Breaking the Ice (Book 1)

Chapter Thirty-Three

SCORCH

The Scorpian stood between the two. Sleet stood before him, Flare at his back. The counterparts eyed each other with burning hatred. Sleet scowled viciously, a look that did not suit well on his handsome face. His lips pulled back in a snarl.

Scorch didn't exactly know what was going on, but he knew that fighting would solve nothing. "Move out of the way, Scorpian! Or else I'll melt your face off." Flare seethed. Scorch refused to move. "Don't you get it?! He's gonna bring us in as prisoners! What do you think they'll do to us?"

The Scorpian stared at Sleet in disbelief. "Is that true? Was anything real, then?" The wolf's expression was unapologetic, a cold mask covered his features. It was the apathy that enraged Scorch. "YOU EVEN TOYED WITH LUNA! You knew she was lonely and you pretended to be her friend. You pretended to be MY friend!"

Never trust a wolf.

Flare was right to never trust him. Why didn't Scorch believe him? It was two against one, Sleet wasn't so stupid to actually challenge them....right? Flare's fire could easily melt Sleet's ice, and Scorch surpassed the Icee in strength and height. But the wolf also had the upper hand, he'd been out of his home climate longer than the other two. Therefore, he was more adapted to the forest.

It was the flick of Sleet's tail that announced his attack. He lunged at Flare first, ice encasing his fist. The Heatling's palm caught Sleet's fist, warmth from his hand melted the ice into water. Flare grinned maliciously. "You don't know how long I've been waiting for this moment."

Scorch expected Flare to shove the Icee off of him, but instead, he gripped Sleet closer. "Scorpian! Find the Nightling, I'll take care of this wolf." Scorch opened and closed his mouth, surprised at Flare's command. He hesitated as Sleet squirmed, trying to break free. But Flare wrapped his legs around Sleet's middle to prevent him from escaping. "GO!" He thundered, his forearms beginning to smoke and sizzle.

The Scorpian complied, racing through the lifeless meadow and reluctantly into the cave.

A tree greeted him inside, its blood red flowers draped down from the branches like petaled curtains. The sweet scent he sensed just outside the cave vanished, and in its place was the sour smell of death. It was warm in the forest—that was undeniably true, but the heat in the Sihn Akkah desert was more brutal. Therefore, Scorch hardly broke into a sweat.

Past the glare of the glowing tree, Scorch could make out a figure against the bark. The shape of a person stood out against the tree, like how veins pulsed against the skin of an angry Heatling. I hope Flare's doing okay. He just couldn't make sense of Sleet's betrayal. It was true that the Icee had every right to hate his kind, but what had Scorch personally done to offend him?

Putting his thoughts aside, he approached the silhouette. The figure was shorter than him with a female's curves. His large fingers gently caressed the vines engulfing the person with intrigue. The vines moved and retreated away from his touch, revealing a familiar face.

Scorch yelped, jumping back in horror. He stared in newfound terror as Luna's lifeless eyes gazed apathetically at him. Not at him but through him, as if he wasn't there. Opal eyes that once sparkled with inquiry and adventure were replaced with cold, uncaring eyes—nearly drained of color.

"Luna?" He squeaked, voice cracking. She didn't respond. Bloody arid! Was she even alive?

The sound of prickly undergrowth crunching underfoot robbed Scorch's attention. A person, perhaps around his age, materialized from the tall illuminating grass. Scorch didn't know why the grass was glowing, but he didn't question it. The stranger was masked, but his eyes were glazed over unnaturally. Much like Luna's.

"Curious," The stranger rasped, his voice was a chorus. "What is a desert creature like yourself doing in a place like this?" The vibes coming from him were eerie, goose flesh pimpled Scorch's tanned arms. "You're a long way from home, young Scorpian."