Smoke and Ritual (Beautiful Dark Beasts Book 1)

by Melissa Sercia

  “Maybe Arya wants to go to Elysium with him.” Diego snorted, fanning the almanac in my direction now.

  Sapphire flicked him on the arm. “Not helping, Diego.”

  I sprang up, feeling more exposed than usual. “Forget I said anything. I’m just overthinking it. I’ll catch up with you two later.”

  I dashed out before they could protest, heading straight toward the weapons room. With all this tension and anxiety, I needed to stab something. This particular training room was quiet and empty. Thank Apollo. After a few hours of carving up most of the dummies in the room, I was drenched in sweat and feeling ten times more relaxed. I was getting better with my daggers, but my long sword still needed improvement. I should have been practicing my potions, but mixing liquids didn’t exactly give me the same adrenaline rush.

  It must have been later than I thought because all the halls were empty. Great. I hoped I wouldn’t have another run-in with Poppy. Stifling a yawn, I dragged my feet toward the stairwell, hoping to get a good night’s sleep for once. What were the odds that another bird would be smashed up against my window?

  As I neared the stairs, a soft breeze tickled my ears. Voices, hushed and muffled, trickled out from the next hallway over. It was impolite to eavesdrop but my curiosity was getting the best of me. It was around midnight and everyone should have been in their rooms by now.

  I crept toward the voices and pressed my back to the wall. Closing my eyes, I focused on my breath, allowing each one to dance underneath the room like a soft breeze as it moved in between their voices. My heart raced. It was Jane and Chaos.

  Jane’s voice was strained. “So who’s guarding the gates?”

  Chaos sighed heavily. “No one. That’s what I came to tell you. To warn you.”

  “Why did you come, specifically, Chaos? And how could you let this happen?” She couldn’t hide her disappointment.

  Chaos fired back, “I know what you’re thinking, but this isn’t a trick. Those days are over. I’ve tried to reach out to Gray…but she is nowhere. I feared the worst for all of you and came as soon as I could.”

  “I can’t reach my daughter either. At first, I assumed she was off on another one of her adventures, but it’s been too long without contact…” Her voice trailed off into a whisper.

  Chaos lowered his voice too. “Something is off. Creatures are vanishing…”

  Jane cursed under her breath. “I knew this day would come. I knew the age of peace was too good to be true. They want to rule again.”

  Chaos paced around the room, his heavy footsteps echoing in my ear. “With Cerberus gone, the balance has shifted. We can’t let them have this world.”

  My pulse raced. Who were they talking about?

  “They won’t…unless they find the Aether. She’s the only witch who can control all four Elemental covens,” Jane replied.

  Chaos clapped his hands together. “Well, let’s go find her before they do.”

  Her voice cracked. “I think we might already have…here, at Sanctum.”

  I covered my mouth to muffle a gasp. Beads of sweat dripped down my temples. Was there another Elemental witch at Sanctum? I thought I was the only one. But they couldn’t possibly be talking about me. I couldn’t control all four elements, only wind. While my head started to spin, leaning back against the wall that I was hiding behind was the only way to steady myself.

  The sound of Jane’s footsteps sent me into a panic. I held my breath and sank further into the shadows as she ambled past me, a light chill sweeping my cheek.

  Another set of footsteps started, then stopped. “How long have you been listening, little one?” A devious smirk spread across Chaos’s face as he stepped around the wall to face me. He took another step toward me and brushed a strand of black hair off my forehead.

  I froze. “I…uh…didn’t—I mean, I didn’t hear anything.” Every ounce of strength I had was leaving me.

  He leaned in slowly, placing his hands against the wall, boxing me in. “Arya Frost…” He scanned me up and down.

  A lump formed in my throat. “Please…I don’t even know what you were talking about. I won’t tell anyone.” What was he going to do to me?

  Chaos frowned, taking a step back. “You’re a terrible liar. I should know, I’m the best at it. But I admire your cleverness. Relax, you’re not in trouble. But you should head back to your room before Jane catches wind of you.”

  Without hesitation, I pushed past him and ran as fast as I could down the hall. Adrenaline shot through my veins as I willed my trembling legs to carry me forward. I spewed out a sigh of relief as I turned down the last corridor and saw the familiar path to my room. Sprinting, I barreled through it, slamming the door shut behind me with a loud thud. I closed my eyes and released a quivering breath, my heart still racing.

  “Arya, we need to have a little chat.”

  My stomach turned at the sound of her voice.

  Slow and steady, I opened my eyes and peered up. Perched on the edge of my windowsill was Jane, waiting for me.

  Four

  Jane clasped her hands tightly together on her lap. Her unwavering stare was blank, expressionless. The coldness sparked a fear in me and I contemplated running. Did she know I’d been eavesdropping? Was I in trouble? Come on, Arya, keep it together.

  “Miss Jane, did we have an appointment? What brings you to my room at this late hour?” I was doing everything I could to keep my composure, hoping she couldn’t see my hands shaking inside my coat pockets.

  She remained quiet for what seemed like an eternity before finally speaking. “I need you to be honest with me, Arya. Has anything out of the ordinary happened to you lately?”

  You mean besides finding dead birds in my bed and being stalked by a god? “I’m not sure what you mean. In a school full of witches, define out of the ordinary?” Judging by the look on her face, my attempt at humor was lost on her. I fidgeted with a strand of hair, wrapping the blue-black tress around my finger. Chaos was right about one thing, I was a terrible liar.

  Jane gazed out the window, ignoring my sarcasm. Thankfully the blood had been washed away from last night’s rain. “It’s complicated. There may be some trouble with the Elemental covens. Specifically, your Sylph coven. Have they tried to reach out to you?”

  Do dreams count? I shook my head. “Not that I’m aware of. My mother was very clear that I stay away from them. Why would they contact me now, after all this time? They don’t even know me.”

  Jane exhaled slowly. “We aren’t sure exactly, but some of our Crescent witches have gone missing. My daughter…is among them. We believe your aunt, Echo, has something to do with it. And we believe that she is trying to free your ancestors from Purgatory.”

  I shook my head again, more confused. “I don’t understand. What does this have to do with me? Like I said, I’ve never met my aunt…or any of my ancestors for that matter.” My voice trailed off into a whisper and a rush of sadness washed over me.

  Her eyes watered behind the antique spectacles that were constantly slipping past the bridge of her nose. “I’m sorry you have been in the dark for so long. There are things you don’t know about your coven. Reasons why your mother warned you to stay away from them.” She paused and took a deep breath before continuing. “In order to free the ancestors, Echo needs an Aether—an Elemental witch who can control all four elements. A witch who has ties to all four covens—Sylph, Dryad, Nixie, and Seraphine. You, my dear, contain traces of all four in your blood. I believe that Echo knows this and that she might be coming for you.”

  Her words hung in the air like smoke. This is crazy. I was a Sylph witch with basic powers. Nothing special. “Are you sure about this? I can’t even brew a decent potion. I don’t have any of those other powers, I swear.”

  Jane smiled, but a hint of sadness crept into her eyes. “Your wind magic is your dominant element. Your mother kept your other elements from developing. To keep you hidden. To keep you safe. I don’t know how, but Echo must hav
e figured it out. You have to become the Aether, Arya. You have to protect our world from whatever Echo has planned… Otherwise, the age of peace will have been for nothing.”

  This was too much to take in. “My magic is getting stronger every day, but I wouldn’t even know how to begin to control four elements. Miss Jane, I—I’m sorry, but I think you have me mistaken for someone else.”

  Jane rubbed her temples in frustration, smoothing back the little hairs that had escaped from her bun. “Arya, this isn’t a mistake. There is a new war brewing. If Echo finds a way to free the ancestors, she will unleash them on this world and destroy the balance. If she gets ahold of you before you are strong enough to fight back, she will prevent you from awakening the rest of your magic and all will be lost.”

  A suspicion that I may not have a choice in this matter was beginning to creep up. “So my magic is going to be used against me by an aunt I’ve never met—who up until a few months ago didn’t even know I existed? I’m sorry, but I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around this.”

  Jane threw her head back and gazed up at the ceiling, her patience wearing thin. “She does know you exist, Arya. That is what I’m trying to tell you. Why do you think your mother sent you here to Sanctum? She was trying to protect you from this. But you can’t hide here forever. A part of me always knew this day would come. The moment your Sylph powers awakened on your twenty-first birthday, Echo must have become aware of your presence. So again, you need to tell me, has anything strange happened to you lately?”

  I bit my lip. I didn’t know what to believe. It all seemed so impossible, but the fact remained that all this weird stuff started happening to me after my powers manifested. I looked down at the floor. “I told you, I don’t know anything.”

  Her eyes darkened. “Very well. Take some time to let it all sink in. Just don’t take too long. One way or another, war is coming.”

  She shut the door behind her and I burst into tears, my body trembling. All I’d ever wanted, more than anything, was a coven to belong to. Now Jane was telling me I had the power to claim all four. I should have been happy, relieved even, but this was insane. How could I possibly be this Aether that they were needing?

  The silence that once comforted me felt empty and eerie as I climbed into bed alone. Poppy’s taunts of ghosts roaming the halls and visions of bloodied white crows would not leave my mind. I’d never fit in here, but I had always felt safe. Until now.

  A loud bang woke me. Drenched in sweat, my pulse racing, I fixated on a spot on the ceiling, too terrified to look toward the window. I couldn’t stomach it again. I squeezed my eyes shut and held my breath, praying that whatever it was, it would stop.

  A few seconds went by before another bang went off and I nearly jumped out of my skin. The heavy thudding against steel continued as I laid there, becoming more familiar as I fully awakened. It was just someone knocking at my door. I released a deep breath, slightly relieved and a bit embarrassed. I snuck a quick peek at the window as I hopped out of bed and saw that it was clean. Thank the gods. No dead birds to contend with this morning. But I soon regretted an accidental glance in the mirror on my way to the door.

  My black hair was matted at the crown, sticking straight up like a lump of coal on my head. Yesterday’s mascara bled out, giving me raccoon eyes. Great. I hoped it wasn’t Chaos on the other side of that door. Not that I cared what he thought of me, but who was I kidding? I shuffled forward as the banging increased.

  “Alright, I’m coming. Hold your horses.” Such an odd, yet familiar expression.

  I swung open the door to see Sapphire, face flushed and panic stricken. She plowed into my room like a bull in a china shop.

  Her hands trembled. “My mother…she’s gone.”

  “What do you mean she’s gone? Where did she go?” I held my breath and prayed to the gods that this didn’t have anything to do with what I learned last night.

  Sapphire raised her voice. “I don’t know, Arya. My mother and most of her coven are just gone. Vanished. Disappeared. I tried to call the London coven, but they didn’t answer either. Something bad has happened. I can feel it. We have to find them.”

  A sickening sensation of dread washed over me. Fragments from last night’s dream poured in—twisted bodies clawing at me, begging me to set them free. Whispers of consequences and betrayal floated in and out of my ears. I’d been having these dreams for months now, but they were increasing and becoming more vivid. Coupled with what Jane told me last night, it was starting to sink in. It had to be the Elementals.

  “Arya! Haven’t you heard a word I’ve said? Something terrible has happened to my mother.”

  The panic in her voice shook me out of my stupor. I was drifting again, dammit. “Saph, I’m so sorry. We will talk to Miss Jane. She’ll know what to do.”

  She threw her hands up in a fit of hysteria. “Miss Jane is the one who told me they are missing. She said she’s doing everything in her power to find them, but their magic has been cut off from us. I can’t feel her, Arya. I can’t feel my mother’s power.” She collapsed onto the floor in a heap of sobs.

  I had never seen Sapphire lose her composure. Not ever. Not even when she accidentally set her own hand on fire during a training session. She was as cool and collected as they come. She had always spoken about her mother, Zari, with a sense of detachment. Seeing her like this now, it broke my heart.

  I knelt down and wrapped my arms around her. “It’s going to be okay. I promise. I will help you find her. We are going to find her.”

  Sapphire sniffled into my shoulder. “I was so angry with her the last time we spoke. She probably thinks I hate her. I have to find her and tell her I’m sorry.”

  I stroked her forehead. “Your mother knows you love her. Don’t lose hope. She is one of the fiercest warriors that has ever walked. She will be fine.”

  Sapphire poked her head up, her face wet with tears. “That’s just it. If whoever did this could get to my mother, there’s no telling what they will do to us. To all of us.”

  Not if I have any say in it. A darkness billowed up in me. A quiet rage formed at the sight of my best friend falling to pieces in my arms. If this was anyone’s fault or responsibility, it was mine. If what Jane said was true, then this was on me.

  I sprang to my feet just as Diego came blazing in. “Mi amica, I just heard. Oh, moschina, poor thing. It’s gonna be all right.” He cradled her to his chest as she sobbed.

  This was too much to bear. I had to find a way to help her. “Diego, stay with Saph. There’s something I have to do.”

  Sapphire lifted her head and reached for my hand. “What are you going to do?”

  I looked down at the floor, guilt clawing at me. “Something I should have done months ago.”

  I turned on my heel and sped out the door before they could ask any more questions. There would be time later to fill them in on my deranged family background. Right now, I needed to get to Jane before the situation got worse.

  As I made my way toward Jane’s office, my newfound courage was starting to waiver. When I was a kid, they’d told us that war was something we’d never have to experience. The age of peace would last. We had the gods on our side. There were so many who had fought and died for us to be safe. Would their sacrifice be in vain?

  Our parents grew up in a different time. Bloodshed and dark magic were all they knew. They were prepared for it. But my generation was soft. We never even thought to look over our shoulders. As I stood outside Jane’s door, I knew that was all about to change.

  “Arya, please come in. We were just discussing you.” Jane sat still and stoic at her desk. Chaos paced back and forth behind her.

  I ignored the nervous tickle that crept up my throat, praying that my voice didn’t fail me. “I’ve made my decision. I—I want to help. I will do whatever it is you want me to do.” My knees wobbled as the words left my lips.

  “You can’t be serious,” Chaos snapped. “Have you ever even been off thi
s island? I don’t care what your lineage is. You aren’t ready.” He folded his chiseled arms to his chest and leaned back against the wall, seeming satisfied with his assessment of me.

  The way he looked at me without emotion, the dismissiveness in his tone, it was all I could do to not crawl under Jane’s desk and hide. “Thanks for the vote of confidence,” I mumbled.

  Jane pressed her palms onto the desk, as if she were bracing herself. “Chaos, enough. We’ve been over this all night. She has to be the Aether. She’s the only one who can tap into that power.” Her voice softened as she looked back toward me. “Arya, dear, is there anything at all you can tell us about Echo? Anything you remember?”

  I looked down at my scuffed boots, unsure of what was real or just imagined. “I—I don’t know. I’ve been having strange dreams for months. Echo—or at least who I think is Echo—calls to me in them. She tells me she needs me. At first, I thought it was just my own longing for a coven, manifesting in a dream…but then the birds came. The white crows.”

  “So it’s begun,” she murmured. “Arya, tell me more about the birds.”

  “I found one in my bed a couple days ago, it’s neck was broken…there was so much blood. Another one slammed into my window the night after. And then…last night, I had another dream. This time it was the ancestors calling to me. I could see them…in Purgatory.”

  Jane jumped to her feet. “We have to get you away from here, Arya. It’s not safe anymore.”

  Chaos threw up his hands. “Nowhere is safe, don’t you get it? They’ve marked her, and they won’t stop until they have what they want. I should have destroyed this realm when I had the—”

  “Don’t you dare finish that sentence,” Jane snapped. “She will be safe with you, Chaos.”

  My head pounded. Less than a week ago, my biggest worry was passing a potion test. Now, standing between a Crescent witch elder and an actual god as they argued over how I was going to become some all-powerful being, it seemed so trivial. How did my whole life change in just a matter of days?