Smoke and Ritual (Beautiful Dark Beasts Book 1)

by Melissa Sercia

  A sharp pain seared between my temples and I rifled through my desk for a calming elixir. My ears tingled. Just when I thought I could finally relax, the silent comfort of my room was interrupted by a burst of frantic voices, echoing throughout the halls. This time of night was always so quiet, you could hear a pin drop. What the hell was going on out there?

  Folding my wings back into my shoulders, I crept to the door and pressed my cheek against it. The brisk shuffling of feet was paired with gasps and whispers. With my ear still on the door, I reached for my hoodie and pulled it on, always careful to keep my back covered. Even with my wings hidden, two distinct black lines were etched into my shoulder blades, thick and somewhat raised like a freshly inked tattoo. The footsteps in the hall intensified, a mixture of heavy boots and pointy heels thudding against the floor with urgency. I threw open the door just as Sapphire came bumbling toward me, breathless.

  “Arya! Something’s happening. Everyone’s heading toward the library. C’mon, let’s go.” She tugged at my wrist.

  I let her drag me down the hall. “Hold on. Slow down. Why is everyone freaking out?” Faces full of shock and awe whipped past us.

  She spun around, full stop, and faced me, almost knocking me back. “Chaos is here.”

  “The god?” I couldn’t have heard her right. Maybe I drank too much of that calming elixir.

  “No, the rock star. Yes, the god. We need to hurry and get in there.” Her grip tightened around my wrist as we followed the frenzied crowd toward the Library of Covens.

  My heart pounded. The gods didn’t leave Elysium unless the fate of humanity depended on it. At least that was what happened the last time. The only time actually. Gray had convinced Chaos to help her fight in the Blood War against Cerberus, the guardian of the Underworld. But we were in an age of peace now. Why was he here?

  As I scurried to keep up with Sapphire, my imagination went into overdrive, thinking of all the possible end-of-world scenarios. A sinking sensation formed in the pit of my stomach as we reached the entrance.

  The library walls were covered in books that shot up to the ceiling, three-stories high. Polished oak ladders were strategically placed every few feet. They slid from right to left with ease. As I stepped inside, my feet gave way slightly into the plush red carpet. Traces of dust and the faint scent of parchment tickled my nose.

  The energy reverberated through the room like sound waves. A soft wind began to hum in my ears, trickling all the way down to my fingertips. It tingled in my spine. My Sylph magic moved through me on its own. What the hell is happening to me?

  We spotted Diego through the crowd and made our way over to him. As the blood rushed to my feet, I leaned back against the wall to steady myself. A cold wind filled my ears, thundering as if I had just stuck my head out the window of a moving car. The room seemed to spin as my equilibrium shifted and bile climbed up my throat.

  “Arya, are you okay?” Diego placed a warm hand on my shoulder.

  “Um, I think I’m going to be sick,” I mumbled.

  “Please don’t. You know how queasy I get.” A fresh sheen covered his face as he pleaded with me.

  Breathe, Arya. Just breathe. “Sorry. Must have been something I ate.” Deep down I knew that wasn’t true. There was a force much stronger than spoiled food swirling around in my belly. I leaned further back against the stacks, wondering which sacred text I was soiling with my sweat.

  Sapphire placed her hands on my temples. “Take a deep breath and focus on me.” She hummed softly, rubbing my forehead.

  I did as she said, breathing in slow while I gazed at her smooth face, her almond-shaped eyes, her black-as-night hair, getting lost in each intricate braid wrapped tight to her head, twisting in and out like branches. Within seconds my skin tingled and the wind in my ears began to settle. It rumbled low like distant drums, and then left my ears with the force of a vacuum. I released another deep breath and wiped a handful of sweat off my brow.

  “Thanks. How did you do that?” My throat was dry, but I no longer wanted to throw up.

  She shoved her hands into the pockets of her blue velvet coat, protecting them as if they were now vulnerable from the magic that had just been released from them. “I’m a Rain Maker, remember? Healing people…it’s what we do.”

  I nodded, realizing that we never talked about magic. “I gotta stop eating in the Brew Market.”

  The Brew Market sprang up on Sanctum’s Scottish shores not long after we first arrived here. It was full of black-market traders and thieves, trying to cash in on the new supernatural element that had landed. It was dangerous, but a welcome relief from the restlessness I felt inside these walls.

  She squinted at me with that familiar look of ire on her face that she got whenever I broke the rules. “The Brew Market? You know we’re not supposed to go near there.”

  Before I could respond, her attention turned to the commotion that was happening around us. Thank the gods. I didn’t want to get into another argument about my extracurricular activities. Everyone was here—witches, dhampirs, Lupi, and everyone in between. Sanctum housed an interesting mix of species. The Lupi were born with wolf magic, but the Rougarou wolves were once human but had been bitten and then transformed by wolf magic. Their magic was much weaker and they were often treated as the lesser species.

  Most of the dhampirs here were hybrids—blood suckers who could also do magic. They were immortal descendants of the sun god, Apollo, and belonged to an order called the Consilium. Ten years ago, Jane’s daughter, Gray, came along and took it over, inviting the Crescent witches and the Lupi wolves into the fold. After they had beat Cerberus, Gray created Sanctum for all of us. But I wasn’t like the rest of them. And they all knew it.

  Jane had positioned herself at the head of the room, and standing next to her was the most beautiful man I’d ever seen. Except he wasn’t a man at all. He was a god. Chaos remained quiet, his face lighting up with amusement as most of the female beings, and some male, salivated at the sight of him. His dark hair hung just below his ears, shiny like obsidian and with a slight wave to it. It cast a faint shadow over his bronzed skin.

  His eyes were dark like his hair, almost black. He scanned the room, allowing his gaze to linger over every face like he was searching for someone, or something. My breath caught in my throat when his gaze met mine. A fluttering stirred in my belly, a longing that I had buried deep. He flashed me a grin, and I stumbled back into the bookstacks. Real graceful, Arya.

  Before I could recover, his gaze had already moved on. I cursed under my breath and hoped he didn’t see. Prayed I wasn’t blushing. Such a cruel betrayal of the body when blood and flesh revealed our innermost desires with bright red cheeks and sweaty palms.

  Jane held up her hands to silence the whispers. “Attention, please. We have a very special guest with us this evening. He has traveled all the way here from Elysium to pay us a visit. Please join me in welcoming Chaos into our humble home. Come, let us feast.”

  The crowd erupted into cheers and applause. I, on the other hand, had a knot in the pit of my stomach. Chaos’ energy was uncontrolled, but guarded. I couldn’t get a complete read off of him…and I could read anybody.

  Diego threw me a sideways glance. “How nice of him to grace us with his sexy presence. A little unusual though, don’t you think?”

  “It’s beyond strange,” I whispered, more to myself than to anyone else. “I wonder what he wants.”

  “Jane doesn’t look alarmed.” Sapphire shrugged her shoulders but her eyes narrowed as she watched Chaos follow Jane out the side entrance of the library.

  Jane didn’t look relaxed either. Apart from the gorgeous specimen accompanying her, I couldn’t help but notice a slight twitch in her right eye and her lips more pursed than usual. From her tight bun, with not a single hair out of place, all the way down to her polished leather boots—our head mistress was always perfectly put together. So the presence of a tiny thread hanging from the sleeve of her tweed jacket b
othered me immensely.

  I shuffled behind my friends as the room began to empty out toward the dining hall. Despite all of the excitement, it was getting late and I was still exhausted from my training.

  “I’m really going to bed this time. See you at lunch tomorrow?” I tried to stifle a yawn without success.

  “I don’t think sleep is going to help you pass that potion test tomorrow,” Diego teased, a sloppy grin on his face. I feigned shock and punched a playful jab into his shoulder.

  Sapphire shook her head as he stumbled off, chuckling to himself. “One of these days that wolf is going to piss off the wrong witch.” A flicker of amusement, mixed with adoration, passed through her eyes.

  “I think that’s the only reason why he hangs out with us. We’re his witch bodyguards,” I joked.

  Walking back to our rooms, we avoided the subject of tonight’s festivities, opting instead to talk about mundane stuff—who had a crush on who, what we were going to wear to the Imperator’s Ball, and how delicious the new honeycomb sugar cookies were in the dining hall. As we moved down the last corridor, a group of three blond-haired witches—Crescent witches from London—dawdled past, snickering as they turned their noses up at us. I did my best to ignore them, but it was just another reminder that I was without a coven. Sapphire was the only witch who would give me the time of day. Our mothers fought on the battlefield together. Sapphire said that bonded us for life. She had been my best friend ever since.

  “Goodnight. Sweet dreams,” I called to her as I shoved open the door to my room. She mumbled something similar back before disappearing down the dimly lit corridor.

  I locked the door behind me and sagged back against it. Finally alone with my own thoughts, the image of Chaos resurfaced from where it had been lingering in the back of my mind. As tired as I was, I doubted I’d get any sleep tonight. They could have all the celebration feasts they wanted, but it didn’t change the fact that the gods didn’t leave Elysium unless something was wrong.

  Two

  The bed sheets clung to me, drenched in sweat.

  Arya.

  Her voice…it was…so familiar.

  We need you, Arya.

  “Aunt Echo?” The sound of my own voice jarred me awake.

  I sprang up, my heart racing, half-expecting an ambush. Realizing I was alone in my room at Sanctum, I flopped back down and buried my head in my pillow. My perception of reality these days was blurred, groggy at best on the good days.

  I’d been having the same dream for three months now—a woman’s voice whispering to me while I free fell into darkness. At first it was terrifying, now it was just starting to annoy me. All I wanted was one decent night of sleep for a change. The tossing and turning, waking up with stiff joints and sore muscles, it was affecting my training as well. I couldn’t focus or concentrate. If I screwed up one more potion, Jane was going to have my head for sure.

  Releasing a groan, I worked to untangle myself from the crumpled sheets, forcing my body out of bed. Cold sweat shivered my flesh as my bare legs met the icy air. The building was old, and there wasn’t much insulation in its walls. With a slight flick of my hand, I motioned toward the tiny bathroom, satisfied by the immediate rush of water pouring out from the showerhead. At least I could still get that right.

  Dragging my aching feet into the steam-filled room, I couldn’t help but let my wings unfold around me—jet black and as soft as velvet, they radiated warmth and comforted me. Having them out was freeing, like dancing, or walking on water. Not that I’ve ever walked on water, or even danced for that matter, but I liked to imagine that’s what it would feel like. I was calmer when they were out instead of tucked away like a dirty secret.

  All Sylph witches were born with wings. We controlled the element of air, so it was only natural that we would be able to glide above it. But mine were different. I had no idea why, just that it was one more thing that made me feel alone.

  As the piping hot water washed over me, flashes from last night’s dream played again in my head—my Aunt Echo’s voice calling to me, gusts of wind rushing through my ears, the faint whispers and moans. I had never met my aunt, or ever heard her voice. It was strange that I’d managed to conjure up this idea of what she would sound like. I often wondered what it all meant. If it even meant anything at all.

  The drop in temperature shocked me back to the present. I was drifting again. Cursing under my breath, I turned off the shower. It was no wonder I couldn’t pass my potion test. I couldn’t even keep the water from running cold.

  Annoyed with myself, I quickly dried off, folded my wings back into my shoulders and got dressed. I pulled on a pair of black pants, black boots, and a soft pale blue sweater. Ugh, I was going to be late again.

  As I fumbled around for my spell book, something on the bed caught my attention out of the corner of my eye. A shadow? No. A dark stain on the mattress. I leaned in to get a closer view. It was blood.

  With trembling fingers, I pulled back the sheet and gasped. The room began to spin just as a gust of wind howled through my ears. How in the hell?

  I closed my eyes tight and then opened them again. It was still there on my bed with its neck broken…a dead white crow.

  I stumbled backward and noticed for the first time that my window was wide open. These windows weren’t supposed to open. They were sealed shut. This was a bad omen. A display of dark magic.

  It was either a sick joke, or someone was trying to curse me.

  “Arya, slow down. Breathe. Tell me again what you saw.” Sapphire’s eyes were wide with disbelief.

  I glanced around the library, gauging the distance between us and the other students, and lowered my voice. “My window was wide open. The bird…its blood was all over my sheets.”

  I was doing my best to keep it together, but it was hard to ignore the snickers and disapproving glances from the other witches between the book stacks. By the end of the day, surely the news of the only witch without a coven having a mental breakdown in the library would have reached even the Brew Market.

  Sapphire sat up straight, her shoulders pressed back. She was getting that authoritative look again. The one that reminded me of her mother. For someone who claimed to have zero interest in leading a coven, she certainly had the air of a coven leader about her. “Well, we have to tell Miss Jane then. If someone here is using dark magic against you, she needs to know about it.”

  I shook my head. “No. The other witches already don’t trust me. They’ll despise me even more if I rat one of them out. Just help me get rid of it. And don’t tell anyone, please.”

  She leaned back, her arms crossed. “Fine, but if something like this happens again, we have to report it. I’m not going to stand by and watch you get bullied.”

  “Okay, thank you.” If I could just keep her quiet for now, it would buy me some time to figure out who was really behind it. I could find out what they wanted and why they were messing with me.

  “You better go take your potion test before Jane sends out a search party for you. I’ll take care of the dead bird.”

  I was grateful I didn’t have to go back to that bloody scene, but as I dashed down the hall, another wave of nausea hit me, a realization as I neared the apothecary lab. This so-called age of peace we were in was only keeping us weaker. Vulnerable to outside and inside threats. None of us were really safe. It was just an illusion.

  I threw open the door to the lab and rushed in. “Sorry I’m late, Miss Jane. I—” The room was empty.

  A note was pinned to the table. My apologies, Arya, but something pressing has come up. We will reschedule your testing for a later date. – Jane

  I should have been relieved, but I was filled with a sense of dread. Prolonging my inevitable failure made me queasy, only making my anxiety worse. Maybe she realized I was a hopeless case who would never get this right. Tiny colored apothecary bottles lined the shelf on the wall facing me. Mocking me. Bottles filled with perfect potions, mixed together by perfect w
itches. I groaned and kicked the leg of the table.

  “You know that’s not exactly a fair fight now, don’t you?”

  I whipped around to see an amused Chaos leaning against the doorframe, his lips turned up into a devilish pout.

  Blood rushed to my cheeks. “I—I know that. I’m just having a bad day.” Oh, for the love of Apollo. Of all the immortal beings who could walk in here right now to see me lose my cool, it just had to be him.

  “Try having Hades for a brother. It brings new meaning to the phrase having a bad day.” He tucked a fallen strand of dark hair behind his ear as he stepped into the lab, his movements slow, calculating, yet graceful, as if he was holding back the full extent of his speed.

  I stuck my chin out in my best attempt to appear confident. “You must have kicked a lot of tables then.”

  He inched closer, his smirk gone. I could barely breathe under his intent gaze, his brown eyes hardening. “I kicked a lot more than just furniture.”

  A lump formed in my throat, suddenly aware that I was alone in a room with one of the deadliest beings in the universe.

  Chaos towered over me, his body long and muscular. A mix of mischief, danger, and amusement flashed in his eyes. I clenched my fists at my sides, afraid to move or even breathe, but I held his gaze.

  Just when I thought I was going to pass out from holding my breath, he shifted backward and chuckled. “I’ve also kicked trees, river banks, and even a flower bed once. Much to the disapproval of my sister, Athena. Relax, little one. You don’t need to fear me.”

  I didn’t know if I was more relieved or annoyed. He had a lot of nerve to come into my lab and mock me. Seemed to be a theme around here lately. “I’m not afraid of you. What are you doing in here, anyway?” I snapped.

  His grin widened. “I was looking for Jane. I guess she’s not here. I’ll leave you to your bad day. Good luck with the table.” He winked before disappearing down the hall.