Smoke and Ritual (Beautiful Dark Beasts Book 1)

by Melissa Sercia

  Great. The last thing I wanted to hear. “Why? What’s your issue with the Luminaries?”

  She pointed the dagger at me. “That’s my business. I helped you get what you want, now you will do the same for me.”

  I was growing tired of these coven leaders and their demands, but I had to tell her what she wanted to hear so I could get out of there. “Look, I will do my best to bring you Shade, but there are more important things going on right now than your vendetta against the Luminaries.”

  She inched closer to me, the dagger still pointed in my direction. “Very well. Just don’t take too long, Arya. Patience isn’t one of my virtues. I would hate to have to send my gravedigger after you.”

  I shivered, the room suddenly colder. I leapt up from my bed of pillows and pulled on my cloak. Just the thought of those soulless black holes staring down at me sent chills up my spine. I nodded, afraid to utter another word, and made a hasty retreat toward the exit before she had a chance to make any more demands.

  While her doorman escorted me back down to the bar, my head pounded. What was I going to do? I promised Shade a place at the table, and now Basil wanted me to hand deliver him to her. Both were expecting me to keep my word, and both would punish me if I didn’t. How did I get myself into this mess?

  Chaos and Seven were pacing in front of the bar. Both looking unhinged, their eyes lit up at the sight of me.

  Chaos breathed out a sigh of relief. “Are you all right? Did she hurt you?” His eyes traveled to the thick blotches of paste that covered my neck and chest.

  I pulled up my collar, shielding myself from his prying eyes. “I’m okay. I just want to get out of here. I’ll fill you in on the way back to the ship.”

  Seven raised an eyebrow. “So, you are coming back to the ship?”

  I winced as Chaos tugged me toward him, my muscles still sore. His lips grazed my ear as he whispered, “But what about our plan?”

  The longing in his voice echoed the one in my head. But I had to shut it out. Our plans would have to wait. “Things just got more…complicated. We can’t run away from this.”

  He stared at me, dumbfounded, as if he were looking at a ghost. I reached for his hand, but he shrugged me off and charged out ahead of us. He was beyond upset, but I would make him understand. I had to. I wanted to be with him more than anything, but I couldn’t let these covens tear each other apart and destroy this world.

  We sailed out of Big Sur with a swiftness that was fast even for this ship. After filling them in on Basil’s demands, I still had one more bombshell to drop. “The ritual isn’t complete. I’ve awakened all four points of my magic, but it’s not finished. I can feel it. I’m not the Aether.” The magic swirled inside me, but without connection. It was chaotic and unpredictable.

  Seven’s face paled. “How can that be? We’ve done everything Jane told us to. You have awakened all the elements.”

  “Jane must have had it wrong. This magic…it’s eating away at me. I need to speak with the ancestors. Can you get me into Purgatory?” I held my breath and waited for their protests.

  “Without blood magic, you will need to manipulate the elements to pull us through the Shadowline. But if you are saying your magic is unpredictable, that might not work.”

  “That won’t be necessary,” Chaos said. “I can get us in.” His eyes darkened.

  Seven leaned back against the rail, his arms crossed. “Okay…but Arya, you might not like what the ancestors have to say. Have you considered that?”

  They probably won’t like what I have to say either. “I have, but I need their guidance. I need to know how to finish the Aether ceremony and stop Echo.”

  Without another word, Seven calibrated the ship toward Purgatory’s Shadowline. Chaos sulked off, disappearing below deck. A twinge of guilt gnawed at me. He was not himself, and it crushed me. It wasn’t like him to be so apathetic. I crept down after him, my heart beating wildly in my chest.

  He turned to face me as I reached the bottom steps, pulling me to him. His lips grazed my cheek as he whispered, “Choose us, Arya.”

  His words, his voice, the look in his eyes, melted me, piercing my heart like a thousand swords. “I haven’t not chosen us. No matter what they say, I can, and will have both.” Aether or not, I wasn’t planning on giving him up. We belonged together. My mind was made up and the gods would just have to deal with it.

  He gathered me up in his arms, kissing my neck, my cheeks, and finally landing his lips on mine, soft and gentle. I kissed him back with urgency, wanting to devour every inch of him. But he pulled back, breathless. He looked deep into my eyes, cupping my face in his hands. “I love you, Arya.”

  The back of my neck tingled. Three words I had never heard before. Not in the way he meant it. He was the only one I wanted to hear them from. I blinked back tears, overcome with emotion. “I love you too.”

  His lips came back down on mine, harder this time. We ripped and clawed at each other’s clothes, tearing them off like savages, our bodies crashing to the floor in a heap of reckless abandon.

  I wrapped my legs tight around his waist, crying out as he moved inside me. His wings unfolded out, flapping behind him with every thrust. The smell of his skin, the way it felt against mine, was enough to send me over the edge as wave after wave of pleasure climbed up, ricocheting through every cell in my body.

  We rolled together, tangled like vines, slithering in and out of every crevice, leaving no space between us. Our eyes locked as the last wave of pleasure flooded us, setting every inch of my tingling skin on fire. He trembled against me, burying his head into my chest. I clung to him for dear life.

  Wrapped up in his arms, covered by his wings, I knew… Every path led to him. Whether I was just a simple Sylph witch, fumbling over my potions at Sanctum, or if I became the most powerful Aether the covens had ever seen, I knew… I could not live in a world without Chaos.

  The three of us stood at the helm of the ship, gazing out at the horizon. The pitch-black sky stretched out above us, absent of stars—dark and ominous—chilling me to my bones.

  My nerves were shot. I had crossed many Shadowlines before, but not like this. Purgatory, and whatever was lurking inside of it, terrified me to the core. Would the ancestors welcome me? Would they be angry? But what was gnawing at me even more was the possibility that I might run into my mother there. It was more like a spark of hope, muddied by fear. I’d give anything to see her again, but so much had changed. I was no longer the daughter she remembered.

  Storm clouds lingered in the distance while lightning bolts sizzled through the sky. The ship was being pulled in like a vortex. Like a magnet toward a darkness so thick, I feared it would swallow us whole. The Underworld was also nearby. A sickening feeling settled in the pit of my stomach as we passed it. I could feel its emptiness. A dark hollow that reached out from the abyss of lost souls.

  Chaos paid it no mind as he began creating a rift in the atmosphere, tearing and peeling it apart with only his eyes. The space in front of us split into two, creating a portal as if the horizon were just a painting, now ripped open to reveal another layer of the world. An opening that a hundred ships could pass through.

  The ship lurched forward into the divide with a shocking jolt, jerking me in every direction. I clung to the edge like a bull rider trying to hang on while the ship rocked and bucked us around. Clasping the railing, I bent over the side and the contents of my stomach heaved out of me.

  Cold seawater slapped the sides of the ship with a thunderous force. Shivering, I unfolded my wings and wrapped them around my body like a blanket, still clutching the soaked wooden railing that was barely intact.

  The divide pulsed, shrinking back and forth, and then widened again, just large enough for us to squeeze through with one final push forward. Chaos’s eyes had gone from a dark brown to pitch black to murky grey, a reflection of the landscape before us. I watched in awe as he navigated us through without even moving a muscle.

  The ship l
urched forward again and I lost my footing, sliding as I collided into him. Like a stone statue, he didn’t budge, but wrapped a strong arm around my waist to keep my knees from smacking the deck.

  “Hold on. We’re almost there,” he yelled.

  I clung to his sea-soaked body with every ounce of strength I had as the ship continued to plunge down and then rise up, like a roller coaster, the world a blur around me. I pinched my eyes shut to try and stop the motion sickness.

  “Over there,” Seven called out. “Get us over there!”

  I opened one eye and followed Chaos’s gaze toward a storm of dust. A lump formed in my throat. We were heading directly toward it.

  I screamed on impact. The storm surrounded us—stinging my eyes and filling my lungs up with a thick chalky dust. I couldn’t see anything. Panic rose in my chest and I clung tighter to him.

  The ship plowed through with the speed of a freight train, this time knocking both of us onto the deck.

  I lost my grip and began tumbling away from him. In one swift move, he reached out, caught my hand and pulled me back toward his chest. Our bodies bounced and rolled together, smacking against the wood of the ship. Splinters of wood dug into my cheeks, scraping against the deck one more time before we finally came to an abrupt stop.

  “Arya, open your eyes.”

  I was afraid to look.

  I rubbed the dust out of my eyes and peered over Chaos’s shoulder as he lifted me up off the floor. I drew in a sharp breath and it caught in my throat. “I—I don’t understand. This…isn’t what—”

  “What you were expecting?” Chaos chimed. It was more of a statement than a question, as if he were remembering what it was like to see it for the first time.

  Seven tied back his wet hair, pulling it into a low knot at the base of his neck. “Are we…in the right place?”

  Chaos hoisted himself up onto the rail, his broad shoulders pressed back. He puffed out his chest, closing his eyes as he sucked in a deep breath. “Don’t let the scenery fool you. This place is no fairytale.”

  The sky glittered with a thousand stars, lighting up the world as far as the eye could see—lush green forests, turquoise blue streams, and jeweled gardens spilled out in every direction. How could this be Purgatory? It looked like paradise.

  We docked and disembarked, following Chaos onto the sparkling shore. The air was sweet and sticky, like pillow-shaped beignets. I could almost feel the smooth, powdery sugar on my lips.

  “It’s beautiful,” I murmured.

  Chaos watched me, his eyes dark. “A beautiful illusion. It’s only a trick, Arya. What you see, smell, taste…it’s not real.”

  My heart sank. “It has to be. How do you know for sure?”

  “Because it doesn’t work on me. I see this place for what it really is—dark, barren…hopeless. This is where you come to be judged. It’s devoid of all color and all joy. The illusion is here to distract you from what, and who, you left behind. To distract you from where you might be going.” He picked up a smooth pebble and tossed it out ahead of us. It turned to dust before it hit the ground.

  “So, the ones stuck here, they don’t know they’re stuck?” Seven asked.

  “Yes, and no.” He picked up another pebble, throwing it farther this time. I could barely make out the dust particles in its trail. “They lose track of how long they’ve been here. It makes the waiting bearable I guess.”

  It didn’t make sense to me. “But how can they not know? My ancestors have been here for decades. They must feel the time passing.”

  “The souls in here, the plants, the rocks, don’t know if they are alive or dead.” Chaos pulled at a blade of grass. “It’s like being caught in a dream—when you aren’t aware that you’re dreaming until you wake up. These souls have been asleep for a very long time.” He closed my fist around the blade of grass. When I opened my palm, it was nothing but a pile of dust.

  The weight of his words crushed me. Was it merciful to keep them locked in a state of oblivion, or was it cruel? To let them believe they had just arrived? A chill came over me as another terrifying realization hit me.

  “How will we know? What if we get stuck here?” The sweat dripped down my back, soaking the hem of my pants.

  Chaos grabbed my hand. “Because I’m here to remind you both. Like I said, this place doesn’t affect me. I will get us out of here when it’s time to go.”

  “I have a really bad feeling about this. Let’s find the ancestors and get out of here as soon as possible.” Seven looked unhinged, his eyes wild. Something here made him uneasy.

  I didn’t want to pry, but it wasn’t like him to panic. “Seven, if you know something we don’t, please tell us.”

  He sucked in a sharp breath. “It reminds me of when I was trapped in the Underworld. When the Blood War started, I barely escaped with my life. I—I can’t go through that again…”

  Chaos placed a hand on his shoulder. A look passed between them that I couldn’t decipher. A shared memory seemed to flash in their eyes. “That won’t happen again. This time will be different. I promise you both, none of us are getting trapped in here.”

  My heart pounded. I wanted to believe him, but the fear in Seven’s eyes made me doubt everything. “How can you be so sure? What if they find a way to trick you too? Maybe we should turn back before it’s too late.” As much as I wanted to consult my ancestors, I didn’t want to be stuck down here with them forever.

  The vein in his neck throbbed as he clenched his jaw, sending a slight tremor down to the base of his throat. “It’s not possible.”

  Was he even listening to me? “Anything is possible. Chaos, what if—”

  Chaos snapped, “It doesn’t work on me because I’m the one who made it. These are my tricks. My illusions.” He let out a deep breath, his lips quivering. “Arya…I created Purgatory.”

  Eighteen

  The tales we told ourselves to justify masking the secrets we were too afraid to reveal would be the death of us. This would be our undoing. Not the witches, or their gravediggers, or even the gods. The thing that threatened to destroy us most was the lies we told to each other.

  “When were you planning on telling me you created Purgatory?” My blood was boiling.

  Chaos looked down at his feet. “I just did.”

  “And you didn’t think to mention it before?” Seven snapped.

  He shrugged, his shoulders shrinking with apathy. “I didn’t think it was necessary.”

  Had he lost his damn mind? I was close to losing mine. “How can you be so casual about this? All this time, you’ve said nothing, knowing that I’m destined to end up here. Of course it was necessary.”

  Chaos stormed over, stopping only a few inches from my face. “Don’t you think if it would have made a difference I would have told you? This place belongs to the gods, not me. Trust me when I tell you, nothing good will come from this.”

  I was seething, my hands trembling with rage. I clenched my fists in an attempt to calm down. “Trust comes with honesty. You only tell me pieces and fragments when you feel like it. And yet you know everything about me. Can you blame me for being upset?”

  “Ah the bittersweet irony. This place wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for you. We wouldn’t even be here right now,” Seven quipped.

  Chaos leaned back against a large tree and crossed his arms. “How was I supposed to know this would happen? I’m a god, Seven, not a psychic.”

  How could he still be so nonchalant about all of this? I was going to lose it. “If you created Purgatory, then you can destroy it. After we get the ancestors out, promise me you will.”

  “It’s not that simple, Arya. The Elysium Court will never allow it. There has to be a balance.” He looked past me, refusing to meet my gaze.

  It was starting to dawn on me that his obligations and duties to the gods would always come first. I knew he loved me, but would it be enough? In the end, would he stand with me, or with them?

  “We can argue about th
is later. Let’s find the ancestors and get what we came here for.” Seven was just as irritated as I was. He had known Chaos longer, fought battles beside him. The hurt in his eyes was undeniable.

  There was an invisible divide forming in the space between us. A tension that had no intention of dissipating anytime soon. As we followed Chaos into the forest, my heart ached. Maybe he didn’t tell me because he didn’t trust me. Or maybe he was ashamed that he built the place that was now holding my entire ancestral line hostage. No matter the reason, I couldn’t help but wonder what else he was hiding from me.

  The leaves on the great oak trees rustled like wind chimes, their branches creaking and moaning—mourning each leaf that fell to the ground. Aching as it disconnected from its source. The sorrow crept into my bones, reverberating through every cell in my body. I felt their anguish. Or was it my own? Made up of the same particles and dust, Chaos once said. This place was made up of the same.

  The further we walked, the more I was able to strip away the illusion. The beauty became more tragic, more visceral. The wonder and awe began to fade into something more urgent. Desperate even. I had to get my people out of here.

  The glow of torchlight illuminated the path before us. A swarm of fireflies buzzed in a clearing through the trees. In the shadows, I could see their shapes and figures moving about, slow and devoid of purpose. Like animated corpses without minds of their own. Yet there was a method to their madness it seemed. A pattern of some sort. They were waiting, but they were also climbing the proverbial walls.

  “There they are.”

  Hundreds of Elemental witches gathered in the clearing, dragging their feet as they circled each other. Some would occasionally creep to the edges of the forest, but then would return back to the circle. There was nowhere for them to go.

  Chaos ran a hand through his hair, a gesture I was starting to notice he did when he was uneasy. “Be careful, Arya. They have been without outside contact for a very long time.”