The Whispering Echoes (Smoke and Mirrors Book 3)

by Melissa Giorgio

I struggled against my attacker, but when I turned my head I saw it was Aurora. Tall, impossibly strong Aurora, who had apparently healed from her last encounter with Jaegger. Trying to break free from her was like trying to move a mountain, but still I fought as best as I could. I wished I hadn’t used up my magic against Emile; I would have felt a sense of satisfaction using it on Aurora.

  “What do you mean he doesn’t have a choice?” Claudette demanded.

  “Did you know that your brother and I are linked?” Aeonia crossed her arms over her chest, her posture relaxed compared to Claudette’s tense form. “I didn’t know either, but the voices told me I could have Emile do my bidding.”

  “How?” Claudette choked out.

  Aeonia nodded toward Emile. “The burn on his leg. I gave it to him, using magic, remember? Apparently it links us together, forms a bond. All I have to do is command him and he’s helpless to resist. It’s very handy, don’t you think? He’s been helping me out these past few days, and you didn’t even notice.”

  The sword in Claudette’s hand lowered and her voice was stricken when she asked, “Why are you doing this?”

  “I told you why.”

  “If you’re still doing this for me, then stop it!” Claudette cried. “I don’t want you to bring back Ayres, Aeonia. You have no idea what’s in that stone!”

  “And you do?” Aeonia snapped.

  “Yes, and you’re going to destroy everything if you—”

  “Enough!” Aeonia pointed at Emile. “Get the stone from the dragon, Emile.”

  Claudette put herself in Emile’s path. “No. Don’t do this, Emile.” His right hand went jerkily to his sword strapped on his back and Claudette’s shoulders slumped. “You’re going to fight me?”

  “I can’t… stop…” His face went from blank to pained before returning to expressionless. He was fighting Aeonia’s control, but it was clear he wasn’t strong enough to beat her.

  “Enough!” Aeonia said again. Claudette had her back to her, so she didn’t see Aeonia summon magic. I shouted a warning, but by the time Claudette turned, shocked, it was too late.

  A blast of magic hit Claudette, knocking her a few feet away. Her body rolled once, twice, and then came to a stop. Quinn ran to her, yelling her name. Emile watched, his eyes wide with horror. His body started turning to his sister, but I could sense more than see Aeonia pull on the link and Emile stumbled toward us.

  Toward Jaegger.

  “Emile, don’t,” I said, the only person left that stood between Aeonia getting what she wanted. “Look what Aeonia did to your sister. You can’t—Claudette needs you!”

  “Oh, shut her up, Aurora.” Michel emerged from the shadows, smirking as he entered the circle of light Aeonia had created.

  “You,” I said.

  “Me. Thanks for telling me all about the magicians in the stone, Irina. Aeonia was very interested.”

  At first I didn’t know what he was talking about, but then I remembered my conversation with Emile, and the creak in the hallway. Michel had been listening? And Emile… Aeonia said she’d been controlling him for the past few days. When Michel had failed to learn anything new from Claudette, Aeonia had commanded Emile to talk to me. My heart sank. I’d mentioned the magicians in the stone. Aeonia knows it’s not an amplifier now. She knew that, but she was still trying to reclaim it. What filthy lies were they filling Aeonia’s ears with? It must have been something good. Aeonia was so far gone that there was no reasoning with her.

  She’d attacked Claudette.

  And now she’ll kill Jae. As Emile approached with the amplifier, I struggled against Aurora’s hold. She wrenched my arm up even higher and I fell to my knees, seeing stars. When my vision cleared, Emile was holding the amplifier over Jaegger. The dragon’s body was convulsing, and then I felt the wards break, snapping apart like twigs, one by one until the stone appeared on the ground in front of him, glowing softly.

  “Stop,” Aeonia commanded Emile. “Step back.” The moment he did, Jaegger’s body stopped twitching and Aeonia scooped up the stone, laughing softly. “All right, Michel, it’s your turn now.”

  When Michel did what Aeonia ordered and unsheathed the sword at his back, Emile visibly startled. “Michel, what are you… doing?” Each word was a struggle for him to get out. “Why… are you helping… Aeonia? You despise her.”

  Aeonia laughed at that. “Why? Because just like you, Emile, Michel doesn’t have a choice.”

  She was controlling two people at the same time? And without an amplifier?

  We can’t beat her, I thought as chills ran down my spine. Why did we ever think we could beat her?

  Emile was staring at the sword Michel was holding. “That’s… Claudette’s.”

  “Yes, it is,” Aeonia said, still smiling. “Do you remember what I did to that sword back in Ayres? I imbued it with magic, which is exactly what one needs to break this open.” She held up the stone and it winked sinisterly in the artificial light. “Not exactly what one needs, I should say.” Gesturing impatiently for Michel to get on with it, she said, “First that sword needs to have slayed a dragon.”

  “No!” I screamed. How had she figured it out?

  “Why are you so surprised, Irina?” Aeonia mocked. “Why do you think I stabbed you the other day? I needed to kill your dragon with Claudette’s sword. But, I’d been mistaken about two things.” She held up a finger. “One, I thought the dragon’s Essence was still with you.” She held up another finger. “And two, I thought the stone was an amplifier.”

  “You know what the stone really is,” I said through gritted teeth. “You know about the magicians. So why do you want to free them, Aeonia? They’ll destroy everything.”

  “Not everything.”

  “Is this still about Ayres? Do you think they’re going to help you resurrect the city and all the people who were murdered?” I stared at her incredulously. “Are you really that stupid?”

  Aeonia’s eyes flashed with fire and she barked at Michel to kill Jaegger. At the same time, I felt some of my power return and I acted, hurling the magic at Aurora. Cursing, her grip on me loosened and I dove forward, but Michel was already bringing the sword down, toward Jaegger’s prone form.

  I can’t watch him kill Jae, I can’t, I can’t—

  A deafening roar filled the air and Senia crashed down to the ground, snarling and snapping at Michel. His eyes widened as he brought up the sword to defend himself, but he was no match for Senia’s brutal strength. Her jaw clamped around his middle, splitting him in two as easily as a knife cutting through butter. I turned away, too late to block out the horror of seeing his body ripped apart.

  “Oh,” Aeonia said, looking uncertain.

  Senia’s golden eyes narrowed at Aeonia and the stone she was clutching in her hands. “Magician,” she snarled, blood dripping from her maw. “You have no idea what you’re playing with.”

  Aeonia blinked, her composure returning. “Is that so? Because I’m certain I know exactly what I’m doing.”

  As Senia charged Aeonia, I felt Aeonia again command Emile through the bond. He lifted the amplifier and Senia faltered, stumbling like a drunk.

  “Now, Aurora!” Aeonia screamed.

  Aurora flew past me, moving fast despite her size. Snatching up the imbued sword from the ground, she drove the blade into Senia’s side, up to the hilt. The dragon let out a choked cry and collapsed to the ground, her blood as bright and red as her scales.

  “No,” I whispered, staring at the carnage before me. Michel’s body ripped to shreds and now Senia, beautiful, powerful Senia, whose eyes were dimming as Aurora ripped out the blade and struck her again.

  I was slumped on the ground, utterly spent from the little magic I’d used, and I was unable to do anything but stretch my arms to Jaegger and pick him up with shaking hands. I was grateful that he was unconscious and unable to witness what was happening. That he didn’t see Aeonia place the stone on the ground and Aurora slam the blood-slicked blade into i
t, shattering it into a dozen sparkling shards.

  That he didn’t hear the magicians’ laughter as they were finally freed from their prison.

  Vernen, I sent through the bond, we failed.

  THREE FORMS EMERGED FROM THE broken stone, their bodies flickering and out of focus until they at last solidified. They were crouched on the ground, steeling themselves and I thought, Now would be the time to strike them.

  Aeonia stood in front of them like a queen, her smile radiant. “Welcome back, my friends. Now, let’s get down to business. I’ve freed you, so you will help me.”

  The three bodies stirred. Two were male and one was female, and they were all wearing robes so filthy I couldn’t tell what color the fabric originally was. The female was tiny and I thought for a moment that she was a child. But could a child be responsible for the deaths of so many dragons and magicians during the old wars? Her hair was white-blond and long, dragging against the ground as she struggled to her knees. Her skin was pale, maybe even lighter than mine. Of the two men, one appeared young, with brown hair, a thin fame, and dark skin, while the other was older with a scraggly beard, messy, unkempt gray hair, and skin so pallid it was translucent. The older man’s limbs were stick-thin; out of the three of them, he looked the most weakened, sickly even, but I knew better than to be fooled by appearances.

  In my arms, Jaegger shifted slightly. I pressed him against my chest, hiding him in my coat once more. Even though they’d sacrificed a dragon to free themselves from their prison, what was to stop them from going after Jaegger?

  I hadn’t done anything to stop them from killing Senia, but I knew I’d die before I let them hurt Jaegger, too.

  Aeonia was watching the three magicians with barely-contained impatience, as if she expected them to have no trouble moving around after spending a thousand years confined in a prison. Clapping her hands, she said, “Did you hear me? I have something I need for you to do.”

  The girl lifted her head. When she spoke, her voice was raspy from disuse. “We heard you.”

  “There’s a city that fell four years ago,” Aeonia continued. Emile, despite still being caught in her web, stared at her, stunned. “I thought that stone was an amplifier, but imagine my surprise when I discovered there were three of you stuck in there. And look.” She gestured to Senia’s body. “Look what we did to free you. A monumental task, wouldn’t you agree? Which is why you’ll bring back this city for me.”

  The girl stood, each movement slow and precise, as if she was learning how to use her body again. Sweeping her hair out of her face, she mimicked Aeonia’s pose, crossing her arms over her chest. Next to her the two men struggled to their feet; the brown-haired magician managed to make it to his knees, but the older one couldn’t even get himself into a sitting position.

  “Will we now?” the girl asked, her voice growing stronger. She had her back to me, but I imagined a razor-sharp smile to go along with her unamused tone of voice.

  “Yes,” Aeonia said. “And don’t make me ask again. I’ve been waiting long enough for this.”

  “Oh, you’ve been waiting?” The girl threw her head back and laughed, the sound like cawing crows. Then the laughter abruptly cut off and the girl moved.

  “Moved” might not even be the right word to describe what she did. One moment she was standing a few feet away from Aeonia, flanked by the other two magicians. And then her face was inches from Aeonia’s, her right hand crackling with a black mass of magic, and Aeonia was reeling, throwing up her defenses.

  Aurora shouted, shoving her body between them. The blast hit her, going through her chest and hitting Aeonia too. Aeonia’s mouth opened in a silent scream as she watched her sister fall to her knees, one hand clutching her chest. Surprise flitted across Aurora’s face before she fell to the ground.

  “No,” Aeonia whimpered, holding her now-injured shoulder. “A-Aurora. No—” Her cry was cut off as the girl grabbed a fistful of Aeonia’s hair and yanked it upward.

  “Never speak to me about waiting for something,” the girl hissed. “I spent a thousand years in that wretched stone, watching time slip by, powerless to do anything about it. You have no idea what that’s like—the suffering, the rage I felt.”

  Tears spilled from Aeonia’s gray eyes. “You killed her. You killed my… sister.”

  “Good.” The girl shoved Aeonia away from her. “Now you can suffer, as I once did.” Turning to her companions, she frowned. “You’re still not on your feet?”

  “Tired,” the brown-haired one muttered.

  Shaking her head, the girl raised her eyes to the sky. “If you don’t get up, I will leave you here to rot.” For some reason this spurred the other two into action and they climbed to their feet and joined her in front of Aurora’s corpse and Aeonia’s sniveling form. “Good,” the girl said. She spun in a circle, her arms wide. “Welcome to the world, gentlemen.”

  “It’s g-good… to be b-back,” the older man stuttered.

  “Isn’t it?” the girl asked with a smile. “Shall we see what the world has to offer?”

  “N-No.” Claudette, whom I thought was still unconscious, stumbled forward. She was unarmed and dizzy from whatever Aeonia had blasted her with, but still she was trying to fight back.

  Unlike you, a voice whispered inside my head. All you’ve done is cower as you wait for your strength to return.

  The girl sighed loudly. “Not another one.” Raising her hand, I saw with horror that she was about to hit Claudette with the same spell she’d used on Aurora. I willed my body to move, my hold on Jaegger tightening, but then Emile stepped in front of his sister.

  Claudette’s feet faltered. “E-Emile.”

  “Don’t hurt my sister,” Emile said. He was still holding the amplifier and it glowed white-hot, reacting to the influx of magic.

  “Oh, what do you have there, little one?” the girl purred. “Is that an amplifier?” Dropping the spell, she curled a finger toward Emile and he took a stumbling step forward, his face panicked as his body moved against his will. The girl wrapped her hand around Emile’s wrist and tugged him closer still. “I like you. You’ve given me a present, but I think I’ll keep you, too. This way if anyone tries to come after us, they’ll know I’ll kill you.” She snapped her teeth at Emile and he flinched.

  “Wait,” Claudette said.

  The girl ignored her, muttering something under her breath. My skin prickled as her magic washed over me, foreign and so incredibly ancient. My limbs weighed me down, like they were encased in steel and from Claudette’s strained expression, I could see she was also having trouble moving.

  “Wait,” she said again.

  The spell wrapped around the girl, Emile, and the other two magicians like a cloak. Their bodies shimmered as Claudette stretched one hand forward, reaching for Emile.

  “Wait!!” she screamed.

  The four of them disappeared. Claudette let out a single sob before her eyes landed on Aeonia, who was crying over her sister’s body. Her face twisting with rage, Claudette lunged at her old friend. “What did you do?!”

  “Get off!” Aeonia tried to shove her away.

  “They took my brother!”

  “My sister is dead!” Aeonia screamed.

  Claudette paled, looking like she was moments from being sick. “I-I…” Her face contorted with grief and she backed away from Aeonia, falling to her knees as she stared straight ahead of her, stunned. “What do we do now?” she whispered.

  I shut my eyes, wishing I had the answer to that question.

  HOW MUCH TIME PASSED? HOW long did we sit there, Aeonia’s miniature light fading away and the sky slowly brightening? Quinn came to me, her face tear-streaked, her body shaking hard enough that her teeth chattered. I draped my arm around her thin shoulders, pulling her to my side as she wept. In my other hand I held Jaegger, silently imploring him to wake up.

  Eventually Quinn fell into an exhausted, restless sleep. I laid her down, stood, and walked over to Elyse, who was still
unconscious. Her chest was rising steadily, but as I stared at her, and the bruise forming on her forehead, I felt a growing sense of dread. Should she still be sleeping? Was something wrong? I desperately wished West was here.

  Jaegger stirred in my arms and I pulled him out of my coat, relief flooding through me when I realized he was awake. “Oh, Jae.”

  “Tell me,” he commanded weakly.

  Wordlessly I turned, showing him the carnage. He stiffened in my arms and let out a low, mournful moan. “Senia saved you,” I said as tears streaked down my cheeks. “They were going to kill you to break open the stone, but she jumped in front and…”

  He shuddered, shut his eyes, and said nothing.

  “I’m so sorry,” I whispered. When he didn’t answer, I said it again, the words running together until they became a chant.

  IRINA.

  I awoke with a start. When had I fallen asleep? Quinn had helped me drag Elyse away from the carnage, to a copse of trees, and then we’d laid down with her, although I fully intended on remaining awake to keep watch. Claudette and Aeonia hadn’t moved, still too wrapped up in their own personal grief. Jaegger was asleep in my lap, his face twisted into a painful grimace, and Quinn was sitting up, rubbing her eyes as she looked at me in sleepy-confusion.

  Irina!

  It took me a moment to realize Vernen was calling me through the bond. I’m here.

  Relief poured from him. Where are you? Can you show me?

  Show you? His question gave me pause.

  Yes. Imagine it’s like a painting. Show me the landscape. We’re on our way to find you.

  They were on their way? I jumped to my feet, nearly speaking out loud before I realized Vernen wouldn’t be able to hear me that way. All of you?

  Yes, of course. There was no way Leonid would let us go without him. Now—concentrate. Show me where you are.

  So I did. I looked to the road, searching for any familiar landscapes, but it all looked the same to me. Then I remembered the small pond we passed earlier, using the frigid water to wash some of the muck from our faces and boots. Quinn had pointed out that it’d been unusually shaped, like a fish, and I sent that image to Vernen.