The Whispering Echoes (Smoke and Mirrors Book 3)

by Melissa Giorgio

  When at last I pulled away, wiping my eyes, I felt… calmer. Lighter, somehow, which didn’t make sense considering I’d done nothing but wept and yet…

  “Better?” Jaegger asked.

  “Better,” I said, meaning it. “Let’s go home, Jae.”

  By the time the sun was sinking in the horizon, we’d reached Tyne. It felt strange entering the town without the others. When we passed the fountain I’d sat at with Leonid, my heart was heavy in my chest. It seemed like so much time had passed since that moment. Was it really only a handful of days?

  Then, he’d been comforting me over Jaegger’s absence. Now, I’d left Leonid back in Fairfield while Jaegger remained on the outskirts of Tyne with only the stone for company. Sitting at the fountain with Leonid, I’d thought I was at my lowest. If only I could have seen what was in store for me…

  Stop, I chided myself as we walked to the inn. Claudette was talking quietly to her brother, who looked as miserable as I felt. Remembering what Vernen had said about the fields and the fireflies he’d shared with Emile, I felt a pang of sympathy for him.

  We booked two rooms for the night; one for the siblings, and one for me, Elyse, and Quinn. No one said much during dinner as we picked at our food. We’d deliberately selected a table different from the one we’d occupied the last time we were here and I found my gaze constantly wandering back to that one. Strangers were sitting at it, laughing and talking loudly, much as we did, which only made me grow more morose. I couldn’t wait to retire to our room and sleep for the next six hours.

  The only bright spot this evening was the absence of the stone’s whispers.

  When the door to the inn banged open, Claudette, who was in the middle of spooning some stew into her mouth, choked, her brown eyes going wide. Emile, startled, followed Claudette’s line of vision and visibly stiffened.

  Twisting around in my seat, I saw Michel stroll into the inn. When his gaze fell on us, he did a double take.

  “What is he doing here?” Claudette hissed as Michel made his way over to our table.

  “I have no idea,” was all Emile could say before Michel was within earshot.

  “Claudette, Emile,” he greeted us. “I see you’re still traveling with this group. Although…” His eyes narrowed. “They seem to be missing a few members.”

  “Where are you heading?” Emile asked, changing the subject. “Fairfield?”

  “Yes, go to Fairfield,” Claudette interjected. “The carnival is north of the city. I bet Aeonia’s family is there.” Emile gave her a warning look, which she chose to ignore.

  Plopping down uninvited in the spot next to Elyse, who made a face, Michel signaled to the serving boy to bring him some food. “Is that where you’re headed?” When no one answered, Michel frowned. “Come now, Claudette. We fought, but I’m here to make amends. You’re not going to throw away a lifelong friendship over one single disagreement, are you?”

  Stone-faced, she sat there and refused to answer him.

  “What about you, sweetheart?” Michel asked Elyse. “Will you talk to me?”

  “Call me ‘sweetheart’ one more time and the tines of my fork will end up in your hand,” Elyse replied sweetly, although her blue eyes were flashing with fire.

  Michel grinned. “I like feisty girls.”

  “I’m going to bed.” Elyse stood and gestured to Quinn and me. “Come on.”

  “Oh, don’t be like that,” Michel said as we stood. “I promise I’ll behave.”

  “You wanted to kill our friends,” I hissed. “Don’t expect us to forget something like that so easily.”

  Michel waved his hand flippantly, like wanting to kill Vernen and Jaegger wasn’t important. “That’s in the past.” He turned to the siblings. “After we separated, I realized I was wrong. I’m sorry I spoke that way to the two of you. If you want to trust Aeonia, then… Well, Claudette, I trust you.”

  I stared at Claudette, imploring her to continue to remain silent. If she told Michel what’d happened, there was no telling what he’d do with that information.

  When she went back to eating her stew, acting as if Michel wasn’t even sitting across from her, I breathed a small sigh of relief. I expected Michel to give up and walk away, but he remained where he was, waiting for his food to arrive. I said good night to the siblings and turned to follow Elyse and Quinn upstairs.

  “You can’t get rid of me that easily,” I heard Michel say quietly.

  My magic inside of me thrashed wildly, begging to be used, to prove Michel wrong, and I shuddered. Telling Elyse not to wait up for me, I changed directions and left the inn.

  Outside of Tyne I found Jaegger in the field Vernen had described, but he wasn’t alone. Senia was sitting next to him, her ruby scales shining brightly in the starlight. I glanced over my shoulder nervously. What if someone chanced this way and saw them? Jaegger at least blended in with the shadows, but Senia’s scales were lit up like a beacon.

  “What is she doing here?” I asked Jaegger, which caused Senia to growl.

  After giving the other dragon a warning look, Jaegger answered, “She’s been shadowing us since we left Fairfield.”

  Since Fairfield? Crossing my arms over my chest, I said, “And when were you going to inform me of this?”

  The dragon smiled sheepishly. “I wasn’t.”

  “Jae!”

  Senia eyed us curiously. “Even though you think so highly of yourself, you let her speak to you this way?”

  “She is my human, just as I am her dragon,” Jaegger replied.

  She tilted her head. “Are you bonded?”

  Jaegger and I exchanged confused glances. “What’s that?” I asked.

  “You’ve never…?” Senia directed her question to Jaegger, who shook his head. “No, I supposed you never had a chance to witness something like that if you and the magicians were too busy killing one another.” She fell silent and it was clear she wasn’t going to elaborate any further on what being bonded meant.

  She’s not very helpful, I thought, frustrated.

  As if reading my thoughts, Jaegger commanded, “Little bird, come here.”

  I stomped over to him, feeling petulant. “What if someone sees her?” Her scales were shining like jewels, making me even more aware of the dirt and grime that clung to my body and clothes after two days of travel.

  “They won’t,” Senia answered. “Humans are weak against magic, and I have wards up telling them there is nothing here to see. I’m surprised you can see us. Then again, you’re brimming with power. You just don’t know what to do with it.”

  Curling my hands into fists, I struggled to keep a grip on my magic as Jaegger placed his body between us, his attention fully on me. “Why are you so agitated?”

  “We ran into Michel in the inn.”

  A growl erupted from deep within his chest. “What is he doing here?”

  “Snooping, mainly.” I sat down by Jaegger’s feet and picked up a rock, tossing it from hand to hand. Despite my earlier exhaustion, I was now wide awake and jittery. “I had to get out of there. I don’t like him.”

  Jaegger was staring at Tyne, his expression grave. “Should I eliminate him?”

  “Is that your situation for everything?” Senia asked. “Kill everyone who gets in your way? That is how the wars with the magicians started!”

  “I assure you, this human has no magic and killing him would upset no one,” Jaegger answered. “It would not start another war.”

  “Besides,” I added, “Jae said the magicians started the war with the dragons.”

  “Both sides were at fault,” Senia replied. “The magicians were looking for more power, yes, but so were the dragons. They could have hidden, like my ancestors were eventually forced to do, but instead they let their pride get in the way.”

  Jaegger bared his teeth. “You speak of our pride as if it’s a bad thing.”

  “It is if it gets you killed,” she shot back. As they glared at one another, I felt my magic reactin
g to the heavy tension hanging in the air despite my best efforts to keep it under control.

  Jaegger stopped glaring to sigh at me. “Little bird. Have you forgotten everything I’ve taught you?”

  Cheeks burning with embarrassment, I shut my eyes and cleared my mind. It was hard concentrating with two giant dragons breathing over me, but eventually I found balance again and the magic settled down.

  “You should teach her how to fight,” Senia said.

  Jaegger shook his head. “That is not my choice to make.” He sat down next to me, his massive body warming the air.

  The other dragon cocked her head, assessing me. “You do not want the power?”

  “I’ve seen what too much power does to a person.” I pulled my coat around me tighter, shivering despite Jaegger’s heat. “I’m afraid the same thing will happen to me.”

  “The balance is hard, but if you’re strong enough, you can handle it,” Senia said. “Jaegger believes in your ability, which means he thinks you can handle it.”

  Pleasure burned through me, along with a whisper telling me to do it. Seize what was mine. I pushed the voice away, uncertain if it was the stone speaking to me, or an inner desire that I didn’t even realize I possessed.

  “It all happened so fast. It hasn’t even been a week. I need more time to think, to decide what to do…” I thought of what Leonid had said, about how he didn’t care what I could do now. To him, I was still the same person inside. I wished I’d had more time to discuss my magic with him. Would he tell me to learn how to fight? Or would he be afraid I’d become like Bantheir if I embraced the magic? “I need more time,” I repeated.

  Senia seemed satisfied with my answer. “You are as wise as a dragon.”

  I flushed with pride. Figuring I’d gained her acceptance, I decided to push her for some answers to questions Jaegger probably hadn’t had the nerve to ask. “Where are you from, Senia?”

  “Across the ocean and above the mountains,” she replied cryptically.

  Jaegger rolled his eyes.

  Her vague answer did little to deter me. “How did you find Jaegger?”

  Senia paused and I wondered if she would answer my question. There was a troubled look in her eyes, but she blinked and it vanished. “A few months back, I sensed his power. I know each and every one of my brethren. This power was different.”

  “Stronger,” Jaegger interjected.

  The dragon glared at him. “Not as strong as you think.”

  At the wounded look on Jaegger’s face, I felt a spike of anger. “Jaegger is thousands of years old. How old are you again? A couple of hundred?” I took her silence as confirmation. “Show some respect. There’s a reason he was worshipped as a god.”

  Jaegger rose to his feet, putting his body between us as if he expected Senia to attack me for my insolence. Instead, much to our mutual surprise, the ruby-colored dragon began laughing. She had a deep laugh that rolled through me like thunder; as the laughter shook her body, she closed her eyes and lifted her head to the star-touched sky once more. When she finished, Senia said, musingly, “You remind me of someone I left behind. She is as brave and loyal as you are. I see why you keep company with her, Jaegger.”

  “Well,” Jaegger said, grinning toothily, “I do have a fondness for red things.”

  Like a window being shuttered, the humor disappeared from Senia’s face as she turned and left without another word. I held my breath, waiting for Jaegger to follow, but he sighed and sat down next to me again. “I guess she didn’t like that.”

  “You’ve been hanging around Leonid and West too long,” I said. “That sounded like something they would say. And that’s not a compliment, Jae.”

  He shoved me with his maw, knocking me down on my back before twisting his long neck so his head lay next to mine. I stared up at the sky. Clouds were rolling in, blocking the moon and blanketing us in darkness. Holding up my hand, I wished—for a moment—that I could summon fire like Vernen. But learning that meant opening a door I wasn’t ready to unlock yet. With a sigh I lowered my hand, running it through the blades of brittle grass, and tried to imagine what this field would look like in the summer with the fireflies.

  “I miss Leonid,” I said softly.

  “I know.” Jaegger’s breath washed over me, a warm breeze that smelled of smoke.

  “I’m sorry Senia ran away. You… like her, don’t you?” How strange it was to be discussing romantic feelings with a dragon.

  “I don’t know,” Jaegger said. “She’s the first dragon I’ve seen since I watched the last one die during the old wars.” His voice tightened with the memory and I shifted my head to see the pain reflected in his eyes. In the darkness, his irises were the color of stones. “I’m still trying to wrap my mind around the fact that my kind is still alive. When you’ve spent a thousand years thinking you’re the last one, that your race will die when you do…”

  I touched him on the neck. “I’m happy for you. You’re not alone, Jae!” Grinning mischievously, I said, “If you stop with the ridiculous compliments—if you can even call what you said earlier a compliment—Senia might actually stick around long enough to tell you where she and the others live.”

  “‘Across the ocean and above the mountains,’” Jaegger recited. “Which could be anywhere.”

  “Have you explored the entire world yet?” I asked.

  “No. In the beginning I planned to, but when you travel for months on end and find nothing, it’s disheartening,” Jaegger said. “And Senia would scoff at this, but I do like humans. I enjoyed granting their wishes.”

  “That’s not the only part you enjoyed,” I muttered.

  He chuckled quietly. “That’s very true.”

  “Pervert.”

  His wing shot out and smacked me on the side. When I cried out, more from shock than pain, Jaegger said matter-of-factly, “You shouldn’t tease a god.”

  I made a show of rubbing my side. “You’re a horrible monster.”

  “Careful there, little bird,” Jaegger said. “If I wasn’t so fond of red things, I’d eat you for that insult.”

  Settling down in the grass, I didn’t answer. For a long while we watched the clouds gathering in the sky. Then, I murmured, “You’re still a pervert.”

  This time when his wing shot out, I rolled out of the way. His growls of frustration and my peals of laughter echoed in the air and I wondered if Senia was out there, listening and wondering what she was missing out on.

  THE SOUND OF RAIN PATTERING against the roof woke me. For a moment I snuggled farther under the blankets, thinking I was in Dusk and my chores for the day could wait. But the memories of where I was—and all that’d happened to me—resurfaced, slowly at first, then all at once, and I opened my eyes to see Elyse bathed in gray light standing by the room’s single window.

  I slid out from the bed and quietly joined Elyse. Quinn was still sleeping in the other bed, the covers half off and her limbs akimbo. Outside the rain was coming down in violent streaks, making it hard to see the buildings across the street.

  “This isn’t good,” Elyse murmured. “We won’t be able to travel if the weather is like this.”

  I remembered how fast the clouds had blanketed the sky last night. “Maybe it’ll end soon.”

  A jagged streak of lightning cut across the sky, followed immediately by the booming crash of thunder. Elyse gave me a skeptical look. “Soon. Right.”

  There was a tap on the door. I crossed the room and opened it to find Claudette and Emile standing there and wearing identical expressions of concern. “We can’t travel in this weather,” Claudette said. “I talked with the innkeeper; the road south of here is already flooding. We’re going to have to wait this out.”

  I nodded grimly, hating the weather for getting in our way like this. But if the rain was keeping us here, then hopefully that meant it was keeping Aeonia away too. “As soon as the roads clear, we’ll leave.” I thought of Jaegger, out there somewhere. Hopefully he’d found prote
ction from the storm. I wished I could have kept him here, but the risk was too high. There were just too many prying eyes.

  Footsteps sounded on the floor behind the siblings. Speaking of prying eyes, I thought, frowning when Michel’s dark hair came into view. He flashed a brilliant smile; as if on cue, thunder crashed again outside. Elyse and I exchanged another look, her lips quirking as she fought back a smile.

  “I see the five of you are stuck here.” Michel tried to push himself into the room, but Claudette leaned against the doorframe, her arms crossed over her chest as she blocked the way. “You weren’t very amicable last night, but maybe today you’ll be more forthcoming?”

  He did nothing to lower his voice and Quinn stirred, sitting up in bed and rubbing her eyes sleepily. The amplifier, glowing blue because of me, slipped out from under her shirt and I crossed the room to stand in front of her. I couldn’t tell if Michel had noticed the disc or not; his face remained passive as he waited for Claudette to speak. Emile was frowning, and when I caught his eye, he looked away.

  “Michel,” Claudette said. “Leave.”

  “I already told you that you can’t get rid of me that easily.”

  Throwing her hands up in the air, Claudette let out a single yell of frustration. Emile shifted, looking like he wanted to say something, but then Claudette was pushing her way past Michel. We could hear her feet thumping down the stairs.

  “I’m hungry,” I said to Elyse and Quinn. “Are you hungry?” They nodded and I sent a pointed look to Michel. “Then let’s freshen up and head downstairs to get some breakfast.”

  Before Michel could respond, Emile was closing the door to the room, leaving the three of us inside, with only a pane of wood separating us from Michel and his prying questions.

  “I don’t like him,” Quinn declared, touching the amplifier absently.

  “None of us do,” Elyse said. “Don’t talk to him. Don’t answer any of his questions. I know men like him. Eventually he’ll give up and be on his way.”