Smoke and Ritual (Beautiful Dark Beasts Book 1)

by Melissa Sercia

  Sapphire dipped her hand into the water, swirling it around with her fingertips as if she were testing its validity. “This seems too easy.”

  “Nothing is easy.” Something dark flickered in Diego’s eyes for a moment and then left just as quickly as it came.

  My fingers trembled. A realization hit me like a ton of bricks. “The air in this room…it’s Elemental. I understand now.”

  Chaos nodded slowly as he inhaled a deep breath. “As do I. You are returning back to the source.”

  “What am I missing here?” Sapphire asked.

  A grin spread across my face. “Chaos said it earlier, but he only had part of it. Air, earth, fire, and water…and I am the daughter. I have to make the potion in this room. It’s as if its imprinted on my bones. Only I can make it and only I can drink it.”

  The corners of Chaos’s mouth turned up into a knowing smirk. “That sneaky bastard. It was the Keeper’s plan all along. He needed you to come here. To find this room.”

  “He knew it wasn’t possible for you to bring the potion to Echo, but he needed her to think it was so she would let you go. Brilliant,” Seven added.

  A warmth spread throughout my body. Everything was clear for the first time since this whole journey began. My mother always told me that my truth would set me free. I finally understood. I was always supposed to be here. This magic was meant only for me. I was the one true Aether.

  “There is something else, mi amica. There is also the four of us. A Crescent witch, a dhampir, a Lupi wolf, and a god. It is like the legend says.” Diego’s eyes glowed bright red.

  I shook my head, confused. “What legend?” I looked to the others who had no clue what he was talking about either.

  Diego continued, “The legend of the Aether. It has been told to us since we were fledglings. The daughter of Gaia will have four guardians from four different realms, sworn to protect her. We must give our blood to the potion and she will break many curses.”

  Seven placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Are you sure about this?”

  “I never believed the stories until now.”

  Chaos drew in a sharp breath. “How do the Lupi know about this legend?”

  “Our existence is bound to magic…from a very long time ago. We have many legends. Maybe I’ll share the rest of them with you someday.” He threw Chaos a wink.

  My heart fluttered. Everything and everyone in this room felt right, fitting perfectly together like pieces of a puzzle. Another realization hit me, nearly knocking the wind out of me. If Chaos was destined to protect me, then we could never be apart. As if reading my mind, he flashed me a grin.

  I moved to the center of the room. “I think it’s time. Everybody ready?”

  One by one, each of them pulled out a dagger and cut into the flesh of their palms.

  Twenty-One

  The water swirled around the ceremony room, a deep shade of crimson red. I knelt down and dipped a glass vial into it, filling it half-way. Plunging my other hand into the water, I searched around for a few minutes before coming up with a fist full of dead fireflies. Crushing them against my palm, their tiny wings disintegrated, turning to dust. I dragged the vial across my hand, scooping the remnants in.

  Tiny sparks flickered within the glass, casting a pinkish glow inside the red-stained water. A sudden instinct brought me to my feet and over to the great oak tree. I cut a small incision into its thick bark, scraping away at it with my dagger. Reaching into the tree’s flesh, I pulled out a chunk of soil, hidden within its core. As I sprinkled the dirt into the vial, the contents began to swish and swirl around like the sea. I held it up, displaying it to everyone, my fingers shaking.

  A collection of gasps rang out as their mouths dropped open. All except for Chaos, who clenched his fists and fixated on the vial, his expression full of apprehension. “Be careful, Arya. If you have any doubts, say so now.”

  I smiled, my teeth chattering. Adrenaline coursed through me. “Look, my first potion.” I was a ball of nervous energy, but I knew in my bones that this was right.

  Sapphire smirked, the first attempt at a smile I’d seen from her in weeks. “Jane would be so proud.”

  I couldn’t help but giggle, a giddiness coming over me. “This is it. Wish me luck.”

  I put the vial to my lips and inhaled a deep breath. Notes of crisp grass and fresh sea salt wafted into my nose. I breathed in even deeper and felt my lungs expand, sending tiny shivers down my spine like little shocks of electricity.

  Closing my eyes, I whispered, “Air, earth, fire and water, and I am the daughter.”

  The liquid scorched my throat as I tilted my head back and poured it down. The push and pull as it rushed through my veins caused me to lurch forward, throwing me off balance.

  The heat rising, sweat poured out of my skin like a river. My head spun, feverish. Fireflies buzzed inside of me while a storm raged in my ears. I gritted my teeth as the contents of the vial swirled inside of me like a hurricane.

  I struggled on shaky limbs, but forced myself to stand upright and open my eyes. “Air, earth, fire and water, and I am the daughter!”

  My body trembled as I shouted it over and over again. The room literally began to spin and the water beneath my feet rose up like a tidal wave. Seven and Chaos crouched down, their hair whipping around their faces. Sapphire and Diego clung to each other for dear life.

  The elements were coming to life around me. No, inside of me. I took a deep breath and willed the water back down. I pictured it still and calm. I called to the wind for silence, coaxing it to sleep like a child. The room began to still. It was working. I was doing it. I placed my hand on the oak tree and closed the incision I had made by just imagining it so. Its branches twisted up and tightened around itself protectively. The others watched me, their jaws dropping as I then reached into the blood-soaked water and pulled out another handful of fireflies. I opened my fist and they sprang to life, flickering and buzzing around me. My heart swelled with love for them. Without hesitating, I dove into the water and unfolded my wings. A thousand fireflies shot up around me, lighting up the room.

  I was whole, complete, and born anew. Like a secret code was unlocked inside me, I knew what to do. How to control it and command it. It was a part of me like my own limbs were. It pulsed and spiked through my veins more natural to me than my own blood. I couldn’t believe I’d ever been anything else. That I was ever afraid. I was no longer the shy Sylph girl hiding in the halls at Sanctum. I was the Aether, wings out for the world to see.

  Seven handed out glasses of plum wine, smirking at Chaos. “You were saying?”

  “The world could still end, my friend.” He winked and raised his glass in salute, but his tone hinted at something more ominous.

  Seven motioned toward me. “Oh, I don’t think that’s going to happen anytime soon.” They exchanged a look that was filled with surprise and relief at the same time.

  Sapphire and Diego hovered around me, admiring my wings. They didn’t exactly get a good look at them the last time, when we were running from the harpies at Sanctum.

  Diego ran his hand down one side of the black silky feathers. “Magnifico. They are so beautiful. You should not hide them.”

  “Well, except if there are humans around,” Sapphire added.

  I laughed. “Thank you for stating the obvious, Saph, but I know the rules.”

  Although, having my wings out…it felt so freeing. I didn’t want to ever put them away. I wish I lived in a world where I didn’t have to.

  Chaos’s gaze burned into mine. A longing grew in his stare that I was starting to become familiar with. It reflected how I felt too. I wanted a moment alone with him.

  “Go to him, mi amica. We can talk about the rest later,” Diego whispered.

  I nodded, grateful to get an opportunity to slip away. I brushed past Chaos, stroking his hand as I passed. He followed me as I led him out into the garden, leaving the others to their plum wine and speculation about what was to
come.

  I stopped in front of a stone bench, the words etched into the side of it were a dedication to Aldric, the same man whom they dedicated the bar at Sanctum to. My mind started to drift. I always wondered what he was like. A great warrior? A loyal friend? Would there be dedications made in my honor someday?

  Chaos stood next to me, his heart beating fast. “You did it, Arya. You are more amazing than I ever could have dreamed. I hope you are as in awe of yourself as I am.”

  My pulse raced. I loved the way he looked at me. Like I was an angel here to save his soul. “You always believed in me. Even when I didn’t believe in myself. How did I get so lucky to find you?”

  He cocked his head to the side and smirked. “I’m the lucky one, my love. I’m not ever letting you go. The world and all its gods can try and stop me but they will fail. This love between us, it is bigger than ancient curses and gravediggers. Nothing—no one can ever destroy it.” He placed a protective arm around my waist and pulled me in close.

  I didn’t want to ruin the moment but there were certain things we still needed to discuss. “You know that we have to get rid of Purgatory, don’t you?”

  “Is that really your wish?” He played with a strand of my blue-streaked hair, twisting it around his finger like a ribbon.

  “You know it is. I can’t allow them to suffer any longer. Not when I can free them now.” I was nervous about bringing it up again after how he reacted the last time. My heart fluttered under his gaze.

  He leaned down and planted a soft kiss on my cheek. “I won’t ever stand in your way. What you want is what I want. We’ll do it together.”

  I breathed out a sigh of relief and threw my arms around his neck. “Apollo help anyone who tries to stop us.”

  Something dark flickered in his eyes. “I’ll strike down anyone who even looks at you wrong.”

  A snap echoed in the distance. The sky cracked open and down came the rain, hard and fast. My vision blurred from the heavy downpour, but I could still make out the splotches of red flashing in between. Chaos spanned out his wings and looked up.

  The ground shook like an earthquake just as Seven, Diego, and Sapphire bolted out from the hall. They dashed around in a frenzy, their weapons drawn. My attention turned to the ground as something pushed against my feet. My heart sank. It was happening again. The ground was covered in dead white crows.

  Their shrieks rang in my ears, curdling my blood. Harpies.

  My heart pounded, panic setting in. “How did they find us?”

  Seven tied back his long dark hair and planted his feet. “Echo. She must have known you would betray her. We need to get to the Keeper.”

  Diego growled as he shifted into wolf form, his brown fur sprouting out over his flesh like a second skin. Sapphire held her sword high above her head, steam coming off of it as each raindrop hit.

  Chaos raised his voice, shouting out over the sound of rain and thunder. “There’s too many of them. We can’t take them all. I’ll create a distraction while the rest of you make a break for the ship. Seven, you can cloak us once we are on deck, right?”

  His eyes stayed glued to the sky. “Yes, but it’s going to be close.”

  I spun around and around. The wind picked up and vibrated through me. My flesh tingled, my ears prickled, and every cell in my body screamed to be released. My magic was swirling, my blood boiling.

  I took a deep breath and summoned everything I had. “I got this.”

  I threw back my head and opened my mouth, releasing a storm like an energy blast—gusts of wind flew out of me, sending the harpies scattering. I wiggled my fingers as tiny sparks formed. I thrust my hands forward just as the harpies regained their wits and charged toward me. Flames shot out of my hands like an explosion. Their cries echoed through the garden—shrill like banshees, their faces twisted in horror and shock.

  Chaos flew up and dragged two of them down by the throat, stomping them into the dirt, their faces contorted as he crushed them into the thick black soil. A stream of red blood dripped down his arms.

  Sapphire leapt up and slashed as three more came down over her, their wings singed and rotting. The stench of fiery feathers stung my nostrils like burnt flesh. Diego—now in wolf form—sank his teeth into another harpy, ripping her throat out like she was made of paper. Seven moved with the grace of a lion, ducking and deflecting attacks with ease, his sword slicing harpy heads clean off their bodies. The sun glinted off his sword as the rain ceased, revealing droplets of blood everywhere I looked.

  I raised my hands again and a thousand fireflies gathered above them, lighting up the sky like fireworks. “Enough!”

  The harpies stopped in mid-air, their faces frozen in fear and confusion. A rainbow haired harpy flew forward, her voice shaking. “How are you doing this?”

  I flapped my wings and flew up to face her, much to the disapproval of my friends down below as they cried out in protest. “You have been lied to. You and I…we are not enemies. Stop attacking us and no one else has to die.”

  She cocked her head to the side, her eyes darting back and forth. “Who are you?”

  I drew in a sharp breath. “Up until today, I was just a girl trying to find my purpose. I’m many things I guess.”

  The harpy wrinkled her beak. “We have orders to kill you. Why?”

  “Because they are afraid of me. They know that I will stop them. You ask me who I am? I’m Arya Frost, daughter of Gaia, Sylph witch, lover of Chaos, friend to the dhampirs, Lupi wolves, and Crescent witches…and I am the Aether.”

  Her eyes grew wide and a gasp escaped her trembling lips. Tears spilled down her cheeks as the realization sank in. She whispered, “Forgive me.” She bowed her head, moving her hair to the side to expose her neck, awaiting my blade.

  An aching came over me. A sadness. I reached out and lifted her chin. “There is nothing to forgive. You’ve been misled. Join me, please. Let’s stop Echo together.”

  Her mouth dropped open and then shut. She pressed her shoulders back and bowed her head before raising it back up to look me square in the eye. “It would be my honor, Aether.”

  My heart felt like it might burst. “Please, call me Arya. Come, we have work to do.”

  I dove back down toward the garden with an army of harpies behind me, their faces frozen in shock. I nodded and they laid their weapons down as we swooped in. This time, the harpies were on our side, and we were going to turn the tables on everyone.

  Twenty-Two

  “What are we going to do about the gravediggers?” I looked around the room for answers.

  Seven leaned back in an old leather chair, tapping his fingers on the armrest. “We have to reverse the magic somehow.”

  Chaos let out a groan, cursing through gritted teeth. “Great. Dark magic reversal. And who exactly are we going to get to do that?”

  Sapphire’s expression was one of contempt. She leaned forward, whispering as if she had a terrible secret. As if she couldn’t bear to hear her own words out loud. “Shade can do it.”

  “How do you know?” I was afraid to hear the answer.

  “Because I’ve seen him to do it. It was a long time ago. I was just a child. But I remember…”

  Diego squeezed her hand, his eyes filled with sadness. “Sometimes we have to fight monsters with monsters. Arya, can you get him to do it?”

  Shade wanted the Luminaries to be reinstated as an official coven, and Basil wanted him captured. Not to mention, she had her very own gravedigger to ensure the highest level of torture is inflicted upon him.

  “He’ll do anything for self-preservation,” I said.

  Chaos stood up, clapping his hands together. “Then it’s settled. We leave for Malta tonight.”

  Seven held up his hand. “Wait. What about the Keeper? The longer he is with Echo, his chances of survival diminish.”

  I let out a deep sigh. “Seven…he might already be dead. The harpy attack just showed us she is no longer expecting me to return with the potion. I pray
to Apollo that he is okay, but without Shade, we can’t get past those gravediggers.”

  “Arya’s right. Seven…I’m sorry, but the Keeper is going to have to hang on a little longer.”

  Seven looked away, his eyes glossy. He was a proud man, but also a compassionate one. The history between him and the Keeper ran deep. My heart ached for him, but we would be of no help to him until we eliminated that dark magic.

  “I understand,” Seven murmured.

  As we made our way to the docks, the harpy army had already gathered, hovering above our ship. The only one who was still hesitant about them was Chaos.

  “Are you sure we can trust them?” His eyes darted between me and the rainbow-haired harpy leader.

  I nodded. “They were sent under false pretenses. Now that they understand what’s really going on, they want to fix the damage that has been caused. They will be loyal to us.”

  Chaos ran a hand through his hair. “I hope you’re right. I’m not letting my guard down for a second, though.”

  I smiled. “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”

  Seven calibrated the ship toward Malta as we climbed on board. I stood at the helm, looking out at the horizon, and couldn’t help but feel free for the first time since all of this began. The crisp salty air was exhilarating as it filled my lungs and whipped through my wings. I felt strong.

  I motioned for one of the harpies to come closer. “Send word to Basil. Tell her I have captured Shade, and she needs to meet us in Malta at once.”

  The harpy nodded and flew off into the night.

  The abandoned town edged into view with the only light coming from Shade’s compound. The torchlight flickered and danced against the wind, casting shadows on the ground, like demons. We marched up the hill toward the outcast coven with a newfound urgency. When I first felt the fire in my body, it scared me. Now it made me feel more connected. Powerful. I could call upon it and control it anytime I wanted. Shade seemed to think he had the upper hand the last time. He was about to find out how wrong he was.