Smoke and Ritual (Beautiful Dark Beasts Book 1)

by Melissa Sercia

  A fury began to build inside of me. An anger toward a woman I had never met. “Why is Echo so powerful? Why does she always win?”

  Luna waved her fingers, motioning for us to follow. “Because she fights dirty. Dark magic, human possession, Rougarou foot soldiers—you name it, she has sunk that low to get what she wants. The Nixies do not fight that way. We are pure…well most of us anyway.”

  I let out a gasp. “She uses Rougarou wolves? But I thought they were protected by Lycos and Valentina?”

  Lycos and Valentina took control of all the packs after the Blood War and declared it forbidden to harm any of the Rougarou. Their reasoning being that since they were once human, and not immortal, then the laws of the gods applied to them too.

  Seven chimed back as we walked, “They are protected. But some of the greedier ones have easily been persuaded to break rank and work for Echo. They are expendable to her. She just makes more of them when she…runs out.”

  My stomach twisted in knots. The Sylph coven, my coven, was a disgrace. “How could everyone let this happen?” I was horrified.

  “That’s what happens when the people of this world get too complacent. The age of peace was nothing but an illusion. The only true peace can be found in Elysium. Down here…there will always be war,” Chaos spat.

  Seven shot him a look, shaking his head in annoyance. But I feared that Chaos was right. Humans, witches, dhampirs, wolves…it didn’t matter. We were designed for conflict. Blood would always be shed. War was ingrained in our nature.

  Luna stopped mid stride, turning to face me, her skin damp, glowing radiant from the milky mist. “Those truths don’t matter. If you really are the Aether, then there might be a chance at some semblance of peace. We can’t give up hope. Not yet.”

  I looked deep into her eyes as they changed to a shade of gold, bright like the sun. For a split second I thought I could glimpse centuries of pain, love, loss, and betrayal. She blinked away a tear as a cloud of mist floated in between us.

  Hope. It was an idea that was fading fast.

  “First things first. Show me how to control water.” I didn’t just want to make waves or draw out drops from a pond. No. If I was going to have any chance of beating Echo, I needed to control the seas. I needed to make it rain.

  Nine

  Standing neck deep in thick milky water, I was starting to lose my nerve. The energy between the currents pulled at me like quicksand. It took all of my strength to hold my head above the surface. I never had a fear of drowning until this moment.

  Luna’s voice was barely audible over the rapid beating of my heart. “Breathe deep, Arya. Let the currents move through you, not against you.”

  “Easy for you to say. You’re not about to drown.” The water lapped up around me, splashing up and stinging my nostrils.

  “The water senses your fear. Reach deep down for your magic. Command it to awaken. Visualize it coming alive inside of you,” she called out. I could barely hear her voice as I sank down, my ears almost completely submerged.

  I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. The milky water clawed at me. I resisted the urge to pull away from it this time. Saying a silent prayer to Apollo, I unclenched my fists and let the water flow between my fingers. The tension slowly started to leave my body as I kept focusing on my breathing. The water swirled gently around me, releasing its’s grip on my limbs.

  A subtle breeze pushed through the liquid, tickling my ears, followed by a soft humming. I tried to imagine the water moving around me—toward me and away from me like a dance. My skin prickled from a new chill in the air. I felt lightheaded, dizzy.

  I could hear muffled voices far beneath the humming. Voices calling my name. Was it the ancestors? I couldn’t separate the wind from the water. They felt the same—soft, protective, sturdy.

  The water filled my lungs, but didn’t choke me. It flushed through me, seeping into every crevice. I could feel my bones floating in it, merging with it, and breathing in it.

  Arya.

  “Arya!”

  Snapping back to the present, I gasped for air. I had been drifting again. Except this time my magic was in complete control. Luna, Seven, and Chaos stood on the rocks, gaping at me, their eyes wide.

  Looking around, my knees began to buckle. What in the world?

  I hadn’t just moved the water, I had completely drained it. Taken it inside of me. The pool was…empty. All that existed around me was an open pit of rock, dirt, and moss. How was this even possible?

  My teeth chattered. “What—what just happened?”

  Luna gazed at me, mesmerized. “Remarkable,” she whispered.

  A tiny alarm sounded off in my head. I was feeling less and less normal than usual these days. The way they looked at me now… I felt like a circus freak.

  Wrapping my arms protectively around myself, I staggered out of the pit. “What did I do wrong?”

  Luna reached out a hand to steady me onto the rocks. “Wrong? Oh, Arya, you did nothing wrong. What you did…takes years to master.”

  I rubbed my eyes and looked back at the waterless hole. “But I didn’t master anything. I was just trying to control the water. To merge with it like you said. Like I do with wind.”

  “It embraced you and awakened your magic. It recognized you. You have Nixie blood after all.” She clapped her hands together in excitement.

  Seven reached for my hand, seeming to sense my apprehension. “Here, let me show you.”

  Shivering, I hesitated but took it. A tingle surged through my body like a tidal wave. I closed my eyes and pushed back against it. The vibrations reverberated through my bones.

  I jumped back. “How did you do that?”

  The wide grin spreading across his face, crinkled the corners of his amber colored eyes. “We are partly made up of water. I can manipulate water…and now, so can you.”

  A new reality sank in. Could I heal someone this way? Kill someone? I glanced over at Chaos, searching his face for answers. Searching for some reassurance or comfort. But his expression was blank, devoid of any emotion. He was either unimpressed or completely disinterested. Probably both. A wave of panic flooded over me. I should have been excited about this new power, but all I felt was anxious. What if I couldn’t control it?

  “I—I need to be alone.” And in typical Arya fashion, I bolted toward the nearest exit.

  Sprinting toward the beach, I ignored the shouts behind me and deigned to put as much distance as I could between me and that empty pool. I skidded to a stop as I reached the shore, the edges of sand combing away into the cold Atlantic. Teetering on the brink of land and sea, I was tempted to dive in and not look back till I reached the ends of the earth.

  The water seemed to have its own heartbeat now. Maybe it always did. But now…I could feel it. The wind caressed my cheeks as if it aimed to comfort me. And it brought something else. I caught his scent before I heard his footsteps squishing in the sand.

  “I’m fine. It’s just a lot to take in,” I confessed as Chaos planted himself next to me.

  “Literally a lot to take in,” he said. “But seriously, I’ve never seen anyone do what you just did. At least not down here.”

  My hands trembled as I raised them out in front of me, flipping them back and forth as if I were expecting fireworks to shoot out of them. “What am I?” I’d never fit in anywhere. Never belonged. “What if this power makes me even more different than everyone else? What if it makes me feel more alone?” I blinked back tears.

  Chaos turned to face me. “Listen up, little one. You are not alone. What makes you different is what makes you special. I had my doubts about you before, but seeing what you just did—what you can do—I will never doubt you again.” He took a giant step backward. “I want you to trust me. Let me show you why you should. Why you’re not alone.”

  “Okay…what are you going to do?” The distance he put between us was not for nothing.

  “Showing you my true form.”

  Before I co
uld protest, he arched his back, his torso lengthening as he shot up two feet higher than he already stood. His tee shirt and jeans fell away, revealing perfectly carved muscles under smooth and glistening flesh. A golden light radiated out of him. Then something else caught my eye, and a sharp breath lodged in my throat. Extending out from his back, black as night and sharp like obsidian, were two enormous wings. Wings like mine. A golden light radiated out of him, almost blinding me.

  Chaos winked. “I know, I know, It’s quite impressive.”

  Warmth spread throughout my body. As if in a trance, I moved toward him. My hand seemed to have a mind of its own as I found myself tracing his smooth chest with my fingertips. A soft gasp escaped his lips, the amusement in his eyes shifting to hunger. His hands went to my hips, pulling me toward him till our bodies were pressed up against each other.

  “Let me see you…all of you,” he whispered.

  I took a nervous step back, my knees shaking. Slowly, I took off my sweater, and then my pants. His eyes widened as I reached around to unfasten my bra. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath and let my wings unfold around me.

  “You are so beautiful.” He reached out his hands. “Come to me.”

  I stumbled toward him, unsure of what I was doing. But for the first time, I didn’t care. No one had ever looked at me the way he was looking at me now.

  Just mere inches apart, his wings flapped toward mine, caressing the tips of my feathers, sending quivers down my spine. My head buzzed, sparking with sensations I’d never felt before.

  He cupped my face in his hands. “You see…we are the same, you and I. Made from the same particles and dust. Carved from the same substance. Like a reflection of everything that could ever be good in me, you exist. That is why you are not alone. Why you’ll never be alone.”

  Like a key finding its perfect lock, I slid my arms around his neck and nestled into his tight embrace, our wings folding around us like a cocoon. A thousand thoughts reached for me, but I tuned them out. I wanted to stay in this moment for as long as I could. To stay present. For the first time in my life, there was someone who understood. I was not a god, but I was the only Sylph who looked the way I did. No Sylph witches or Elysium gods had black wings. Only us. It seemed too good to be true. Maybe it was.

  I peered up at him through glossy eyes. “Why me?”

  “It’s complicated.” He loosened his grip and looked away.

  I shivered as the icy wind slashed against my bare back. Inching away from him, I tried my best to cover my naked flesh.

  “Are you okay? You seem upset.” He wrinkled his brow, running an unsteady hand through his hair as he watched me fumble around for my clothes.

  I shook my head, avoiding his gaze. “I’m just cold. And I have questions that need answering. I’m not going to find them here.” I folded my wings back into my shoulders and started back toward the caves.

  Chaos swooped in front of me, cutting off my path. “Now who’s speaking in subtext? I think I might be starting to rub off on you. What are you so afraid of? Why do you always pull away?”

  “I have no idea what you are talking about.” He was the one who always pulled away. I pushed past him and charged forward. But he grabbed my arm and swung me around. “Tell me what you want, Arya.” His eyes filled with that same hunger again. They filled with longing and desire. Or maybe that was just a reflection of what I wanted.

  I yanked my arm back. “I don’t know what I want,” I snapped.

  Grabbing a hold of my arm again, he bowed his head toward mine and whispered, “The more you deny yourself, the more it will torture you…keep you up at night…haunt your dreams. Say it, Arya. Tell me you want me…”

  He was manipulating my emotions. Every move orchestrated—the blood rushing to my cheeks, the butterflies in my stomach, the provocative way he breathed into my ear—all sent quivers down my legs. He could excite me without even touching me. But I still didn’t trust him.

  I shook off the reverie and backed away. In one moment, he had managed to pull me in and then send me running. He couldn’t help himself. That is what he did. He created chaos.

  “We should get back to the others,” I said.

  “As you wish.” He moved ahead of me but paused to turn back around. “For the record, I would never try to make you feel anything you didn’t want to.”

  And just like that, in that fiery look he gave me, for the first time since we’d met, even as my brain told me to shut it out…every cell in my body believed him.

  Seven and Luna were still waiting where I had left them. Deep in discussion as they hovered over the empty pool, their voices hushed at the sight of me. The other Nixies had also gathered around now, gawking at me as they whispered amongst each other. I searched the crowd for Chaos, but he was nowhere in sight. My heart sank. Our moment on the beach was odd at best. I didn’t know what to think anymore.

  Seven gestured to another pool of milky water. “Arya, we’d like to see you do it again.”

  Was this day ever going to end? “I don’t know if I can. I don’t know what I’m doing.”

  Luna kneeled down, dipping her fingers into the pool. The ripples lurched and flooded toward her like a magnet. “That’s the whole point. Let your magic take over. It will guide you.”

  I let out a deep sigh and walked to the edge. Staring down into the watery abyss, I caught a glimpse of my own reflection. Ghosts hovered around me. The sweet mist filled my nose and tickled my ears. My limbs were heavy, weighing me down as they ached. But like a moth to a flame, before I even knew what was happening, my feet carried me into the center of the pool.

  Ten

  Despite the chill in the air, Luna’s chambers were warm and inviting. Seven brought me a fresh change of clothes—a pair of black pants and matching hooded sweater. I sat down on a plush velvet ottoman and waited for their assessment.

  Luna crouched down in front of me, taking my hands in hers. “You are extraordinary. The water is now part of you and forever will be. You must do the same with fire and with earth. However, I must warn you, the other covens may not be as welcoming.”

  My gut twisted. Luna’s eyes had shifted to a pale shade of blue, her expression soft but pained. I wondered how long she had been down here with no contact with the outside world. This new responsibility they were placing on me was constricting. A sort of spiritual suffocation. The Nixies were now looking at me like I was their savior. But I could barely save myself.

  Chaos lingered in the doorway, his arms folded against his chest. He fixated on a random spot on the ground. What was going through his mind? His face was unreadable. His energy was contained, bottled up and locked away.

  I stood up as Seven approached. “Are we leaving now?” My nerves were shot and the air down here was thin. I feared it was affecting my ability to think clearly. I needed to feel the wind on my face.

  Seven nodded. “The ship is ready and calibrated to arrive in Italy by tomorrow evening.” Thank Apollo for that magical ship.

  Forcing myself to meet Luna’s expectant gaze, I stammered, “I will do my best to not let any of you down.”

  “I have no doubt. The gods will guide you.” Her lips plumped into a half-smile, half-frown, the worry lines in her face deepening.

  Seven and Luna embraced, saying their goodbyes. But Chaos remained silent as he trudged ahead toward the docks. How long was he going to avoid me?

  The Nixies gathered on the mist-covered beach to watch us depart, their eyes glowing bright like the sun. In just two days, I had awakened my Nixie magic, draining two fairy pools without batting an eyelash. While some of them were hopeful, I could see the apprehension and distrust radiating off of others. I didn’t blame them. A strange girl comes out of nowhere, claiming to be the Aether, and uses magic that she didn’t even knew she had. I wouldn’t trust me either.

  The familiar surroundings of Seven’s ship were starting to feel more like home than Sanctum ever had. I stepped on deck and eagerly accepted the glas
s of whiskey he offered. The wind was refreshingly crisp as it whipped through my hair and I breathed in a sigh of relief. With the warm peppery liquid easing the chill, it was good to be back out at sea again.

  While Seven puttered around below deck, Chaos brooded in a corner. I took a deep breath and strolled over to him. I hated the silent treatment and would rather prefer the annoying banter right now.

  He turned quick, moving within an inch of my face. “Once word gets out about what you can do, there are those who will come for us. You need to be prepared.”

  Surprised by his bluntness, I stumbled back. “Um…okay. Is that all that’s gotten you so riled up?”

  His eyes went cold, emotionless. “I don’t get riled up, Arya. If you are referring to your tantrum on the beach…well I was simply teasing you. Don’t read too much into it.” He cursed under his breath and looked away.

  How could he be so charming one minute and so dismissive the next? “I—I knew that.” I hoped he couldn’t hear my heart hammering in my chest.

  He cracked his knuckles, clenching and unclenching his fists. “There is something else…after this is all over, I’m returning to Elysium. I can’t stay here.”

  Nausea seeped in. I braced myself on the rail. “But—but you said you wouldn’t leave me alone. That you would protect the Aether.”

  His body stiffened. “And I will protect you until you become the Aether. You won’t need me anymore after that. You won’t be alone. There are many who will follow you. But I don’t belong here, Arya. Once you have control over the covens and the harpies, the gates of Elysium will be guarded again and we can all move on.”

  I opened my mouth to protest, but stopped just as Seven came barreling up the stairs. “Did someone say harpies?”

  Chaos jerked his head toward the sky. “Shit. Arya, find cover. Now.”

  I followed his gaze upward and froze. Dozens of harpies hovered over us.