Frosted Torment (Marked Mortals Saga #1)

Chapter 35

CHAPTER 35

R ubbing my temples, I opened my eyes to the suffocating weight of silence that filled the tent. Everyone watched me, their eyes heavy with expectation that made my skin crawl. The entrance blew open with a gust of wind that sent a shiver down my spine, spurring me into motion.

I bolted up the path toward the bunkhouse, heart pounding in my chest as I pushed past guardian wolves with fur like midnight and eyes glowing eerily in the dim light. When I finally reached it, just as I turned the knob to walk inside, two hands grabbed each of my shoulders and spun me around. Nakoma stood with Jossy, shaking his head.

Jossy’s eyes were wide with concern as he pleaded, “You can’t go in there like this.”

“Leave us,” Vallen demanded, and stepped in front of them both.

Jossy stood to the side, waiting for my signal that it was okay for him to go, but Nakoma walked around me and slipped into the bunkhouse. I nodded at Jossy that it was okay for him to head back to camp.

Vallen’s finger cupped my chin and tilted it upward until his chest brushed gently against mine. “Look at me, Noa,” he commanded.

My pulse spiked as I found myself caught in the mesmerizing pool of viridian fire that was his eyes. I blinked rapidly, trying to shake off the spots in my vision, only for those hypnotic emerald orbs to morph into a swirling abyss of gold-leafed ivy vines. But the tears wouldn’t stop.

Following the trail of his own touch, he traced the scar above my lip, then wiped away a tear, a dark hunger clouding his eyes. “Yes, I found a way to get your mother and father together. But your dad was a Nephilim,” he explained solemnly. “It was the only way to make this work, but they loved each other.”

“That doesn’t help,” I moaned in agony at what my life had become.

He sighed and thumbed the top of my lip. “I stripped your soul and created this mark on you. That is my scar, Noa.” My chest tightened under his touch. “I carved it into you so you would survive,” he went on as though his reasoning made the outcome better. And to him, it did. “It’s what gave you the ability to stay alive and hold onto the secrets until it was time to return them to the Veil.”

My body shook so close to him, and he took my hands in his. I looked up at him and wished I could blink him away. “But you want me dead,” I confirmed through my tears. “And it’s not just because I’m the carrier of secrets. It’s because of what I am, isn’t it? ”

Vallen’s voice dipped low as he entwined his fingers with mine. “I want to trust you, but you don’t know what you are or what you’re capable of, and?—”

“And,” I cut him off, not giving him the opportunity to finish. “You don’t want to take a chance even when I said you could have the secrets back. Return my soul, but kill the Elioud, right?”

He closed his eyes and I pulled my head away from his. “If you choose my way,” he remarked sternly. “Not only will I get your soul for you, to breathe life and fulfillment back into your body, but together we’ll wipe out every last one of those bastards who thought they could touch you - including Vincent and Maros.”

I felt faint, uncertain that I had heard him correctly. “What are you saying, Vallen?” My eyes narrowed.

His voice dropped an octave lower, sending a shiver down my spine as energy thrummed beneath our wrists. “You’ll rise like the goddess you are to claim your true purpose. And you will save your kind, mine, and what’s beyond the Veil.”

“I don’t understand. You want me to keep the secrets too?” I asked with a shaky breath.

“I didn’t expect you to be so stubborn,” Vallen replied, his voice firm as I stifled a laugh. “Or fight so damn hard. Eliouds turn into something more grotesque than a demon’s plague. Killing you was supposed to be the easiest task I completed. But you’ve fought with the conviction of an angel.”

“And the heart and soul of a human,” I said, letting him stroke the sensitive skin between my fingers and thumb.

“If I kill you now,” he admitted with a flicker of gold in his eyes, “I’m not convinced that something worse won’t come of it.”

“You mean I might follow Maros and Vincent willingly into hell?” I asked quietly.

“The thought has crossed my mind.” His eyes darkened as he glanced down at my lips. “But that’s not what I mean,” he confessed.

“Oh,” I said as my throat bobbed. Those feelings of attraction brewing in me ever since he saved my life with his essence began to mean something.

“The moment I laid eyes on you in the cave,” he divulged, his deep voice a whisper. “And you challenged me, it woke something in me, Noa. It brought back the fight in me and a respect for you.”

“Vallen, don’t,” I pleaded, squeezing his hands tightly. “I can’t take this up and down of whether I will live or die.”

“You will live,” he promised and pulled me into his solid chest. His hands played with my hair as he whispered into my ear. “It’s the only way to know for sure that our worlds, and others, won’t succumb to the demons or worse.”

“Well, that’s good to know.” I laughed uncomfortably and felt the slow drum of a heartbeat beneath me.

“And,” he added with an intensity I wasn’t expecting. “It’s the only way to make certain I wouldn’t beg to be chained up and tortured again for all eternity.”

I stepped back from him and leaned back against the bunkhouse door. I had been so caught up in killing him that I couldn’t think straight. I didn’t want any of this, much less feelings for this angel, with the entire universe on the brink of annihilation .

My heart raced, and I swallowed hard. Vallen and I were connected on a deeper level, and he knew I felt it too. A sudden, undeniable desire coursed through me – that pull I felt before now became a push.

“Well,” I said with a light laugh, “I don’t want to die and be the one to send you back to an eternal prison.”

“Noa,” his gravelly voice whispered in my ear.

“Don’t. Because I hate you,” I murmured, pushing aside the tingling sensations growing low in my core.

He drew me in again, planting a soft kiss on my head. “I know,” he expressed, an understanding in his tone.

My eyes found his, and those gold starbursts shot across his pupils. He tilted my chin up, then leaned down, inching closer to my lips. I closed my eyes, ready to become his fool.

Ready to welcome him into my mouth, and right as our lips touched, the door of the bunkhouse opened and we stumbled inside. Vallen caught me with one arm behind my back, and I leaned backward with Father O’Neil gazing down at me.

“Oh, my,” O’Neil said with a chuckle, and he cleared his throat. “Quite the development.”

We stood, and I adjusted my clothes as we stepped inside.

Nakoma blocked my view in front of the fireplace. “Welcome,” he said as a smile danced across his lips.

On my right, a smaller wooden dining table replaced the card table I’d seen the day before, covered with books and relics salvaged from the attack on Dawson and Nevaeh’s home.

“The angels are working when they can to get into the basement for more, but it isn’t safe,” said O’Neil. He looked at Vallen with raised brows. “Welcome back.”

“Father,” Vallen replied and offered him a nod .

My head turned to the left, and Nakoma shifted, matching my line of sight, keeping me from whatever was on the other side of the room.

“Noa, there’s something else, but before you can see it, I need you to take a few deep breaths.”

My brows furrowed as a skeptical interest swirled within me. “What is it, Nakoma?” I asked.

Bowing his head, he stepped to the side and my mouth dropped. My stomach lurched, and I darted over to where another table had replaced the chairs in front of the fireplace.

“Baz,” I said to him, wanting to fling myself across his body.

But he was propped up on a pillow with an IV coming out of one arm and a blood pressure cuff on the other.

I looked back at Vallen, who remained in the doorway just as stunned as I was.

“How is he alive?” Vallen asked, wrinkles forming across his forehead.

Nakoma walked up beside me and replied, “Do you honestly think the other guardians wouldn’t come running when they heard their alpha’s cry?”

I rubbed my hand down my face, wiping away the tears. “This is incredible. Will he live?”

“We aren’t sure,” Father O’Neil offered from behind me. “It’s touch and go, but we’re trying.”

Nakoma slipped his stethoscope off from around his neck to check Baz’s breathing. “Vincent’s claws contained some kind of venom that got into his bloodstream.”

Vallen stood over me, looking down at Baz in his human form. “That damn wolf is fighting for you, Noa, and deserves to be your signati. ”

I glanced up at him, regret now covering Vallen’s face. “It’s not our fault,” I reminded him. “But we can’t let him die. I couldn’t bear the thought of him getting sent to hell to be tortured by Maros.”

Vallen stepped back and walked toward the door. He leaned his head back, then looked at me without blinking an eye.

Brushing his hands through his hair, he told Nakoma, “You need a branch from the cherry blossom tree. Get its petals, grind them up to make a paste with any type of carrier oil, then feed it to him. The venom will leave his system, and he should recover if you do that.”

Nakoma gasped, his eyes widening in surprise. “We’ve been searching for anything that could help,” he said. “Thank you, Vallen.”

“Vincent and I...” He trailed off, biting his lip and looking away for a moment before finally planting his gaze on Nakoma, “we’re the only ones who know.”

“And he was hoping you’d be dead and unable to tell anyone,” confirmed Nakoma bitterly and pulled the walkie-talkie from the clip on the back of his belt. “I’ll radio someone down at camp to get on this.”

The chair next to the table where Baz lay healing scratched against the surface of the floor as Father O’Neil settled into it. He carefully opened an aged Bible and began reading to Baz. A feeling of relief washed over me as I made my way back to Vallen, a genuine smile tugging at my lips.

“I saw how hard that was for you,” I commented, placing my hand on his chest.

He released a nervous laugh and shook his head. “He’s your signati, Noa. I can’t interfere in that bond. But he’s going to freak when he finds out about you and me.”

My laughter echoed around the room as I tossed my head back, earning me a glare from Father O’Neal. “Sorry,” I whispered. “Is there a you and me?”

Vallen’s eyes took on a playful glint as he lifted the corner of his lip. “Could be, but we need to finish this with Maros and Vincent. Tonight.”

“I’m ready, but I have a question.” I gestured for him to step outside with me, and when we were alone on the path, I took a deep breath. “You said I can hold the secrets, but I’m pretty sure I don’t have Callum’s or your essence in me anymore.”

Vallen cupped my face in his hands, and his eyes bore into mine. “Our essence helped you, but your human and angel sides are competing against each other when they need to work together.”

“I can do that without essence?” I asked, leaning into him.

“You have your own essence,” Vallen offered as his thumb brushed against my jaw.

“And to think you strung me along and were going to kill me,” I teased with a sigh. “Just to keep that information to yourself.”

His eyes began to devour me, and he closed the small gap between us. Pressing against me, his craving hardened against my belly through the sweatpants he wore. Then, without waiting a moment longer, Vallen crushed his lips to mine.

His scent of cedar and lilac filled my senses, and my lips instinctively parted for his. I welcomed him with my tongue, and he obliged with a sly flick and swirl of his. I eagerly matched his fervor by exploring every inch of his mouth, while one hand found its way into my hair and the other around my waist, pulling me closer.

A small moan escaped me as his touch sent volts of electricity between my thighs. His taut muscles flexed under my touch, and the desire radiating from him tempted and terrified me at the same time. Sparks shot across my skin as I traced the rugged contours of his face, then down his chiseled chest.

Each graze of teeth across my bottom lip sent a wave of raw pleasure over me. We were lost in each other when my hands released a jolt against his skin, matching my excitement. He jumped back in surprise, eyes wide as he studied my body from head to toe.

“Vallen!” I screamed, horrified at what I had done to him.

“I’m all right.” He winced and, as he rubbed his face, a mischievous smile formed on his lips. “You’ll be able to handle this just fine.”

My vision began to blur, images flashing through my mind like vicious lightning strikes. The past, present, and future melded together into an overwhelming onslaught of visions that threatened to drown me entirely.

I saw my mother, her face creased with love and worry. I saw angels hidden behind the Veil, their actions a mystery. I saw the devastation if Vincent succeeded in enslaving humanity with his fallen angels.

“Help me!” I cried, clutching my head in agony as the images continued to flood my mind.

“Focus, Noa,” Vallen urged, his voice firm as he reached for me and took my hands. “You can shield it.”

My body shook, my heart raced, and I felt like I was teetering on the brink of madness. As much as I tried to respond, the words remained lodged in my throat. Out of the corner of my eye, Vallen unfurled his wings, a mix of black and white with tips of green casting shadows under the moonlight.

“Stay with me, Noa,” I heard him call out to me, then pulled me into his chest. “You’re stronger than this!”

“Please,” I pleaded, my body trembling under the weight of the disturbing visions flooding my mind. “Make it stop.”

In a blur of motion, Vallen wrapped his wings around my trembling form. The strength emanating from him was like a lifeline, keeping me tethered to reality even as my consciousness threatened to shatter beneath the pressure.

Vallen whispered urgently into my ear, his breath hot against my skin. “Breathe, Noa. You can do this.”

As Vallen held me in his arms, my body trembled violently, but I focused on his heartbeat. Images grew more intense and overwhelming than the last, pulling at my sanity. But gradually, they began to slow down until they were mere flickers, fading into darkness.

In this darkness, my mind was suddenly filled with boundless space, stretching out in all directions. I could see the interconnectivity of everything in existence, like an intricate web woven by unseen hands. And within this expanse, I could feel a power coursing through me, unfathomable and awe-inspiring. With a single thought, I could manipulate reality itself.

“I...I don’t understand,” I stammered, awestruck by the knowledge that now coursed through me. “What’s happening to me?”

“You are awakening,” Vallen murmured, his voice filled with both awe and concern .

“I’m scared,” I confessed. My throat constricted in terror. “What if I can’t handle it? What if I hurt someone?”

“Hey.” Vallen’s soothing voice echoed in my mind like a lifeline, pulling me back from the edge. “Trust yourself, Noa, and come back to me.”

It was difficult to tear my gaze away from the infinite possibilities that had embraced me, but with one last glance, I turned away and followed the sound of Vallen’s voice. My eyes fluttered open, but he held me tight, as if afraid that I might slip away from him again. I looked up and saw his intense green eyes, flickering entirely with gold now.

“Do you feel any pain?” he asked, his voice steady.

It was the first time he’d ever asked me a question. I took a deep breath and shook my head, feeling dazed but unharmed. “No, I…I don’t think so.”

His touch was reassuring as he retracted his wings. “Everything will be all right,” he promised, his eyes never leaving mine. “We’ll have to start training your human side to block out that angel side sooner rather than later.”

I chuckled and raked my hands through my tousled hair. “What do we do now?” I asked.

“Now,” he replied, his tone low and intense, “let’s take the fight to them for a change. I have a plan, but I need to know, Noa. How far are you willing to go?”

My gaze swept over him as the power surging through my veins urged me forward. I had only one choice left.

“To the death,” I told him.

And I meant it.