The Burning Chaos (Smoke and Mirrors Book 2)

by Melissa Giorgio

  “Stop it.” Vernen spoke for the first time. His hands were balled up into tight fists, and they were shaking. The other soldier stepped forward, pointing the blade of his sword at Vernen’s chest.

  Something inside of me snapped.

  I’m not going to stand here and watch them murder my friends.

  “Enough.” Everyone turned to face me. “Leave them alone, Raynard.”

  Raynard lifted his eyebrows. “Are you finally going to cooperate, Irina?”

  I glanced at West, whose eyes were closed. His skin was pale, but I could see his chest rising and falling softly. Then my gaze moved to Vernen, and the faint red line across his throat. Visions of watching him die flashed before my eyes. If it came down to it, Raynard would order his men to kill Vernen, and he wouldn’t feel an ounce of remorse as he did so.

  I could not watch that again.

  “I won’t help you,” I said slowly, “if you hurt them.”

  “And I won’t let you help them alone,” Vernen said before Raynard could speak up. He glared at the councilor, looking and sounding so much like his old self that, despite the situation, I felt my heart soaring. “She looks for the amplifier with me, or she doesn’t look for it at all.”

  Raynard shrugged. “Two sets of eyes are better than one. But we’ll be holding on to your friend, in case you need any motivation.” He gestured toward West, and the soldier who’d knocked him out grabbed West by the collar and hauled him to his knees. He pressed the blade of his sword against West’s throat.

  Panicked, I held up my hands. “Don’t!”

  “Then you better hurry up,” Raynard replied. “Eventually, Parnaby and the others will return. This is your only chance to find the amplifier, and you know what will happen if you fail today. Remember that West here isn’t the only one with a blade to his throat. I can’t make any promises about what will happen to that child if you fail to deliver, Irina.”

  I took off down the hallway, Raynard’s threats echoing in my ears.

  Little bird, wait.

  I nearly tripped over my feet at the sound of Jaegger’s voice. Jae, I don’t have time—

  I sense it.

  My heart jumped. The amplifier?

  Yes, he hissed. It’s close.

  This room? I looked into the nearest room, which happened to be the library. Jaegger made a sound of what I could only hope was approval, so I stepped inside. I slowly began walking around the room. Anything?

  “Irina?” Vernen hovered by my side, looking worried. I wondered if he thought I’d gone mad.

  I pretended like I didn’t hear him as I began searching the library, pulling random books from the shelves and asking Jaegger if he noticed anything.

  No. Not here. Or here. He sounded frustrated, and I couldn’t help but agree. Standing in the middle of the room with my hands on my hips, I closed my eyes. For the first time in my life, I wished I had magic so I could sense the amplifier.

  No, Jaegger said. It’s cloaked in protection spells. You wouldn’t be able to sense it, even if you had magic. Only a powerful being is able to see past Parnaby’s cloaking spells. If I was at my full strength, I’d find it easily, but…

  So where was it? I walked over to the corner of the room I’d occupied only the day before, my fingers skimming the books. What had happened to the book on the old wars I’d been leafing through? After hearing the commotion in the hallway, I’d left the library with the book tucked under my arm. Once I’d heard Harlin had been poisoned, all thoughts of the amplifier and the old wars had flown from my head. I didn’t even remember putting the book down, but I must have. There was a gap on the shelf where I’d taken the book from, and when I passed my hand in front of it, I felt a trickle of cold air. This made me pause. When I’d sat on the floor and read, the flame on my candle had sputtered continuously. I hadn’t felt a breeze then, but maybe I hadn’t been sitting in the right spot.

  My heart began pounding as I knelt in front of the bookcase and pulled books from the shelf. I sensed Vernen behind me, but I ignored him as I tossed the books haphazardly onto the floor. Once the shelf was clear, I ran my hand over the wood. My fingers caught on something, and I leaned closer, squinting, but it was impossible to make out in the dark. As if sensing my dilemma, Vernen went over to the desk and picked up a candle. I didn’t comment as he lit it with a snap of his fingers before returning to my side and holding it up next to the bookshelf.

  With the light, I was able to make out a small latch buried deep in the wood. It wasn’t something you’d notice unless you were looking for it. Slipping my finger under it, I popped it open and a loud creak echoed across the library.

  Part of the shelf lurched open like a door. I stood and quickly stepped back, nearly colliding with Vernen. Together, we cautiously approached the opening. Icy air flowed from the darkness. Holding up his candle, Vernen illuminated a narrow staircase descending into the unknown.

  I exchanged a wary look with Vernen. “What’s down there?” he asked.

  Jae? Is this it?

  Yes, the dragon hissed. The amplifier is down there.

  I swallowed hard. Of course Parnaby would hide the source of his power down a dark and winding tunnel. There would probably be all sorts of traps we’d have to disarm, too.

  Why should any of this be easy?

  FOR A FULL MINUTE WE stood at the edge of the opening, not speaking. Instinct told me to turn around and run far, far away, but then I thought of Quinn and West, and I knew what I had to do. Jaegger protect me, I thought softly, wondering if, long ago, his followers had uttered the same words as a prayer to him.

  They did, and I did. And I will protect you, little bird, as best as I can.

  His words did little to relieve the tension in my chest, but I was grateful he was being honest with me. I knew what I was doing was madness, but that didn’t stop me from taking my first step into the passageway.

  Cobwebs swayed in the constant breeze, and I stuck to the middle of the stairs as I made my descent. The passageway was narrow, the ceiling low enough that my head skimmed the top. Sparing a quick glance over my shoulder, I saw Vernen was forced to duck to avoid smacking his head on the ceiling.

  We made it to the bottom of the staircase without incident. A large wooden door barred our way, and when I tugged at the rusted handle, it didn’t budge. Handing me the candle, Vernen grabbed the handle with both hands and pulled, his muscles straining with the effort. The door gave way to his brute strength, creaking ominously.

  The door opened up to a large room. Shelves were mounted on all four walls, and they were covered in all sorts of artifacts. Books, statues, weapons… My eyes skimmed over them quickly before landing on a small wooden platform in the center of the room. Resting on top of the platform was an iridescent stone about the size of my fist. My heart, already racing, skipped a beat as I stared it at.

  That was the amplifier. It had to be. Cautiously, I approached it, wary about getting too close. If Parnaby had gone through all this trouble to hide it in a secret room under the library, then there had to be spells surrounding it, too.

  Right, Jae?

  But the dragon had gone silent again. Biting my lip, I wondered what I should do. We couldn’t just stand here, waiting for Parnaby to return, or, worse, for Raynard or Aeonia to grow impatient. This was my one chance at saving Quinn and West. It was mere inches from me, and I refused to have come this far, only to be thwarted.

  Whispers echoed in my ears, telling me to take what was mine. Next to me, Vernen stiffened. “Did you say something?” he asked.

  I didn’t acknowledge him because I was too busy listening to the whispers. They were soft but insistent, telling me to step forward and claim the amplifier. I may not have had magic, the whispers said, but the amplifier would make me powerful.

  No one, not even Parnaby, would stand in my way.

  My feet were moving on their own. Vaguely, I realized this was wrong, that I should stay away from the amplifier and its dark promises,
but it was as if I’d become a passenger in my own body. I watched my right hand reach forward, and I wondered if Jaegger was controlling me.

  But the dragon was silent, and I instinctively knew he wasn’t the one whispering to me.

  My hand was inches from the stone when I came across a barrier. It sizzled against my skin, burning me. I cried out and dropped the candle. The room went dark, save for a peculiar pale green glow that came from the amplifier. Stumbling backward, I clutched my hand to my chest. Vernen pulled me farther away, forcing me to show him my hand.

  The skin was red, and already painful blisters were forming. Tears sprung to my eyes, clearing my head. The whispers were still there, like tempting sirens, but I no longer felt the pull to listen to them. Not when they would hurt me again. Thank goodness it wasn’t my left hand, I thought, swallowing against the nausea as I studied the burns.

  “Did you hear it too?” Vernen asked, studying me closely. “The whispers?”

  I nodded. “They told me to… take it.” But who was “they?”

  In the glow from the amplifier, I could see that Vernen’s eyes had gone distant, and I wondered if the whispers were controlling him now. I grabbed his arm with my uninjured hand, not letting go until he looked at me.

  “We need that stone.” His voice was a low murmur. “We don’t have a choice, Irina. If we don’t get it, West and Quinn…”

  I was tempted to tell him to forget about it. We’d found Parnaby’s secret hiding spot. Wasn’t that enough? If Aeonia wanted the damn stone so badly she should come here herself!

  Don’t you think she would have done that a long time ago if she could? Jaegger murmured quietly.

  My eyes widened at that revelation even as I sighed in relief that the dragon had finally answered me. Aeonia couldn’t enter the mansion? Did that mean there were wards placed on the mansion to prevent strangers from entering?

  I shivered, wondering what would happen once we removed the amplifier from the mansion. How many of Parnaby’s spells would break?

  Defeated, I let go of Vernen’s arm. He was right; we didn’t have a choice. If we wanted our friends to live, then we needed that amplifier. “Be careful,” I told him.

  He squared his shoulders. “I can do this. No,” he corrected himself with a shake of his head. “I have to do this.”

  I held my breath, watching as Vernen stretched for the stone. His skin began sizzling, but instead of jerking back like I’d done, he lunged forward, his hand closing over the stone. At the same time, he shouted, “Stop!”

  To my astonishment the sizzling halted, and he picked up the stone, his hand uninjured. Turning to me, he said, “Maybe I should hold onto this.”

  Dumbstruck, I managed to nod my head. How did he do that? Was it the magic he now possessed? “Can you still hear them?” I asked. “The whispers?” They were still there, buzzing in my ears like an incessant fly.

  “I hear them, but I don’t know what they’re saying.” Vernen shrugged. “It’s probably best not to listen too closely to them. They don’t seem very nice.”

  He was stronger than me if he could ignore them so easily. I wanted to fling my arms around Vernen, but instead I kept my distance as we left the room, closing the door behind us. I went first while Vernen followed, cradling the amplifier carefully in both hands. It continued to emit enough light to see by, so I left my candle behind.

  “You found it,” Raynard greeted us at the entrance to the passageway. Behind him stood the two soldiers. West was resting on his knees between them, awake and alert once more, I was grateful to see. One of the soldiers had traded his sword for a knife, which he held against West’s throat as Vernen and I came to a halt in front of them.

  Vernen tightened his grip around the amplifier, which Raynard noticed with a smirk. “I don’t want it. Aeonia does. Come. She’ll be so pleased when she’s seen what you’ve done, Irina.”

  If he meant to hurt me with his words, it was working. I knew I didn’t have a choice, but I didn’t need to be reminded of my betrayal over and over again.

  “Stay with him until we return,” Raynard told the soldier who was holding West in place with his knife. The councilor left the library, followed by the other soldier.

  “Don’t you dare hurt him, Dillon,” Vernen warned him before exiting the library.

  My gaze locked with West’s and he mouthed, “I’m sorry.” I tried to give him a reassuring smile, but I couldn’t. His gaze traveled down to my injured hand and his eyes widened. “Irina, your hand!”

  Biting back tears of frustration, I fled the room before he did something drastic, like try to fight Dillon off so he could tend to my hand. Please sit tight, West, I pleaded silently. We’ll be back for you as soon as we can.

  In the hallway, Vernen leaned down to whisper, “stay close” in my ear. His mouth was a thin line as he readjusted his grip on the amplifier. Raynard didn’t even bother to glance over his shoulder to see if we were behind him. He knew we were trapped, and had no choice but to follow him.

  We used the front doors to leave the mansion; I couldn’t imagine the councilor ever stooping so low as to use the secret tunnels. I took a moment to scan the deserted street. The sky was overcast and the air smelled like snow as the wind picked up. The nearest home was across the street, but I didn’t see any activity in the windows. I brushed my curls out of my face, the silence pressing down heavily on me.

  “Hello, Irina.”

  I sucked in a breath and took an involuntary step backward near Vernen. He straightened, cradling the amplifier in one hand as the other slid a knife from a sheath on his belt.

  Aeonia sauntered up the walkway, Aurora and Quinn trailing behind her. I was relieved to see Quinn appeared relatively unharmed, but that blank, dreamy look on her face was still present.

  “There’s no need for that,” Aeonia said, indicating Vernen’s knife. I nodded at him, and after a moment of brief hesitation, he slid it back into its sheath.

  Raynard walked up to Aeonia, his arms opened wide. “My darling, I’ve done it.”

  Darling? When Aeonia gave Raynard a simpering smile, my stomach lurched. Those two were… involved?

  “And so you have,” Aeonia said, allowing Raynard to kiss her on the cheek. “You’ve done exactly as I’ve asked, my dear Raynard. It’s such a shame, really.”

  Confusion etched across his face. “A shame?” He gestured toward me and Vernen. “What are you talking about, my darling? We have the amplifier. Now we have the means to destroy Parnaby and take the city. Just like we dreamed!”

  “Just like you dreamed,” Aeonia corrected with a soft smile. “That was never what I wanted. And if you weren’t so self-centered, you would have taken a moment to ask me what I wanted.”

  “Fine, what do you want?” Raynard was growing impatient.

  The woman made a quick motion with her hand and Raynard let out a gasp of surprise. With his back to us, I couldn’t see what was wrong until he crumpled to the ground, his hand pressed to his chest. Blood, dark red in the gray light, spilled over his fingers and splattered against the pavement like rain. “Aeonia?” Raynard asked.

  A dagger gleamed in her fingers. “I want the amplifier for myself, Raynard. I don’t give a damn about your president or your precious city. There’s someone else—” Her words cut off and she shook her head, steeling herself. “Never you mind, Raynard. It’s none of your business.” Aeonia flicked a finger and the other soldier—Thorton—went flying across the lawn, where he collided with a tree.

  Raynard was struggling to speak from where he crouched on the ground. “But you—we—”

  “There’s no ‘we,’ darling. There never has and there never will be,” Aeonia continued. “You were a means to an end.” She looked at me over his prone form. “Just like Irina.”

  I never liked the councilor, but I couldn’t stop the sense of horror that crawled over me as I watched him bleed to death in front of us. My mouth opened and closed, fear rooting me in place. If Aeonia
could stab Raynard, her ally, so easily, then she would have no problem destroying the rest of us to get what she wanted.

  I tore my gaze away from Raynard, instead focusing on Quinn. Her face was still blank, something I was grateful for. She didn’t need to see Raynard bleeding out. “Let Quinn go.”

  “You’d be wise not to tell me what to do,” Aeonia said coldly. “First, give me what I asked for.” Raynard reached for her, and she kicked him aside with her boot. The councilor collapsed fully on the ground with a startled gasp.

  Vernen’s fingers tightened over the amplifier. “The child first. Unharmed.”

  We stared at one another as the wind picked up. Aurora’s fingers twitched toward her sword, but Aeonia held up a hand, stopping her. “No, sister, there’s no need. We can give them Quinn back. I’ll just pry the amplifier from their cold, dead hands if they don’t give it to me.” She smiled widely, showing off her teeth.

  Suppressing a shudder, I glanced from the sparkling stone to Aeonia. The whispers were louder now, and I wondered if Aeonia could hear them. “What will you do with it? Who are you going to give it to?”

  Her face darkened. “That, my dear, is none of your concern. You’ll be too busy running from Parnaby once he’s realized what you’ve done. I wish I could stick around to see that, but I have plans. Big plans.” Planting a hand between Quinn’s skinny shoulder blades, she shoved the girl toward us.

  I lunged, catching Quinn. “Quinn!” I shouted. “Quinn!” To my utter relief, the girl blinked a few times, her dark eyes focusing on me.

  “I…rina?”

  I gathered her in my arms, hugging her tightly as I made sure to shield her from the sight of Raynard dying.

  “I did as promised,” Aeonia said. “Now, give me the amplifier.” When Vernen didn’t move, she snapped her fingers. “Don’t make me ask again, Irina. Or do you want me to burn your friend where he stands? There will be nothing left for you to bury once I’m through with him.”