Dance of Ashes and Smoke (Age of Monsters Book 1)

by Harley Gordon

  Past races galloped through my memories, flashes of Alcott’s smile even when I won. The long nights we worked on building these bikes from scratch, searching through junkyards for spare parts, covered in grease and oil, dancing to the music blaring in the garage. Bonfires in the backward where Liv played her cello along with The Clash or Nirvana while I danced to firelight.

  I’d have given anything to go back to our lives before, for one more carefree and happy and hopeful day. I’d have given anything for one more day with them.

  Every slightly happy moment was always tinged with loss, ruined by memories. Maybe once we took care of the sorceress, there’d be room for happiness and closure. A chance to build some sort of life amid the madness.

  If we survived.

  I tried not to let my impatient frustration show, not wanting to upset Adele. It wasn’t her fault she was seven and had a small bladder and weak muscles. But we were barely in South Carolina and still had at least six hours to go. Going so close to Savannah would be tricky enough without doing it right as the sun was at its peak and there was little cover. The monsters were at their strongest in the dark, feeding off fear and nightmares.

  The need to release the restless energy hummed inside of me, so I trampled through the woods away from the camp for a few precious moments of alone time. I had to prepare for what came the next day, strong in body and mind. I closed my eyes and breathed deep, centering myself, focusing on the scents of the trees, noting a lighter smell from the damper Virginia forests. The slightest hint of sea was in the air, possibly only my imagination, but it calmed me.

  My eyes closed, and I performed my tai chi movements, my limbs were flowing water, powerful and graceful. It was weird and new agey, but it worked. I gripped my sword in my right hand, the blade in line with the backside of my arm as I assumed start position. Liv and I had created a mix of martial arts, boxing, and hand to hand into our training. Tai chi was my favorite, the slow dancer-like movements beautiful. And they challenged even my dancer’s body.

  Music pumped and soared in my head as I moved through the positions, it forced my buzzing body to calm and go through the movements with precision, to take my time, and let my muscles burn and shake before moving into the next pose. Everything but the movements, the strain in my muscles, and the steady breaths in and out of my lungs fell away.

  Until a cracking twig damaged my calm.

  I lost my balance and stumbled about to remain upright. Jackson’s eyes glittered from a few feet away. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

  “You spend a lot of time apologizing.”

  “You spend a lot of time angry with me.”

  My mouth gave a little shrug at the truth of his words.

  He came closer. Too close. “That was beautiful. What is it?”

  I stepped back a little, needing space. “Tai chi. Sort of. I put my own spin on it.”

  “You’re amazing. It was hypnotic.”

  “Want to learn a little?” No one was more surprised than me to hear the words fall from my mouth.

  His brows shot high on his forehead while his eyes danced. “You know I’m not much of a fighter.”

  “Don’t worry. I’m not letting you do it with my sword. But you should learn a few things if you’re going to stay with us. Tai chi is good for escaping holds. It makes your body more flexible and fluid. Then you can run away.”

  He smiled. “Running away is my specialty.”

  “Good. Then I won’t have to worry about keeping you safe.” I shoved my sword back into the scabbard and leaned it against a small scraggly tree. “First, you need to learn the start position.” I showed him. “You want to keep your body loose, don’t clench or tighten. It’s all about fluidity, moving from one pose to the next. There’s no rush, it’s slow. Take deep breaths. Now follow me.”

  We stood beside one another and parted the horse’s mane, spread the crane’s wings, and played the guitar. I stopped us with just the first few poses.

  “You did well, but you’re still too stiff. Your body isn’t used to this, but if you let it—and keep your mind from taking over—your body will perform the movements almost instinctively.”

  “Maybe yours does because you’re a dancer.”

  “Maybe. Try anyway. You might be a little clumsy, but so is Liv and she can do this.”

  I inspected him as he repeated the movements, adjusting his limbs, hands brushing against smooth skin. Once I was satisfied he’d more or less gotten it, we moved through the poses together, our bodies in sync, never touching, but I could feel him beside me. I could almost feel his heart beat in time with mine. Our arms reached and arched, we spun and breathed.

  At the last pose I smiled. “You’re a quick leaner.” My heart shouldn’t have been pounding so hard.

  “I enjoyed it. I’ve never had that much fun exercising before.”

  “Clearly hasn’t stopped you.” I prayed for the ground to open up and swallow me whole. Anything to escape the awkward situation.

  “Can’t stop thinking about last night can you?” His arrogant smirk and words shattered the spell.

  “The part where you kept accosting me in the hallway? Or the part where you stole my body wash? I’m still annoyed.”

  I scooped up my sword and stomped back to camp as I tried to drown out the laughter chasing me.

  Back at the campsite, Liv cleaned her weapons and Adele huddled in her sleeping bag by the fire, rocking back and forth and making a sort of keening sound.

  I sat next to her. She acknowledged my presence only by snuggling into my side and subsided into silence. I hugged her little body to me and stayed quiet myself. I didn’t know how to reach her wherever she had gone and I didn’t want to send her deeper by pushing too hard. It seemed her mind and soul had taken all it could. I had such a longing for my mother right then, it staggered me. I missed her so much. Her feisty, bouncy attitude. Always quick to both anger and laughter. So wise, always knowing what to say to make me feel better. I would never see her flashing eyes or feel her arms around me again. I couldn’t bear to think of her silenced forever in this world. She’d know just how to reach Adele.

  I wondered if she was looking down at me from the same night sky shining with such majesty above me. Wondering and worrying over me. This had always been Mom’s favorite time of the day; the sky finally black enough for the stars to twinkle at their brightest. The treetops, katydids, and birds singing their lullabies to us, the moon casting its silver glow, making you believe in something beyond. Getting a glimpse of something wonderful and beautiful you couldn’t quite reach.

  The stories she would tell as we laid there in the grass watching the night sky... My favorite had always been a story about the two archangels turned into stars and separated from God and each other for falling in love. But their love was so strong it built a bridge between them and they reunited, creating the Milky Way. When the other angels complained to God, He said love so strong was eternal and He would not break it. She had gotten it from one of L.M. Montgomery’s books, I forgot which one.

  I wondered if our love could do the same. If right now she was with Dad and Alcott and they were talking about the same story as they looked down from the stars. And our love for each other built a bridge to reunite us. It almost seemed like they were here with me.

  Pulling Adele closer, I began to tell her of Zerah and Zulamith and their love. Maybe it would give her hope. Maybe she could get a little glimpse of the beyond tonight.

  The sand was soft as it squished beneath my toes, the almost warm surf washed them clean. The sky was the color of duct tape, turning everything else dull and gray. Tybee had been completely abandoned or wiped out, no sign of life anywhere other than the sand pipers waddling about the beach.

  The town spread out around us, reminding me of the black and white zombie movies I used to watch late at night with my brother after our parents had gone to bed. Abandoned cars littered driveways and the streets. Toys lay abandoned in front y
ards overgrown with weeds. Trash blew about in the wind, swirling and dancing through the streets. The quiet unnerved me. In places like this there were all types of noises. Children playing, sprinklers hissing, engines revving, planes screaming, people yelling. Now, nothing. Nothing but the wind whistling through the empty homes.

  The faded Easter egg colored buildings sagged sadly along the boardwalk, missing tourists and wedding parties.

  Even the ocean seemed depressed, its waves lackluster and half-hearted, no strength behind them.

  Why would the sorceress and her chimera be there? There was no one for them to kill, no lives for them to ruin. There was nothing.

  I tore my eyes from the haunting sea to frown at Olivia. “Is this a trap?”

  She shrugged. “Probably. Or Jeremy lied to make sure we took care of Adele.”

  “I was already about to agree. I don’t think he would have sent us so far.”

  “Are you trying to convince me or yourself?”

  My fists clenched as I groaned. “We can’t leave without making sure.”

  “How much more sure do you want to be? We’ve cleared almost the entire island. And our arrival would’ve set off all sorts of alarms and no one’s come to kill us.”

  “But where is everyone? This is close to Savannah. Why wipe it out and not use it?”

  She sighed, her body rigid with frustration. “I don’t know.”

  We turned away from the beckoning sea, wary of siren or kelpie shifters in the waters ready to draw us to our deaths. The lighthouse in the distance caught my eye, the faded white and black stripes rose high to the sky, no longer a beacon for ships traveling the seas, now a mere remnant of things past.

  “There’s one place we haven’t checked.”

  She followed my gaze, her mouth opening in a tiny O. “Of course. If she’s anywhere, she’ll be there.”

  “Let’s go get this bitch.”

  We checked weapons and breathed against the tremors in our chests. I comforted myself with the knowledge of Adele’s safety, tucked away with Jax under the dripping Georgia trees outside of the city. The strange man with the forest eyes would take care of her if we didn’t make it back.

  I’d made him promise.

  Banishing every thought but justice, we shoved boots back onto our feet, the grains of sand still stuck to our skin, scratching our soles. We’d regret it later, but right now nothing mattered but the woman probably watching us from up high.

  Did she know we were coming for her? Did she recognize our families in our faces? Did any fear or worry quicken her pulse? She could have killed us from there. Maybe she really wasn’t in there. Or maybe we’d somehow escaped her notice, which was almost offensive. Like we were nothing but ants to her to crush if we annoyed her, ignored as long as we didn’t invade her space.

  We reached the lighthouse looming above us with a forbidding air. Liv and I grasped hands, squeezing tight, words unnecessary between us, everything needed to be said done with a long glance.

  Our boots were silent on the steps, guns out but lowered as we headed to the top of the black metal spiral staircase. No sound echoed back at us from anywhere inside. Maybe she was in the museum out front.

  Or maybe she was nowhere.

  We made it to the top, clearing and examining every nook and cranny for any sign. We found only a lovely view at the top. My shoulders lowered, my gun hung at my side as we returned to the bottom, still silent just in case.

  Back outside we kept low and sneaked towards the once pretty house-like building, ignoring the red-roofed barn. Instead of stepping up on the quite majestic front porch, we went to the back and peered through the windows. Movement from inside set the curtains swinging.

  Someone was in there. She was in there. We’d found her.

  I didn’t wait for Olivia, I didn’t even glance at her. Instead I barreled through the back door, kicking it open with my combat boot and rage, gun aimed and a round chambered.

  I didn’t get a shot off before an unseen force knocked me to the ground, a cackling laugh screaming into my ear.

  Liv cried out behind me, but I couldn’t move even to look for her or see her. The panic finally slammed into me, stealing my breath, and I cursed my stupidity and recklessness.

  A beautiful face appeared before mine. Golden skin, bright green cat eyes, tumbling and shiny red hair, white pointed teeth. “Aren’t you delicious? It’s been a long time since we’ve had any company.”

  The cackling laugh rang out again. “We’ve only been here a few days, my dear. Aren’t you still full from our lovely meal of the nice townsfolk.”

  I struggled, trying to squeeze the weapon useless in my hand, letting the fury wash over me, praying it would break the spell. Even my eyes were paralyzed, I couldn’t move them at all.

  An equally beautiful face appeared beside the chimera. A face that had haunted my every moment for six months. A young innocent face, pale with rosy cheeks, golden hair and bright blue eyes.

  Somehow my voice still worked. “You bitch. I’ll end you.”

  She laughed again. “You are precious. You won’t be killing anyone, dear. But I will most definitely be killing you. Don’t worry, it won’t be quick, so there’s always hope.”

  She cackled more. It was getting old real fast.

  “Did you spend all your years before coming out of the woodwork watching Disney movies? Is that where you learned to be a witch? How original.”

  Blackness came fast.

  Olivia whispered my name, and it floated over like we were underwater. Had they thrown us into the ocean? The fog in my head cleared away once I opened my eyes and blinked a few times. We were in a tiny room like a walk-in pantry or something, but there was no food on the shelves. There was nothing in there but us.

  “Where are we? What’s going on?” I tried to get up, but shackles kept me pinned to the floor by my wrists and ankles.

  “I don’t know. I just woke up a second ago.”

  I muttered curses as I struggled to break free from the chains. They were solid, and I’d never learned how to pick locks even if there had been something to pick them with. They’d found every single one of my weapons I had hidden on me.

  The back of my head pulsed with pain. “What was I thinking barging in here? We had no plan, just a couple girls with guns up against spells and magic.”

  “We have to focus on finding a way to escape, not our past mistakes.”

  I stilled and raised a brow. “Since when are you the voice of reason?”

  “Since you’ve lost your logic. Actually, no. I’ve always been the voice of reason. You’ve always been the one who jumps first.”

  “Fair enough. Did they find all your weapons too?”

  “Yup.”

  “Awesome.”

  The door burst open, and the women skipped inside smiling at us with delight like we were welcome guests who’d arrived for tea.

  Tashia fingered a very sharp knife. “I’m so glad you’re awake. That pesky spell was stronger than I expected. I guess I’m used to dealing with stronger people.”

  A snarl ripped from my throat like I was a rabid dog. If she got close enough, I’d bite her. I’d sink my teeth right into her perfect skin. It was utterly ridiculous someone so gorgeous was so heinously evil.

  A tinkling laugh like merry chimes rose from her throat. “I like you very much.” She squatted next to me, running a finger down my cheek. “You have such pretty skin. Healthy and pulsing with life. Virgin skin if I’m not mistaken. You’re completely untouched, aren’t you?” A knife encrusted with jewels appeared in her hands with a flick of her wrist. “I think we should do something about this beautiful untouched body. It will make you so much less boring.”

  I couldn’t tell if she used the freezing spell on me again or if I was too terrified to do more than barely breathe. I wanted to close my eyes, but they were stuck open. The shackles released us and magic dragged us outside, making sure we bumped into everything in our paths along the
way.

  The sky was still gray, rolling with dark clouds, and the grass was scratchy against my back. The sorceress smiled down at me. “It’s much more pleasant out here, isn’t it? Much less stuffy than that small room. Besides, I don’t want a mess in my house.”

  The sound of Liv’s whimper drove away some of the terror as I shrieked for them to leave her alone.

  The sorceress shushed me. “Don’t worry. Your loud mouth has gotten you dibs as you humans so adorably call it.”

  “No one says that anymore except old people.”

  She hissed, and the air expelled from her lungs whistled between her sharp teeth. A line of fire raced down my cheek making me scream until I was breathless. She held the knife up, it dripped with my blood, and painted the steel crimson.

  “Don’t worry. I missed your eye.”

  In slow motion, the blade journeyed back to my face, and I was helpless to stop the agony as she sliced into my cheek again. It was worse because this time I knew what was coming and she didn’t allow me the relief of screaming, as she froze my vocal chords. My tears mixed with the blood, the salt burned and seared the wounds.

  “You see how bad this feels? The pain is much worse when you’ve lost everything in the world. It leaves a gaping hole inside you that never heals. That’s what your kind did to me. This is what your kind made me become. Because of hate and fear. And now, I use it to my advantage.”

  She released my voice, but I only moaned, black swirls creeping at the edges of my vision, my stomach rolling. Liv broke through as she screamed and pleaded for them to stop. I opened my mouth to lie and tell her I was okay, but only another scream came out when Tashia cut me again.

  Nothing had ever hurt so much. It even rivals the pain of my family’s death seared my soul.