine, spilling me onto the shower floor. I opened my mouth to scream, but only silence came out.

Winded, with nothing but sharp inhales for company, I stared at the horror unfolding as the bracelet merged with my bones. With each frantic blink that screamed ‘no’, it accepted an adamant ‘yes’—becoming a permanent part of me. The mysterious designs etched into its surface were now tattooed over my once bare skin by some unseen cosmic hand.

Rubbing my skin, the runes and words mocked me with their permanence. The bracelet had claimed me.

“Baz!” I cried, backing myself into the corner of the shower.

Breaths of air lodged in my lungs between uncontrollable sobs. Overwhelmed with fear, I curled up into a ball, tucking my face into my arms as my wet hair clung to my skin like strands of seaweed. In an instant, splintered wood flew across the bathroom, some landing in the shower.

Baz strode across the tiled floor, his enormous frame casting an imposing shadow over my trembling body. He reached past me to shut off the shower. I flinched at the sudden silence, only broken by my ragged breathing.

“Hey, it’s okay,” Baz said in a low voice, bending down to eye level with me. “Tell me what happened.”

His piercing blue eyes met mine and softened with genuine concern. Ena slipped into the bathroom, her eyes darting between me and Baz. With a deep breath, she began to channel her magic, drying the soaked floor with each gentle gust.

She swept the wood up against the wall into a pile, then leaned against the bathroom counter, her head hung low. Ena was desperate to help, but in that moment, it was one thing she was powerless to do. She reached for a towel and handed it to Baz.

“Please, Baz,” I whispered through chattering teeth, my eyes welling up with fresh tears. “I don’t know what’s happening to me.”

“What do you mean, Noa?” His voice was steady as he helped me stand and wrapped the towel around me.

As I looked into Baz’s eyes, I hesitated, then extended my arm with caution, revealing the inscription tattooed on my wrist. The words seemed to dance before my eyes, taunting me with their cryptic message.

“I don’t know what it means,” I sniffed. “It just appeared, then the bracelet... after it—" I choked back a sob, unable to finish the sentence.

Ena’s eyes widened as she walked over to examine my wrist. She studied the tattoo, her fingers tracing the air above my skin. “The bracelet is under her skin,” Ena whispered as concern plastered her face, and she offered my hand to Baz.

As our fingers touched, a sudden surge of electricity erupted from my palm. A direct strike to the chest propelled him across the room, causing his back to slam against the wall with a sickening thud. Then, he crumpled to the floor.

“Baz!” I screamed, my hand flying to my mouth in horror, and the towel forgotten on the floor. I caught myself on the counter as my feet slipped out from under me. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know what happened,” I stammered, tears streaming down my face as I reached out to him, afraid to make contact.

Ena rushed over to Baz as Lex burst into the room. “What’s going on?” He flashed a look at me, then turned his back in a swift motion. “You’re naked, Noa.”

“Shit!” I yanked my towel off the floor, then quickly wrapped it around myself. “You can look now, Lex.”

Baz groaned, his hand clutching his stomach as he sat up and leaned against the wall. His eyes now glowed and pulsed the way the other angels did. “I’m all right,” he managed to say.

Despite the pain etched on his face, I wanted to believe him, to cling to the hope that we could find out what was happening to me. But as I looked at the troubled faces of my friends, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this was something far more terrifying than I had imagined.

“We need to get you out of here, Noa,” Lex urged, his voice rising. “Vincent is bound to know this was a possibility, and Maros will follow suit. You’re not safe here.” He looked down at Baz and held out his hand to help him stand.

A cold fear gripped my heart at the mention of Vincent and Maros. The thought of facing either of them again sent a fresh wave of terror through my body. I wanted to fight them. I wanted to stay alive, but I didn’t know how.

Lex helped Baz stand, then they walked out into the living room while I got dressed. Ena stood with her back to me in the doorway as I zipped into a fresh pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. My hands didn’t want to work because I kept dropping my clothes no matter how fast I tried to get them on .

I assured myself that what I did to Baz was a fluke, but I couldn’t let anyone else get hurt because of me. Once dressed, I retrieved the belt of daggers from the backpack and slid Vincent’s into my back pocket. After securing the belt to my leg again, I turned Ena around by her shoulders and made her face me.

“Forgive me, please,” I begged with all sincerity.

I pushed her to the side with more strength than I meant to, sprinting toward the door on the side of the container. My only goal was to escape before anyone could stop me. But before I could make it out of the doorway, Baz caught me and held me close.

I struggled against his solid hold, my mind reeling with the need to escape, but it was futile. Ena looked at me, annoyed, as she rubbed her arm. I expected her to be angry with me, but she shook her head in disappointment.

“Seriously, Noa?” she asked with a glare, then glanced at Baz.

Baz released me from his embrace, but kept a steadying hand on my shoulder as his eyes hardened onto mine. “You have to give us a minute to gather our backpacks before we can leave.”

“No,” I objected. “You’re safer if I go alone, so let me.” I pleaded and held my wrist up to his face.

Lex cracked his knuckles as he drew in a sharp breath. “This is the exact type of thing I said not to do that would get us all killed.”

As a tear ran down my cheek, Baz lightly wiped it away with his thumb. His eyes never left mine while he spoke.

“Ena,” he calmly requested. “Take two of the wolves and get back to Dawson’s. There has to be something about this bracelet in the vault somewhere.”

“On it.” She nodded and started to open the door, but Lex stopped her.

“And grab one of the satellite walkie-talkies to stay in touch, please,” Lex added with wide eyes.

My eyes broke from Baz right as Ena hurled a glare at me, and my heart dropped. “I like you, Noa,” she sighed. “So, please get a handle on this before you wipe us all out. Forever.” She kissed Lex’s cheek and walked out the door.

“We have to move fast,” advised Lex as he walked into the bathroom, picked up my clothes, and stuffed them into my backpack. Handing it to me, he asked, “Can you handle this?”

“I want to, but Lex—” I began, and I looked at the floor.

“You have the strength, Noa.” He placed a hand on my shoulder. “I’ve seen it every day since we met.”

I nodded in agreement, taking deep breaths to try to steady my nerves. Baz cleared his throat and touched my jaw with gentle pressure, prompting me to meet his gaze.

“It’s time for me to change,” he informed me, then strode confidently toward the fireplace, removing his clothes with ease.