Black Ice ✓ | Deathsworn #1

Chapter 38 ∞ Rampant

I couldn't sleep immediately that night from the worry. My anxiety did well to keep sleep at bay. If it wasn't due to my exhaustion, it probably would've been another sleepless night.

Even then, I was plagued by uncomfortable coldness penetrating straight into my bones. I now remembered bits of a faded memory—ice water and shadows with sharp teeth. This must be the memory Amber talked about previously that I forgot about.

I didn't know when morning came, but not even the sun, which would have usually coaxed me awake by persistently shining through my window, could make me roll out of bed. Although I grew more comfortable with the warmth penetrating into the room, my body was pinned tight under the covers.

I dozed in and out of consciousness.

I don't think my body was taking well to the fact that my soul just left it for a while.

Within moments, panicked knocks landed on my door. "Evy?" my mother's voice resounded. "Evy? Are you alright? Will you open the door, darling?"

I opened my mouth to answer but found my throat too dry to properly speak. I began cursing in my mind and rolled over, leaving the comforts of my blankets to try and stand. I felt the world spin the moment I sat upright and knew going to the door would be a daunting task.

I focused on my room and realized that the same frost had taken over once again. However, this time, it was a little worse.

Who was I kidding? It was way worse.

Rows of icicles loomed from the ceiling and the corners like an open mouth of a beast. The frost was so thick it had turned my room into a little snow land. Upon exhaling, even my breath frosted a little.

No wonder it was so cold.

I looked down at my hands and found them so pale and blue that my nails were a bad dead shade of grey. Grey was already such a dead color. With just a little nudge, I probably would end up looking like a corpse.

Amber, that bastard.

I'd like to blame him for this but it wasn't like it would do anything good. I've been very harsh on him from the start because every trouble I'm experiencing seemed to circle back to him. However, in the end, he was the only one I could rely on properly. I had problems that not even my capable mistresses could help me solve.

I steadied myself, trying to focus on the door as I found my balance. However, I underestimated how slippery the floor was and quickly lost control of my weight. I ended up faceplanting, the thud sending my mother into a frenzy.

"Ah, damn," I croaked out, rolling over to my back.

The door nearly fractured its hinges as my mother broke through. She tried to step in, but was pulled back by Mistress Lili.

"Wait a moment, Lamia." Lili held her in place. "Don't be so rash. You can't be stupid."

Both their breaths were fogging upon leaving their mouths. I looked up, tipping my head to the side as I tried sitting up once more. I used my shoulders to prop myself up, sitting up and rubbing off the frost I could see tipping my lashes.

"I'm okay. Please don't come in." Looking at the state of my room, I wouldn't be able to predict what would happen to anyone who dared step inside. I forced my eyes open and stared at my mother, whose trembling hands that had gripped the door just now was already frost-bitten.

"Evy. Tell me what's wrong?" My mother had knelt by the door, lowering herself to my eye level as sheer concern wrinkled her face.

"It's just...a bad dream," I said, taking a deep breath. I looked around to see if Amber was there. He previously mentioned watching me every chance he got. If he was there, wouldn't he show himself to help me at the very least? Or had the events of last night taken so much from him that even materializing as a shadow was too much? Was it the sun? Or was it both?