Frosted Torment (Marked Mortals Saga #1)

Chapter 29

CHAPTER 29

D espite the butterflies in my stomach, I walked in sync with Baz, while Lex trailed closely behind us. We skirted the edge of the mountain to the other side, and I was grateful we didn’t need to climb.

We came to a stop, and a thunderous crash of water on rock above grew deafening. Icy gusts buffeted us from all sides. Finally, we reached a dead end, and the mountain face rose up in an impenetrable wall before us.

“Now what?” I shouted over the roar of the water.

Lex ran his hands over the slick black stone, searching for any hidden mechanisms. “Nothing here to indicate an entrance, Baz.”

“Look up.” He pointed to an overhang situated three feet above my head. “You can get Noa up there to crawl inside and check.”

I shook my head and walked away. “No way. You’re insane. ”

“It’s our only shot, Noa,” said Lex, grabbing my arm and pulling me back.

I swallowed hard and took a deep inhale. “I can’t believe I’m doing this.”

Lex unfurled his wings and handed me a tiny flashlight from the backpack. “You’ve got this.”

“You’re lucky it’s not that far up.” I scowled at him as he wrapped his arms around me. “Also, I want my vape back since I’m doing this,” I advised.

He laughed knowing he’d never agree, then hovered above the ground. Lex lifted me to a small tunnel in the side of the mountain, and I crawled inside. I took off my sling pack, handing it to him, then placed the flashlight between my teeth.

Climbing inside the crawlspace on my stomach, I searched for the opening to Vallen. Pulling the flashlight from my mouth, I pointed it down the tunnel and to each side. “There’s nothing here, and I’ve touched everything with my wrist.”

“You sure?” Lex sounded skeptical as he hovered outside the entrance.

“Yes!” I yelled, irritation coating my tone. “Do you want to get in here?”

I moved further into the tunnel to where my feet were no longer visible. It grew wider, and I was able to turn over onto my back. Taking a deep breath, I scanned the walls, but still nothing. Looking up, I noticed a small hole above me, and I had an idea.

“Anything?” Lex called in after me, his voice sounding anxious.

“I’m probably going to regret this, but hold on!” I called out to him.

Keeping the flashlight in one hand, I raised my other arm where the bracelet sat beneath my skin and placed it in the open space above me. I prayed that nothing would eat my hand or rip my arm off.

Feeling around with my fingers, there wasn’t a lever or any type of button, but there was an odd groove in the rock. Taking a deep breath, I set my wrist inside, and a needle-like pain shot through my arm.

I squeezed my eyes shut, only to pitch forward as the stone beneath me gave way. The world tilted and I slid down, then tumbled forward hard on my hands and knees, loose gravel biting into my palms. Beside me, Baz and Lex stood startled as I looked up at them, water misting into my face.

Breathing hard, I raised my head, hardly daring to hope. My eyes widened as I turned around to see the mountainside open. I scrambled to my feet as Lex picked up his hiking pack and then handed me mine. Baz looked around to see if anyone was watching us, but he pointed forward, and we hurried inside the small doorway.

“Where’s the flashlight?” Lex asked as he swiftly searched the area.

“Lost it at some point,” I said, “but it has to be here somewhere.”

Placing my back against the entryway, I leaned forward, using the light from outside to help. Bending down, the cylindrical blue glint caught my eye, and I pointed.

“At your feet, Baz,” I said and pointed to the floor.

Baz picked up the flashlight and tapped it in his hand to get it to turn on again. “Shall we?” he asked, using the light to guide us forward.

I placed my arm on the wall for support, and the mountain began to grow dark. The roar of the waterfall had faded to a muffled hum; the air around us was still and musty. Darkness pressed in from all sides, thick and disorienting as the flashlight flickered. I blinked rapidly, trying to make out my surroundings, but it was like staring into a void.

“Let me see it,” Lex muttered. I heard him rummaging through his pack, then with a click, he turned on the flashlight. “Extra batteries for the win.”

The beam cut through the cavernous shadows, illuminating rough-hewn walls of black stone. We were in a tunnel, narrow and winding, disappearing into the depths of the mountain. Lex moved forward, the flashlight bobbing with each step.

Baz and I followed, our footsteps echoing in the confined space. As we walked, I noticed strange markings etched into the walls, angular letters that seemed to shimmer in the dim light. They were angelic runes, but they looked as though they were a different language altogether.

“I’ve never seen anything like this.” Lex traced his fingers over the symbols, his brow furrowed. “Some kind of ancient angelic language I’ve never been privy to.”

Baz leaned in for a closer look, his eyes narrowed in concentration. “And these words here look like a different version of Latin. I recognize some of them, but I’m not sure what they all mean.”

I struggled to hear him as my attention focused inward. With each step deeper into the mountain, a growing sense of unease coiled in my gut. I could feel the weight of the stone above us, crushing and immovable. Each breath came in short, ragged gasps, echoing in my ears as my heart pounded a frantic rhythm against my ribcage .

“Noa?” Lex’s voice seemed to come from far away. “Are you breathing?”

I shook my head, struggling to form words. “I can’t—I don’t think I can.”

The tunnel expanded into a wider path, and Baz stopped. He unscrewed the cap of a water bottle and handed it to me. “Here, drink this. Try to take slow, deep breaths through your nose and out of your mouth.”

Taking small sips, I fought to calm my racing heart. Gradually, it slowed, leaving me drained and shaky.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, embarrassed by my moment of weakness. “I don’t know what came over me.”

“Don’t apologize,” Lex insisted. “This trek could very well be leading us all into complete and utter destruction.”

I managed a small smile at his feeble attempt to help me feel better. Taking a deep breath, I straightened my shoulders and nodded for Lex to continue. Lex’s flashlight cut through the gloom, illuminating more faded Latin inscriptions etched into the stone. Baz paused, his brow furrowed as he studied the ancient words.

“Can you read those?” I questioned. My words bounced across the confined space.

“It’s something about guarding, protecting...” He leaned back and glanced at me. “And a prisoner.”

A chill raced down my spine, and the thought of confronting Vallen sent a wave of nausea rolling through me. I swayed on my feet, my vision blurred at the edges.

“Whoa, easy there.” Baz’s arms encircled me, holding me steady .

I leaned into his embrace, drawing strength from his solid presence. “I don’t know if I can do this, Baz. What if?—”

“Hey, look at me.” He tilted my chin up, his eyes finding mine in the dim light. “We’ll find the answers we need and figure out how to return the secrets, get your soul, and all will be right with the world.”

I nodded and released a long breath. “Okay. But I don’t believe you about the world getting set right.”

“I know.” Baz flashed a soft smile and nodded.

Lex laughed too loudly for the tunnel. “Did my brother crack a joke? The world really is ending.”

“Focus,” I said as I exhaled another deep breath. “Please.”

We followed Lex deeper into the mountain, the beam of his flashlight guiding our way. The air grew colder with each step, our breath misting in front of our faces. After what felt like an eternity, we reached a dead end—another wall.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” I screamed and kicked it as the frustration in me boiled over. “We’re supposed to be here! Why is nothing going right?”

“There’s got to be a way through,” Lex muttered, running his flashlight over the surrounding walls.

A glint of silver caught my eye, and I moved closer, my palms sweating as I tried to make out the words etched into the stone. “Guys, over here!”

I grabbed the flashlight and directed the beam of light onto the inscription, illuminating the Latin phrase. Baz stepped forward, his brow furrowed in concentration. He held up a finger and read it aloud.

“Sanguis qui manet aperit et aere. It’s the inscription from your bracelet, Noa,” Baz revealed .

Both men looked at me, waiting, and I lifted my shoulders. “What do I do?” I asked.

“Recite it and see if that works,” instructed Lex while pointing at the wall.

Looking back and forth between the stone and my wrist, I recited the lines. “The blood forgave. The line remains. The one he loved forever stayed.”

Baz looked around when nothing happened. “Hmm, you might have to speak in Latin,” he advised.

“Before I butcher a new language, maybe there’s another way,” I suggested, placing my hands on my hips. “Earlier I slid my wrist into another opening. Look around for a hole or somewhere my wrist will line up and connect with something.”

I waved the flashlight around, but nothing else stuck out. Then it hit me. I raised my arm again and laid my hand flat against the wall, letting my wrist connect with the Latin inscription. Heat flared beneath my skin as the bracelet pulsed against my bones.

Then, a soft blue glow emanated from the phrase, tracing a path along the wall until it reached the middle. With a spark and a pop, the rock crumbled, giving way to another iron door.

“You did it, Noa!” Baz exclaimed, his face breaking into a grin.

Lex let out a whoop of joy, and the two of them pulled me into a tight hug. For a fleeting moment, I allowed their embrace to comfort me, forgetting my fears in the wake of our success. I laughed while pulling down on a lever embedded in the side of the mountain, feeling a wave of anxiety.

Lex held onto the flashlight, its beam piercing through the suffocating darkness of the underground cave. As the beam swept across the space, it illuminated a figure chained to the far wall. A man with a long, matted beard and dark hair that hung in tangles around his face slumped against his restraints.

“I can’t tell if he’s breathing,” I moved my head from side to side and noticed a faint rise in his chest.

“If so,” Lex noted. “It’s not much.”

Baz’s sharp inhale beside me caused me to flinch. “Is that...?” he asked.

My stomach knotted as beads of sweat formed on my forehead. I took one step closer, and he raised his head with gradual movement. Those green eyes that haunted me flashed with hatred in my direction. I couldn’t tear my eyes away, even though I knew finding him alive came with monumental consequences.

We found him.

We had found Vallen.