I couldn’t have said it better myself.
“Looks like we’re snowed in.”
CHAPTER 20
Redd
Fuck.
Fuck fuck fuck. This wasnotgood.
I had been planning to make my escape, feeling raw and ragged after finally explaining the truth to Fiella, and now I was stuck.
Apparently, the unlucky streak hadn’t broken yet.
My stomach, sensing that I was already at rock bottom, decided to knock me even lower. It let out a loud growl that was echoed by the feeling of molten nails dragging down my throat. The sensation was almost enough to knock me onto my knees. My vision tunneled, darkening around the edges.
Ihadto get out of here.
I yanked the door open, hoping to the fates that my escape would still be possible, but all I did was let in a massive pile of snow that refilled instantly. I couldn’t even see where it had come from.
My heart sinking past the floor, I realized that there was no way I was getting out any time soon.
Grumbling, I scooped out as much snow as I could, kicking at what I could reach, and slammed the door shut. The soon-to-be puddle on the floor was the least of our concerns at the moment.
I turned slowly to find Fiella watching me, wringing her hands in front of her. Her shimmery nails glinted in the lantern light. She looked anxious, in a way that made me want to comfort her. It was unsettling. I hated it.
“Well,” She stated awkwardly. “Maybe it’ll clear soon?”
“We both know that’s not happening tonight,” I snapped, unable to control my temper. My throat was disintegrating, my nerves fraying one by one. It was agony.
“Okay, okay, well… I’ve got some extra pastries that we can share, so at least we won’t starve.” She held her hands up placatingly.
Pastries. Pastries! While pastries would help the growling of my stomach, they wouldn’t touch the growing inferno in my throat that was slowly taking over my every thought.
I still hadn’t gotten my hands on any thirst tonic, and I had planned on ordering a blood ale (or four) at the diner with my evening meal to take the edge off.Well, I’m screwed.
I gritted my teeth, my fangs abrading the inside of my mouth. I could ignore the mind-numbing agony in my throat for one more night.
I had to.
Fiella grabbed her sack of pastries from under the counter, along with a canteen of water, and guided us to the newly repaired sitting nook. She hesitantly handed me a croissant.
I tried to ignore the tense, awkward atmosphere, but after dropping the truth bomb I had earlier, that felt almost impossible.
We just had to make it through the night, and then we could go our separate ways.
I shoved the pastry into my mouth so hastily I hardly tasted it. It could’ve been boysenberry, or dirt, for all I noticed. It sat like lead in my stomach, offering no satisfaction except for thefact that it took up space. At least the chasm was no longer empty.
Fiella handed me a cookie that I inhaled just as quickly.
“So…” She said to break the silence. “What should we do now? Should we get some more work done? Continue discussing how you could’ve possibly been the cause of the disaster we have been working to repair for weeks?” Her voice was sharp, but not unkind.
We had already worked ourselves ragged today, and I could tell by the way she was subtly flexing her fingers and rubbing her lower back when she thought I wasn’t watching that her body was exhausted. Not to mention the hollows settling in under her eyes.
I couldn’t even determine how I was feeling, the incessant thirst overwhelming all my senses. I was in Hell’s Realm.
I clenched my jaw, shoving my fists into my eyes and massaging, trying to relieve the pressure radiating from my fangs throughout my skull. “Anything. Something distracting, please,” I gritted out.
