Chapter 68 THE VALENTINE TRAP

Chapter 68 THE VALENTINE TRAP

POV: Amara

I am already pulling on my coat when Noelle asks what I am doing.
“Going to bed early,” I say, keeping my voice light. Too light.
He looks up from the table. His eyes linger on my face, not accusing, just knowing. We are still connected. Not the loud, glowing way it used to be, but quieter. Deeper. He feels the lie even if he does not call it one.
“Okay,” he says after a moment.
That is worse than an argument.
I do not kiss him goodnight. If I do, I will stay. Instead I grab my scarf, my gloves, and step into the hallway before my resolve cracks.
The elevator ride down feels endless. I watch the numbers crawl. My phone is heavy in my pocket, the message burned into my mind. Ivy’s name. Central Park. Midnight.
I tell myself this is the right choice. I tell myself I can handle Malachi alone. I tell myself that saving one life is worth the risk.
Outside, the city is quieter than usual. Valentine’s Day is nearly over. Couples drift home. Street vendors pack up roses no one bought. The cold presses against my cheeks as I walk, sharp and honest.
At 11:30 p.m., I turn the corner toward the park.
I do not look back.
I do not need to. I know Noelle is following. He always does when he thinks I am in danger. He will keep his distance. He will bring backup. He will break every rule I asked him to follow, because that is who he is.
The gates loom ahead, dark and open. Central Park at night is a different place. Familiar paths feel longer. Trees crowd close, their branches like ribs against the sky.
“I’m here,” I say quietly, my breath fogging.
No answer.
I move deeper into the park, toward the clearing Malachi marked in my mind with nothing but a name and a time. My boots crunch over old snow. Somewhere, a dog barks. Somewhere else, the city hums on, unaware.
Then I see her.
“Ivy,” I breathe.
She stands near a bench, encased in ice from the shoulders down. Clear and smooth, like glass. Her eyes are open. She is alive. Her breath fogs faintly inside the frozen shell.
Relief hits me first. Then anger. Then fear.
“I’m here,” I say louder. “Let her go.”
Applause echoes from the trees.
Slow. Deliberate.
Malachi steps into the clearing like he owns it. Tonight he wears a man’s face again. Dark coat. Scarf. Hands in his pockets. Only his eyes give him away. Black. Endless. Familiar.
“You came,” he says. “How predictable.”
“Let her go,” I repeat.
“In time.” He circles me, boots silent on the snow. “I wanted you to see her. Proof that I keep my promises. For now.”
I force myself to stay still. “What do you want?”
He stops in front of me. Smiles. “A conversation.”
I laugh once, sharp. “You froze my friend. This is not a conversation.”
“Oh, it is.” He gestures, and the ground responds.
Ice spears rise around me, smooth and deadly, locking me in place without touching my skin. A cage. Cold breathes between the bars.
I do not reach for my magic yet. I let him talk. He always reveals more when he thinks he has time.
“You’ve been busy,” he says. “Guardian work. Community centers. Midnight renovations. You spread hope like it is cheap.”
“It isn’t cheap,” I say. “You would know that if you ever tried to build something instead of breaking it.”
His smile thins. “You mistake my interest for anger. I am impressed. Truly.”
“Then walk away.”
“Why would I do that?” He tilts his head. “You are still weak.”
I lift my chin. “I stopped you before.”
“You survived,” he corrects. “Because others paid the price.”
His eyes flick toward the trees. Toward where Noelle is hiding.
I say nothing.
“You are still human at your core,” Malachi continues. “You love. You worry. You choose people over outcomes. That is your fatal flaw.”
“Ivy is not a flaw,” I snap.
“She is leverage.”
The word lands hard.
I look at Ivy again. Her eyes flick toward me. She cannot speak. Cannot move. But she sees me.
“I’ll trade,” I say.
Malachi laughs. “For what? Your life? You tried that already.”
“For my obedience,” I say. “You leave her. You leave the city. And I stop interfering.”
He studies me. “You lie poorly.”
“Then test me.”
Silence stretches. Snow drifts lazily between us.
“Interesting,” he says at last. “But no.”
My pulse stays steady. “Then what is this really about?”
He steps closer. The ice spears hum softly. “I want you to understand something. Guardians do not last. Hope burns out. People disappoint. You will fail. And when you do, I will still be here.”
“You sound afraid,” I say.
His eyes flash. For a second, the mask slips.
I take that second.
I press my palm to the nearest spear and let warmth flow. Not force. Not light. Just heat. The ice cracks. Slowly.
Malachi’s head snaps toward my hand. “Careful.”
“I am,” I say. “I learned.”
The cage fractures. One spear shatters. Another follows.
He raises his hand.
Before he can move, a voice cuts through the trees.
“Step away from her.”
Noelle.
He emerges from the shadows, flanked by Ember and two North Pole guards. No disguises now. No hiding.
Malachi sighs. “You never listen.”
Noelle’s gaze never leaves me. “Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine,” I say.
Malachi gestures, and the ice around Ivy thickens. Her breath slows.
“Choose,” he says softly. “Fight me, or save her.”
I meet Noelle’s eyes. He shakes his head once. Do not.
I step forward.
“Let her go,” I say. “I will stay.”
“No,” Noelle says sharply.
Malachi smiles. “Ah. There it is.”
I do not wait. I send every scrap of warmth I have toward Ivy. The ice clouds. Cracks spider across its surface.
Malachi roars. The ground shakes.
The ice explodes outward. Ivy collapses into my arms, gasping.
At the same moment, Malachi moves.
Everything blurs. Snow. Shadow. Power slamming into power.
I shove Ivy toward Ember. “Take her.”
Ember grabs Ivy and vanishes in a burst of light.
Noelle lunges for me.
Malachi’s hand closes around my wrist.
Ice surges up my arm.
“Still human,” he whispers.
I look him in the eye. “Still hopeful.”
I let go.
Not of fear. Of control.
The park fills with light. Not blinding. Not violent. Enough to push him back.
Malachi stumbles. Then laughs.
“Well played,” he says. “My turn.”
The ice spears rise again. Higher. Sharper.
And this time, they point at Noelle.