Defying Destiny (Afterword Academy #3) - Katie May Page 0,34

up to the ice when I finally see her still form sinking through the murky blue depth.

I surge forward, arm outstretched, fingers extended, and with the last ounce of energy I have, my fingers latch into her hair. Elation fills me, my heart thumping with adrenaline, and I tap into my reserves, kicking my legs back to the surface. But now we have a new problem, because I can’t find the opening.

Hadley is unresponsive in my arms, and panic is setting in, shoving all rational thoughts out the window. But then I see a dagger sink into the water right in front of my face. Again and again, it plunges through the ice, until a hole forms and Hadley and I are pulled from the frozen abyss.

My lungs seize, my body finally giving in to the trauma I just put it through. I worry I might pass out, spots of black dotting across my vision. Muffled voices make their way to me, and I feel someone scooping me up like a child, but I’m too tired, too exhausted and depleted to care.

“Hadley,” I try to say, my voice getting lost in the chaos.

“She’s okay, brother. You did it. You saved her.” Auston’s voice comes down from above, and I know my Angel brother is carrying me.

“This way!” I hear another voice shout—Caius this time.

I’m so cold, so fucking cold.

Dying was better than living like this.

My teeth are chattering, every inch of my body trembling uncontrollably.

“Don’t let her fall asleep!” Caius shouts. “She might not wake up!”

The urgency in his voice unnerves me. He’s usually calm, even when he’s angry. So to hear the fear in his voice wakes something inside of me.

Just as I’m about to tell Auston to put me down, he sets me on my legs. Balance off, I latch on to him to steady myself as Karston hands Hadley off to Preston.

“Hadley! Hadley baby! Wake up!” Karston is smacking his hand lightly across her cheek. “Hadley, don’t do this to us!”

Rage consumes me. If I only had my fucking fire power, I could heat her up in no time. Already, I’m thawing—something about being a Demon makes me run hotter than everyone else.

We all gasp in relief when she moans, her eyelids fluttering on her pale face. Preston and Karston wrap themselves around her, trying to warm her, as I glance around for anything we might be able to use.

Though Caius has led us to safety, well as safe as one can be in Hell, he’s also led us into a giant block of ice. The icy cavern stretches high above us, its giant maw letting in light from the outside. Snow crashes to the ground so fast and hard, it sounds like raindrops during a violent storm.

Glancing around, I see nothing to help us. Everything is frozen, reflecting translucent shades of pale blue and bright white. And we don’t even have any fucking clothes we can lie on the ground to help her; all of us left our clothes behind after the ordeal with the bugs and giant spiders.

“She needs to use my—uhh…her fire,” I state, storming over to her. “It’s the only way.”

“She’s in no condition—” Caius starts.

“Then she dies!” I shout. “Is that what you want? Or should we get her to try her fucking fire?!”

“I-I c-c-can t-try.” Hadley’s weak voice sounds from between my brothers, and they open up their little warming circle to let me in.

I hold her hand in mine, stroking the back. “Hadley. We need you to try to use my fire to warm yourself up. It’s the only option we have here.”

Looking down at her, the ball in my gut settles. Her hair is frozen, her face is a shade of blue that skin should never be, and she’s shaking as if an earthquake was happening inside of her.

She blinks slowly, so slowly that for a moment, I fear her eyes won’t open back up. “Okay,” she whispers. “T-tell me what t-to do.”

Preston sets her down, and my eyes burn with unshed tears, with so much love for this woman. This fierce, determined woman who shares herself with me. A woman who is braver than any person that I’ve ever met. I’d crawl on my knees every day for the rest of my life just to be a small part of hers.

“I would imagine it’s much like calling your Reaper powers. Look inside yourself and find the fire lit deep within you. Find it and bring it to the