Forever Entranced ~Book Two Of The Soul Bound Series

Chapter Seventeen ~ Lake of Ice

"Flying in the north is extremely dangerous. Not only do you become an easy target, but angel and demon wings are sensitive, especially to the cold. They get frostbite too you know?" West sighed, running a hand through his hair, "But if we make it quick, it could work."

"No," Illius shook his head, stepping forward, "It's too risky."

"Do you see any other way to get across this gigantic lake?" I gestured towards its rushing waters just below the cliff we stood on, "It'll be fine."

He frowned, "Uh huh." Their wings began to unfold, spanning out behind them, standing out against the white snow and pine trees behind them.

West held out his hand to me, pushing to stand in front of Illius. He didn't say anything, but I could see the question lingering on his face. My eyes fell to the snow beneath my black boots and I shifted nervously, "Alright," I whispered under my breath and placed my cold hand in his surprisingly warm one. He gently pulled me towards him, cradling me against his broad chest. The numbness of my cold face pressed against his warm clothes, his body heat seemed to radiate through them and it thawed my icy skin. I braced myself and before I knew it, we were off the ground and moving over the Lake of Ice.

I craned my head back, peering down at its moving waters and the chunks of ice that carried with the current. It made me shiver to think about just how cold the water had to be, how it would probably cause someone to go into hypothermia not more than five minutes in its frigid trap. This idea caused me to curl my arms around West, clumping fistfuls of leather fabric from the back of his jacket in my hands, fearful of falling.

"I never was a fan of the cold," West spoke against my ear, his voice cutting off the sound of beating wings and rushing waters, "Too bitter and unfriendly."

I let out a small laugh, my eyes traveling past West's enormous wings and to Illius who was unwillingly carrying Killian by his shoulders, "Reminds me of someone I know," I said, my eyes taking in Illius' cold features.

Something hard suddenly wrapped around our ankles, pulling us snugly together as it yanked. Silver chains had wound themselves around our legs and were pulling us down from the sky, "What is this?!" I shouted.

"Enchanted chains!" Killian yelled back at me, he and Illius in the same predicament.

West tried fighting against them, his wings beating furiously against the winter air as he  tried to pull free, but the chains refused to budge, "It's a trap," He growled, his arms tightening around me. They yanked again and we were pulled down with such force that my breath was knocked out of me and my stomach lifted with the feeling of falling.

They twisted us, looping until we were hanging upside down from pine trees on the edge of a small piece of land that stuck out across the lake. The chains had come to wrap around my arms, trapping West's wings down uncomfortably against his body. They struggled helplessly and he winced.

"Oh, this is just fantastic!" Illius snapped and my eyes found him hanging several feet away from us, Killian stuck in front of him.

"Get your face away from mine!" The warlock tried to pull away, their movements causing them to swing back and forth freely in their chains.

"We'll just fly, she said. It'll be fine, she said," Illius growled, frustrated, "Does this look fine to you?"

I pursed my lips angrily, "Don't act like it was my fault. How was I supposed to know there were enchanted chains that trap you and hang you upside down?" I snapped back at him, feeling blood rushing to my head.

"It's not your fault," West assured me, his champagne brown eyes meeting mine. We were tied closely together, so close our faces were inches away from one another's and I became hyperaware of our bodies, pressed against each other. His lips parted and I could feel his breath caressing over the skin of my face, "I'm kind of enjoying this situation." He smirked mischievously. I could feel a blush rising to my cheeks.