Smoke and Ruin

by Tiffany Daune

  She grasped him tight, and he dived. His body rushed through the water, steady and rhythmic as if he were one with the beat of nature. The mermaid’s eyes glowed with vengeance as she chased them, but even with fins and scales, she was no match for Luke’s speed.

  When they reached the shore, and Harry dragged Halen up by the waist. For a moment, Halen thought they might actually be in the clear when a rushed wind whipped up from the desert, shoving dirt and grit around them. Halen shielded her eyes, and the others scattered. Luke grasped her hand, but she was torn away by the wind. Her fingers slid past his as she glided in the air. “Luke!” she screamed.

  She winced with the pressure cutting her breath as hooked claws wrapped her rib cage. She clawed the night air, struggling for freedom, when a smoky voice spoke from above, “I've got you now."

  She turned toward the silver wings shimmering against the stars. "Jae." Halen's heart fluttered. The dragon pulled her up over the desert, away from the churning lake and the mermaid's wails. Luke stood, with his gaze cast toward her.

  “We have to go back for them. We can’t leave,” she said, but Jae climbed higher, farther and farther away, abandoning Luke and the ones who fought by her side.

  "GET HER INSIDE, quick!" A girl shouted from the approaching rooftop. With the wind rushing against her face, Halen couldn't bring the person to view. She tumbled gently from the dragon’s grip onto the roof. Someone scooped her from the ground. Her cheek pressed into a warm shoulder as they stepped indoors and into the light.

  "I've got you now, darling."

  Asair. Her lips parted to speak, but her chattering teeth forbid words to pass. Her body rolled with a quake of shivers even though heat radiated from the boy holding her.

  "Elixir—now!" Asair shouted.

  His desperate call whipped panic through her, releasing another wave of shivers. He kicked the door shut, blocking her view of Jae as she ascended into the night sky.

  Inside, water pipes lined the ceiling. A buzz flickered to a hum and a fan whirled pushing a hot breeze into the air, but still, she was a victim to the chills.

  "Set her down. We have to get her out of these wet clothes. Get something from my room."

  Halen knew this voice too, and she wanted so desperately to speak to her sister, to tell her about the others, and that Catch was still alive. “Help them.” She pushed the words to her throat.

  When Asair set her on the ground, she cried out from the pain of her broken bone. He touched her shoulder, running his fingers down to her wrist. As his magick connected with hers, warmth spread down through to her bones, alleviating the gut wrenching agony. "They did this to her." His teeth gritted.

  "I've got the elixir. I'll take care of her—go. We need Jae in human form now." Natalie seemed to float to the ground, settling on the floor next to her. Halen was sure the fever had spread to her thoughts, making her delusional.

  "I won't be long." When Asair's hand left her skin, her arm throbbed.

  "What the hell did the mermaids do to you?" Natalie shook her head. Her cool hand rested at the back of Halen's neck tilting her up. She held the elixir to her lips. "Take it all."

  Her lips trembled, fumbling over the vial.

  Natalie wedged the glass rim past her teeth and tilted the vial back. The thick syrupy liquid slid down her throat, warming her through to the core. At once, the shaking subsided, yet her broken arm ached with a fiery pain. "Catch is alive. We have to help him."

  “What? You saw him?” Natalie’s eyes widened.

  She nodded; the motion blurring her vision. “He’s in the desert.”

  “Oh, hell no,” Natalie whispered under her breath. “I’ll send help as soon as we get you fixed up.”

  “There are others.” She coughed rolling to her side.

  “We’ll find them.” She took Halen’s arm, then gently blew over the wound, Kintalisium. As she spoke the word of healing magick, a prickling sensation ran across her flesh, sinking beneath the skin. "That will help with the pain until Jae sets the bone."

  “Thank you.”

  "Hey, this is what sisters do for each other. Well, minus getting you ripped apart by mermaids." Her smile remained tight, but Halen welcomed the sight of her sister just the same. "We didn't have a choice. I'm really sorry."

  Natalie's cheeks were flushed, her dark hair sat atop her head in a coiled bun, and her green eyes flicked with concern. Halen took in her sister like sun on winter's day, so thankful just to be in her presence.

  "We have to get you out of these wet clothes." When Natalie removed her shirt, her fingers brushed her goose bumps. “You have a residue on your skin.” She swiped the blue streaks and brought it up to her nose. “Damn shifters. We have to get this off.” She waved. Criptopoic, Villitus, Gorgorgi. A hose floated into the air, and the faucet turned with a squeak. Natalie grabbed the nozzle aiming it toward her. "This is going to suck, but we have to get the potion off. It may have tracking abilities, but my guess is it’s meant to dull your powers."

  Halen pinched her eyes tightly when the water sprayed her body. With her already fevered flesh, the water stung, but she didn't care as long as Natalie removed every trace of the owl compound from her skin—though nothing would cleanse her mind of the horrific memories.

  The pipes above knocked, then banged with a thud. Hectocious, Natalie shouted shutting the water off. The water surrounding them dispersed with a rush of warm air, drying the concrete around her. Diphillious. A blanket floated into the air, and when Halen looked to see where it had come from, she spotted a wheelchair. She glanced to Natalie's legs tucked at her side. Natalie draped the blanket over Halen’s body.

  As if sensing her next words, Natalie answered, "I can't feel my legs. Jae's still working on it, but Aurelia's arrow was a gold one. It could be worse." She shrugged. "My soul could be trapped in that cow's arrow."

  “I’m so sorry.” Halen rose to a sitting position, her head swimming, her stomach churning.

  “None of this is your fault,” Natalie said.

  Halen glanced at the pipes once more. "Where are we?"

  "The Hunters’ fortress."

  "What?" Panic rushed back through her. "After what they did to you?"

  "Emil and his sister, Vita, are on our side. We've locked the others out and surrounded the perimeter with Jae's magick. We're safe here—for now."

  "We're not safe anywhere." Halen fought back the rising bile. "You didn't see the look in the mermaid's eyes…" She felt a drip at the base of her nose, and when she swiped her hand across her lip, an oily black sludge slicked her fingers.

  Natalie gripped her shoulder, tugging the blanket down. "They scratched you too. Damn mermaids."

  "Let me see." Asair stepped into view. His jade gaze wouldn't meet with hers, even though Halen couldn't take her eyes off him. He handed the clothes to Natalie and he knelt beside her. When his fingers brushed the mermaid’s talon marks, she winced. He sighed, his breath hitching as if he were the one in pain.

  "I'm okay." She touched his hand, but he withdrew, standing.

  "This is not okay. There’s nothing okay about this." His fists balled at his sides. His anger twisted inside her, spinning with the mermaid venom. Halen gagged as the black sludge bubbled up her throat.

  Natalie grasped her own throat. "Get out of here now. You're not helping."

  He shook his head. "I'm so sorry. This is all my fault."

  He left before she could beg him to stay.

  Natalie wrapped her arm around her shoulders, drawing her in closer. "I've got you."

  Halen leaned against her sister. The room spun as exhaustion swept over her. Though she survived the shifters and the mermaids, the battle ahead plagued her mind; without freedom from Dax, her magick would destroy them all. “You need to stay away from me. I’m cursed.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous.” When she tugged the blanket back up over Halen, Natalie’s touch lingered on her birthmark.

  Halen tucked her arm back under the blanket.r />
  Natalie swiped her forehead. “You’re burning up.” She exhaled a deep breath.

  Halen glanced up. Natalie’s complexion was flushed, and her hair was damp at the temples. “Can you feel my fever?” She met her sister’s gaze, though she fought to keep her eyelids open.

  “It’s nothing.” Natalie glanced away.

  Halen closed her eyes. “We’re sisters. We need to stop lying to each other.” She drifted with this thought, unable to bring the next words to her lips, but she wanted to warn Natalie to run; in her presence, no one was safe.

  "YOU CAN'T GO in there." Natalie butted her wheelchair against the doorway to Halen's bedroom. "She needs rest, not you filling up her head with thoughts of well..." She waved her hand from his head to his feet. "You."

  "I just want to see her." His heart ached with the thought of her on the other side, so close yet so far away. He felt as if he were trapped back in his dimension watching her, unable to keep her safe.

  "There's plenty of time. Besides, your bond isn’t what she needs right now. Your anger didn't exactly help. Your emotions are running too high."

  "I'm sorry. I couldn't bear to see her that way."

  "She needs time."

  He stared at the closed door, hoping she couldn't feel his despair through the oak. "I've done enough damage."

  Natalie's tone softened. "None of this is your fault."

  "Really?" His gaze slipped to hers. "You and Halen were born to bring me out of that wretched dimension. Your lives have never been your own because of me."

  "Stop blaming yourself. You haven’t had much control over your life either.”

  “I just wish it were different. At least for you and Halen.” His gaze dropped to her wheelchair.

  “It is what it is, so stop all the guilt and move on. We have work to do. Did Jae find the stone? Was there any sign of the others—of Catch?"

  "She believes she’s located the area where the stone is buried, but there’s no point in digging it up until Halen is better.”

  “And Catch?” she asked.

  He turned away from her anxious stare. “They’re gone. Jae will continue searching when she goes out. Maybe Halen knows where they were headed.” Asair placed his hand on the doorknob.

  Natalie shoved him back. "Stay away from Halen."

  "Like you stay away from Emil?” He challenged. “I know her better than anyone—better than you."

  "That might be true, but if your creepy girlfriends see you with her, then who knows what they'll do. Selene sliced her up pretty good. Not to mention, she broke her arm. If it were up to me, we'd be having sushi tonight."

  His gaze narrowed.

  "What? Don’t look at me that way. They could have killed her."

  "They wouldn't kill her." He wrung his hands. He wasn't so sure. Selene’s obsession with him clouded her judgement. He wondered how far she would go.

  "We need to send them away. Their idea of help is all kinds of messed up. Did you know they killed the shifters?"

  "They're no better than the Hunters." He reminded her.

  She grasped the wheels, and the whole chair shook. "No one wants Etlis to open—not even Emil. He may want to break the curse, but he wouldn't. He loves earth too much. He's on our side."

  He glanced at her arm, flecked with needle marks. "You can't give them your blood forever. Eventually, they will want more. They can't help their desire for our souls; it's part of the curse." Natalie’s twisted idea of survival worked, but he didn’t know for how long. She gave the Hunters shots of her blood to keep their desire to kill at bay. But they both knew beasts couldn’t survive on insects. Soon, the Hunters would thirst for more.

  "Emil and Vita haven't killed you, so mind your own business." She shoved her sleeve down.

  He sighed. "It's not that I'm ungrateful, but we can't keep this up. We’ll have to face Rania eventually." He placed his hand on the door. "And if the mermaids killed members of the owl tribe, they will come for us. We need to leave here."

  Natalie's phone buzzed. She slid it out of her hoodie and read the message. "Jae brought the douche bag's heart rate down. Dax is stable."

  "I’ve asked Vita to take out all the water from his room, not even a glass, unless one of us is present."

  "Then you are worried about the mermaids?" Natalie shook the phone.

  He raked his hand over his hair. "Kye asked about Dax, but I'll speak to them."

  "You do that. You make sure they understand Emil will gut them if they don't comply. Hands off Halen and Dax."

  "As much as I hate the idea, we still need the mermaids," he said. “They’re our eyes outside and they blocked attacks on the fortress.”

  "Not for long. Once we get our girl back to normal, we can get rid of them. Between the three of us, we have more power combined." Her phone buzzed again.

  "Everything okay?" He leaned over her, hoping to catch a glimpse of the message. Emil had been texting more than usual, and after she read his messages, she grew quiet.

  "Emil needs me." Her gaze darted between the hallway and Halen's door. "Stay out of her room." She wagged her finger. "Remember, I can feel what you're feeling, so if you go in there, I'll know."

  He crossed his finger over his heart.

  She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right. Just don't wake her. She needs rest. I'll be back in twenty."

  As soon as the whir of the wheels of Natalie's chair disappeared, he cracked the door open. A grand forest green canopy of velvet draped the king-sized four poster bed, making her seem so small tucked beneath the silk sheets. He stepped inside, peeking down the hall for signs of Natalie, and when he didn't see her, he shut the door. As he stepped toward the bed, the glassy eyes of a mounted deer head followed him. Below the deer head sat a dresser with a blue jay and a smaller marble table adorned with a muskrat baring its sharp little teeth; Otho's passion for hunting displayed on every surface. He hated seeing her in this room of death.

  When he sat on the edge of the bed, Halen let out a soft moan. Her eyes fluttered beneath her lids. "You're safe." Her breath steadied with the sound of his voice. He brushed the strands of her black hair from her face. As he ran his fingers across her cheekbone past the dark shadows beneath her eyes, he couldn't help but wonder when she had slept last. She was so brave, fighting, even with weakened magick, while he hid in a fortress protected by Hunters, mermaids, and a dragon. A hundred years in a dimension alone hadn’t prepared him for the earth realm. Making decisions for others was easy without facing consequences. He was thankful for Quinn's knowledge. For being so young, Quinn had lived a full life. Sadly, most of Quinn’s life involved survival. But with Quinn’s training combined with his own magick, he too could survive—but not without her.

  He leaned closer, her breath sweet with Jae's potion. He kissed her forehead, lingering for seconds longer than he should, and as he drew back, her eyes opened. She stared through him, her piercing eyes tugging at his soul. Using every ounce of willpower, he retreated, sitting back with his arms crossed. "Hello."

  "Hi." Her mouth spread with a sleepy grin.

  "You're looking much better." He matched her smile.

  "Don't lie. I look like hell." She shifted, moving her arm and she let out a sharp breath.

  He gritted his teeth, thinking of her battling Selene, but he wouldn’t let his rage ruin this moment. "You look like heaven to me." He took her hand up in both of his; a bold move since he had no clue if she hated him for making her leave the forest alone, for sending the mermaids, and for not coming to get her himself.

  "Where were you?" Her words were but a whisper. Her hand slipped from his. She tucked it under her pillow and rolled to her side, being careful of her cast. “Did you know I was with the owls? Did you know about Nelia’s deal?”

  “Quinn’s girlfriend made a deal with them?” he asked.

  “I thought you would know—she traded me with that necklace; the one Quinn had you give Nelia.” Her tone held accusation.

  “You don’
t think I knew she would do this?”

  “You do have access to his memories.”

  He scanned through Quinn’s past, finding the necklace; a charm given to him by his father. The same infinity knot etched along the Hunter’s gold arrows. “The necklace has powers,” he said, “but I have no clue what it does.”

  Her eyebrows rose.

  “Honestly. I believe if Nelia gave it to them, it was to protect you. I don’t think she meant you harm. She probably thought it was the best place to hide. Quinn never betrayed us—he gave his life so I could live.”

  “The owls are evil. They wanted to chop me up to pieces.”

  The hairs on his arms rose. “They’re collectors of magick. I’m sorry.”

  “You should have come.” Her tone was clipped.

  He studied the patterned carpet, afraid to see the expression written on her face, even though her anger rushed through his veins. “I know, but we can’t leave the fortress, not with Rania hunting sirens.”

  “There are other sirens out there we need to help. Sirens fighting for their lives. If you could have seen what the owls did to them…” She pushed off the covers and sat. “We can’t stay here—we need to fight.”

  “And we will, once you're better, but Rania and the Hunters aren’t our only problems.” He didn’t know how to bring up the desert, and the lives she had taken, without upsetting her more, but as long as they were being honest… “Your magick is not your own. What you did in the desert is all over the news.” He pumped his fists where the magick flickered to his palms throbbing with the memory of the dark spells she cast. “Natalie and I felt it first. I didn’t want to believe the feelings were true, but Dax has a hold of you.”

  “I know.” She gathered her inky black hair in her fist. “Don’t you think I know what he made me do. It’s all I can think of.” She held out her hand. “Look at me. Look what I’ve become.”

  Her desperation ached in his chest. He never should have pushed her away in the forest. He clenched his fists tighter. What did he do to her? He would never forgive himself if she couldn’t be free of Dax. He knew too well the pain of the bond. He wouldn’t wish it on anyone. “We can fix this—I promise. We’ll find a way.”