Chapter 28
XXVIII.
The wind whips the snow off the top of the castle, blinding me.
A shadeling screams as its leg breaks in half with a loud snap and it tumbles to the ground.
It stares at the stump in confusion before another shadeling pries it from the snow and whips it in our direction. It falls harmlessly at Nate’s feet.
“Bring me closer to the entrance,” I utter into Nate’s ear. “I’m going to try and melt it.”
When I’m close enough, I press my palm into the spot where the lock meets the frame and hold my breath.
Please let this work.
Heat bursts from my hand, and the ice transforms into water under my fingers. I exhale as the lock drops off the door and puddles at our feet. Thank goodness for small favors.
A shadeling cries out behind us, and Nate yanks the handle. The door screeches against the snow as it slides open, the abrasive sound grating against my spine.
We slip through the gap, Nate angling his body so that my ankle doesn’t hit the frame, and he slams the door.
I close my eyes as the walls soften their screams and my head clears.
“Can you seal us in?” Nate asks breathlessly.
“I think so.” I hold my palm over the gap between the door and the frame and melt the two into a solid wall of ice. Nate tries the door handle, and it doesn’t budge. I rest my head against his chest and close my eyes. “That should keep them out for now.”
I jump as something thuds against the door, and I meet Nate’s eyes. We stare at each other in horror as a second thud rattles the door and walls. Then another. And another.
What the here is happening?
“It’s like they’re throwing their bodies into the castle,” Nate whispers.
“They are.”
I squeeze my eyes shut as bones crack in unison and howls of pain seep through the walls. Nate pulls me closer and I press my face into his chest as the sounds slow, then finally stop.
“They’re gone,” he says.
Raising my head, I listen with pricked ears.
The only sounds are Nate’s deep breaths and the soft tap of snow brushing against the walls.
I relax into his arms and nod against his shoulder, which is as frigid as the ice surrounding us.
“We’re good. But we need to find somewhere for you to warm up and me to heal this ankle. ”
He clicks his tongue in appreciation as we move deeper into the castle, the sound echoing around us. “This is beautiful.”
My eyes widen as I scan the room. “I had no idea Father had it in him.”
We’re in a grand hallway made entirely of ice. A winding staircase leads to a level above us, each side of it flanked with tall pillars and benches.
The walls are opaque and there are no windows down here, so the only light comes from the chandelier over our heads, exploding across the floor in rainbow spheres.
“How is nothing melting?” Nate asks, extending his neck to study the light.
“Same way we have a lake of blood and a river of fire,” I say. “Magic.”
“Should we go upstairs? Maybe there’s a bed in this place.” He clears his throat and looks at the floor. “Or two.”
Now that the shadelings are no longer attacking, we appear to be alone. There’s no sign of souldiers or a trap. Father probably thinks I forgot about this place, since he brought me here so young. Instead, I’ve never stopped thinking about it and why it exists in the first place.
“Sure.” I lean against his shoulder, letting the bed comment slide. “Just keep an eye out in case.”
He takes the stairs slowly, wary of banging my ankle against the railings.
I drop my head, recalling how careless I was carrying him across that bridge.
I tossed him around like a doll, focusing only on escape and not on how many times his leg smashed into the railing.
To be fair, he was unconscious and I was being chased, but he deserved better.
We reach the landing, and I lift my head and let out a groan.
Of course there’s only one bed.
It sits in the center of a room twice the size of mine, the frame made of ice, with delicate snowflakes carved into the headboard. It’s decorated with teal pillows and a thick aqua blanket, which is threaded with silver that glitters as the light hits it.
A built-in fireplace takes up the opposing wall; facing it, a sculpted armchair stands in the corner.
Across the room sits a vanity, littered with empty bottles I suppose Father once imagined would contain my mother’s perfumes.
Beside that is a closet filled with dresses of all the colors of the Underworld: crimson reds, ebony blacks, and smoky grays.
Unlike the first floor, there are windows up here—icy arches etched into the walls that are thin enough to let light in but keep the storm out.
A shiver rips through Nate’s body, so violent it jolts me.
That can’t be good.
I study the fireplace, relieved to see that it contains three unused logs. I blast a fireball at the wood. It catches with a spark and then lights, bathing the room in an orange glow.
“If I wasn’t exhausted, I’d be impressed,” Nate says.
“You should be anyway. Who knows how old those logs are? I wasn’t even sure they’d light.”
“When it comes to you, I’m always impressed.”
My cheeks heat as he lowers me onto the bed. Kneeling, he unlaces my boots and pries them off one at a time, apologizing when I hiss in pain. He drops them at the foot of the bed before leaning over me.
He studies my ankle, gently tracing around the swelling and watching my face for any reaction.
His touch is light but confident. Tingles spread up my body as his fingers follow the line of muscle up my leg, lingering on my calf.
He spreads his palm and massages the back of my lower leg in circular motions.
I stifle a moan as my body relaxes into his touch.
“What are you doing?” I whisper.
“Trying to stimulate blood flow. It’ll help your ankle heal faster.”
I peer over my stomach at him with raised eyebrows. “Where did you learn that?”
“Movies.”
“Of course.” I drop my head, and it sinks into the mattress.
He increases the pressure on my calf, and I close my eyes. Whatever he’s doing is working. My leg muscles unclench, sending a chain reaction through the rest of my body.
“Plus, my foster brother was super into sports,” he continues. “He was injured a lot. He didn’t like me much, so I was always trying to prove I could be a good brother. I learned how to treat sports injuries for him. I thought if I eased his pain, he’d be kinder to me. He wasn’t, but hey, I tried.”
Sitting up on my elbows, I study him through narrowed eyes. His brow remains furrowed and his jaw tight as he focuses on my calf muscle, but it doesn’t conceal the pain in his eyes. My chest aches more than my foot at the thought of someone treating him so harshly.
“I’m sorry, Nate,” I say. “I know what it’s like to have someone in your life you can’t please no matter what.
I’ll do everything Father asks, and he still wants nothing to do with me.
If it helps, I can’t imagine anyone not liking you.
You somehow even got me to like you—and I was raised to hate humans. ”
He smiles at me, and I smile back. Our gazes linger, his fingers tracing along the back of my leg.
Goose bumps trail over my entire body, not only where he’s touched.
Using my elbows, I inch up to see him better.
His hair’s still damp from the snow, and a bead of water trails down his forehead and along his cheek. I reach to wipe it away.
The fire pops, and we both jump.
I fall back on the bed, and Nate drops his head. He clears his throat and releases my calf. “You should get some rest.”
“Yeah.” My skin still tingles from his touch, the pain in my ankle barely a whisper. “We should.”
He drops into the armchair and wriggles his butt into a cushion that matches the bedspread. “This is shockingly comfortable.”
Laying my sword on the nightstand, I slide under the blanket, gritting my teeth as my ankle stings, reminding me that Nate’s not a miracle healer—he’s just good at distraction.
The pillow sinks beneath my head, and I murmur happily. “So is this. Maybe it’s months of sleeping on the ground, but this is the comfiest bed I’ve ever been in.”
“Good,” he says. “Get some sleep. I’ll keep watch, just in case.”
I prop my head on my hand and frown. “You need sleep, too.”
“I’m fine. I’ll take a quick nap after you wake up or something.”
I sigh before rolling over so my back is to him and pull the blanket up to my chin. “If that’s what you want.” The bottles on the vanity wink in the light, and my chest squeezes. “Nate?”
“Yeah.”
“You’re a dude, right?”
He lets out a low chuckle. “Last I checked.”
“Why would someone build a place like this for someone they love knowing they may never live in it? Father thought their love was strong enough to keep her here. I don’t understand how he got it so wrong.”
There’s a long pause, and I’m sure he’s fallen asleep. Then he coughs. “I don’t know. I haven’t had first-hand experience, but movies have taught me love is complicated. It’s not always as easy as caring for someone and getting a happy ever after.”
“I guess.” I pull at a piece of fuzz on the blanket. “What if she’s horrible? Worse than him somehow? Like what if she’s pissed I tracked her down because she never wanted me in the first place?”
“Then at least you’ll know,” he says. “But I don’t think that’s going to happen. I truly believe she’s a good person. And whatever happened when you were born, I can’t see how she could meet you and not want you in her life.”
I roll over and face him, my already warm body flushing at his praise. “What makes you so sure?”
Nate shifts, and the chair groans beneath his weight. “The way I see it, you’ve spent all this time trying to prove to yourself you’re nothing like your father. There’s a lot of good in you, Dev. Good that can’t have come from him. I figure you get that from your mom.”
I blink at him, pulling the blanket higher on my face to cover my growing blush. “Really?”
“That’s my theory. I could be wrong, but I don’t think I am. Guess we’ll find out.” He drops his eyes. “Or you’ll find out without me. Either way, I think she’s going to surprise you in the best way—even if she is human. We’re pretty okay, right?”
He gives me a tired smile, and I return it. He has this stunning power to make me believe everything will work out—even as I’m hiding in my father’s secret castle while running to a mother who’s not expecting me.
“Maybe some of you,” I say. “Thanks, Nate.”
“Any time. Now get some sleep. It will all be okay, Dev. I promise.”
His words sink me deeper into the mattress, and the tension eases from my neck and shoulders.
Nate’s dark figure blurs as I close my eyes, and I fall asleep almost instantly, his voice wrapping me tighter than the blanket Father created for the only person he’s ever loved.