The Whispering Echoes (Smoke and Mirrors Book 3)

by Melissa Giorgio

  A breeze picked up, blowing the stench of Jaegger’s breakfast away from me. It was considerably warmer than yesterday. Not enough to shed my coat, but the promise of spring seemed to be just on the horizon. Unbuttoning the top button, I sat down, waiting for Jaegger to speak.

  After watching me squirm for a few more minutes, Jaegger took pity on me. “I found the town your new friends spoke of. You will definitely reach it before nightfall.”

  “Good.” I dreamily thought about a warm dinner tonight that didn’t consist of stale bread and cheese.

  “Aeonia and her sister were not there, but I did sense them,” Jaegger continued. My daydream bubble snapped and I sat up straighter. “They did pass through the town recently. They probably just missed seeing your new friends, which is a good thing. If Aeonia had sensed the amplifier—the real one, I mean…” His eyes darkened, the aqua irises turning almost gray.

  “Wait.” I held up a hand. “Missed them? Didn’t we agree that Aeonia is looking for Claudette?”

  “That seemed the logical conclusion,” Jaegger said, “but when I headed farther north, I realized we were wrong. Or, perhaps, Aeonia’s intended destination has changed.”

  I swallowed hard. The dragon looked unusually perturbed, which was in turn making me nervous. “What did you see?”

  “To the north is a city—large, like Dusk, but without the magic dripping from its every stone. This… Fairfield your new friends mentioned earlier?” I nodded, remembering it on Emile’s map. “But it wasn’t the city that was important. It was what lay to the east.” He peered at me grimly. “The carnival.”

  I sucked in a sharp breath. “What? She’s returning to her family?” And with the prison stone! “Oh, no,” I said. “Jae, this is bad. This is very bad.”

  “I agree. We need to make haste. I can fly ahead and try and stop her—”

  “No. Absolutely not.” I would not let him get hurt again. “Besides, we want to avoid a fight, which is why we’re going to trade the amplifier for the stone.”

  His eyes narrowed. “Are you really going to give her something so powerful?”

  “She won’t use it on you, if that’s what you’re afraid of.”

  Jaegger snapped his razor-sharp teeth in my direction. I willed myself not to flinch. He wouldn’t hurt me. I knew that. But he was still a terrifying creature, which I sometimes forgot. “I am not afraid for myself!” he said. “She would die before she used that object on me.”

  I didn’t point out that Claudette, who didn’t even know how to use the amplifier, had nearly succeeded in killing Jaegger with it. In the hands of Aeonia…

  I felt the blood drain from my face. “You’re right. We can’t give it to her. But what choice do we have, Jae? She can’t keep the stone. If she—or one of her family members—figures out what it is, she’ll try to unleash those magicians.”

  “The simplest solution is to retrieve the stone and then kill her,” Jaegger said.

  “But…” I thought about what Claudette had said, about how magic corrupted you. Maybe Aeonia was a good person, but the magic made her do bad things. Maybe we could help her. I couldn’t save Bantheir, but if there was a chance I could help Aeonia, I wanted to at least try.

  Jaegger was watching me carefully. “I trust you and your judgement, little bird. But I felt I had to warn you. The amplifier in that woman’s hands…”

  “Won’t end well,” I said grimly. “It’s just that… I already have Bantheir’s blood on my hands. I don’t want hers as well.”

  “The only one to blame is Aeonia,” he said gently. “She started this war. Now she must face the consequences.”

  I looked over my shoulder at my friends. At Claudette, specifically. She was the one who had a history with Aeonia. “If anyone has to make a decision regarding Aeonia, it should be Claudette.”

  Jaegger came up next to me, nudging me gently on the shoulder. I put my hand on his head, absorbing some of his warmth. “As you wish,” he said.

  We sat there for a long time, just a girl and her dragon with an uncertain future hanging over our heads.

  WHEN WE RETURNED TO CAMP, I told them about Jaegger’s findings. As everyone rushed to pack their satchels, I pulled Claudette aside and filled her in on what Jaegger and I had discussed.

  She looked troubled. “I don’t know if you should leave that decision up to me, Irina.”

  “But you were her friend, once.”

  “Yes, when we were children,” she said. “She’s changed. You said it yourself, last night. How she threatened Quinn and stabbed that councilor… Maybe she started changing that night, when Michel dragged her in front of the other squires and declared he was going to kill her. Maybe the Aeonia I knew is gone, replaced by this monster who will do terrible things with the amplifier.”

  “Or maybe she just wants to use it to bring Ayres back,” Emile said, joining us.

  Claudette seemed surprised. “You want to trust her?”

  “No, I wouldn’t go so far as saying that. But perhaps she deserves a chance?” Emile asked.

  “I don’t know. I don’t know!” Claudette hugged herself, rocking back and forth slightly. “It’s been four years. I don’t know that Aeonia anymore. I don’t know if she wants to save Ayres. It sounds like it, but what if we’re wrong? What if she’s bringing what she thinks is an amplifier to her family so they could destroy more cities, Emile?”

  “Is what she has even worse than an amplifier?” he asked me.

  “Yes,” I answered without hesitation.

  Emile nodded. “Then we don’t have a choice, Claudette. We need to get that object away from her. No matter what.” He put an arm around her shoulders. “You won’t make this decision alone. I promise. If I think she needs to be… dealt with, then I’ll tell Jaegger. It won’t fall on you.”

  Claudette swallowed hard. “I don’t want to put that sort of pressure on you.”

  “Why not? Why should you always be the one who’s weighed down by hard choices?” Leaning his head against hers, Emile said, “Let me be the older brother for once.”

  She made a noise that sounded like a combination of laughter and a sob. “Oh, now you’re trying to be responsible?”

  “Hey.” He pushed her away, laughing himself. “Here I am, trying to be nice, and that’s what you say?”

  “What?” Grinning, she gently shoved him back. “Did I say something wrong?”

  “Everything all right here?” Leonid joined me, slipping an arm around my waist. Watching the siblings, he smiled, but it was tinged with sadness.

  “They remind you of Edward and Harlin, don’t they?” I asked.

  “They do,” he said wistfully. “I wonder how Harlin’s doing?”

  The last time I’d seen Leonid’s sister she’d been poisoned, but we’d managed to discover the poison and West had cooked up an antidote in time. She was expected to make a full recovery, but I knew it must have been hard on Leonid not to see for himself how Harlin was.

  I wrapped my arms around him and buried my face in the soft fabric of his coat. “I’m sure she’s doing fine. She’s your sister, which means she’s resilient. And I bet Edward is keeping a close eye on her in your stead.”

  Leonid looked like he was having trouble speaking. So instead of saying anything, he just nodded and hugged me back.

  ABOUT AN HOUR INTO OUR trek, I came to the realization that I despised walking. I was fine with traveling from Way to Rise and back again. Even my trips to the slums, while emotionally exhausting, didn’t tire me out. But this?

  This was terrible.

  I kept quiet, even though my legs ached, blisters were forming on my feet, and my skin was starting to burn from the relentless sun.

  Why would anyone voluntarily do this?

  Even without the extra weight of my satchel or Jaegger, I was still weary. The dragon was walking alongside Vernen, talking to him about magic. I’d expressed concern; what if someone saw Jaegger? But he told me he’d sense if another human wa
s approaching well before they were upon us and he would shrink himself down to kitten-size once more and hide in the folds of my hood.

  I watched him speak with Vernen, burning with curiosity, but it wasn’t a conversation for me. Sighing, I readjusted my hood, trying to block out the sun’s rays, and acknowledged Elyse with a small nod when she sidled up next to me.

  “Are we having fun yet?” she asked sarcastically.

  “What? You’re not enjoying yourself?” I joked. “The freezing temperatures at night? The dust clouds we keep kicking up?”

  “The hard ground? The delicious stale bread?” Elyse rolled her eyes. “Makes you wonder why we ever left Dusk.”

  I stared at her. “Are you regretting it?”

  Elyse held up her hands and shook her head rapidly. “No. Of course not. I needed to get away.” Unhappiness was etched across her face, making a deep furrow between her brows. “Away from him. But I didn’t realize how hard it would be.”

  I imagined myself walking away from Leonid and instinctively knew I couldn’t do it. Then again, Leonid hadn’t betrayed me the way Parnaby had betrayed Elyse. The president had sworn not to use magic on Elyse, but he had that day.

  And maybe even before that day.

  I knew he loved her. Everyone did. You could tell by the way both his face and voice softened when he was with Elyse. At first their relationship made me uncomfortable—I’d always thought of him as an uncle figure, but the more I saw them together, the more I realized they worked. Parnaby had a short temper, but Elyse reined him in. That day, when he’d attacked me, she should have been able to talk him down. But what I’d done was unforgivable and there was no stopping Parnaby’s rage. That was why he’d used magic on Elyse. He’d been so blinded by anger that he hadn’t realized what he was doing until it was too late.

  Parnaby was also incredibly stubborn. Would he ever apologize for what he’d done to her? When she threatened to leave, he should have, but he let his pride get in the way. He let her walk out of Dusk. And now she was staring ahead, her mouth set in a grim line, and I had no idea if those two would ever reconcile.

  Once again I realized how lucky I was that Leonid had forgiven me for what I’d done. He could have been like Parnaby. He could have let me go after Aeonia on my own, but he’d stuck by my side. Had I thanked him for that? I made a mental note to thank him—properly—tonight if we had a moment alone. Maybe we could get a room at the inn together…

  I cut that dangerous thought off before it went any further.

  “You seem to be growing close with Claudette.” Elyse indicated the girl with a tilt of her head. The siblings were bringing up the rear, leading their horses by their reins once more. Today Quinn had opted to walk, and she was talking up a storm with Aden as they trailed behind us. Leonid and West were in the lead, with West doing most of the conversing. Jaegger and Vernen weren’t walking on the main road with us but were instead off to our right, stomping through the grass.

  Elyse’s comment struck me as odd. Was she jealous? It wasn’t like we had a close relationship; as rival apprentices, we knew each other in passing. And despite being roommates back in Dusk, she spent more of her time at Parnaby’s mansion than at home. Maybe she wanted to use this journey as a way to grow closer?

  Or maybe she’s just incredibly heartsick and lonely and wants a friendly face to speak with.

  “You can join our conversations, if you’d like,” I started to say.

  “That’s not what I meant.” Elyse dropped her voice and brought her face closer to mine. “How much have you told her? About… him? And the stone?”

  That’s what this is about? Once again I’d completely misread the situation. Stuffing my hands into the pockets of my coat, I said, a bit icily, “I haven’t told her anything, Elyse. I’m not an idiot.”

  “I know you’re not, but if she keeps asking you—if she keeps wearing you down to the point where you have to say something to stop her pestering—”

  “She said she doesn’t want to know,” I said. “In case Aeonia captures and questions her. We both agreed it’d be best if Claudette was kept in the dark. If she can help convince Aeonia that it’s a rock and not a…” I made a vague gesture with my hands. “Then Aeonia will be more willing to hand it over.”

  Elyse scoffed at that. “There’s no way that will happen, not when she sees how many of us came to retrieve it. She’ll know it’s something important. Why else would Parn have fought her for it? Exposed himself—his real self—for it?”

  Dread pooled in my stomach. “You don’t think this plan will work.”

  Yanking her golden hair out of its ponytail, she began braiding the strands together. “No, I don’t. You’re better off letting Jaegger eat her. But…” Finishing up the braid, she tied off the end and let her hands fall to her side. “Avoiding a fight is in our best interest. We didn’t even see what happened in Dusk, once they found out there’d been a battle involving magic, but the reaction must have been pure panic. Riots, even. The same thing will happen if we confront her. Especially near or in a city. There will be casualties…”

  “Which we need to avoid,” I said, echoing her earlier statement.

  “Exactly.” Elyse stared at the horizon. “So trading the amplifier for the stone is our best course of action—if it works.” Now she inclined her head to look at me. “But don’t count on it working.”

  I winced. “You’re as blunt as Parnaby sometimes, Elyse.”

  “I know,” she said softly. “But I’m just being realistic.” After a few minutes of walking in silence, she continued. “I’m sorry I accused you of revealing things to Claudette. I should know I can trust you.”

  “As much as Parnaby has really, really annoyed me, I’m not going to go around telling people his true identity,” I said, smiling when Elyse laughed.

  “He’s a bit of a grump.”

  “Only a bit?” I teased.

  “Fine, he’s a huge grump,” she said. “And he’s stubborn to a fault. But even though I know I made the right decision by leaving…” Her voice was shaky, and her blue eyes filled with tears that she brushed aside impatiently. “It still hurts.”

  “Of course it’s going to hurt.” I put an arm around her shoulders. “But things might still work out. Who knows? Maybe he’s traveling this same road, only a few miles back.”

  “No.” There was so much emphasis in that single word that I looked at her in surprise. “Parn can’t leave Dusk, Irina. Didn’t you hear what he said?”

  “He’s a direct descendant of the ones who settled the city, yes. But what does that mean?”

  Elyse took a furtive look around before lowering her voice. “He’s tied to the city. And the city to him. The magic that he uses to control everyone? It comes from Dusk itself.”

  The city itself was magic? How was that even possible? “Is that why outsiders don’t know Dusk exists?” I asked. “And why it’s not on Emile’s map?” When she nodded, I pressed further. “But why, Elyse? What is Dusk hiding? The stone? The magic?”

  I could see from the way her eyes darkened that I’d pushed too hard. Shaking her head, Elyse pulled away from me, my arm falling from her shoulders. “Elyse—”

  She held up a hand. “Don’t, Irina. I may have left him, but I will never betray him or my city. Just forget I said anything, all right?” She slowed her steps so she could join Aden and Quinn, leaving me walking alone with a thousand questions playing through my head.

  I couldn’t forget what she said, about the magic coming from Dusk itself. The original settlers of the city were the same magicians who trapped the three evil ones inside the stone. Parnaby said they picked the area because of the river that ran through what would eventually become the slums, but what if he was lying? What if they were lured there?

  Had Aeonia noticed it? Had Bantheir? Or was Parnaby doing something to hide the magic from them? Again I wondered just how strong Parnaby actually was. He’d hidden the fact that he was the president of Dusk from me
for nearly my whole life. What’s to say he wasn’t hiding his true power as well?

  I was burning with curiosity now. I’d have to ask Jaegger if he’d sensed anything while in the city. No matter how strong Parnaby was, I was certain he couldn’t hide something like this from a dragon. Surely Jaegger must know something; how many years did he spend watching over Dusk? I’d have to tell Leonid, too. I swore I wouldn’t keep secrets from him, and this looked like the biggest secret of all.

  But part of me wondered why Elyse had said anything at all. Was that an accidental slip or something intentional?

  Did she want me to know?

  WHEN WE STOPPED FOR LUNCH, I planned on pulling Leonid and Jaegger aside and telling them what I’d discovered. For the rest of the morning I could think of nothing else, and I was practically bursting when we stopped. I knew I should have been focusing on Aeonia and the stone, but thinking about that only caused my stomach to clench uncomfortably. Elyse’s poor lack of faith in our plan had me doubting everything.

  So why not spend my energy working on a much safer problem?

  After telling Leonid I wanted to speak with him, I went to find Jaegger. He’d wandered down to a stream to drink his fill of fresh water. As I approached, his head shot up in the air, his body straight as an arrow.

  “It’s just me,” I called out.

  But the dragon wasn’t looking at me. His gaze was directed across the stream, toward the woods. The trees were thick there, their bare limbs reaching for the sky. Some trunks were massive; even from where I stood the woods gave off an old, ancient vibe. How long have those trees stood there?

  “Jae?”

  The dragon was as motionless as a statue, his eyes glued to the trees. Maybe he senses a deer? I shuddered. After the cow earlier, I did not want to be present during Jaegger’s lunch.

  There was a flash of red in the woods, there one moment and gone by the time I blinked. Jaegger took off, launching himself across the narrow stream and disappearing amongst the trees.

  “Jae!” Giving the stream a glance, I groaned. It wasn’t deep, so hiking through it wouldn’t be a problem, but just the thought of wading through the icy water was enough to keep me on this side of the bank. Should I go back for the others? Jaegger was more than capable of taking care of himself, and I was sure whatever he saw would be no match for him—