The Whispering Echoes (Smoke and Mirrors Book 3)

by Melissa Giorgio

  I did notice Jaegger wasn’t teaching us how to wield the magic, just to control it. Maybe he didn’t want us to learn that. Or maybe he didn’t think we were ready yet.

  Would I ever be ready?

  “Are you mad that I’m not going with you tomorrow?” Vernen asked, breaking the silence.

  Shaking my head, I said, “I was going to suggest you stay with Leonid. Leaving him tomorrow is going to be so hard—for both of us—and I’ll feel better knowing that you’re here with him.”

  Vernen frowned.

  “Are you… all right with leaving Emile?”

  His head shot up in surprise. “That is—I mean…” Flustered, he held up his hands and waved them frantically. I felt guilty for bringing up a topic he obviously didn’t want to speak about. Exhaling loudly, Vernen slumped forward in defeat. “There’s nothing between us.”

  Jaegger leaned forward eagerly, peering down at us from his perch on the bed. “Nothing at all?”

  I shot him a warning look.

  “No, nothing. I lashed out at him after Irina was kidnapped—he wanted me to come with him to find Irina and Claudette, but I wanted to stay here with Leon.” Vernen winced. “Sorry, Irina.”

  “No, it’s all right—”

  “It’s not,” he interrupted. “It’s not right that I wasn’t able to help you against Aeonia and her sister. And it’s not right that I sat here, feeling sorry for myself instead of searching for you. Emile is a much better person than I am. I don’t deserve…”

  “You don’t deserve what?” I frowned. “Happiness? Is that what you were going to say, Vernen? That you don’t deserve to be happy because you were no match for Aeonia’s magic?” I put my hands on his shoulders and gave him a shake, causing him to look at me with surprise. “Don’t you dare think that. In fact, get up and go find Emile. Right now. Talk to him. Don’t let him leave tomorrow without talking to him or you might end up regretting it.”

  His blue eyes went from me to Jaegger. “But…”

  “She’s right,” Jaegger said. “Although there is one last thing I want to teach you two before you go, Vernen. It’s a spell to link your magic. It’s not permanent, but it should last for the duration of our journey back to Dusk.”

  Chilled, I rubbed my arms. A link between us? “What do we have to do?” I hoped it didn’t involve more blood; West would go ballistic if I had to cut my hand yet again.

  “Join hands,” Jaegger instructed. After Vernen took my right hand in his left one, the dragon continued. “So far, I’ve been instructing you to picture your own magic. Now, I want you to close your eyes and picture each other’s.”

  This was harder than I thought. My own magic reminded me of fire; it was turbulent and unpredictable. But there was also a beauty to it when it was contained, full of both light and life.

  Vernen’s magic was darker. It reminded me of a cloudy night where you couldn’t see either the moon or the stars. You were left floundering in the dark, scared and uncertain. But the deeper I dove into his magic, the more I saw it wasn’t scary. It was powerful and awe-inspiring, but it was also loyal and true. In a way, it was Vernen, and Vernen was the magic.

  Dimly, I heard Jaegger hum his approval. My eyes were still shut as I let both the dragon’s words and Vernen’s magic wash over me. “Right now Irina’s magic is within her, and Vernen’s magic is within him,” Jaegger said. “But there is a part where it joins together to become one. Do you see it?”

  Neither of us responded; I was uncertain how Vernen was making out, but I couldn’t find that point where our magic joined.

  “Picture it like a thread,” Jaegger continued. “A string that stretches from one of you to the other. Follow your magic; look for the part that breaks away and heads for the other.”

  I stretched out my senses, following the threads of my magic. At first all I saw were the ones that traveled to the earth, returning the magic to where it belonged. But then I saw a thread that was different from the rest. Instead of glowing red, like my magic, it was yellow. I followed it, feeling it pulse in response, and the thread flowed away from me to Vernen. His magic rippled in response, filling me with power. Then through the thread came a feeling of calmness, as if Vernen didn’t want to overwhelm me with his magic. Smiling, I sent some of my magic back and I heard him gasp.

  We stayed like that until Jaegger said, “Open your eyes and let go of each other’s hands.” We did, waiting for his next instruction. “Do you still feel it?”

  I felt my magic, always in the forefront of my mind but then, sitting in the background, waiting to be acknowledged, was Vernen’s. When I nudged it, it brightened in response and I laughed, a little breathless.

  “That’s your link,” Jaegger said.

  “It’ll work over distance?” Vernen asked. “What can we do with it? Can we communicate through it?”

  “Is this like when you and I talked?” I asked Jaegger. “When your Essence was inside my hand?”

  Amused, Jaegger settled down and rested his head on his front legs. “Why don’t you try and see?”

  Facing each other, we both took deep, nervous breaths. When nothing happened, I realized Vernen was waiting for me to go first. Grasping on to the magic that was in me, I hesitantly said, Hello?

  Vernen rocked back, stunned.

  I take it you can hear me? I asked, fighting a grin.

  I… can. “Wow,” Vernen said out loud. “That’s… Wow.” He laughed to himself. “You do know Leon is going to make me talk to you constantly once he finds out we can do this.”

  Imagining the embarrassing things Leonid might say, I blushed. “Maybe we don’t tell him about this unless we have to.”

  “That’s right,” Jaegger said. “You’ll keep the magic linked, but communicate only when it’s necessary. The greater the distance between you two, the more power it’ll take to keep the link up. I’m confident it’ll remain working until we reach Dusk, but if either one of you taxes yourself along the way, it’ll break.”

  “It won’t,” Vernen said confidently. “We’ll use it to check in each night. How does that sound?”

  Jaegger nodded his approval.

  “Thank you, Jae. This is… amazing.” I’d no idea you could use magic to do such a thing. It was much better than sacrificing people for dark rituals or mistakenly blowing up mansions as you battled another magician.

  “There is so much more I can show both of you,” Jaegger said. “In time, if you want, I will.”

  Neither one of us answered. It was so tempting, but at the same time, so frightening. I’d seen what magic did to people like Bantheir. Jaegger seemed confident I could resist the allure, but what if he was wrong? I knew I had to live with magic for the rest of my life, but I’d rather not be tempted to abuse it.

  Pleased with tonight’s practice, Jaegger sent Vernen on his way. My friend promised he’d talk to Emile before retiring for the night. I glanced at my bed, wrinkling my nose at how uninviting it seemed.

  “Go,” Jaegger said, as if he could read my mind. “Spend the night with your captain. We both know that’s what you want.”

  I pointed a finger at him. “I just want you to know that because of Leonid’s injuries, nothing is going to happen tonight, so there’s no reason for you to spy on us.”

  His laughter bounced off the small room’s walls. “Tonight I will leave you two alone, little bird. I promise.” He curled up on the bed and shut his eyes.

  After blowing out the candles, I slipped out of the room and into Leonid’s. He was already asleep, so I tiptoed to the bed and slid in under the covers. Shifting, he murmured drowsily, “Lark?”

  “Go back to sleep,” I said. After listening to his breathing even out, I closed my eyes and joined him.

  THE NEXT MORNING I CRIED while saying goodbye to Leonid. I knew I was being foolish; we would see each other again soon, but the thought of leaving him in Fairfield while I traveled back to Dusk simply broke my heart. At first I tried to hide my tears from him,
but when that became impossible, I turned my face away from him, concentrating on a spot on the wall.

  “Lark.” His fingers crawled across the bed, resting on my hand. I glanced down, memorizing the shape of his hand curled around mine. “Lark, look at me, please.” When I did, I was surprised to see his dark eyes were teary. That’s when I lost the last grip on my composure and began crying in earnest. His arms went around me, tangling in my hair and gripping the back of my neck. I wanted to hug him, but I didn’t dare.

  We kissed, and it was full of longing and promises we both intended to keep. When at last we pulled away, he kept me close, leaning his forehead against mine as he whispered last-minute instructions. “Whatever happens, get that stone to Parnaby. But don’t let him bully you. You’re strong—you’ve always been strong, but now you have magic of your own and a dragon on your side. If he tells you to leave Dusk, don’t listen to him. I’ll be right behind you, and I’ll talk to him. If he wants me back as a soldier, then he needs to let you and Vernen remain in the city.”

  I felt a flicker of surprise. “You want to be his captain again?” The last time Leonid and Parnaby had been in the same room, Leonid had flung his captain’s pin to the floor and told Parnaby he no longer wanted to work for him.

  “Yes. No.” Leonid shook his head in frustration. “I have no idea. I don’t need the money, but I need to be involved. I need to protect the city, Lark. And the world, apparently. If Aeonia could find the stone, what’s to stop someone else from finding it? What’s to stop her from returning to Dusk to try to steal it again?”

  All valid questions. I assumed Parnaby would shield the stone again, and as long as Jaegger wasn’t near it, the shields would work. Which meant Jaegger had to leave… My heart clenched painfully at that. No, don’t think of that right now, I scolded myself. I had time to worry about Jaegger’s impending departure later. We had to return to Dusk first. One task at a time.

  “You’ll be fine,” Leonid said, no doubt seeing the fear and worry etched into my features. “You don’t need me, Lark.”

  I wiped my eyes with the back of my hands. “I know.”

  “What do you mean you know?”

  When he began scowling, I laughed and touched the corners of his mouth with my index fingers. “Sorry. I just wanted to see this scowl one last time before I left.”

  Rolling his eyes, he angled his face so he could kiss the fingers on my uninjured hand. “I love you, Lark.”

  “I love you too, my captain. Scowls and all.”

  AFTER LEAVING LEONID’S ROOM, I peeked in the room across the hallway, only to find it empty. Jae must be outside already. Downstairs Vernen and Emile were deep in conversation in the dining room; I backed up out of the room silently, not wanting to disturb them. Through the kitchen window I could see Elyse, Aden, and Quinn in the backyard, rummaging through their satchels as they talked. Jack was standing by the window, a mug in hand as he watched them. Hearing me enter the room, he turned and greeted me with a smile. I returned it shyly; I hadn’t seen much of him during my stay here, and I knew I could never repay the kindness he’d bestowed on me and my friends, no questions asked.

  “I hear you’re heading home,” he said.

  I nodded. “Some of us, at least. Thank you… for helping us.”

  He seemed surprised by my thanks. “Of course. I’m a doctor; it’s what I do.”

  “You can tend to wounds, but you don’t have to invite people into your home,” I said. “And not just people but… dragons. I’m sorry if we made you uncomfortable…”

  Jack waved my words away before taking a sip from his mug. “Believe me, you’ve made life interesting for both me and Ben. And I like your dragon. He’s intimidating, but once you get past that, you see his true self.” Laughing quietly, he continued, “How many people can say they had the honor of talking to a dragon?”

  “Not many.”

  “Good luck to you, Irina. It was an honor meeting you as well.” Jack tipped his mug in my direction.

  Filled with gratitude, I exited the kitchen and greeted my friends outside. “Are you ready?” Elyse asked.

  Her question caused a ball of panic to blossom in my stomach, but I pushed it aside and nodded. “Did you get supplies?”

  “Everything’s right here.” Aden pointed to the three satchels laid out on the ground. “We got you food, your canteens are full, and you each have two spare change of clothes.”

  “Food,” I echoed. “Let me guess—bread and cheese?”

  His sympathetic smile was all the confirmation I needed.

  “I’m going to miss you, Aden!” Quinn cried, flinging her arms around his waist. Looking embarrassed, he returned the embrace, patting her on the head. Smiling, I headed toward the stables, where I found Jaegger sitting by the entrance, his body still as he peered intently into the shadows.

  “Jae?”

  “Shh!” he hushed me, his ears pricking forward. I instantly went on alert, wondering if he sensed a threat. But in the stable?

  A sound of rustling came from the empty stall in the corner, followed by a giggle. My mouth dropped open as I glanced at Jaegger again. “Jae, you shouldn’t—” Knowing exactly who was in that stall, I tried to drag Jaegger away from the building, but it was like trying to haul a bolder uphill. He growled in response and smacked me with his tail, which made me cry out. “Stop doing that!” I snapped.

  The voices in the corner broke off. Moments later Claudette and West emerged, looking rumpled and embarrassed. West’s hair was standing up in every direction and Claudette’s cheeks were bright pink as she smoothed down the front of her shirt before buttoning up her coat. They glanced guiltily in my direction.

  “I was saying goodbye,” West said.

  “With your hands?” I asked, unable to hide a grin. As West responded with a rude gesture, Claudette covered her face with her fingers. “Were you aware that Jae was watching you?” Claudette turned an even deeper shade of red while West sputtered unintelligibly.

  The dragon, meanwhile, smiled. “Don’t stop on my account.”

  “No, we’re done,” Claudette said, taking a very obvious step away from West. “I need to finish packing.”

  “Did you say goodbye to Leonid?” West asked me.

  Just the thought of our tearful goodbye made my heart hurt and my good humor slipped away. “I did.”

  “Then I better go back inside and watch over him, making sure he doesn’t do something stupid like get out of bed and come after you.” Before he left the stables, West turned to Claudette.

  “What?” she asked when it became apparent he was waiting for something.

  “Aren’t you going to give me a kiss goodbye?”

  Crossing her arms over her chest, Claudette shook her head. “Come find me in Dusk if you want another kiss.”

  Grinning like a little boy, West said, “That’s a promise. See you see soon, Claudette!” He surprised me by pulling me into a hug. “Take care of yourself, Irina. I don’t want to have to stitch up your hand again, all right?”

  “No more stab wounds,” I promised him. Gripping his forearm, I stared into his eyes. “West, take care of him.”

  “I will. Don’t waste your time worrying about your captain. He’ll be fine. Grumpy, but fine.”

  “When is he not grumpy?” I asked.

  West’s eyes twinkled. “I’m telling him you said that!” With one last lingering look at Claudette, he left the stables.

  I opened my mouth but Claudette shot a glare in my direction before I could speak. “Don’t say it!”

  “I was just going to point out that you have hay in your hair,” I said.

  With a groan, she shook her hair out of its ponytail and ran her fingers through it before retying it. “That idiot is too charming for his own good. I wasn’t even going to kiss him before I left, but we went for a walk last night and started talking, and I realized I didn’t want to wait…” Claudette went to her horse, opening the stall’s door so she could saddle h
er. “I probably just made a huge mistake, didn’t I?”

  “Do you like him?” I asked quietly.

  Facing Angeletta, Claudette said, “Yes.”

  “Then I don’t see how it’s a mistake.”

  Claudette contemplated this in silence as she worked to ready her horse. I remained in the doorway of the building, Jaegger next to me. Eventually Emile and Vernen joined us; while Emile saddled his horse, Vernen stood next to me.

  With a wicked grin, I sent a thought through our bond. Did you kiss him yet? When his cheeks reddened, I knew I had my answer. Elbowing him in the side, I said, “Good for you, Vernen.”

  With his eyes on Emile, Vernen said, “Be careful out there, Irina.”

  I didn’t make empty promises of how we’d be fine. How nothing could possibly happen to us. Instead I nodded before hugging Vernen for a long moment. “Don’t let Leonid do anything reckless. West said he’d take care of him, but we both know the only one Leonid is going to listen to is you.”

  “The moment he’s mobile, he’s going to come after you,” Vernen pointed out. “Letting you go is probably one of the hardest things he’s ever had to do.”

  After promising to check in through the bond every night, I left the stables so Jaegger could speak privately with Vernen. Claudette and Emile followed with their horses in tow. Ben brought out another horse for Elyse, asking her if she knew how to ride. After she mounted the horse easily and without assistance, Ben laughed and held up his hands. “I guess that answers my question.” Bed had the same curly hair, dark complexion, and wide smile as Jack and I couldn’t help but marvel at how lucky we were to have met these generous and kind brothers who were willing to help a group of strangers.

  “I’ve had some experience with horses,” Elyse said mischievously, making me wonder when she’d gone riding. And was it with Parnaby? The thought of the dour president on top of a horse was simply too unbelievable for me to imagine. “I don’t just stand up on the stage and do magic tricks.”