Smoke and Ritual (Beautiful Dark Beasts Book 1)

by Melissa Sercia

  It didn’t take long for them to circle us, their bodies bare except for painted markings and modest adornments. The women’s breasts were exposed with only amber jewels covering their nipples. White dotted markings ran up and down their flesh, across their cheeks, and encircling their eyes.

  Further down each female figure wore only a single strip of cloth wrapped tight around their middle, showing off muscular legs, rounded hips, and firm bellies. The men wore even less, with just a single flap covering their nether regions, tied in place by a flimsy piece of twine. The only difference in their markings was the pattern as it swirled into spirals and loops like an outline of serpents.

  Heat rose to my cheeks as they danced around us in a way I had never seen before. It was invoking and provocative. The drums beat louder and the ground trembled with each vibration. I wanted to move like them. To join them. The warm wind hummed in my ears, calling to me. Spinning around slowly, my gaze lingered over every dancer, soaking in their energy. Their magic sizzled off of them and through me. And I suddenly didn’t care if I was about to be welcomed or sacrificed.

  A loud snap pulled me out of my reverie. Chaos unfolded his wings, spreading them out in full span behind him. The music came to a halt for a quick second and started up again, beating louder and faster. The dancers gathered behind one man. A tall muscular man with long blond hair and white eyes. Eyes that locked onto Chaos without fear.

  The man cocked his head to the side. “You are a god. Have we earned your favor?” He spoke in broken English, his accent a mixture of Italian and French.

  Chaos’s eyes glowed as he narrowed them at the man. “We’ll see. And you are?”

  The man looked around at his own people. “The leader of this coven. My name is Shade.”

  “Ah this just gets better and better. Here’s the deal, Shade. Our girl here needs you to awaken her fire magic tonight. Then we’ll be on our merry way and you can get back to your little dance routine.”

  I drew in a sharp breath. Why did Chaos always have to be so condescending?

  Shade didn’t blink. “Impossible. An awakening is a journey. A slow, moving river that finds its way to the sea. This cannot be rushed.”

  “We don’t have time for a magical journey, just the awakening part. How about you make an exception?” Chaos fluttered his wings, sending a small vibration through the crowd, subtle but with just enough force to hint at his full potential strength.

  “You have spent too much time away from Elysium. Forgotten how things work down here.” The Luminaries huddled closer to their leader, tiny sparks now shooting from their fingertips.

  The tension between them simmered. Chaos cracked his knuckles, cocking his head to the side as if he were debating on which of Shade’s limbs he was going to snap first. A flicker of rage flashed in his dark eyes, a rage that moved through his body as he clenched his fists, flexing every muscle in his arms.

  Before he could take one step, Seven darted in between them. “Please, we’ve come a long way. Been rejected by the Seraphine. Our friend here has already awakened water and wind. She is…special.”

  Shade’s milky white eyes reminded me of the Fairy Pool that I had drained. His stare hardened as it landed on me. “What makes you so special? You think you can just come in here to our sacred temple and demand such privileges? Your flesh is smooth, soft, and untouched by battle or desire. You could not contain the fire.”

  Chaos grunted and lunged forward. I reached out and caught his wrist, pulling him back. “Please, let me.”

  “He’s disrespecting you. I will not allow it.”

  I touched his cheek. “Neither will I.”

  He hesitated, but stepped away.

  Shade, mimicking Chaos, folded his arms to his chest. “Well?”

  I took a deep breath and summoned the wind. Pressing my shoulders back, I opened my wings, expanding them out around me. “I…I don’t know if I’m special, but I am different.”

  His eyes widened and he dropped to one knee. “What are you?” His followers stared back at me, dumbfounded, their mouths agape.

  I flapped my feathers against my skin. “I’m the daughter of Gaia. I’m an Elemental witch and soon…I will become the Aether.”

  His face paled, his lips quivering as he searched for words. “I—I can’t believe it. You have finally come to free us…” Shade threw back his head and laughed. His followers stole puzzled glances from each other.

  Chaos shook his head. “This guy is a nut job.”

  Shade staggered to his feet and faced his people. “Soon we will be outcasts no more.” He spun around toward me. “I will awaken your magic on one condition.”

  “What do you want?” I hated strings.

  Shade’s eyes lit up and for the first time all night, I noticed the flames flickering in them. “You must declare our legitimacy and recognize us as an Elemental coven.”

  My head ached as I tried to wrap my mind around his demand. Was it even possible for two fire covens to coexist? I still had no idea why they were even cast out to begin with. “Look, I just met you and don’t know anything about your coven. Help me with my magic and we can discuss this after I become the Aether.”

  His smile faded. “Not good enough. Give me your word that we will be recognized, or there will be no awakening.”

  Seven bent his head down, whispering, “I don’t trust him. Don’t make promises that you might not want to keep later.”

  How could I leave now? After everything, I had to see this through. Seven was right, owing Shade was dangerous, but I had no choice. I was drawn to this magic like a magnet. I needed it.

  I folded my wings back into my shoulders and offered Shade my hand. “Fine. You have my word.”

  He cupped his hands around mine and squeezed, his skin was hot, burning like an inferno. “I will hold you to it. Remember this, what I give, I can also take away. Now, let’s get you ready for the ritual.”

  My stomach turned, twisting into knots. It felt like I had just made a deal with the devil.

  Fourteen

  Witches had been practicing ceremonies and rituals for centuries. At Sanctum, I poured through all the books I could find on them. I was fascinated by the intricate magic that was conjured—the passion, and the sacrifice it took to free oneself from the burdens of the mundane. It excited me and terrified me. The vulnerability that was needed in these rituals was animalistic and raw. I had lived my life avoiding those kinds of feelings. Every movement and word spoken was always carefully guarded and protected. Standing in this circle with all these Luminaries dancing and chanting around me made me want to crawl out of my own skin.

  I scanned the crowd for Chaos. He gave me a reassuring nod, but his muscles were tight, clenched like he was waiting for something to go wrong. Seven stood a few feet away from him, his eyes following every movement of Shade’s coven. Sapphire stood stoic, her hands firmly gripped around the sword at her waist. And Diego just looked on in awe as he soaked in the scene of half-naked witches, drunk on their own wild abandonment.

  My newly painted hands started to tremble. Was it from fear or the cold wind that was sweeping through my barely clad body? Shade had painted white symbols on me to match the other women of his coven, dressing me in similar garb. Yet instead of jewels on my breasts, they allowed me a small piece of cloth tied tight around my chest. I had never even worn a bathing suit before, so this lack of coverage was making me nauseous. It took everything in my power to not run off and hide in the bushes. I tugged at the edges of my makeshift skirt, which was more like a bandage, to keep all my parts covered.

  Shade stepped into the circle, his eyes aglow with golden flames. Sparks flickered between his palms as he flashed them toward me, zapping my skin like tiny needle pricks. I flinched, but held my ground. Beads of sweat trickled down my back despite the cool wind that stirred in my ears. The Luminaries wailed and moaned over the sound of drums, beating so loud and deep, I could feel it in my chest. It shook the ground, reverberating t
hrough my bones.

  An electric current moved through me as Shade’s sparks strengthened, coming at me more rapidly. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply as he inched closer to me. The wind picked up speed and I caught his scent—musk mixed with something sweet like pineapple, or lemon custard. The fragrance bounced off of him and intensified around me. A swirl of sugar and smoke enveloped me like thick fog.

  Flames danced between his fingers as a fiery heat rushed over me, up my arms and down my thighs. His hands hovered over my chest, the flames almost touching me. The drumming intensified, louder and faster over the cries and chants of the Luminaries.

  Fire was all around me as I looked down. The flames licked out from his hands and into my chest. But it could have been the other way around. It didn’t matter. I felt all of the heat, but none of the burn.

  I arched my back toward him, throwing my head back as sparks shot out from every pore of my body. The sky lit up—orange, gold, and crimson red, like a display of fireworks. Shade wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me toward him. He whispered in my ear, words I couldn’t decipher. Ancient words in a heavy tongue. Visions flashed in my head—thousands of Luminaries from another time, setting the world on fire.

  The world began to melt away. I gasped and smoke filled my lungs. My throat burned. Panicked, I pulled back, but Shade held me tighter. He whispered, “Surrender to the sun. Invite it in. Embrace your fire.”

  I opened my eyes and shrieked in horror at the sight of the flames all around us, encapsulating us like a cocoon. There was only fire and Shade’s glowing eyes. “I can’t do this.” My voice was hoarse and strained.

  He placed a hand on my chest and my skin crackled. Smoke billowed up, filling my nostrils. His eyes shifted back to milky white. “You are doing this. This is your fire. Own it.”

  He stepped away from me, breaking all contact. The fire stayed with me. I lifted up my hands to see trails of sparks and light dripping from my fingertips. My heart raced. It was coming out of me.

  I twirled around, waving my arms in the air. The fire remained, attached to me like a new limb. Like an extension of my soul. It was a part of me. I closed my eyes again, focusing on the heat, and willed it to subside.

  A soft wind hummed in my ears, carrying distant voices—hushed, but firm. Voices of the ancestors, echoes from another time. The liquid in my stomach stirred and swayed, threatening to rise up and into my throat. I pushed it down, commanding it to be still. A stream of smoke burst through my lips and the flames retreated, dissipating into thin air.

  Everything was as it was before, no fire, no wind, just perfectly still, and dark except for the torchlight that had been placed around the circle. The ground beneath me was covered in fresh scorch marks.

  Shade opened his arms wide, circling me like a hawk. “You are one of us now.”

  My head buzzed. I felt lighter than air, dizzy. My chest tightened as I coughed up puffs of smoke. I hunched over, my knees buckling. Shade’s hand shot out to steady me, lifting me back up.

  Chaos charged forward. Shoving Shade out of the way, he wrapped his arm around my waist and guided me out of the circle. “I’ll take it from here.” He glared at Shade while he carried me over to a stone bench and set me down gently.

  “How do you feel?”

  I licked my dry lips in an effort to coat them. “Different… It’s swarming all around me still. So much magic… It wants to get out.”

  Sapphire glided her hand through the air, waving her fingers through invisible particles. “This was a bad idea. You are being overloaded. Inundated with magic that you have no control over. It’s too much.”

  I grabbed her hand. “No. This magic was meant for me. I know this now. I’m almost complete. We have to keep going.”

  Her face twisted in pain. “Arya, I’ve seen what happens when witches take in too much magic. It could destroy you or turn you into something else.”

  “You don’t get it,” Shade snapped. “It’s always been inside her. She is just setting it free now. There is no stopping this. It’s who she is.”

  Sapphire unsheathed her sword and waved it at him. “For all we know, you did this to her. I know who you are Shade. I know what you did. You may have fooled everyone here, but I know the real truth about you. The Rain Makers remember.”

  Shade didn’t seem threatened by her as he looked away, unfazed by the point of her sword just inches away from his face. “You know nothing, girl. Only lies that have been told to you your whole life. You think you and your people are better than us? Think again. I know things too. Like if Arya doesn’t become the Aether, you won’t be seeing any of your coven again.”

  Sapphire started for him, but Chaos moved in between them. “I could wipe out the whole lot of you in the blink of an eye. Back off.”

  “Maybe everyone should stop talking about Arya like she’s not here. You’re acting like a pack of savages. Let her speak for what she wants. Go ahead, mi amica.”

  I had never heard Diego be so assertive before. It was endearing to hear him stand up for me, and also a reminder that he too was a deadly creature.

  I took a long pause before speaking, gathering my thoughts. “I’m going to see this through, and I’m going to honor promises made. Saph, Shade is right. The only way we free your mother from Purgatory is to stop Echo. We can’t do that unless I finish awakening all of my magic. I know you’re worried about me, but you don’t need to be. I can do this.”

  “I know… I just don’t want you to get hurt.” Her lower lip quivered.

  “We won’t let that happen,” Seven added. “We protect the Aether at all costs. Even from herself if we have to.”

  Did everyone think I was going to lose control? This was all new to me, but I was a demigod for Apollo’s sake. Not a child. “You’re doing it again. Acting like I’m not here. I’m not some fragile bird anymore.”

  Seven backpedaled. “Arya, no one is doubting your abilities. We are just concerned. Magic isn’t something to be taken lightly. Trust me, I’ve seen even the most powerful beings lose control. Gray almost killed all of us at the battle at Infitum. She ingested Narcissus magic and nearly split the ground in half. All I’m saying is we should be cautious. Slow down and take a breath.”

  A twinge of jealousy shot through me. The infamous Gray Wynter, who I had admired my whole life, was now the line I had to measure up to. A constant reminder that I couldn’t compare to her.

  I snuck a glance at Chaos to gauge his reaction, but he was blank, expressionless. I released a groan. “I need to be alone right now. To clear my head.”

  I didn’t wait for their response, nor their approval as I sprinted off toward the beach, but the footsteps trailing behind me were no surprise.

  Chaos leapt in front of me. “Running away again, Arya? This is starting to grow tiresome.”

  I looked down, biting my lip. “I’m not running away. I just need space to think.”

  “You ran away from me at the Brew Market, then at the Fairy Pools, and now here. Maybe you just like me chasing you.” He widened his stance, planting his feet firmly in front of me.

  I wanted to wipe that smug look off his face. “Maybe you just like stalking me.”

  The corners of his mouth dropped. “Don’t be ridiculous. You know why I came to Sanctum. You know why I’m still here. What more do you want?”

  Something about the closeness of his body, the smell of musk and sweat coming off his skin, the way his eyes searched mine for something, wild and feral—unnerved me, taking the breath from my throat. “I—I don’t know.”

  He reached out, caressing my chin, lifting it toward his face. “Yes, you do. I want to hear you say it,” he whispered.

  Every ounce of my resolve was fading. He could have stolen my soul with those eyes. “I want…”

  Chaos leaned in, his breath heavy on my face. “Say it.”

  My body tingled. I looked up into his eyes. His beautiful brown eyes that looked at me with a passion I had only read abo
ut in books. Eyes that seemed to know me better than myself. Every fiber of my being was caving in to my desire for him, urging me to surrender.

  My lips trembled as I whispered, “I want…you.”

  Chaos grabbed my face and pulled it toward his. He brought his lips down on mine, hot like fire, his muscles flexing and twitching against my ribs. I arched back as he grabbed a handful of my hair, lowering his lips into the crook of my neck. That soft tender spot above my chest. I couldn’t breathe as he kissed my flesh.

  With his other arm wrapped around my waist, he pulled me in tighter till there was no space between us. A soft whimper escaped my lips as he pressed his mouth to my neck, tracing the side of it with his tongue. I shivered as he moved up to my ear, nuzzling it and gently sucking.

  I pulled at the edges of his shirt, desperate to tear it off of him. My belly stirred, swirling with butterflies as I glimpsed his tanned chest glistening under the torchlight, each muscle perfectly chiseled as if carved from stone.

  I threw my head back into him as he spun me around, cupping my bare breasts firm in his hands, caressing my flesh, the back of my neck now wet with warm, urgent kisses. A soft moan flittered out of me. The sensation of his hands trickling down my ribcage was driving me mad. The light tickle of his fingertips, the way they danced and circled my belly button—it was all I could do to hang on and ride out each wave of pleasure. If I could have pressed my hips any further into him, I would have.

  My knees wobbled as a fiery heat surged through me—my mouth dry and breath unsteady. My wits had left me as his hands slid down my makeshift skirt. Tingles rushed over me, gasping as he explored further, deeper into the soft flesh between my thighs, rocking me backward.

  On the verge of exploding, I was losing control. Surrendering. I wanted him, ached for him. Spinning around, I grabbed his chin, kissing him hard, my hunger for him growing with each flick of his eager tongue. He grunted, smiling at the fierceness of my grip as I yanked his hair, clawing at him like a wild siren. Gentle caresses turned into full-blown reckless abandon.