Page 117 of Wings of Lies
I’ve decided to stop listening to voices in my head and letting them dictate my life. Melt the ice.
No.The vicious snap of his denial sent another layer of ice toward Aspen. His dangerous flames vanished.
That pissed me off.
I said melt the ice!
You do not order me around. I am trying to save your life.
And I’m trying to save his.
You willnot.
Well, it seemed the king and I had something in common. We both hated being ordered around.
My Infernus could create ice, but that wasn’t all it could do. It also had vicious, hot black flames. I dove deep into my power, finding the dark black cords, and strummed the tune of my desires. A haunting melody whispered in my ear, changing my purple flame to black.
The circle of water surrounding Aspen crept toward him as his body dropped lower in the water. He was going to drown.
I swam toward the ice with everything I had, even as the ebony flames sapped my energy.
You’re not strong enough to hold them. Let it go.
I ignored him, having no patience to listen to reason.
Aspen’s head dropped beneath the water. I touched the ice, and my black flames ate little chunks here and there.
“Come on!” I screamed, letting the music wash over me.
It ate faster, but the creeping weight of sand filled my feet.
You won’t reach him in time.
Then melt the ice!
My Infernus devoured the cold, reflective surface. Only a few more feet and it’d reach Aspen.
As my hands grew heavy, I knew I didn’t have long before the rest of my body would give out. But then all the ice vanished.
Hurry,he seethed.
The music’s addictive melody begged to stay, but with Aspen sinking in the poisonous water, I let my power go and dove.
Keeping my mouth closed, I wrapped my arm around Aspen and struggled to the surface. When we broke through, I gasped a lungful of air and swam with his dead weight.
There’s a bank up ahead. Swim to it before you both freeze.
He didn’t sound happy. But I didn’t care.
I doggy-paddled through the poisonous water, refusing to stop or think about Aspen’s lack of rising chest. When I rounded the bend in the river, barely holding our heads above water, my numb feet hit the sand. I dragged us the rest of the way to the bank and heaved Aspen across pebbles until my body gave out, and I flopped next to him.
Let him die.
Don’t say pointless shit. It downgrades your intelligence, king.
He dragged an ice claw across my mind, and I cringed. Refraining from cussing him out, I felt for Aspen’s pulse.
He didn’t have one.
