Of Flame & Frost by AJ Skelly

Author:AJ Skelly [AJ Skelly]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Quill & Flame Publishing House
Published: 2022-06-05T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 29

ASPEN

The liberation and validation I felt at having told Cole my side of the story was amazing. A weight I didn’t know I’d been carrying lifted as I glanced at him. The look he was giving me shot tingles into my middle. Amber flecks floated in his dark irises again.

Something unspoken passed between us and his eyes flashed to my lips. My heart picked up and frost thought about forming on the pads of my fingers. Quickly I took another bite of ice cream, though I wasn’t sure why I did. I wanted Cole to kiss me.

Didn’t I?

He sighed. A heavy noise tinged with despair.

“Cole?”

“What did that red-haired girl say about me?” He stared into his side of the bowl as he said it.

Oh.

I cleared my throat and reminded myself that the rumors about me were unfounded. The ones about Cole probably were, too. Besides, I trusted Cole.

“She said you…you burned your family. That they all died. And that you were forced to go to Magik Prep because no one else would take you.”

His eyebrows hiked up his forehead.

“Well. She certainly has a vivid imagination. My parents are both alive and well. Though dad has taught me all he can about how to control my flames. I think you know that he’s a fire-drake. Mom is a phoenix. My phoenix blood makes me burn hotter and more intensely than a regular fire-drake does. And then there’s my complete lack of ability to control said raging fires,” he said bitterly. “So while it’s absolutely true that I could burn someone to a crisp,” he shuddered and his face clouded over, “my parents seem to be the only ones immune to my intense heat.” He savored another bite of ice cream. His side was starting to melt so near his body heat. I sent another fine mist of freeze over it.

“Thanks,” he said absently. “There was a time I could control my flames. Without thought, without any effort.”

His face contorted like he was remembering something painful. I put my hand over his, braced against the granite. He weakly squeezed my fingers, the pad of his thumb rubbing an arc of heat against mine. I wanted to offer him comfort—but I wasn’t sure what to say. I wasn’t sure what else was wrong besides his frustration with his lack of control. But he’d been getting better. I’d seen his improvement since we’d been here in this time. His halting words stopped my thoughts and had my eyes riveted to his tortured face.

“Syrai and I had been friends forever. But the summer we turned fourteen, we fell into something more than friendship.” His voice cracked and his fingers tightened around mine. “I…I…it was a first kiss for both of us. I didn’t know. I didn’t know,” he whispered as his eyes slid shut in pain. Trepidation lanced through my middle. I wanted to tell him to stop. That he didn’t have to tell me what happened. With dread sinking in my gut, I had a good idea where things were headed.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.