The Whispering Echoes (Smoke and Mirrors Book 3)

by Melissa Giorgio

  “Something spooked Jaegger.” Leonid’s eyes were on the distance. “And that’s enough to concern me.”

  The rest of us nodded grimly. After making sure we were all armed, Leonid opened one of the packs and passed around two loaves of bread. I stuffed a chunk in my mouth, having a hard time swallowing it as we waited. I didn’t like the idea of sending Vernen and Jaegger away, but I knew it was necessary. Jaegger could not be seen by others. And Vernen might use magic without meaning to, which would bring us unwanted attention. I felt a surge of frustration. We couldn’t afford any further delays.

  Finally, we heard the sounds of hooves on the dirt road. I was grateful Jaegger’s remarkable hearing had given us enough time to prepare for their arrival. The six of us stood in a row, with Leonid in the center. His hand rested on the hilt of his sword as his eyes narrowed in concentration. Catching me staring, he gave me a small nod.

  The riders crested the hill and slowed down when they saw us standing there, waiting for them. There were three of them; I shaded my eyes with my hand to see them better. Two men and one woman, all with swords strapped to their backs. They wore heavy coats with the hoods up and thick scarves that hid all but their eyes. Their horses were all the same coloring: tan with white manes and beautifully elegant.

  The female was holding something in her left hand while her right hand gripped the reins. She said something to her horse and guided the animal toward us. The other two followed her lead, flanking her.

  About fifty feet from us, they stopped. The woman was looking for something. She kept glancing at whatever she was holding, and then looking to her left and her right. My stomach dropped. She couldn’t possibly be searching for Jaegger or Vernen, could she?

  “Can we help you?” Leonid asked smoothly, using his captain’s voice. It made him sound both authoritative and bored, like this group was wasting his time. I’d hated that voice when I’d first met Leonid, but now it made me push my shoulders back and stand a little straighter, as if I was one of his soldiers, too.

  The woman swung her leg over the horse’s back and dismounted easily. As she held up her left hand, I could finally see what she was carrying. Hanging from a thin cord was a circular disc with a hole in the top for the string to wind through.

  And it was glowing an unusual bright shade of blue.

  “Magic,” Elyse gasped from my right, low enough for my ears only.

  The woman’s eyes flicked to Elyse’s face, making me wonder if she’d somehow heard what Elyse had whispered. With her free hand she pushed back her hood and tugged down her scarf so we could see her face. She was my age or a little older, with light brown eyes and dirty blond hair pulled back into a messy ponytail. Her skin was darkened by the sun and there was a smattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose.

  “Are you traveling with someone else?” she asked, her words lightly accented as she pronounced each syllable sharply. There was a deep line between her brows as she frowned at us.

  Leonid’s gaze hardened. “No.”

  “Really?” The woman glanced at the glowing disc again. “I think you’re lying.”

  “Of course they are, Claudette,” one of her companions said, dismounting as well. He pulled down his scarf to reveal a handsome face distorted by a sneer. Probably in his early twenties, he had glossy black hair worn in a ponytail, dark green eyes, and a haughty air to him, like he was a king looking down—disdainfully—at his subjects. This was a man who always got what he wanted, no matter the price. Joining the woman—Claudette—he addressed Leonid. “Are you the leader of this group?” He had the same accent as Claudette and I wondered where they were from. Certainly not Dusk.

  Leonid offered him a small nod. “Yes.”

  “Are you aware that one of your companions wields magic?” the man continued.

  Leonid scoffed. “Don’t be ridiculous. Magic is gone, lost during the old wars.”

  The man studied him. “You’re an idiot if you believe that.”

  Leonid’s hand tightened around the hilt of his sword, the only visible sign that the other man’s insult had affected him. Aden and West tensed, watching and waiting for Leonid’s orders.

  “Michel,” the other rider, still on his horse, chided.

  Michel ignored his companion as he crossed his arms over his chest. “See that disc Claudette is holding? It senses magic. It’s never steered us wrong, not once in the four years we’ve been using it to track down magic wielders. So we know someone here can use magic.”

  “Not them,” Claudette said, her eyes on the disc. She pushed past me. “Not here.”

  My eyes widened in fear as she headed for the trees—towards Jaegger and Vernen. “Wait,” I said, reaching for her arm. She shrugged me off easily and kept walking. Exchanging a panicked look with the others, I went after her, throwing myself between Claudette and the trees. “Don’t.” I didn’t know why these people tracked down magic users, but I knew it wasn’t for anything good. They weren’t wearing those swords for show.

  Her brown eyes narrowed in confusion as she watched me stand there, arms held out to my sides. “You’re… protecting them?” she asked slowly. “Why would you protect someone capable of such evil?”

  “Because,” I said, “they’re my friends.”

  Claudette shook her head. “They’re not. You may think they are, but they’ll only betray you in the end.” Her face darkened. “Believe me, I know. Let us—”

  “Let you what?” Leonid interrupted with a snarl. His captain’s mask had shattered, replaced by the true, fierce Leonid who would stop at nothing to keep his friends safe. “Kill them? Is that what you do? Travel on horseback with your glowing necklace and kill people?”

  Michel smiled. “That’s exactly what we do.”

  I gaped at them. “You’re mad.”

  “Enough,” Claudette said. Her hand went to the sword strapped at her back. “Get out of my way.”

  “No.”

  She unsheathed her blade and pointed it at me. It was a short sword, with no ornamentation at the hilt. In the sunlight it shone like polished silver. Claudette’s hand was steady as she held it, inches from my heart. I took a deep breath, steeling myself. “Don’t do this.”

  Conflict flickered in her eyes. “Move.”

  She doesn’t want to hurt me. “No,” I said again.

  She tensed, ready to strike, but then Leonid was there, meeting her blade with his. Surprise danced across her face, but she quickly gained control of her emotions as she turned her attention to him.

  Michel unsheathed his sword and charged Leonid, who had to turn quickly to avoid being stabbed in the back. I shouted, my voice echoing across the plains. Taking advantage of the distraction, Claudette raced past me, her golden-brown hair flying in the wind.

  A sharp clang rang out as Leonid and Michel’s blades met. Leonid struck again, with Michel easily deflecting the blow. Then Michel surged forward, going on the offensive. Leonid blocked the strikes, his face red with the effort. Aden and West stood behind him, swords drawn, but Leonid told them to stand down. At that moment, Michel lunged and knocked the blade from Leonid’s hands.

  “Are you a soldier?” Michel asked with a sneer. “You’re not a very good one.”

  West hurled a curse at him.

  Leonid, meanwhile, smirked as he unsheathed two knives. “You just did me a favor.” He hurled one of the knives at Michel, who twisted his body with a shout of surprise. The knife flew past his arm, slicing through the coat but not his skin. Leonid pulled out another knife and charged Michel while he was still recovering from the near miss. He caught Michel’s sword with one knife, the other aimed for his heart.

  Claudette, meanwhile, was still on her way to the wooded area. Telling Elyse and Quinn, “Stay here,” I ran after her, not entirely sure how to stop her, not when she knew how to fight. I had Leonid’s knife, given to me earlier when we were waiting for the riders to appear, but I didn’t know how to defend myself with it.

  Jus
t stop her, I told myself grimly. I’d worry about the next part after.

  Hearing me chase after her, Claudette paused. Turning around slowly, she aimed the sword in my direction once more. Her eyes went to the knife in my hand. “You’re not even holding it right.” My face flamed with embarrassment, but I didn’t back down. Again I saw those mixed emotions in her eyes. “You’re brave,” she admitted, raising her sword. “Also, stupid.”

  Before she could strike, a deafening roar filled the air as Jaegger charged toward us.

  CLAUDETTE SPUN SO QUICKLY SHE nearly fell over. Regaining her balance, she held out the hand holding the disc and shouted, “Stay back!” Her eyes were wide with panic as she took in the obsidian dragon rushing her.

  Ignoring her command, Jaegger lunged for Claudette. As he flew through the air, closing the distance between them, he suddenly froze with a startled gasp. Jaegger’s body, full size now, twisted sharply, painfully, and he crashed to the ground and skidded to a halt in front of Claudette. Breathing heavily, she made to stab Jaegger with her sword.

  “No!” I shouted as Jaegger twitched in agony, his eyes rolling back into his head. I didn’t know what was happening to him, but it tore my heart in two to see the great and powerful dragon in so much pain. Grabbing Claudette’s right arm with both of my hands, I yanked her away from Jaegger.

  “Get off!” she said, whirling on me.

  “You’re killing him!” I grabbed her sword arm, not caring if I got cut in the process. “Whatever you doing, stop it!”

  “I…” Claudette looked at Jaegger, biting her lip, her earlier bloodthirstiness fading away into confusion. “I’m not…” Her voice cracked.

  “Yes, you are!”

  “Claudette!” Her other companion, the one who’d remained on his horse, ran up to us. Behind him I could see Leonid was still fighting Michel. Leonid’s nose was bleeding, but he otherwise seemed to be holding his own against the dark-haired rider.

  “Emile,” Claudette said, looking at her companion. She tried shrugging me off again. “Help me.”

  “Claudette, don’t.” Emile yanked his scarf down from his mouth, revealing features and coloring that were similar to Claudette’s. Siblings, I thought. “It’s a dragon…”

  As Claudette and I struggled, Jaegger’s body shrank. He opened one eye and groaned softly, and it was too much for me. I let go of Claudette’s arm to shove her away. “Stop it already!”

  “I told you I don’t know what I’m doing!” she shouted back.

  “It’s that disc.”

  My heart jumped as I whirled around to see Vernen approach us, his eyes on the disc still clutched in Claudette’s hands. It was glowing much stronger than before, the blue bright white like a lightning bolt.

  “Ah, and here’s the other one,” Claudette said, looking at Vernen.

  “Claudette, stop.” Emile was also staring at Vernen, his expression curious while his sister’s was wary. “This… There’s more to this than we think. They aren’t travelers.” He turned to her. “A dragon, Claudette. We found a dragon. They’re still alive.” Awe flooded his voice.

  With a groan, Claudette lowered her sword and took a step back, her eyes on Jaegger. When the dragon didn’t move, she moved back a few more paces, her face paling. “I-I don’t know why he’s like that. I swear it’s not me, Emile.”

  Emile made to move toward Jaegger, but Vernen and I blocked his path. “Don’t,” I warned Emile before crouching in front of the dragon and gathering him in my arms. I gasped. “He’s ice-cold!” Unbuttoning my coat, I wrapped the fabric around him, holding him against my chest. “Jae.”

  His eyes fluttered open. “Amplifier…”

  My stomach dropped. “What? Where?”

  Vernen knelt next to us, holding out a hand. A small flame flickered in his palm; I angled my body so Jaegger was closer to it. “The disc?” he asked the dragon.

  Jaegger nodded once, shuddering. “Souls of magicians… taint that metal. And blood… It’s been washed in my kin’s blood.”

  Horrified, I stood. “What are you doing with an amplifier?” I accused Claudette.

  “I…” Her mouth opened and closed, confused. “A what? This is a magic detector.”

  “No,” Vernen said, a look of deep concentration on his face. “Jaegger’s right. There’s magic spilling from that disc, and it’s full of darkness.”

  “So you hunt magic users using a magical weapon.” I stood, glaring at them. They at least had the decency to look shocked, but that did nothing to appease me. “You’re horrible. All of you.”

  “Irina! Vernen!” Leonid raced up to us, followed by West. Michel was slumped over on the ground with the others looming over him as Aden tied his hands behind his back. Quinn got in a few swift kicks until Elyse pulled her away, shaking her head. The young girl made a face and stuck her tongue out at Michel before turning to us and giving me a wave. With my arms full I couldn’t return it, but I was grateful everyone was all right.

  Everyone but Jaegger. The dragon was shuddering uncontrollably and I turned to West. “Help him, please.”

  West’s face tightened with worry. “I don’t know how to treat a dragon, but let me see.”

  I removed Jaegger from the inside of my coat and cradled him carefully. “It’s the disc. It’s… poisoning him.”

  “Then let’s get him away from it.” Taking me by the elbow, West steered me away from the others. Leonid and Vernen followed, with Leonid giving Claudette and Emile a wide berth. Claudette’s face had settled into another frown while Emile just looked upset. I noticed his eyes lingered on Vernen before he turned back to his companion.

  Glancing at the blood on Leonid’s face, I asked, “Are you all right?”

  He nodded, touching his nose with a wince. “It’s not broken, thankfully.”

  “Please tell me you got him back for that.”

  “I did.”

  “Good.” I set Jaegger on the ground and West kneeled next to him, pulling a blanket from his satchel and wrapping it around the dragon.

  “He’s not physically hurt, which is good,” West said after assessing Jaegger for a few minutes. “But he’s freezing.”

  “What happened?” Leonid touched me on the shoulder. I told him about the amplifier and he paled, cursing. “What are they doing with something like that?”

  I glanced at Claudette and Emile again. “Nothing good.”

  “Let’s see if we can get him to eat and drink something,” West said. Before I could answer, Vernen set out to a small stream to the west, his empty flask in hand. West’s eyes met mine. “Irina, I’m sorry, but dragons and magic…” He spread his hands helplessly. “I’m out of my league here.”

  I curled my hands into fists, ignoring the pain from my various injuries. “It’s not your fault, West.”

  “He’s a god,” Leonid said. “And he’s way too stubborn to let something like this affect him, right, dragon?”

  Jaegger opened one eye and weakly snapped his teeth in Leonid’s direction. “I will bite you for that snide remark, soldier.”

  “See?” Leonid smirked. “He’s feeling better already.” His smile faded away as he regarded Claudette and Emile. “But what are we going to do with them?”

  “Make them leave,” I said darkly, sitting down next to Jaegger and pulling him into my lap. “The farther they’re from Jaegger, the better.”

  Leonid nodded. “I’m on it.” He and West left, but Vernen came back with the flask full of water and remained by my side as I unsuccessfully coaxed Jaegger to drink from it.

  “You were supposed to hide,” I scolded Vernen half-heartedly. In truth, I was relieved he’d appeared when he did. Between him and Emile, they’d managed to mollify Claudette.

  He shook his head. “I’m tired of hiding. Since I came back from the dead, that’s all I’ve been doing.” Vernen held out his hand again, calling up another flame to warm Jaegger. “This power inside of me… It’s not going to go away, Irina.”

 
I watched the flickering fire. I’d been so afraid of it, afraid of what it meant for Vernen, but he was right. Now was not the time to hide. If we wanted to beat Aeonia, then Vernen was our best chance. “I know.”

  “I want to learn how to use it. The magic,” he said, echoing my thoughts. “When we were in the trees, Jaegger said… He said he could help train me.” He met my gaze, fear in his eyes, like he was worried he wouldn’t have my approval. “I want that, Irina.”

  I placed my hand on his shoulder. “I think it’s a good idea. No, a great idea.”

  Vernen’s shoulders slumped in relief. Then he looked up suddenly. Following his gaze, I saw Claudette was approaching us, hesitantly. “I want that,” he said again, “even if it means people like that are going to hunt me.”

  “They won’t be any match for you,” I said fiercely as I tightened my hold on Jaegger. To Claudette, I demanded, “What are you doing? Stay away from us! Haven’t you done enough harm already?”

  “My brother, Emile, has the disc,” Claudette said, confirming my earlier thoughts regarding her and Emile. She held up her hands to show me they were empty. “We won’t use it on him again. I swear it.”

  “What about your other friend?” I asked. Emile was talking to Leonid, gesturing toward Michel as he no doubt bargained for his release. The dark-haired man was sitting up, awake now, and he said something that made Aden draw his sword and point it toward him. Leonid held out a hand and the blond backed down. I turned my attention back to Claudette. “Michel seems like the type to kill dragons for fun.”

  “No.” She breathed in deeply before letting it out slowly. “He won’t harm him—not if I tell him not to.”

  I snorted. I’d only known Michel for a few minutes, but I could tell he wasn’t the type to take orders from anyone.

  “He won’t,” she insisted. “Look, can we start over again? I’m Claudette.” Holding out a hand, she waited for me to take it. I glanced at Vernen first, and after a moment’s hesitation, he nodded. Claudette and I shook.